Tuesday, January 27, 2009

TPACK and Science/Math Technologies

During class this week, I learned about the three different types of knowledge all teachers should have: content knowledge, technological knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge. When all three knowledge types are combined, it is called TPACK--technological, pedagogical, content knowledge. TPACK is the type of knowledge all teachers should strive for.
Content knowledge is knowing about a subject, such as science, math or history. Technological knowledge is knowing about computers, the internet, and software. Technological knowledge deals with knowledge about anything technological. Pedagogical knowledge refers to the methods and techniques used to teach others, especially children. Pedagogical knowledge is knowing how to teach. Each of these three knowledge types can be combined with one other knowledge type:
PCK is Pedagogical Content Knowledge which means you understand how to teach subjects. Technological Content Knowledge, TCK, is knowing technology involved content. This type of knowledge refers to the use of technology to teach content (as a teacher, this would be in the classroom). An example of TCK is a scientist using scientific equipment.
TPK, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge is knowing how to teach using technology.
TPACK is the right amount of pedagogical, content, and technological knowledge used in the right way. TPACK is what every teacher should aim for.
Also during class this week, we explored different science and math technologies. I really enjoyed exploring Stellarium, a program where you can see different views of the sky at any specific time and place you want. Stellarium is a great way to learn about and see different aspects of astronomy. This was a fun program that is very educational. I also enjoyed playing with the digital temperature probe and the digital microscope. These are great educational technology tools that are useful in a classroom setting.

Friday, January 23, 2009

IP&T 301: Observational Learning Report

"Brother R."

As I walked into Sunday School, the first thing that caught my attention was “Brother R.” scrawled on the chalkboard in big, bold letters. As the teaching assistant started class, she introduced “Brother R.” as the substitute for the day, expressing her gratitude at his willingness to teach the lesson.

“Brother R.,” better known to the class as Cory Renshaw, immediately gained my trust as a learner by standing up in front of the class, pausing, and giving the class a genuine grin. Cory began his lesson by first establishing a good learning environment—his personality was displayed in the “Brother R.” on the chalkboard and his warm smile communicated to students the understanding that his class was going to be a safe place where contributions were encouraged. To get the class thinking, Cory asked for all students to look up and share scriptures on apostasy. Student response was rather slow, so Cory used a piece of candy as a reward to encourage participation. As a teacher, Cory was very respectful to his students. When students responded to questions he asked, Cory looked the student in the eye, listened intently and always responded positively to student answers saying, “exactly” or “thank you.” Cory never put a student down for an answer that wasn’t quite was he was looking for. In addition, Cory referred to students by name, conveying the fact that he cared about each individual student and what he or she had to say was important.

As a teacher, Cory was prepared. Before his lesson, Cory had asked two students to share the scriptures describing the first vision in their mission languages. As a student, this fascinated me, piqued my interest, and really made me think about Cory’s request to “imagine that you are hearing this for the first time.” Throughout his lesson, Cory encouraged student participation. He would ask very thought-provoking questions, pause to allow students to think about their answers, and then call upon volunteers. To foster more class participation at certain times, Cory used challenges. When he asked a question about the doctrinal points found in the first vision and students took a long time to answer, not really getting the answers he was looking for, he encouraged them by saying, “C’mon guys. I know you know this one! If it helps, I was able to come up with a list of A to G, all by myself! That means you guys should at least get A to L because you are all a lot smarter than me!” Comments such as these brought out Cory’s personality and added an element of light-heartedness to the classroom. To round out his lesson, Cory had a video clip which he introduced by saying, “Well, in true substitute fashion, we’re going to watch a video!”

To end his incredible lesson, Cory bore his testimony on the topics he covered. He then thanked everyone again for their comments and participation and just like that, Sunday School was over! I walked away with a lot to think about and ponder regarding certain connections Cory pointed out to me about personal prayer. Cory was an effective teacher. Despite Cory’s lesson being on a topic that most church members are very familiar with, he was able to keep his lesson pace steady and he taught me new and interesting facts that I have never heard before. I believe this is one of Cory’s greatest accomplishments with the lesson he taught—he was able to take a topic that everyone knew and still teach something new and different in a way that was fun and yet still reverent. Cory’s lesson was infused with true church doctrine in the form of prophetic quotes and scriptures. He started his lesson by creating an inviting and encouraging classroom environment. Throughout his lesson, he was respectful to his students, used tactics to prompt participation, came to class prepared and his enthusiasm was apparent. Cory was able to pace the lesson so that it never dragged on and he used a variety of teaching methods, including the movie clip. As a learner, I appreciated Cory’s his efforts and the material, in the way he presented it. I feel that Cory did a fantastic job and I wouldn’t have done anything different to teach the topic.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

RSS and Web 2.0

In class this week I learned about an RSS. Before attending class, I had absolutely no idea what an RSS was. An RSS (stands for Really Simple Syndication) is a tool that allows you to subscribe to automatic updates from all of your favorite websites without the hassle of actually having to visit individual sites. When you subscribe to an RSS, website updates are automatically sent to your email account, blog, etc. RSS subscriptions synthesize information into one convenient spot. In class, I also learned about two Web 2.0 tools that will be useful to me as an educator. The first Web 2.0 tool is Goodreads.com. This is a fabulous site where I will be able to post and review books. This site will be a great resource for parents and students to find appropriate, age-level, teacher-reccommended books for reading. The second Web 2.0 tool is Delicious. Delicious is a bookmarking site that allows you to store bookmarks of various websites, tagging them with descriptive labels for easy reference and access. This will be useful to me as an educator because I will be able to build a bookmark list of resource websites for lesson plan ideas, educational videos, and other useful sites to use for my classroom.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Technology Experiences

I have been using computers and the internet for many years. I remember using computers in elementary school to play a math game where you solved problems quickly so the aliens wouldn't destroy your ship. As technology advanced, I used computers in middle school to do research, write papers, search the internet, and play different learning games.

I use the internet on a regular basis and am familiar with search engines like google. I find that the internet has a lot of useful information, but it is important to be careful while browsing and to choose only reliable sources.

In high school, I was a member of BPA, (Business Professionals of America) a business club where I participated in competitive events in PowerPoint, Word processing (doing tasks in Microsoft Office programs), and interviewing skills. I use computers every day to check email and complete school assignments. I like technology, but only when it functions correctly! I feel that I know about technology and I can usually figure things out with some time. I believe technology is very useful and helpful. I know that there is a lot about technology that I don't know, but I am excited to continue learning!