After reading the articles - Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehicles for Curriculum-Based TPACK Development article by Harris & Hofer (2009). and K-6 Literacy Learning Activity Types by Schmidt, Harris & Hofer (2009), I did some reflecting and below some thoughts of mine that were provoked by these articles.
The tenets of these articles mirror my philosophy on literacy in that the student is the main focus. This is stressed in the first article so much so that the term ‘techno-centric’ learning; coined by Seymour Papert (2007); is used highlight that the end goals of learning are not realized this way. Ironically, my initial concept of technology integration was techno-centric learning and hence the reason for my limited use of these technologies. I was concerned that the focus for the students would be more on the technology rather than its purpose - as a tool to enhance their learning. The authors of the articles however cleared up this dissonance/ambivalence in my mind as they stress the critical issue of instructional planning. The benefits of integrating educational technologies in designing learning activities can only be realized in in-depth and detailed but concise instructional planning on the part of the teacher. This also puts forward the teacher as a highly professional, efficient, proficient and effective individual.
1 comments:
Teachers must indeed be viewed as highly professional, more so in a technological environment.With the emerging new technologies, the teaching profession is evolving from an emphasis on teacher-centred, lecture-based instruction to studentcentred, interactive learning environments. Designing and implementing
successful ICT-enabled teacher education programmes is the key to fundamental, wide-ranging educational reforms.
Teacher education institutions may either assume a leadership role in the transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological change. For education to reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is
essential that pre- and in-service teachers are able to effectively use these new tools for learning. Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for pre- and in-service teachers and model the new
pedagogies and tools for learning.
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