TPACK-+Harris+&+Hofer

Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehicles for Curriculum-Based TPACK Development Judi Harris & Mark Hofer 2009 Anysia Adair, Sarah Chung, Nathan Ong, Matt Steinberg, Courtney Wilson (The Ninja Turtles) toc

**Introduction: What is TPACK?** Essentially, it focuses on the middle spot. Created by: Anysia Adair
 * Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge**
 * TPACK is the applied knowledge of teachers that supports including technology which enhances the instruction's content.
 * This instructional planning focuses on the intersection of the topic's available technology, the teacher's pedagogy, and course's content.

Deeper Meaning
Within each division (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content) there are subdivisions where each group interacts with one another. These include:
 * **Pedagogical Content Knowledge:** How to teach the content based material
 * ** Technological Content Knowledge: ** How to choose and apply technology which enhances the content
 * **Technological Pedagogical Knowledge:** How to apply technology while teaching

It is important to keep in mind that these types of teacher knowledge are affected by contextual factors such as student body, administration, and school location. Therefore, TPACK is a complex educational construct which is difficult to master and apply. =Instructional Planning: Implementing TPACK= Teachers make the following five basic instructional decisions in planning for effective instruction:
 * Choose learning goals
 * Make practical pedagogical decisions about the nature of the learning experience
 * Select and sequence appropriate activity types to combine to form the learning experience
 * Select formative and summative assessment strategies that will reveal what and how the students are learning
 * Select tools and resources that will best help students to benefit from the learning experience being planned

The end result of these steps, according to Harris and Hofer, is a planned learning activity.

For teachers to develop TPACK, it is suggested that they focus on curriculum-specific and technology-enhanced learning activity types while planning lessons. Teachers need to ensure that technology is well integrated and that it is specific to the curriculum and activity in order to design effective lessons using educational technology.

What is activity type?
Learning activity types are conceptual planning tools for teachers. Together, they consist of a system of methods that build up and describe plans for standards-based learning experiences. Activity types combine to create lesson plans, projects, and units, and they capture what is most essential about the learning action as it relates to what students do when engaged in that particular learning activity. Examples of learning activity types include: group discussions, roleplay, fieldtrips, etc.

The typical approach teachers integrate technology in their classrooms are to examine the technologies and then choose curriculum-based goals. However, the activity types approach is different in that educational technology selections are not made until after curriculum-based learning goals and activity designs are finalized. This is because students’ learning and maximally appropriate educational technology uses are assured when technologies that best serve learning goals and activities are selected last. Teachers’ TPACK is also developed authentically when they first focus upon the content and students’ curriculum-based learning activities.

Currently, learning activity type taxonomies are being developed in six curriculum areas: elementary literacy, secondary English, mathematics, science, social studies, and world languages. Forty-two social studies activity types have been identified to date (see table and examples below).

Knowledge Building Activity Types
Targets foundational accumulation of subject content and process understanding.
 * Activity: reading textbooks, documents, and data in either print or digital format.
 * Technology: Websites, e-books

Convergent Knowledge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of similar understanding and interpretation of course concepts.
 * Activity: answering questions either through traditional worksheets, or electronically via email or chat.
 * Technology: Inspiration, Word, BlackBoard, e-boards

Written Divergent Knowledge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of unique understanding and interpretation of course concepts through constructed response.
 * Activity: Write an essay response to a prompt either on paper, or through word processing programs.
 * Technology: Word, Inspiration, Wikispaces

Visual Divergent Knowledge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of unique understanding and interpretation of course concepts through visual aid.
 * Activity: Create an illustrated map in which pictures, symbols, and graphics highlight key features.
 * Technology: PowerPoint, Google Earth



Conceptual Divergent Knowledge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of unique understanding and interpretation of course concepts through creating connections to other course content.
 * Activity: Generating questions that relate to course concepts
 * Technology: Word, Wikispaces, Google Docs

Product- Oriented Divergent Knowledge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of unique understanding and interpretation of course concepts through creation of product pertaining to course.
 * Activity: Develop a written, digital, or mental model of a course concept.
 * Technology: Inspiration, PowerPoint, InspireData

