1. The areas that I need to improve in the TPACK model in trying to integrate the technology part alongside all the other parts and fit it into my daily instruction. While planning with my colleagues it is easy to implement the technology but it is hard to align it into the content standards. Last year, I implement lots of technology into my lessons but this was done as the lesson called for technology. While in class I used many video clips from the discovery channel. They brought the concept that I was trying to teach home to the students. As I monitored student’s reactions they seemed to focus more on what I was teaching. For example I read the assignment articles but the TPACK video brought everything together and this is what I did last year. On some occasions while the principal was visiting my classroom I was checked to see if it was aligned to the content standards. I thought that the principal would find the technological aspect of my instruction great but instead it was scrutinized to see if I was following the standards and if it was aligned to the benchmarks I used PowerPoint, word document instead of the chalkboard, the class visited websites, but the principal for some reason tried to find error in what I was doing. This year I am trying to find the right activity to use to maximize students learning and like the TPACK model require the alignment of all the different areas such as the PK, PCK, CK, and TK my greatest change will be to implement the technological knowledge into my instruction.
2. I am currently teaching third grade but I am certified to teach high school my goal is to transfer to the high school and teach History. I am thinking about doing a unit on 9th grade government. While I was reviewing the 9th grade government textbook that the district uses in the classroom I discovered that it had a lot of online activities available for students. Many of the activities require that students to take online quizzes at the end of each unit and chapter. Students can assess their knowledge and understanding as they complete the work. The lessons also require students to visit websites. After visiting the website the students have to complete an activity. I liked the activity that sequenced the steps on how to become a U.S. citizen. Student can use a variety to technologies to complete this task. Maybe after visiting the Naturalization website students can create a wiki and outline the steps that someone has to complete in order to become a U.S. citizen. Video uplink can be used in the wiki, and students can create a brochure or some type of document that will allow others to use. Some of the tools that students can use to complete the activities will be visiting websites, taking online quizzes, make graphs or charts, blogs, timelines, word processor, and wikis.
I agree with you in aligning standards with technology is difficult at times because we are given out dated curriculum that doesn't fit to the current teaching methods we must use in the classroom. Our districts push technology but unfortunately they don't have the resources to train us, purchase equipment or make the proper changes to align to our lesson plans to the technology they have provided.
ReplyDelete