PART B: Application of TPACK

Using clickers, I am attempting to fix a problem in my teaching. The following writeup shows you how TPACK is influencing my teaching! Enjoy!

PART B: Application of TPACK: Basic description of each of these areas and important characteristics of these areas as related to this project

1. What is the TP knowledge for the solution?  (i.e., how does the technology you have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods you have chosen?)

As a teacher in an IB history classroom I strive to use inquiry throughout my lessons. I try to guide my students towards a better understanding of the content. When designing activities I often look to create lessons that provide frameworks for students and that push them to uncover the content. The clickers that I am using for this project help me to gain a better understanding of my students understanding of the material. Inquiry is not just giving a student a worksheet and letting them “research” the answer. In order to create great learning environments I must monitor my students success, and help guide them throughout the process. Clickers will hopefully allow me to do this better and help me to provide only the necessary scaffolding for students. My understanding of their knowledge will allow me to implement supports and remove them as necessary. I believe that students should be pushed to succeed and that they cannot do so without the right supports.

2. What is the TC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically does this technology make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible?  Be sure to think about representation.)

The clickers that I am using for my Wicked Problems Project make content knowledge more accessible by allowing me as a teacher to alter my teaching based upon my findings. When students struggle with a particular topic I am not always aware of the problem. My teaching will never be perfect and I need to be aware of content gaps when then occur. No two students learn the same, and while I try to differentiate, there are times when I struggle. Using the clickers provides me with instant feedback of my teaching effectiveness. With this data in hand I can cover gaps of content knowledge in new ways. Without the use of the clickers I would most likely be unaware of my pitfalls until I assessed my students in a more traditional manner.

3. What is the PC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically do your pedagogical choices make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about how the student will experience the content given these instructional strategies.

My teaching often asks students to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information. Doing so with inquiry can be a challenge for students and myself. Improperly scaffolding lessons can lead to misunderstandings and content knowledge gaps. Using the clickers will allow me assess my own teaching on the fly and alter it to meet the needs of my students. Strong content knowledge cannot be accurately constructed without a solid knowledge base. Any misunderstandings need to be addressed. When giving students documents to analyze or problems to solve it is necessary for me to check for understanding. While doing checks it is possible for me to miss problems that my students may be having. The clickers allow me to make more accurate decisions. Using the clickers with my inquiry teaching method helps students to uncover the content in a more efficient manner. Providing information to students without helping them decipher its intricacies can lead to poor understanding of the content. Inquiry is not useful when students are provided with skills and content that they do not really understand. The use of clickers in my classroom will allow me to become a better teacher of content through a more effective pedagogical teaching style.