These are my notes from the keynote
presentation by Matthew J. Koehler and Punya Mishra at SITE 2007. More on their
wiki: http://tpck.pbwiki.com/
Our solution is TPCK: Technological
Pedagogical Content Knowledge
What is the big fuss about teaching
and technology?
- tech is here to stay, and teachers need to deal with it
- tech keeps changing and moving (screen of some technologies that have arrived in the last 10 years)
- tech is here to stay, and teachers need to deal with it
- tech keeps changing and moving (screen of some technologies that have arrived in the last 10 years)
These new technologies bring up
important questions
- which techs are most important to learn?
- how can teachers keep up with this rate of change?
- what should teachers be doing with these things?
- which techs are most important to learn?
- how can teachers keep up with this rate of change?
- what should teachers be doing with these things?
The answer to what teachers
Study by National Center for
Educational Statistics in 2000: teachers have plenty of access to technology
- 99% had access in schools, most have access at home
- teachers are using tech frequently in their own personal lives, and frequently in schools for planning and productivity
- when it comes to INSTRUCTIONAL uses of tech, it gets interesting
- 99% had access in schools, most have access at home
- teachers are using tech frequently in their own personal lives, and frequently in schools for planning and productivity
- when it comes to INSTRUCTIONAL uses of tech, it gets interesting
Only computer business teachers are
using tech frequently for instruction in their classes
- used most: MS Office suite
- used most: MS Office suite
Teachers have access, see its value,
use it for personal reasons, but don’t use it instructionally
- this is a far cry to what we see as possible with technology
- this is a far cry to what we see as possible with technology
Question: Why? What is the problem?
What w propose is “teaching is a
wicked problem” (Rittel and Weber in 1978)
- we want teachers to be knowledgeable, accesssible, wise, funny, cerebral, benefolent, fair, firm, flexible, playful, serious…
- means more than complicated or challenging
- we want teachers to be knowledgeable, accesssible, wise, funny, cerebral, benefolent, fair, firm, flexible, playful, serious…
- means more than complicated or challenging
Wicked problems
1- requirements are incomplete, contradictory, and changing
2- unique and contextual (dynamically bound factors to the context, no 2 problems are the same)
3- complex interdependencies
4- nonlinear
5- solutions are hard to recognize
1- requirements are incomplete, contradictory, and changing
2- unique and contextual (dynamically bound factors to the context, no 2 problems are the same)
3- complex interdependencies
4- nonlinear
5- solutions are hard to recognize
Opposite of “wicked” is tame
Chess is TAME
- believe it or not
- according this definition by Rittle and Weber, chess is tame
- problem is stable (goal always the same), the rules don’t change, both sides operate with the same rules
- are complex interdependencies with Chess, but those are well defined and can be programmed into a computer
- a linear solution to checkmate can be programmed, we do have computers as chess grand masters now
- you know when you are done in chess,
- believe it or not
- according this definition by Rittle and Weber, chess is tame
- problem is stable (goal always the same), the rules don’t change, both sides operate with the same rules
- are complex interdependencies with Chess, but those are well defined and can be programmed into a computer
- a linear solution to checkmate can be programmed, we do have computers as chess grand masters now
- you know when you are done in chess,
Chess is very complicated, but it is
not wicked
Why is TEACHING a wicked problem
- what is “effective teaching?”
- how do you define that, how do you measure that?
- contextual factors make each teaching situation different: school boards, parents, students
- those factors are also intertwined with each other
- there is no sequence of steps that teachers can follow in every situation
- are you ever “done” trying to teach effectively?
- solutions are never right or wrong, they are are more or less effective
- what is “effective teaching?”
- how do you define that, how do you measure that?
- contextual factors make each teaching situation different: school boards, parents, students
- those factors are also intertwined with each other
- there is no sequence of steps that teachers can follow in every situation
- are you ever “done” trying to teach effectively?
- solutions are never right or wrong, they are are more or less effective
Bring technology to the mix
- that makes a wicked problem even “wicked-er”
- new technologies + affordances / contraints
- that makes a wicked problem even “wicked-er”
- new technologies + affordances / contraints
Difference between traditional
technologies (pencil, microscope, blackboard) are specific
- new technologies are PROTEAN
- new technologies are PROTEAN
traditional techs are STABLE,
haven’t changed much over time
- new techs are very dynamic, changeable, can become obsolute
- new techs are very dynamic, changeable, can become obsolute
traditional technologies are very
TRANSPARENT
what are teachers to do?
Douglass Adams: SEP field
- someone else’s problem
- someone else’s problem
NO, this is OUR problem, not someone
else’s problem
The right question is not what do teachers need to know to solve these wicked problems, and as teacher-educators how are we going to help them learn it?
The right question is not what do teachers need to know to solve these wicked problems, and as teacher-educators how are we going to help them learn it?
