TPCK Chapter 12 Reflections

Margaret Nerney
EDU 583- Cohort 1
Chapter 12- TPCK in in-service education: Assisting experienced teachers’ “planned improvisations”
Due: April 29, 2009

Improvisation: the most accurate description of the field of education! I see myself as a perpetual contestant on “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Teachers have to think on their feet and adjust their lessons constantly. It does not matter how wonderful the resources you found or how time consuming the planning, the lesson flows in the way of the students’ needs. I do not know how many student questions have sparked passion filled discussions and on the spot researching. From a click of a mouse and a brief discussion of an author, a 6th grade boy discovered his love for the inspiring words of Langston Hughes. With the viewing of the Presidential Inauguration a fifth grade class is made aware of and curious about a previously unfamiliar topic, the civil rights movement. Real teaching and learning takes place in those moments when we allow ourselves to stray from the rigidity of a lesson plan and truly explore the world around us. Teaching is certainly improvisation at its best.
Technology cannot stand alone, it must be integrated into that daily educational improvisation. Judith B. Harris highlighted the ways in which we fail to do so as well as highlighting some of the shared activities that lend themselves to the proper integration. Proper integration starts with letting go of integrating all of the time and embracing the tool only when necessary and appropriate. I hear so many teachers shifting their lessons to include technology as a presentation of research without ever taking a step back and looking at the damage that can cause over the long run. As part of the Research Methods course with Dr. Griswold, my partner Meg and I are researching the ways to bridge the gap in post-secondary writing needs and secondary writing expectations. Through our research we have determined that there is a deficit in writing skills that is not only impacting college freshman, but also those in the workforce and military services. Yet I listen time and again as people brag about making the traditional research paper more enjoyable by removing the tedious writing component. Where is a student to learn how to write effectively if not in school? Why is it better to have them create a Ning, documentary film, or wikispace? What are we giving up for the sake of engagement and entertainment? I too have fallen into that trap, and yet I am one of the first to complain about dwindling writing proficiency. I think one of the most important points that Harris raised was that of the “why” integrate. Replacement is not always the answer. What is the purpose of the project? What is the skill that the student will need to be successful? Chances are that their professor or employer would rather the student be able to research and support ideas and have well reasoned responses than to be able to wow them with a pretty slideshow transition and regurgitated views of others. In focusing on the creative tools, we often forget to help students focus on creative thinking.