TPACK

My most recent grad course assignment is all about Lee Shulman's notion of TPaCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). If I broke this apart, I would first take a look at PCK.  Pedagogy and Content Knowledge are two things I learned in undergrad but continuously improve on with experience.  Pedagogy is important because I need to understand my students and how they learn.  I take this information and apply it to what I am teaching.  These two things go hand in hand. Now, I discover how to use technology to add to pedagogical content knowledge.  Technology can help bring a learner closer to the content they are learning that a classroom without technology could never provide.  For instance, my students could view a live video feed of zoo animals in California all the way in Germany when we learn about animal habitats. This is just the beginning of what technology can bring to students. Check out this video for a TPaCK overview.

tpack.org

  

I use technology in my classroom on a daily basis, but it is not always used by students.  At the first grade level, my students are practicing logging on to a computer, accessing and navigating the internet, learning how to use the internet responsibly, and developing typing skills. This has been an important learning process for them.  Once they are logged onto a computer and have access to a specific website or program, they can quickly and easily navigate without many problems.  Some websites that have proven to add to PCK include the following four resources:

1. Google Earth and Google Maps. As part of the first grade Social Studies standards, students are to learn how to read/use maps and discover why they are important. Another standard in Science is understanding the features of the sky and the patterns of the Sun and the Moon. These two programs allow students to get up close and personal with tools that make the learning experience more authentic. 
2. SMART exchange. I enjoy creating my own SMART board activities to go along with the units I am teaching, but there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. The SMART exchange has tons of resources to use with your SMART board.  I love to use these in Math for whole group and also center work.  There are many interactive lessons and my students love seeing unique ways to display information that would take me hours to create.
3. IXL. My school subscribes to this program and I am thankful for that! My students love IXL and see it more as a game than anything else.  After teaching a Math lesson, I use IXL to reinforce a concept to see if students are mastering that specific skill. As a teacher, I can view data by skill as either a whole class or individual students to see what areas or students need more support. I also have a classroom display to add motivation to continue to earn badges on the site.
4. Author Study.  For some units, I focus on a specific author that students are learning about.  There are some great webpages available to learn more about an author, books they have written, and more.  During center time, I have students research more by exploring the author's webpage (if user friendly).  For instance, Dr. Seuss' webpage is engaging and provides students with new information and helps them make connections based on the books they have already read by Dr. Seuss in class. 

Here is a great list of activities by Judi Harris, Mark Hofer, and Denise Schmit with how to incorporate technology into an activity for grades K-6. Also, Kathy Schrock has created some great diagrams with apps and websites to use that meet each level of Bloom's Taxonomy.