The basic pieces of TPCK model:
- content
- pedagogy
- technology (core skills and concepts, we adopt “fitness” approach adopted by the National Research Council: teachers understand technology well enough to apply it appropriately to accomplish tasks, and continually adapt: it is application and adaptation focused)
- content
- pedagogy
- technology (core skills and concepts, we adopt “fitness” approach adopted by the National Research Council: teachers understand technology well enough to apply it appropriately to accomplish tasks, and continually adapt: it is application and adaptation focused)
The wicked (fun) stuff is in the
overlaps between these domains (the intersections)
- Shulman’s ideas of content ideas are relevant here: PCK = Pedagogical Content Knowledge
- Shulman’s ideas of content ideas are relevant here: PCK = Pedagogical Content Knowledge
How you can teach the subject matter
is really more important than the subject matter itself
Technology is often disconnected
from discussions of content and pedagogy
- the SEP syndrome
- important challenge is connecting technology back to content and pedagogy
- the SEP syndrome
- important challenge is connecting technology back to content and pedagogy
If that happens, there are 3 other
overlaps to talk about
TC: overlap of technology and
content
- teachers need understanding of how subject matter is and can be changed by technology
- that relationship of mutual impact works both ways
- Showing traditional representation of the Periodic table, which was limited by the technology which restricted it to what would fit on an 8 1/2 by 11 page
- different representations of the periodic table are now available and accessible because they are not bound by those same constraints of representation
- teachers need understanding of how subject matter is and can be changed by technology
- that relationship of mutual impact works both ways
- Showing traditional representation of the Periodic table, which was limited by the technology which restricted it to what would fit on an 8 1/2 by 11 page
- different representations of the periodic table are now available and accessible because they are not bound by those same constraints of representation
TPK: focus on creative flexibility
with tools
- many of the tools we have in school today are designed for BUSINESS
- it is important for teachers to break out of the constraints of those
- many of the tools we have in school today are designed for BUSINESS
- it is important for teachers to break out of the constraints of those
Contrast commercial video games with
educational video games
- big differences
- many are imposed by the limitations of the 50 minute class period
- if you are liberated from that traditional constraint, you can have games that last hundreds of hours and engage students at much higher levels
- big differences
- many are imposed by the limitations of the 50 minute class period
- if you are liberated from that traditional constraint, you can have games that last hundreds of hours and engage students at much higher levels
The intersection of all 3
- Emergent, interactive, flexible, complex, essential tension, fluency, deep, pragmatic, nuanced…
- Emergent, interactive, flexible, complex, essential tension, fluency, deep, pragmatic, nuanced…
Consequences for Teacher Education
- see this happen when a new tool is introduced
- understanding the TPCK means the challenge of online instructional design begs very basic questions for instructors
– what content is important?
– how will I engage my learners?
- see this happen when a new tool is introduced
- understanding the TPCK means the challenge of online instructional design begs very basic questions for instructors
– what content is important?
– how will I engage my learners?
Old tricks don’t work anymore in
online environments
- many profs struggle with getting students to discuss articles
- they do that with an hour long F2F discussion in class
- online, asynchronous discussions which is a very different context often doesn’t work the same
- many profs struggle with getting students to discuss articles
- they do that with an hour long F2F discussion in class
- online, asynchronous discussions which is a very different context often doesn’t work the same
Others who have talked about these
ideas is maintained on:
others have called this ICT,
information literacy, technological content knowledge, electronic TCK
Our model provides a relatively
simple answer to the question: What do teachers need to know about technology?
- overlap of these circles or domains
- talking about context: each is different and each teacher has a unique, diverse set of learners
- overlap of these circles or domains
- talking about context: each is different and each teacher has a unique, diverse set of learners
Wicked problems require an honoring
of the context
Question: how do we get teachers
this type of knowledge that we’re talking about?
- there is no 1 right way to do this
- notable attempts: Judi Harris is adapting activity structures, and working with teachers to adapt content to them
- there are several sessions here about TCPK
- Learning Technology by Design session by Koehler and Mishra
- there is no 1 right way to do this
- notable attempts: Judi Harris is adapting activity structures, and working with teachers to adapt content to them
- there are several sessions here about TCPK
- Learning Technology by Design session by Koehler and Mishra
We usually approach with “Learning
Technology by Design”
- learning about tech uses in context
- learning about tech uses in context
3 key ingredients
1- teachers work in groups
2- work on extended project
3- attempt to get teachers to learn technology as they need to learn it, without explicit direct instruction
1- teachers work in groups
2- work on extended project
3- attempt to get teachers to learn technology as they need to learn it, without explicit direct instruction
Why do we think this process has
value?
