What is TPACK?

TPACK is a
framework that
combines the
teacher’s three
knowledge areas:
technological
knowledge,
pedagogical
knowledge and
content knowledge.

This framework
shows the
interconnectedness
of the three
knowledge areas.
Content knowledge
is the what is
taught. It is the
understanding of
the content such as
social studies, arts,
science, physical
education,
mathematics,
languages among
others. This is
composed of facts,
concepts, theories
or principles in a
given discipline.

Pedagogical
Knowledge is the
“How”. Teachers
have tools in
teaching so let’s put
them to use. Are
we going to be
using direct
instruction, inquiry
based, group
discussion or think-
pair share? It is also
How we are going
to make the
content more
accessible by the
way we present it
to our student.
Technological
Knowledge is
choosing the right
tools to make the
content more
accessible to
students while
supporting the
pedagogical
strategy which we
have identified that
will help to deliver
this information to
students. We must
identify those
support features to
really help us use
technology to reach
our outcome.

As we understand
them individually,
we can start to see
overlaps.
The overlap of
pedagogical
knowledge with the
content knowledge
is called the
Pedagogical
content knowledge
(PCK). It was first
introduced by Lee
Shulman.
Here is an
example. Mrs.
Johnson is a
chemistry
teacher. This is
her style of
teaching. She
combined her
knowledge of
chemistry with
class exercises,
creative
examples, and
careful
explanations.
Her style of
teaching
displayed
pedagogical
content
knowledge.
Pedagogical
Content
Knowledge
therefore
involves the
teacher’s
competence in
delivering the
concepts being
taught by
simplifying
complex ones if
needed or
leading the
students to study
a concept more
deeply and
extensively. This
is made possible
due to the
teachers’
understanding of
the content and
knowledge of
how to use
techniques that
address different
learning styles.
The
incorporation of
Technological
knowledge into
the pedagogical
content
knowledge was
introduced by
Mishra and
Koehler. This is
relevant to the
st
21 century
teaching.
When content
knowledge and
technological
knowledge
intersect, the
intersection is
called the
technological
content
knowledge.
TCK involves
understanding
how the subject
matter can be
communicated via
different
educational
technology
materials, and
considering which
specific edtech
tools might be
best suited for
specific subject
matters or
classrooms.
Example would be
in teaching
geography,
google earth can
be used. Science
teachers may
create animations
to explain abstract
concepts
When
pedagogical
knowledge and
technological
knowledge
intersect, the
intersection is
called the
technological
pedagogical
knowledge. TPK
concerns
understanding on
how educational
technology tools
can be deployed
alongside
pedagogy in ways
that are
appropriate to the
discipline and the
development of
the lesson at
hand. It describes
the teachers’
understanding of
how particular
technologies can
change both the
teaching and
learning
experiences by
introducing new
pedagogical
affordances and
constraints. An
example would be
using the
Jamboard to have
an interactive and
collaborative
group activity
even with the
physical
constraints that
the pandemic has
given us. Using a
projector is also
an example.

The intersection
of the 3
knowledge areas
of content
knowledge,
pedagogical
knowledge and
technological
knowledge is
TPACK or
Technological
Pedagogical
Content
Knowledge.
TPACK therefore
is about what
teachers know,
how they teach
and how
technology is
used in the
delivery of the
lesson to make it
more engaging
and making
learning more
 st
relevant in the 21
century.

In conclusion,
TPACK will start
with content, and
then pedagogy
and layer in
technology.
Sometimes, you
might get excited
about the
technological tool
and design a
lesson around it. It
is not about the
technology tool
but it is the right
blend of the three
knowledge areas.
The dotted line
around the
framework
symbolizes the
context that
affects how
TPACK is applied
in a practical
sense. TPACK
takes into account
that every
classroom context
is unique due to
variations in
professional
development,
school climate
and available
resources.
Another important
model in the
integration of
technology in
instruction is the
SAMR Model. It is
developed by Dr.
Ruben
Puentedura.
The SAMR model
focuses on the
intersection of
technology and
pedagogy. The
model supports
and enables
teachers to
design, develop
and infuse digital
learning
experiences that
utilizes
technology.

