Effective Technology Integration
The intersection of technology, pedagogy,
and content knowledge (TPACK) is at
the heart of effective technology integration. In this issue, Punya Mishra and Matthew
Koehler discuss the TPACK framework and
how teachers with this knowledge can creatively
repurpose technology tools for educational purposes (see page 14).
Acquiring TPACK is an ongoing process that
requires a constant examination of the interplay
among the three areas. In this framework, technology is not an add-on but is truly integrated
into the curriculum. What are some resources
for developing TPACK?
Mishra and Koehler use a learning-technology-by-design approach where they work with small
groups to develop technological solutions to authentic pedagogical problems. The examples from
their article are from a course that Mishra taught
at Michigan State University. See the TPACK wiki
( www.tpack.org) for more information.
Mishra and Koehler have inspired others to
pursue effective technology integration. Judi
Harris, Mark Hofer, and their colleagues at the
College of William and Mary are looking at each
content area to determine the best activities to
teach it. Then they look for technologies that
support the activity type. It is very interesting
to see the activity types for the various curricular areas and how they are organized. For
example, the social studies activities are divided
into knowledge building, knowledge expression,
and specific knowledge expression for each of
the following: convergent, written divergent,
visual divergent, conceptual divergent, product-
oriented divergent, and participatory divergent.
Each area has four or more activity types plus
supporting technologies. Teachers look at the
content they are teaching, choose a variety of
activity types for exploring the content, and
design curriculum using the technologies that
fit with the activity types. This approach helps
teachers choose from a variety of activity types
and encourages them to use a greater variety of
learning activities. The result is a richer learning
experience with the potential of meeting more
individual student learning needs. See the Activity Types wiki ( http://activitytypes.wmwikis.net)
for more information.
Another approach that looks at the intersection of all three types of knowledge is universal
design for learning. UDL is a framework for
creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and
assessments that accommodate learner differences. It’s a framework that depends upon the
varied and flexible nature of new media. It embraces any curriculum design methodology that
is based on research about how students learn
and that acknowledges the individual differences
between students. For more on UDL, visit www.
cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes. For
more on UDL and Web 2.0, visit http://udltech-
toolkit.wikispaces.com/About+UDL. Don’t miss
the UDL Playground at NECC 2009, organized
by ISTE’s SETSIG ( www.iste.org/setsig).
None of these approaches is mutually exclusive. They all consider the three knowledge areas
of content, pedagogy, and technology to provide
tools for effective curriculum design to meet all
learners’ needs.
ISSUE ORIENTED
By Anita McAnear
Anita McAnear is
L&L’s acquisitions
editor and national
program chair for
NECC. A former
middle school math
and language arts
teacher, McAnear
has been with ISTE
since 1983.
