TPCK...

I've been trying to get my head around the TPCK or TPACK concept properly and I think I have finally done so with the aid of a wiki page that I stumbled across in my research. I think this model (located on the wiki page) helps explains it well...



As you can see 'content knowledge', 'pedagogical knowledge' and 'technical knowledge' interconnect. The cross over between the three categories create 'pedagogical content knowledge', 'technological content knowledge' and 'technological pedagogical knowledge'. Finally, at the heart or core we arrive at TPCK - Technological, pedagogical, content knowledge.

This is the "kind of knowledge required for the effective integration of technology in the classroom" (College of education, Michigan State University).

Many of us have developed a relatively sound pedagogical knowledge - the 'how to teach' part of learning management including how our learners best learn. We understand that content knowledge is our own knowledge about the subject or topic that we are actually managing but technological knowledge is the challenging one.

The pedagogy of teaching is relatively reliable and stable, subtle changes do occur but at a comfortable pace. Content knowledge can be accessed and attained at a rate within our control but technology however is a problem in the sense that "the ground is effectively shifting even as the problem is presenting itself" (College of education, Michigan State University).

As learning managers it is essential that we up-skill regularly to meet the steep technological demands of education. To 'effectively integrate technology into the classroom' we need to ensure that the balance between content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technical knowledge is sustained. Without this balance the 'core' (TPCK) is directly affected which disrupts the learning environment and our effectiveness to manage it.

For further information please feel free to peruse the wiki page that helped clarify TPCK for me (link available in the opening paragraph).