Goal is to move from THOUGHT to
THING
- this is a process
- in that process, which has the goal of creating a product, the number of skills which teachers learn along the way is quite impressive
- this is a process
- in that process, which has the goal of creating a product, the number of skills which teachers learn along the way is quite impressive
You can’t have TCPK without T
(technology)
- teachers need to develop these skills in context
- how do these skills connect to pedagogy?
- all technology skills they are learning are already connected to pedagogy
- teachers need to develop these skills in context
- how do these skills connect to pedagogy?
- all technology skills they are learning are already connected to pedagogy
Most important: Teachers “learn to
learn”
- to design an online course, an urgent need comes up: I need a transparent GIF at the top of my page, and I have a PNG
- they learn they do not need a course to learn these things, they need to learn they can teach themselves
- to design an online course, an urgent need comes up: I need a transparent GIF at the top of my page, and I have a PNG
- they learn they do not need a course to learn these things, they need to learn they can teach themselves
Does it work?
- we are conducting evaluation studies as we go along
- this is a sampling of those studies
- we are conducting evaluation studies as we go along
- this is a sampling of those studies
2004 case study: Design team making
an online course
- about classroom disipline
- we were interested in what participants were learning, the group was learning
- artifacts of web design process reflect
- about classroom disipline
- we were interested in what participants were learning, the group was learning
- artifacts of web design process reflect
Participants are very concerned
about what we want students to learn, and how they will learn it
- felt case-based learning was the way to go
- content and case-based pedagogical approach was reflected in early webpages
- felt case-based learning was the way to go
- content and case-based pedagogical approach was reflected in early webpages
Midrange pages show technology
showing up more to teach content, like discussion boards, calendars, and other
tools
- tools and content are available, but their connection is not clear
- tools and content are available, but their connection is not clear
Later: these connections are made
more clear, tools (like discussion boards) only show up when they are needed
for the task or goal at hand
Another study still in press: we
followed the conversations of a design team
- use qual and quant methods to categorize statements individuals made in conversations
- we found early in course, individuals come contributing one thing, instructor is generally contributing something about content or pedagogy, sometimes both
- shows increasing complexity in conversations, sometimes taking place simultaneously across domains
- use qual and quant methods to categorize statements individuals made in conversations
- we found early in course, individuals come contributing one thing, instructor is generally contributing something about content or pedagogy, sometimes both
- shows increasing complexity in conversations, sometimes taking place simultaneously across domains
Also used survey methodologies to
assess learning:
- many initially think nothing needs to change when they teach online
- later they develop that technology is a matter of “fit” with content and pedagogy, their understandings become more nuanced
- many initially think nothing needs to change when they teach online
- later they develop that technology is a matter of “fit” with content and pedagogy, their understandings become more nuanced
We think all these evaluation
approaches show the value of our design-focused approach
What are teachers supposed to DO
with this knowledge?
- teachers as curriculum designers
- teachers as curriculum designers
Skill is not enough, there is not a
linear sequence that turns content
- analogy to a person trying to learn how to play an instrument
- analogy to a person trying to learn how to play an instrument
Joseph Schwab p 245: “Teachers will
not and cannot be merely told what to do… no command or instruction can be so
formulated to control…”
Wicked problems cannot be approached
with formulaeic approaches
- we want to emphasize the role of teachers as the DESIGNERS of the curriculum, not the CONSUMERS of it
- teaching is not a sequence of steps, it is more an artistic performance
- we want to emphasize the role of teachers as the DESIGNERS of the curriculum, not the CONSUMERS of it
- teaching is not a sequence of steps, it is more an artistic performance
In this view:
- we need to accept the fact that it IS a wicked problem (not simple)
- need to honor the complexities of context
- need to develop strong conceptual knowledge (TCPK)
- teachers need to be flexible and adaptable, be able to react
- CREATIVE: teachers need to creatively combine elements of instruction as expert teachers
- we need to accept the fact that it IS a wicked problem (not simple)
- need to honor the complexities of context
- need to develop strong conceptual knowledge (TCPK)
- teachers need to be flexible and adaptable, be able to react
- CREATIVE: teachers need to creatively combine elements of instruction as expert teachers
We are talking about flexibility and
creativity
- “planned improvisation”
- tension between planning and improv make good teaching
- “planned improvisation”
- tension between planning and improv make good teaching
Teachers need PRACTICE, PRACTICE,
PRACTICE
- only way to move to higher levels of performance
- only way to move to higher levels of performance
Final thoughts
- approaches that rarely teach skills don’t go far enough
- learning about technology is different about learning what to do with it
- since TPCK can be applied to any technology, teacher prep programs should develop TPCK in spirals (work up to more complexity over time)
- approaches that rarely teach skills don’t go far enough
- learning about technology is different about learning what to do with it
- since TPCK can be applied to any technology, teacher prep programs should develop TPCK in spirals (work up to more complexity over time)
We must develop TPCK with content
matter
- practice is an excellent route to learning
- practice is an excellent route to learning
With wicked problems, you need to
jump right in and that is where the learning happens
- as long as you have enough complexity in your interaction between content, pedagogy and technology you can move right in
- context, context, context
- as long as you have enough complexity in your interaction between content, pedagogy and technology you can move right in
- context, context, context
Must have deeper understand of how
these different elements relate to and interact with each other within their
particular CONTEXT
Thanks to SITE and Gary Marks for
the TPCK strand at this conference
Email addresses:
punya [at] msu [dot] edu
mkoehler [at] msu [dot] edu
mkoehler [at] msu [dot] edu
We shouldn’t talk about “best
practices” we should talk about “better practices” and stop searching for the
silver bullet
- I can embrace the idea of “good practice”
- I can embrace the idea of “good practice”
[I THINK THAT IS A GREAT POINT. WE
NEED TO RESPECT CONTEXT AND DIVERSE LEARNERS BY STOPPING USE OF THE PHRASE BEST
PRACTICES.]
