TPCK
Chapter 9
Science, technology, and teaching:
The topic-specific challenges of TPCK
In science
Kim Fuller
3/22/09

Science and technology have always seemed to come as a pair. Throughout time all science disciplines have used technology to explore questions, make observations, record data and prove theories.
For teachers in the classroom technology and science go hand in hand, but the challenges of TPCK are always present. Teachers need to know their subject, students and how to best integrate technology. Again, as in all subject areas some teachers are more versed in a specific science area or like most elementary teachers, have a broad or varied understanding of science due to each individual’s background.
I have been fortunate to work with a science curriculum that is very hands-on and comprehensive. I teach three science units each year and the materials/technology is included in a kit format. For example, we do a unit on electricity and all students create circuits that run lights and motors. We have some Internet sites that compliment the unit as well. But as I am learning from the content presentations, I need to explore more technology opportunities for my students and match their needs more specifically.
The last part of this chapter spoke about how pre-service teachers need to be exposed to the best pedagogical and technical practices and experience them through their courses while in college. This is essential and I see how this model can work effectively to prepare future teachers for the TPCK classroom. But… We can’t know it all. We need to be willing to learn and grow because education and learning are on going.

Chapter 7
Perhaps a matter of imagination
TPCK in mathematics education
Kim Fuller
3/23/09

Imagination, mathematics and technology… A wicked problem?

Albert Einstein touted that imagination is more important that knowledge. He believed imagination embraced the world and all there is to understand. He approached learning and teaching mathematics with independent thinking, questioning and connecting mathematics to the real world. Sounds like the introduction written at the beginning of the math program I use with my students. His philosophy is certainly something teachers strive to do in their classrooms everyday. But it can be very challenging especially in the area of mathematics.

How do we define mathematics? According to Steen (1988), mathematics involves observing, representing and investigating patterns and relationships in social and physical phenomena and between mathematical objects themselves. Mathematics is often defined as the science of space and number… [but] a more apt definition is that mathematics is the science of patterns. The mathematician seeks patterns in number, in space, in science, in computers, and in imagination. Mathematical theories explain the relations among patterns… Applications of mathematics use these patterns to “explain and predict natural phenomena…

Then there is the question of how to use technology to enhance mathematic instruction and learning. It was interesting to think about using technology as a politically charged concept. Do we allow students to use calculators? Are they really learning if they use processing programs while taking an algebra course? And what about fractals? These are complicated geometric patterns that are more easily investigated by using computers and lead to understanding many real world phenomena such as weather patterns, plant growth and even functions of the human body.

Mathematics is a huge content area and most teachers at the middle and high school levels will specialize in one or two areas. This allow teachers to become experts in those areas so content is already strong in terms of the TPCK model. Elementary teachers are more challenged in that they teach all subjects and can get spread thin in terms of learning all the content areas equally. And currently there is such a push in the area of literacy that math seems to be on the “back burner”. Teachers who see math instruction as being just as important as literacy instruction need to be self- motivated to seek out solid strategies and technologies. NCTM is a good resource and has provided excellent recommendations for elementary math instruction. Cover less, but cover it more efficiently and in more depth. HOORAY!

NCTM also stated that the use of technology allows students to work within interesting problems and can facilitate student achievement in higher-order learning outcomes such as reflection, reasoning, problem posing and solving and decision-making.

TPCK
As technology becomes an integral part of our society it is perceived that technology is a critical tool for teaching mathematics. Pre-service teachers are encouraged to be open and experiment with how to apply technology in their math instruction. Technology is integrated seamlessly into the content area and pedagogy. Along with instruction technology is used to track student progress and a vast array of data collection. Its use is broad and includes communication among students, teachers, parents and community. There are ample opportunities for professional development and restructuring. The use of technology is always evolving.

Elementary-
This site provides virtual manipulatives for a variety of math concepts.
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_2_t_1.html
This is an organization site where teachers can select appropriate site for their students and add them into their portaportal. This site makes it very easy for young children to access specific sites with just one click.
http://www.portaportal.com/

Middle School-
This site shows students work using technology.
http://169.244.34.69/~sirish/Math/Properties.html

High School-
This site in very comprehensive and provides many math links.
http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/courses/education2/elementary.html
This site provides activities for applied mathematics.
http://www.c3.lanl.gov/mega-math/