It has 4 different
layers.
And 2 different
sections. The first
two layers
focuses on
enhancing the
learning task
while the third and
fourth layer
focuses on actual
transformation.
In the substitution
step, technology
acts as a direct
substitute with no
significant
change.
A student typing
an essay on a
computer is
merely swapping
out paper for a
laptop. In this
step, ask
yourself what
students stand to
gain by replacing
traditional tools
with technology. 
In the
augmentation
step, there is a
functional
improvement in
the use of a
technological tool.

So that same
essay is done on
the google
document with the
ability to have
classmates leave
comments on one
another’s work. In
this step, ask
yourself if the
technology
increases or
augments a
student’s
productivity and
potential in some
way.

In the modification
step, you are
beginning to move
from enhancement
to transformation.
With modification
step, technology
allows for
significant task
redesign. Instead of
replacement or
enhancement, this is
an actual change to
the lesson’s design
and its learning
outcome. 
So that same essay
is now a blog post.
Students are doing
research online,
editing on a shared
document and
publishing to an
authentic audience.
So it is no longer an
essay. It is an article
crafted for the
world.

With the
redefinition step,
technology
allows the
creation of a new
concept that has
not been
previously
conceptualized
and allows for
new tasks that
were previously
inconceivable.

So that same
essay is now a
multimedia
package.
Students are not
only searching
online but also
connecting with
experts through
video
conferencing.
They are co-
writing their
posts with a
digital blogging
cohort from
around the
world. They are
producing not
only a blog post
but also a
corresponding
podcast and an
edited video

Notice that the

higher up you
move through
the SAMR model
the more
transformative
the technology
task becomes
both in terms of
multimedia
creation and in
terms of
communication
with the rest of
the world.

Here are
examples of apps
that can be used
in teaching that
is classified by
the SAMR Model.

Another
framework that I
will be discussing
is the Blooms’
Taxonomy. It was
originally
published in 1956
by a team of
cognitive
psychologists
headed by
Benjamin Bloom.
It focused on the
Cognitive model,
which includes six
different
classification
levels: Knowledge
, Comprehension,
Application,
Analysis,
Synthesis,
and Evaluation.
the first three
elements—
Knowledge,
Comprehension,
and Application—
represent lower
levels of cognition
and learning,
while Analysis,
Synthesis,
and Evaluation ar
e considered
higher-order skills.
For this reason,
the taxonomy is
often graphically
represented as a
pyramid with
higher-order
cognition at the
top.  This
framework was
designed for
teaching and
learning goals that
would help
researchers and
educators
understand the
fundamental ways
in which people
acquire and
develop new
knowledge, skills,
and
understandings.

In 2001, Lorin
Anderson, a
former student of
Bloom’s, and
David Krathwohl,
a colleague of
Bloom released a
revised version of
Bloom’s
taxonomy. Ìn the
revised version,
three categories
were renamed
and all the
categories were
expressed as
verbs rather than
nouns. Knowledg
e was changed
to Remembering, 
Comprehension b
ecame Understan
ding,
and Synthesis wa
s
renamed Creating
. In
addition, Creating 
became the
highest level in
the classification
system, switching
places
with Evaluating.
The revised
version is
now Rememberin
g, Understanding,
Applying,
Analyzing,
Evaluating, and C
reating, in that
order.
Here is an
infographic
developed by
Kathy Schrock
that shows the
relation of SAMR
model and
Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy.
According to
Schrock teachers
need to both
create tasks that
target the higher-
order cognitive
skills (which is
Bloom model) as
well as design
tasks that have a
significant impact
on student
outcomes (which
is the SAMR
model).
Schrock believes
that educators
should be
planning for
technology tasks,
activities, and
assessments that
include both the
higher levels of
Bloom's Revised
Taxonomy and
the transformation
area of the SAMR
model.

Let me end with

the quote by
George Couros.
Technology will
not replace great
teachers but
technology in the
hands of great
teachers can be
transformational.