The TPACK Framework

When I read this task, I thought to myself, basically they want me to pitch to myself (the uninitiated or who may not be an expert in teaching) .So here goes my pitch of TPACK to the uninitiated or those who may not be experts in teaching.

TPACK is a framework that teachers can use to ensure that they are effective teachers, by intergrating technology in their teaching. It is combining multiple types of knowledge to create TPACK. To understand the framework as a whole, I think it important to understand the individual parts. So I will start with content knowledge. Content knowledge (CK) put simply is the content the teacher knows about the subject or “the what to teach”. The facts, concepts, theories, models, frameworks, procedures and analogies. 

Next is the pedagogical knowledge (PK), this has to do with the best way yo teach or “the how to teach”. It includes such things as the planning, class rules, grouping, and teaching strategies, a teacher may use in a classroom. It is also represented by a circle.

When these two things are blended togther you get what is called Pedagogical Content knowledge (or PCK) it is represented by the space of where the 2 circles over lap. (Shulman)

Finally is the technological knowledge (TK), it is the knowledge about technologies, and the skills required to operate the technologies.

TPK is the overlap of technological and pedagogical knowledge. Basically put this is the ability as a teacher to choose the best technologies as tools for instruction and support student learning. Understanding there are a range of tools exist for particular task, and the ability to choose the tool based on its fitness. This is "the how we teach with technology tools".

TCK is the overlap of technological and content knowledge . 

The conclusion is TPACK, the blending of three knowledges in the right amounts. It is selecting the appropriate tools (TCK) with the appropriate teaching strategies(TPK) to result in effective teaching.

In my search for better understanding of TPACK I came across this youtube clip that I thought animated how I was thinking about TPACK perfectly.