Participatory Divergent Knowldge Expression Activity Types
Targets the sharing of unique understanding and interpretation of course concepts through presentation and performance.
 * Activity: Develop a live or oral performance.
 * Technology: Photostory, iMovie, Moviemaker, Audacity

=Combining Activity Types=

Combining individual activity types into more complex units allows students learn multiple concepts simultaneously. Combining multiple activity types is more engaging for students, and they are able to address more curriculum standards at once. The list below describes the complexity and structure of different activity type combinations:


 * Combining 1-2 activity types: time efficient, can be completed in 1-2 class periods, highly structured, mostly convergent learning experiences (convergent = does not require significant creativity, coming to a similar understanding of a topic), can be repeated easily
 * Combining 2-3 activity types: also time efficient, but slightly longer duration than combination above, structure is more flexible, more divergent learning activities (divergent = generating creative ideas, sharing unique understandings of a concept/topic)
 * Combining 3-5 activity types: medium length, somewhat structured, both convergent and divergent learning
 * Combining 5-8 activity types: variable length, somewhat structured but with room for flexibility, mostly divergent learning
 * Combining 6-10 activity types: flexible learning experience (flexible duration, structure, content, goals), longest and most complex, would not be used frequently in a classroom


 * Note ** Instructional plans using activity type combinations of different sizes are distinguished more by the learning needs of students rather than by the number of activity types used

=Example Unit: English=

Created By: Ninja Turtles An example English Unit incorporating a combination of activities about Hamlet would require students to generate their own newspaper. The goal of the project would be for students to better understand the social context for the historical setting of the play by creating their own newspaper to be released circa 1600. In order to go beyond a standard essay or report on the play, 10th or 11th grade high school students would engage themselves by creating a work of their own and making an inquiry into a real historical question: Who would inherit the throne from Queen Elizabeth I, since she had no heirs? Example newspaper title: "The Great Dane". The project would be divided into three phases: research, writing and production. For the research stage. students would investigate the internet and local library for research on Denmark and Britain in the late 1500's for background on the changing power structure of the monarchy and its impact on the royal families of Britain. Ideally, the students would familiarize themselves with the recent kings and queens prior to Elizabeth I, as well as the blood feuds between families at that time that influenced Shakespeare's depiction of uncertainty and treason in Hamlet. During the writing stage, students would have three major tasks: Conduct a mock question and answer interview with one of the characters from the play for their newspaper's front page about who that character would want to see take over the British throne and why. Second, students would historically weave history into their newspaper by writing an editorial analyzing the potential candidates for who would take over the British monarchy in 1600. Third, students would write a mock op-ed, in which they express their research-backed opinion for who they believe to be the best fit to inherit the British throne next.

For the final stage, the production of the newspaper, students would have access to the high school's campus newspaper and yearbook room and computers for layout design technology. A few sessions of class would be dedicated to the layout and arrangement of their articles on the front page of their newspaper. The newspaper photos and articles would be printed and arranged on a poster, back and front, with visuals of the characters' faces and photos of Elizabeth I and the Denmark castles etc.

This unit would combine five different activity types: students would read texts, research/historically weave content, choose images, write articles and conduct an interview.

=References=

Harris, J. & Hofer, M. (2009). Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehiclesfor Curriculum Based TPACK Development. // Research // // highlights in // // technology and teacher education 2009 //. (p.99-108)

Owen, L.H. (2013, January, 14). 54% of U.S. kids have never read an ebook. retrieved July 9, 2013, from Paid Content Web Site: http://paidcontent.org/2013/01/14/54-of-u-s-kids-have-never-read-an-ebook-new-report/

Why Teach With Google Earth?. (n.d) retrieved July 9, 2013, from Pedagaogy in Action Web Site: http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/why.html

EDU 240 S12. (2012). Retrieved from http://ed240s12a.wikispaces.com/TPACK+Hofer+Harris.

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Hamletposter.jpg/220px-Hamletposter.jpg