literacy: the ability to communicate
signs
Creativity happens only within
constraints
- if you don’t have constraints, you don’t know what you are being creative against or in comparison to
- if you don’t have constraints, you don’t know what you are being creative against or in comparison to
We often undervalue the
opportunities teachers to have to craft learning interactions, even in small
ways
- we need to focus in colleges of education on the fissures, opportunities, and openings which remain
- we need to focus in colleges of education on the fissures, opportunities, and openings which remain
On
this day..
- The Thursday Folder and Worksheet Measured
Learning - 2009
- Join the Digital Literacy debate - Live! - 2009
- Exploring differences in preteen social
networking sites - 2008
- Blogs, Wikis, District Polices, Walled
Gardens and the Open Web
- 2008
- An iPhone SMS poll demo over videoconference - 2008
- Sorry honey, you can't believe everything
you read in your printed science textbook - 2008
- Changing Schools: A conversation with Roger
Schank - 2007
- Rethinking Teaching: How Online Learning Can
and Should Completely Alter Your View of Education - 2007
- Seven evils of education? - 2007
- Cyberbullying and death threats - 2007
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There
are currently 4 responses to “Confronting the Wicked Problems of Teaching with
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Join the conversation!
- 1 On April 5th, 2007, HVWP Tech Team ‘06 » Blog Archive said:
[...] Today’s AP article “Study
eyes effect of tech on classroom†is yet another example of media
oversimplification of “wicked challenges†that are faced by teachers every
day, particularly when it comes to the use of educational technology. According
to the article: Going high-tech doesn’t lead to higher math and reading
scores, according to a federal study. The study on the effectiveness of
education technology was released late Wednesday by the National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, a research arm of the Education
Department. The study found achievement scores were no higher in classrooms
using reading and math software products than in classrooms without the new
products. [...]
- 2 On April 5th, 2007, Using Technology to Tell Stories » Blog
Archive said:
[...] Today’s AP article “Study
eyes effect of tech on classroom†is yet another example of media
oversimplification of “wicked challenges†that are faced by teachers every
day, particularly when it comes to the use of educational technology. According
to the article: Going high-tech doesn’t lead to higher math and reading
scores, according to a federal study. The study on the effectiveness of
education technology was released late Wednesday by the National Center for
Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, a research arm of the Education
Department. The study found achievement scores were no higher in classrooms using
reading and math software products than in classrooms without the new products.
[...]
- 3 On April 6th, 2007, Moving at the Speed of Creativity » Blog
Archive » Good teaching with technology DOES make a difference said:
[...] Today’s AP article “Study eyes
effect of tech on classroom” is yet another example of media oversimplification
of “wicked challenges” that are faced by teachers every day, particularly when
it comes to the use of educational technology. According to the article: Going
high-tech doesn’t lead to higher math and reading scores, according to a
federal study. The study on the effectiveness of education technology was
released late Wednesday by the National Center for Education Evaluation and
Regional Assistance, a research arm of the Education Department. The study
found achievement scores were no higher in classrooms using reading and math
software products than in classrooms without the new products. [...]
- 4 On April 16th, 2007, Moving at the Speed of Creativity » Blog
Archive » Education needs to be read/write said:
[...] Given the alternative of a bus
ride without iPods or laptops, I suppose this project in Arkansas has some
merit and value. If the program’s champions fail to empower students to use
their digital devices to both WRITE and CREATE as well as CONSUME content from
the web, I think they are going to fail at a basic level to fully leverage the
power of their investment and the protean tools they’ve purchased with taxpayer
dollars. (I heard the word “protean” used a couple of weeks ago at the SITE
conference to describe the versatility of digital technologies like computers,
which are fundamentally different from fixed-purpose, traditional educational
tools like the chalkboard, overhead projector, pencil and microscope.) [...]
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