TPCK Reflection
Chapter 4
Kim Fuller
3/22/09

This chapter was interesting in its focus. It emphasized the need to create pre-service programs where perspective teachers learn to model TPCK while going through their program. In this way, new teachers won’t run into the challenges Laura faced even though she was comfortable with technology.
This shift in teacher preparation programs will be necessary and it’s beginning to happen as I’ve seen here at UMF. The perspective teachers I’ve worked with are very comfortable integrating technology. It is my feeling, that due to the use of technology as second nature, these young students can make the step toward TPCK more seamlessly.
I was pleased to read about Nell and how as a veteran teacher she made use of technology in a meaningful and highly engaging manner. That scenario showed how someone with solid content knowledge and pedagogy can take the risk with technology and be very successful. It gave me a lift to read about her success.
I related to Nell in that she had many years of experience, enjoyed her content area and was looking for ways to improve her teaching. It is also helpful to go through the same process and reexamine how I approach my curriculum in regards to technology. My school has many things in place already and I am beginning to see how I can utilize what we have and look forward to things I will want to add to my repertoire .
It will be part of my role as a school leader to evaluate my schools technology systems,
observe how that technology is being used, provide teaching training and model the use of technology myself. Keep abreast of what new technology is being developed and how to best upgrade existing systems. It will be an important aspect of hiring new teachers. It will be part of the process when looking at candidates. But it will be important to remember how well veteran teachers can learn and use technology. Like anything, balance is key.

TPCK
Chapter 3
TPCK in K-12 Literacy Education
3/18/09

Literacy teaching and learning are constantly changing and as an elementary school teacher for over 20 years, I have seen the vast changes over that time period. I also notice how literacy teaching and learning has changed in the last few years. It is changing at an even greater rate. With the introduction of technology into the arena of literacy the student and teacher needs are rapidly increasing.
The uses technology in my literacy program has been mostly in the area of writing. I have utilized Kidpix, Kidspiration, and Inspiration, work processing programs and PowerPoint for a variety of projects. I was very excited to read about the SubEthaEdit Program. That tool would be fantastic to use during Writer’s Workshop but the program can be used by anyone at anytime!
Technology during reading time has been limited. I don’t have many programs to use but I do gather reading materials from the Internet and my students also engage in Webquests. We use the Internet for research and the students learn how to pick sources that give them the best information and if it’s at a level they can access.
Digital literacy is an area where I am playing catch-up. There is so much to learn and so many strategies for teaching with technology that I feel I’m just at the beginning stages. This course has been extremely helpful in getting me to take more risks and look into what is available to help my students.
Teacher prep courses are beginning to prepare new teachers for the use of technology and that is evident in the practicum and student teachers I have worked with over the last few years. They are very comfortable with technology and seems second nature to them when planning learning activities. However, I feel new teachers are not as prepared in the area of teaching literacy. I find the new teachers I’ve worked with lack the understanding of the complexity of learning to read or write and how to approach teaching these subjects. I too was in the same position as a new teacher. I feel more needs to be done at the college level to help prepare

Stage 1 with partner

Stage 1 with Partner
Immigration Unit
Kim Fuller
3/10/09

This process was very easy for us as we have a friendship and professional connection that has existed for about 15 years. I am fortunate that my partner, our music teacher, has an impressive background in performing arts and cultural education. She has taught in diverse settings and has many opportunities for professional development. Currently she is applying for a grant so she can study in New York City this summer.
This experience was very collaborative and I found she has so much to offer that as a leader, I recognized her skill level and worked with her to gain more knowledge myself. As a leader, it is important to acknowledge others in your school who bring so much experience and knowledge to the table already and to utilize their talent when developing new curriculum or anything else within a school setting.
Collaboration inspires and excites me so this process helped me see the unit from her perspective. We created the stage 1 outline and we talked about the technology piece and how we will incorporate that into the unit. At this point, we decided on our topics and she will be looking through her resources to see what will work with our students.

