TPACK model

30th April 2024 

Learning about TPACK: a Powerful Tool for Teaching

This week, I learned about a cool framework called TPACK. It stands for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Basically, it's a way for teachers to think about how to use technology in the classroom to teach stuff in the best way possible.

TPACK is made up of three things:

• Tech Savvy: This means knowing all about the different tech tools and online resources available, and how they can be helpful (or not so helpful) in teaching.
• Teaching Tricks: This is all about the different ways teachers can explain things and help students learn.
• Subject Smarts: This is the knowledge a teacher has about the specific subject they're teaching, like math, science, or history.

Here's the cool part: When you combine these three things, amazing things can happen! Imagine you're teaching about rivers in social studies. You could use TPACK to:

• Show pictures and diagrams on a projector to explain the different stages of a river (upper, middle, lower course).
• Have students play a simulation game where they travel down a virtual river and see the different features at each stage.

By using technology in these ways, learning about rivers becomes more interactive and engaging for students. They're not just passively listening to a lecture, they're actively involved in the learning process.

Learning about TPACK has made me excited to try out new ways to use technology in my classroom. I can't wait to see how it helps my students learn and grow.

After we learned about advantages of it we learned how to design a lesson plan by using TPACK model in the lesson.

For example;

Class: V

Subject: Science

Topic: simple circuit

Method used: TPACK method

Materials required: Wire, Batteries, Bulb, Switch, Projector and screen, Worksheets with circuit diagrams, 

Previous Knowledge: Conductor and Non-Conductor

Lesson Objectives: At the end of the lesson, Student will be able to;

• define a simple circuit without mistake on their own after the class demonstration
• identify the components of a simple circuit and their functions correctly in groups after the lesson.
• construct a simple circuit and explain how it works without mistake in groups after the demonstration.

Engage (10 minutes):

• Show a picture of a flashlight or another everyday device that uses a circuit. Ask students what they think makes the light turn on. Discuss their ideas and activate prior knowledge about electricity.
• Brain Teaser (using TK): Project an interactive circuit simulation on the screen or use an online circuit building tool. Briefly demonstrate how to manipulate the virtual components and challenge students to light up a virtual bulb. This activity sparks curiosity and introduces basic circuit concepts.

Explore (20 minutes):

• Group Activity: Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with a set of circuit materials and a worksheet with a simple circuit diagram. Instruct students to follow the diagram and build their circuit. Encourage them to experiment with different arrangements (e.g., open/closed circuit).
• Teacher as Facilitator (using PK): Circulate among the groups, answer questions, address safety concerns, and provide support to struggling students.

Explain (15 minutes):

• Class Discussion: After students have had time to explore, bring the class together for a discussion. Have representatives from each group share their circuit constructions and observations. Use this opportunity to introduce key vocabulary: circuit, battery, wire, bulb, closed circuit, open circuit.
• Concept Illustration (using TK): Show a short educational video on simple circuit on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4pdzG-DHnY). The video can visually reinforce the concepts discussed and provide clear explanations.

Elaborate (10 minutes):

• Challenge Activity: Present students with a challenge: can they modify their existing circuit to include a switch? This allows them to apply their understanding and explore circuit control.

Evaluate (5 minutes):

• Exit Ticket: Provide students with an exit ticket that asks them to draw a simple circuit and label its components. This quick assessment helps gauge their understanding of the lesson concepts.

Extension Activities:

• Have students research different types of circuits used in everyday devices.
• Challenge them to build a more complex circuit with multiple bulbs connected in series or parallel.
• Encourage them to create a presentation or infographic explaining how simple circuits work.