T he state of technology integration in K– 12 schools today is something of a paradox: Access to tools and resources is continually expanding, and most teachers report interest in educational technology, yet widespread and pervasive use of technologies in classrooms remains elusive. And while it’s easy to find examples of innovative
and creative uses of classroom technology, systemic change has been slow to materialize. There are many possible reasons for this, including limited access to tech tools, the
pressure of high-stakes testing, and the compartmentalized structure of middle and high
schools that limits interdisciplinary projects. But perhaps the most fundamental and persistent obstacle to effective tech integration is the complexity of knowledge it requires.
Think about the different kinds of knowledge teachers must draw on in the planning and
implementation processes. It’s not enough to simply find and learn how to use an interesting tool or resource. They must also determine the right fit between the tool, the curriculum, and the learning activity. This kind of integrated knowledge is called technological,
pedagogical, and content knowledge, or TPACK.
Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler, the developers of the TPACK framework, suggest
that one way for teachers to build this knowledge is through “learning by design.” In this
approach, teachers collaboratively design a solution to an instructional challenge. Then
they put the solution to the test in the classroom, reflecting on and modifying it based on
their experience. It is through this process of design, reflection, and tweaking that teachers can develop their TPACK.
While this is a great way to create new lessons, for many experienced teachers, TPACK
comes into play more in “re-imagining” units they have already planned. Candace Schafer-Southard, a high school history teacher, has put many of her tried-and-true lessons
through the learning-by-design process to effectively integrate appropriate technologies.
Read on to find out how she successfully remade one project into a technology-infused
history lesson that students would not soon forget.
—Mark Hofer
New School, New Tools
My professional teaching experience
began in a living history museum.
Hands-on experiences, artifact analysis, and the inquiry method were my
favorite teaching techniques. When
I began teaching in a high school, I
had to figure out how to adapt these
methods I had used in the museum
to the classroom, where my access to
authentic artifacts was limited. Over
time, I was able to replace those artifacts through the use of multimedia
technologies. But it was a slow transition because I didn’t have access to
much technology at first.
That all changed in 2007, when I
transferred to Warhill High School in
Williamsburg, Virginia. Billed as Wil-liamsburg-James City County Public
Schools’ “technology school,” Warhill
opened with an array of technologies,
including computer labs, four computer stations in every classroom, tablets, in-room projectors, wireless keyboards, a plethora of online resources,
and access to many types of software.
With these new tools came the expectation that teachers would modify
their lesson plans and teaching methods to include the new technologies.
Fortunately, our school’s instructional
technology resource teacher (ITRT),
Patti Bowen, was there to guide and
assist the teachers with this daunting
challenge.
Training and Collaborative Planning
During opening week, Bowen offered
mandatory training sessions to introduce the available technology and help
convert traditional classroom activities
into high-tech lesson plans. First she
asked us to look at our lesson plans
and projects to see where technology
might enhance the learning objectives.
Once we had made our selections, she
offered more in-depth training sessions for the technology applications
we selected and worked with us to
I redesigned the project to include use of video and audio
software to enhance the end products and expand the
amount of information I asked students to include.