TPCK Chapter 8

TPCK
Chapter 8
Kim Fuller
2/23/08

This chapter was interesting and engaging to read. I have observed my students in their arts classes and see how motivated and engaged they are when learning through the arts. Students gain unique perspectives and learn skills that can be easily incorporated into all the content areas. It was exciting to read about technology and it seems that given the appropriate tools, the ways to use technology in the arts is limitless.
As a classroom teacher, I like many of the ideas presented in this chapter. It presented the use of technology as a way for teachers who are not as versed in the arts to learn and utilize the software available to help their students. I can see using some of the suggested ideas in all the content areas.
I found the ideas for visual arts helpful, particularly the idea of teaching my students about different cultures through the use of visual arts. I have worked on curriculum to help students learn about Maine Native Americans and their rich culture. This book suggested that by using web sites from state and national museums students will get information that is less biased and more historically accurate and from the perspective of the Native Americans. This is so important for teachers and students because otherwise we tend to perpetuate stereotypes and don’t even realize we are doing so. I definitely intend to utilize the web sites from The National Museum of the American Indian and The Smithsonian. I have utilized the web sites from the Abbe Museum and the Hudson Museum in Maine and in doing so have learned a tremendous amount of information I can share with my students and teaching lessons and unit ideas to use in the classroom.
The section on music education and technology was enlightening. This is the class my unit partner teaches. I can see how technology can allow students to explore many facets of music from research to composition. Again, through the use of technology, as a classroom teacher, I can access so much from the Internet in regards to music. I can access free downloads, musical performances, artists blogs/web sites, and archives of cultural music. My students can utilize software such as Garage Band to explore composition, create music to accompany a piece of writing, etc. I like the statement made at the end of this section about music being a universal language. Through technology, students can hear music from around the world as well as share their music with the world.
Dance and drama have always been a huge motivation for students but some teachers can be intimidated by the thought of using in their classroom. However, with the use of technology, students and teachers can be creative and incorporate these arts into the content areas. The Internet has endless ideas on performance ideas, production, research, playwriting, oral histories, monologues and role-playing. Power Point offers a great way for students to share their learning.
Media production offers such a global opportunity for sharing. I liked the ideas presented in this section about using iMovie as a way to communicate with Pen Pals,
the recording of field trips and creating a school news cast. I can see this as very engaging and motivating for students to share their work and learning via iMovie. My class had a wonderful experience creating a move based on a problem solving tool kit that was created for our school. Each student took on the role of a tool and wrote a script about how the tool could help a child solve a conflict. The “Tool Box” also took on a personality. The video was shared with our entire student body and my students felt great pride in their work.
The use of technology in the arts allows accessibility for students with needs to participate and learn through the use of a variety of software. These allow the students to participate and produce products they may not otherwise be able to do. Technology is certain opening up the door for more students and teachers to be creative and learn an interesting way.

Chapter 6 Reflection

TPACK Reflection 3
EDU 583
Kim Fuller
2/10/09

I found the statements regarding social studies as lacking clear academic or disciplinary structure interesting. It made sense to me when thinking in terms of scholars constructing new forms of knowledge and verifying that knowledge. I agree Social studies is a collection of disciplines and is adapted for teaching purposes. I also see how social studies is constantly changing and is based on various perspectives thus the adaptation of the many disciplines can be done in many ways.
Technology adds another facet to the teaching of social studies and involves the use of resources and the adaptation of those resources. As a fourth grade teacher, I have begun to look a online sources to use for social studies units. Some sources are for my personal research on a topic so I have a good understanding topic. I also look for sources my students can access be it images and videos, text or interactive cites. Our district has offered some professional opportunities so teachers can learn to critique cites and resources. Our media specialists also provide teachers in our district with many links and cites to investigate. My challenge is finding the time to visit the cites and thoroughly go through each one. I have made use of the Portaportal tool in my classroom so students can quickly access specific cites I have reviewed and found to be the most useful. This is a great tool because it eliminates confusion and makes our time with the computers more productive. Teachers can share their Portaportals with each other. This helps in getting new cites reviewed. However, my Portaportal, is limited to the cites I have selected within the time I have available to update my page.
I find it necessary yet again difficult to go through the critical media skills with my students. Partly because I am stilling learning these skills myself, and the fact we have laptops for limited time throughout the week. I find myself wanting to get right into the project so we can make the best use of our time with the laptops. I need to incorporate these skills right into our activities. The non-linear aspect to computers is something which I am slowly getting used to, but I feel children are more comfortable with this concept and are more willing to explore a cites options. But I do see children “surfing” and not slowing down to really investigate some information. Again, teaching the skills is necessary to help students use technology effectively.
The aspects of technology within the context of social studies that are more difficult for me to utilize and teach my students are the communication and social networking.
I see the ways it can be done but I am having difficulty putting them into practice. I teach my students how to use email. We have created videos and shared them with our student body. We have created digital books and slide shows. But, I have yet to create a place where students can communicate with other students on topics or share work on a regular basis. I hope to learn how to do this effectively. However, outside of school many students are networking and it will be an easy transition to utilize these skills at school.
Other aspect of technology I find fascinating, are all the geographic tools that are now available. Again, these tools can provide perspectives and images that are current and student can have instant access to them. It in another area I need to learn more about.
Finally, the children in my classroom have a different way of seeing the world and see technology as an integral part of their world. I have to learn from them and for them.