Cooking with TPACK
August 11, 2018
This week I was up for the cooking with TPACK challenge. The challenge was to repurpose tools in the kitchen to complete a cooking activity. The tools that were picked for me to use were a paper plate, basic bowl, and a spoon. The task I needed to complete with these tools was to cut up fruit for a fruit salad. In the video, you’ll notice that I repurposed the spoon as a knife. It worked well while “cutting” the strawberry and blueberries, but when I had to cut the apple it was difficult. After a while, my hand was actually hurting because the apple material was not as soft as the strawberry and blueberry. I also repurposed the plate as if it was a cutting board. When cutting fruit, I would typically use a cutting board, but the plate worked well to “cut” the fruit with the spoon. I used the bowl to place my fruit in for the fruit salad. This hands-on activity made me reflect on teaching and how we repurpose technology.
TPACK is abbreviated for Technology Pedagogical Content Knowledge. As educators, we have to figure out what technology is suitable for our classroom and repurpose it. “Since technology is not educational by default, it must be used and repurposed by a competent and capable teacher, one who is skilled and confident in their technical literacy (Kereluik, Mishra, & Koehler p. 13, 2011). While I did this activity I was reflecting on how I repurposed the materials or utensils I used. After this activity, I had that “ah-ha” moment that really connects this to teaching. This activity puts into perspective technology and teaching. For example, the fruits in this video represent the content we are to teach and the spoon represents the technology. The spoon(technology) needs to be repurposed for each fruit(teaching content) for it to fit smoothly. As educators, it is our job and judgment to find what works for the “spoon” in our rooms and for each fruit we teach. In better terms, “Teachers must embrace the role of becoming designers of curriculum, choosing technology that is appropriate for the content to be covered and their pedagogical approach (Kereluik, Mishra, & Koehler p. 13, 2011). I already am excited to use some new “spoon” activities I have been exposed to through this class.
Below is my video, check it out!
References:
Kereluik, K., Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2011). On learning to subvert signs: Literacy, technology and the TPACK framework. The California Reader, 44(2), 12-18. download .pdf