TPACK

       Today in education 250 we learned about Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). This is extremely important when considering being a teacher in the future, because without the three attributes of this concept you cannot guarantee student learning to the highest degree. The first element of TPACK stand for Technology. Technology is an important tool to incorporate into education today due to the lifestyle that students today are surrounded by. For example, by the time I am student teaching in 2019, the kindergarteners that walk into my classroom will have been born in 2014. That means that they were born into technology, and have never known a life without technology at their fingertips. These students, by the time they graduate, will all most likely have a career that incorporates technology. "By embracing and integrating technology in the classroom, we are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school" (Link at bottom). Technology can drastically change the atmosphere of a classroom and can help students become more engaged, but it has to be used in the correct way. This refers directly to the NCTCS, specifically standard four which says, "Teachers facilitate learning for their students." Element d of standard four says "Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction. Teachers know when and how to use technology to maximize student learning." Technology should only be used when it promotes learning and can be effective. It should not be added simply for enjoyment or entertainment, and definitely should not be added to replace pedagogy. The second element of TPACK stands for Pedagogy. Pedagogy is how one will teach his or her class, and what strategies will be used to conduct learning. This is essential in education. Without proper teaching techniques and strategies, students will not learn. No matter how well the teacher knows their content, or how much technology is incorporated, pedagogy is necessary for knowledge to be transferred from the teacher to the student. The last element of TPACK is content knowledge. While some may think that content knowledge is simply knowing the content for the grade level one is teaching, this is not enough. Content knowledge refers to differentiating between students and being prepared to teach at the level that each student's learning capabilities are at. This means teachers must know well below their grade level content as well as well beyond their grade level content. If a teacher is not firm in their knowledge of content, then they may easily give students misleading ideas and cause them to have a gap in their knowledge. This could effect a student not only in one's own class, but in future classes as well.
       In my future classroom, I plan to incorporate all elements of the TPACK concept into my teaching. All of the elements of TPACK are extremely important in order to maximize student learning, and I think that without each attribute of TPACK being emphasized in the classroom, student learning will suffer. I plan to incorporate technology wherever I think it will be beneficial as well as utilizing teaching strategies that I will learn through Gardner-Webb's school of education. I also plan to keep my content knowledge up to date, and to know the content for all grades instead of just the grade I am teaching. I want to provide a positive and encouraging learning environment in my classroom where I help all students to grow. TPACK is a major part of creating this environment, and I hope to continue to learn how to enforce these tactics.

Link:http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom