Like this:

Harris and Koehler’s (2009) article “Teacher’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Learning Activity Types” reminded me that planning goes beyond activity to activity. Although this is always the goal is to be doing comprehensive unit planning, aligning learning targets and planning for more than a day, this is not always accomplished without careful consideration and collaboration. “Effective planning for students’ learning is not merely an activity-by-activity endeavor, because curriculum-based units, projects, and sequences are much more than the sums of their respective parts”(p 412). Planning activities using a holistic process that will incorporate technology types that match the activity types in our classroom will both enhance and expand current curricular practices. Chosing activities for bells and whistles is not the appropropriate step. Technology for the sake of technology can hurt rather than help a lesson and it is important to seek to find activities that team well with the lesson goals.

I loved the table of the activity types for social studies that Harris and Koehler included and wish I could see one for mathematics and science. Resources that allow teachers to extend beyond the classroom walls and collaborate with others should be the focus of technology integration in the classroom. During the planning process the focus tend shifts to individual lessons rather than to creating a holistic unit and by having resources that guide us to enhanced and improved teaching practices with appropriate technological tool and activity matches teachers could look outside the classroom into the walls of others who have made lessons stronger themselves. If we take an approach in our departments and schools to work to develop technology solutions to problems we face in our practice then our practice will be strengthened. Teachers need to use technology in a way that utilizes and builds upon connections between the subjects being taught, pedagogical practices and beliefs and the technology being integrated.

href=”http://frank.mtsu.edu/~itconf/papers96/kimmins.html”>

Resources

Harris, J., Mishra, P. & Koehler’s, M. (2009) Teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and learning activity types: Curriculum-based technology integration reframed. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. 41(4), 393-416.

Advertisement