Phase+1_Reflect+on+Technological+Pedagogical+Content+Knowledge


 * Phase 1: Reflect on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge **
 * ASHLEY**


 * What is my knowledge of technology? (TK)**

My knowledge of technology is very limited. I have had very little exposure to the various, helpful educational technologies, therefore, they scare me. Every time I attempt to use technology without the guidance of an expert, I screw something up or something happens that even the experts cannot explain. Because of my lack of knowledge and my fear, I rarely use technology in my classroom.

I have very limited access to technology in my classroom, with only a teacher’s computer, TV with VHS/DVD player, and a portable dry-erase board. I will occasionally use Power Point or the VHS/DVD player in my classroom, but I need the librarian to come set it up for me in my classroom because of some unexplainable “glitch.” At work, I use technology mostly for grades and attendance (Power Grade) and for communicating with my colleagues (Outlook). Of course, I do use the Internet to research information for instruction.


 * What is my knowledge of pedagogy? (PK)**

While I tend to be more of a constructivist instructor, I believe it is crucial to use methods from the objectivist as well as the constructivist learning theories. Typically, I will start a unit with more objectivist theory by providing information to my students. As we move through a unit, my instructional strategies become more and more constructivist in theory. As a lab class, my students do a lot of hands-on, discovery learning (Jerome Bruner).


 * What is my knowledge of content? (CK)**

As far as content goes, I feel very confident in what I teach. Before I began student teaching, I remember how terrified I felt that the students may know more than me or that I was not prepared well enough. With each passing year, my knowledge of content expands, and I feel more and more comfortable and confident in what I am teaching. I have completed a lot of continuing education classes as well as attended conferences and even networking/collaboration that has helped me feel this way.

With regards to the content for our unit, I am not as comfortable as I am in my own content area. Our group consists of a wide range of contents, so we chose one. Math is something we all use and is, therefore, something I can relate to and understand but not well enough to teach at this point.


 * Where do I see myself in the TPACK model?**

I believe I fall in the PCK area of the TPACK model. I would put myself into this category because I rarely use technology in my classroom and will need to become more confident in my abilities before I can move closer to the ideal center of the TPACK model. I hope to advance my knowledge during this course and others as well as through trial and error. I believe the more I am exposed to and the more I practice using different technology, the more likely I will be to try using them in my classroom.


 * Phase 1: Reflect on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge **
 * PAMELA**


 * 1. What is my knowledge of technology? (TK)**

I feel pretty confidant when it comes to the use of technology in the classroom, I like learning about new things and am open to trying various programs at least once, however, it takes me some time and practice to feel comfortable enough to incorporate them in my classroom. Some programs that I find are useful in creating lessons are the use of smart boards, power point, and searching for extra resources on the Internet.


 * 2. What is my knowledge of pedagogy? (PK)**

When it comes to my personal pedagogy, I feel that I meld the beliefs of objectivists and constructivists. I believe that students need a guiding hand and direct instruction from the teacher when they are first learning about a topic or skill. In order to investigate various skills and concepts on their own they need to understand the basic skills and concepts that are required for the topic. On the other hand, after students are given the instruction and are given the chance to investigate the skill by participating in their own experiences it helps them truly conceptualize what they were supposed to learn.


 * 3. What is my knowledge of the content? (CK)**

When it comes to our unit I feel that I am pretty knowledgeable with the content. I have been teaching math for the past six years, and collaborate with my co-workers on a weekly basis to discuss the content as well as attended numerous conferences that included how to help students with difficulty in math and a technology conference that gave examples and websites to help with the curriculum.


 * 4. Where do I see myself in the TPACK model?**

With the TPACK model I would consider myself pretty close to the middle of the diagram (TPACK). I am very comfortable with the content that I teach and my pedagogy, however, when it comes to technology I am able to do quite a bit but do not feel that anyone is every fully trained and comfortable with what is available due to how quickly technology is advancing.


 * Phase 1: Reflect on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge **
 * SUSAN**


 * 1. What is my knowledge of technology?**

Also I have knowledge of basic programs such as Power Point and Outlook. Yet at the same time there are many other types of technology that I am not aware of and tend to need some kind of training or guidance to feel comfortable enough to implement them into the classroom. I feel relatively comfortable using technology in my classroom due to the available resources of my district. We were given training on how to use our tablet which can be wirelessly connected to a proxima to present information on the computer. We also have a program called Journal Writer in which allows me to use a stylist to write on the tablet screen. With the programs listed before I tend to need time to explore the programs and practice before teaching with such technology.


 * 2. What is my knowledge of pedagogy?**

While in college I took classes in which I learned about many different theorists and their philosophies about learning and education. Through reading Chapter 2 I was reminded of their varying ideas. While I reflect on my teaching often, I hadn’t thought about it in terms of pedagogy. After reading and reflecting on my daily teaching I have determined that I follow a mix of both Objectivist and Constructivist learning Theories. One of the hardest parts of teaching is grabbing the student’s attention and therefore I tend to find engaging videos and songs to introduce a lesson. This would follow the Constructivist approach of inquiry learning. Then in order to add structure and make sure I am meeting the standards and content I include some lecture and drill/ practice which leads to the other approach of Objectivists. Lastly once the students have learned something I feel that it is important to do more hands on lessons in which they are able to see, feel and work with what they are learning about. This allows it to feel more real and relevant to their own lives and is back to the Constructivist theories. Therefore my pedagogy is a mixture of two major theories. Since students learn in different ways, I feel that more than one approach should be used. Like I said with technology I’m sure there are more theories that I will read about and over time could change my opinions on such pedagogy. Taking the time to reflect on my theories about teaching and learning forces me to consider why each lesson and strategy is important in order to meet standards and benchmarks.

When it comes to the classes I teach I feel confident in the content and standards within Language Arts, Reading and Ancient History. Over the last three years of teaching I have learned more about the specifics of my subject areas. Through workshops and training sessions such knowledge has been increased. We are starting a new reading series next year and this summer I plan on reading up on the content involved. The teachers at my school are very open to collaborating and sharing ideas. I find that to be very helpful and with that I’m always confronted with new ideas, strategies and approaches that I can implement into my lessons. Since this is a group project and my peers teach different content areas we decided to pick one subject area to concentrate on. Pamela teaches Math and while I feel comfortable with my own general knowledge of the subject, I don’t have the strategies and comfort level needed to teach and explain it to students.
 * 3. What is my knowledge of content?**

After looking at the diagram for the TPACK model and considering my answers to the following questions, I feel that I fall in the PCK part of the model. The PCK refers to pedagogy and content knowledge. I tend to be a very reflective person and continuously try to find new and more effective ways to teach my content. With that being said I have more knowledge in pedagogy and content knowledge then technology. While I have been provided with a lot of technology within my district, there is much to learn. Yet I don’t think anyone is fully at the level of full knowledge in any area and we should all strive to learn more.
 * 4. Where do I see myself in the TPACK model?**
 * As a team…**

As a team, with our combined skills, we would probably be considered the center of the TPACK model. Due to the fact that we are working together, we are able to collaborate and share our knowledge and skills because we are all familiar with different types of technology.