Journal 4

“Too Cool for School? No Way! Using the TPACK Framework: You Can Have Your Hot Tools and Teach with Them, Too” by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler

Mishra and Koehler talk about the idea that teaching requires a specific kind of knowledge (or skill). According to Mishra and Koehler, it is not enough to know the subject matter well. Part of their argument is that in order to be effective in the classroom, teachers need to be able to think and work from within the middle space between pedagogy and content. Going further with this idea, Mishra and Koehler address the role of technology in the classroom and the fact that technology creates an added dimension, a third middle space from which teachers must navigate.

Can a teacher effectively use technology in the classroom without expert knowledge of the technology used?

Technology is most effectively used when the teacher has solid knowledge of the technology itself. Without this knowledge, a proper understanding and analysis of how the technology interrelates to the pedagogy and concept would be limited. Consequently, the benefit of using technology would be in question.

Are specialized searches enhanced using engines other than Google?

The visual search engines listed by Mishra and Koehler would definitely help some students to see the way in which various data interrelates. This type of tool is helpful by virtue of the fact that it aids students who have different learning styles. Visual learners would benefit because the concepts are visually represented. Tactile learners would respond to this type of engine as well because the search itself is interactive: students have some physical interaction and control over the search.