Activity 3 - Missing Pedagogy
Activity Objectives
It’s strange how sometimes something can be so obvious that you just can’t see it. I see this all the time with my students, especially when it comes to debugging computer code. It all looks so complex - and it often is - and so they cannot see what is causing the program not to work. Yet the mistake is actually quite simple. In fact it is so simple they just can’t see it. In this activity we are going to discuss the missing component in our EdTech approach - pedagogy.
It's so obvious?
Let me demonstrate how something can be so obvious we can't see it. Here’s a really simple problem for you to solve. Can you find the mistake?
It’s strange how sometimes something can be so obvious that you just can’t see it. I see this all the time with my students, especially when it comes to debugging computer code. It all looks so complex - and it often is - and so they cannot see what is causing the program not to work. Yet the mistake is actually quite simple. In fact it is so simple they just can’t see it. In this activity we are going to discuss the missing component in our EdTech approach - pedagogy.
It's so obvious?
Let me demonstrate how something can be so obvious we can't see it. Here’s a really simple problem for you to solve. Can you find the mistake?
It really is frustrating if you can’t. You stare at it and stare at it some more, and the mistake is just not there. Are you sure there is a mistake? And, by the way, there is a mistake. A mistake so obvious that you most likely cannot see it. Give Up? If you really can’t see the mistake carry on reading for a clue. But I warn you, you will not be happy once I tell you. You’ll say, “That’s crazy! How could I not see it.” So if you haven’t yet seen the mistake, give it another try, otherwise read on.
OK. So I assume you have either figured it out or have given up. If you gave up then one more clue. Don’t be distracted by looking at the coloured numbers. Rather read carefully. That after all is our problem. We are too hasty. And that is why we often miss what is right in front of us. Try again…
Did you spot it now? It’s the double “the” that we all miss. It’s a mistake that thankfully modern word processors underline with squiggly red lines to warn us that something is not right. It’s just something that is so obvious that we simply can’t see it. Well, the same applies to teaching with technology. There is something that is just so obviously missing but we just don’t see it. I didn’t see it for nearly 10-years. I suppose part of the problem is that technology is so enthralling it can make us forget to step back and think before we do.
OK. So I assume you have either figured it out or have given up. If you gave up then one more clue. Don’t be distracted by looking at the coloured numbers. Rather read carefully. That after all is our problem. We are too hasty. And that is why we often miss what is right in front of us. Try again…
Did you spot it now? It’s the double “the” that we all miss. It’s a mistake that thankfully modern word processors underline with squiggly red lines to warn us that something is not right. It’s just something that is so obvious that we simply can’t see it. Well, the same applies to teaching with technology. There is something that is just so obviously missing but we just don’t see it. I didn’t see it for nearly 10-years. I suppose part of the problem is that technology is so enthralling it can make us forget to step back and think before we do.
TPACK Model
The TPACK model was developed to help teachers identify the key aspects that are required to be effective with teaching with technology. TPACK stands for Technology, Pedagogy And Content Knowledge. As such the model argues that there are three key aspects that are necessary for us to be effective with technology in the classroom.
The TPACK model was developed to help teachers identify the key aspects that are required to be effective with teaching with technology. TPACK stands for Technology, Pedagogy And Content Knowledge. As such the model argues that there are three key aspects that are necessary for us to be effective with technology in the classroom.
- Technology knowledge - this is our knowledge of how to use technology. Increasingly this is something that we are all able to do. For example, most teachers know how to use a smartphone or tablet, or even how to use apps like Facebook, Google, etc.
- Content knowledge - as a teacher you know your subject content, be it history, math, geography, music, etc. We've been trained in this and are comfortable with the content.
- Pedagogy knowledge - and here is where the problem lies. Without an appropriate pedagogy (teaching approach) we can't apply the technology effectively to the content. This is not saying that as teachers we don't have pedagogy knowledge, it's just that we don't have a digital pedagogy. The reason for this is that very few digital pedagogies exist because we are still trying to understand how technology impacts how students learn
Now, get active...Do a quick search on TPACK and read about it to find out a little more about the importance of the three components of the model.
Activities:
- What is the role of pedagogy in the TPACK model?
- So, if we need a digital pedagogy, how do you think a digital pedagogy should be developed and what would you expect it to do for your teaching?
GO BACK TO YOUR EDMODO GROUP AND SHARE YOUR ANSWERS AS A REPLY TO "Activity 3 - Missing Pedagogy"
PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1 - Intro & Changing World
ACTIVITY 2 - Big Mistakes
PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1 - Intro & Changing World
ACTIVITY 2 - Big Mistakes