This week wehave made an exposition to explain the TPCK theory. The best part of theactivity was the exposition of our classmates and our star’s one too, becausethis way we can observe the positive and negative points, and learn from them.The exposition with the own group was the easiest.
And the worstpart of the activity was the first time that our star explains the diagram andthe time when Linda was attending her explanation, because she felt morenervous and forgot some point of the presentation.
The best momentof the week was listening our star’s presentation, because is the moment whenwe saw finished all our work, and it was pretty good, we felt fulfilled.
The worst momentof the week was the beginning, because we weren’t sure of what exactly involvedeach role, it’s difficult to do something, if you don´t understand in what yourwork consists of. One of us felt a little bit frustrated, because she hasn’t anspecific task, but she wanted to help to everyone else.
This week wehave two main objectives: learn how to represent an idea en a clear way, usingdiagrams and learn the TPCK theory too. The “fast date” way was really useful,because listening the all groups’ presentations we could analyze them, andlearn how can make it better. Our star has realized that doing 6 consecutive expositions,there were all different experiences, because even if you know very well whatyou have to say, you always forgot something and you have to improvise. Isquite difficult to explain other people’s diagram using your ownone and it takes a lot of time doing it in a simple and clear way, because youhave already a view of that model and is very complicated imagine another one,which works as well as the original.
The technologydoesn’t consist in laptops and computers only. There is a big range of devices,which the teacher must adapt before using them. A good teacher must have skillsin order to adapt him/herself to technology which is changing continuously. Theteacher must considerate the age, the maturity and the knowledge of thestudents, the devises that he/she has, and choose the most proper for theconcrete task. A good teacher has tomake a reflection before choosing one system or another and also must think interms of TPCK to combine content, technology and pedagogy, because teaching andlearning must be the more effective as possible. It isn’t logical to use asimple pen to draw a rainbow, when we have crayons. Technology can be fun, but itwon´t be always, it’s not necessary. The main goal isn’t the fun, it’s toimprove the process of teaching and learning, make it easier to comprehend andvisualize it.
When we aredoing an exposition we have to use teacher’s voice, speak slowly, use thediaphragm and breathe properly. This is very important, because the childrenaren’t still and quiet, they talk, laugh, make noise, and if they don’t do it,probably they are bored or sick.
Our star set veryhigh standards, while she was presenting the diagram, so we must conserve thefluency, the introduction using greetings as a way of interacting with theaudience, keeping eye contact and be as clear and brief as possible, finish ontime, and try don’t bore the receivers, because they will listen several times theTPCK theory, and all of them must have something different and interesting.
We need toimprove our imagination. It’s very difficult imagine another diagram that explainsthe TPCK theory as well as the original, which is the perfect one, which havechosen the authors Mishra and Koehler. That’s way our poster looks like apicture and not as a proper diagram. We will work with children and knowledgeis important, but imagination, flexibility and improvisation are very importantbecause children are one step ahead, and we will need more than knowledge to solvesome problems.
