SummerReflection

LookingBack
WhathaveIlearnedthissummer?
IvetoutedmyparticipationthusfarwithMSUrbanSTEMasthebestprofessional
developmentIveeverexperienced,andofcourse,everyonewantstoknowwhy.Well,
tostart,wespenthalfadaydoingimprov.WhatkindofateacherPDallowsforthat?!
Anamazingone.Whowouldhavethoughtthatsomethingasseeminglywhimsicalas
improv,wouldsoaccuratelyandmeaningfullyparalleltheworkwedoasteachers?
Teachingisundoubtedlyacreativeendeavor,andgoodteachersneedtoseamlessly
blendtheirrolesasperformers,decisionmakers,andfacilitators(Sawyer2004).In
ordertodothiswellwe,aseducators,requirequiteaheftytoolboxfromwhichtodraw
from.Ivelearnedthatjustlikeanytoolbox,ourteachertoolboxisfairlyuselesswithout
anunderstandingofthefunctionalityofitscontents.EntertheTPACKframework.
TPACKisthetechnological,pedagogical,andcontentknowledgeteachersneedtobe
abletomeldinordertoattainthetransformationofcontentinwaysthatmakeit
intellectuallyaccessibletostudents(MishraandKoehler).
Whatisnewaboutthisexperience(ifatall)?
Sohowisthisnewlearninganydifferentthantheofferingsofotherprofessional
development?Iwassurroundedbyawonderfulcohortofeducatorsandinstructors
whoarebright,experienced,andenthusiastic.(Thelistcouldgoon,butImonly
allowedupto1,500words!)Everyonehadtheyes,andattitude.Wehadtoendure
Quickfiresthatchallengedustocompleteatask,oftenwithanewtoustechnologyand
whilenoneofus(inmygroup)knewwhattodo,weembracedthechallenge,laughed
aboutourshortcomings,andintheend,learnedALOT!Wewereabletoexperienceas
learnersthepoweroftheTPACKframework.Thelearningexperiencesaffordedus
pushedmewellbeyondmycomfortzoneandforcedmeexploretechnologiesthatIhad
notpreviouslyconsideredtoincludeaspartofmyinstructionalrepertoire.Somany

professionaldevelopmentsessionsprovideawealthofinformationandpotentialideas,
strategies,and/orresourcesbutneverthesafe,creativespacetoexperimentwiththem
inawaythatwillfacilitatetransfertotheactualapplicationofthem.Thisisa
transformativelearningexperience.AsdiscussedinourreadingbyWigginsand
McTighe,Tobetrulyablerequirestheabilitytotransferwhatwehavelearnedtonew
andsometimesconfusingsettings.Theabilitytotransferourknowledgeandskill
effectivelyinvolvesthecapacitytotakewhatweknowanduseitcreatively,flexibly,
fluently,indifferentsettingsorproblemsonourown.Aspartofmyparticipationthis
summer,notonlyamIabletoengageinthistransferofknowledge,butIamnow
empoweredtofacilitatesuchlearningexperiencesformystudents.
Howdoesthislearningexperiencemattertome(ifatall)?Why?
ThislearningexperienceisofgreatimportancetomebecauseIwanttobeagreat
scienceteacher.Iamsoofteninspiredbythebrilliantideasofwonderfulteachersbut
feelatalosswhenitcomestothinkingabouthowtotranslategreatideasintomyown
practice.Ivebeenawareforquiteawhileabouttheimportanceoftechnology,
pedagogy,andcontentandtherolestheyplayinhighqualityinstruction.However,to
thinkaboutthelearningexperiencesIprovideformystudentswithinthethecontextof
theTPACKframeworkinconjunctionwithlearningforconceptualunderstandingand
beinggiventimespecificallyforplayingwithnewideasandtechnologies,IfeellikeI
haveafoundationfromwhichtoworktobecomeagreatteacher.

LookingForward
HowdoIseethissummersexperienceinfluencingmeinfuture?
ThelearningexperiencesinwhichIhaveparticipatedthissummerwillundoubtedly
colorhowIapproachteachingmovingforward.Iaminthefortunatepositionofalso
beingtheleadteacherforourpartnershipwiththeMuseumofScienceandIndustryas
partoftheScienceLeadershipProgram.Oneofmygoalsistoconveythecritical
natureoftheTPACKframeworkandtoincorporateitasaschoolwideendeavor.Ona

personallevel,Iaimtoincorporatetaskssuchasquickfiresandvideographyasmeans
ofassessingstudentsunderstanding.Imalsohopingtotakemylearningexperiences
withtwitterandfacebookandusethemasaplatformtoincreasemyprofessional
presence.
HowdoesthisexperiencechangewhatIthinkaboutteaching(ifatall)?
Mythinkingaboutteachinghasntsomuchchangedasithasbeenvalidatedand
enhanced.Learning(andteaching)shouldbefun.Andbyfun,Idontmeanthe
superficialtypeoflearningwherestudentsmakeamodelofacellusingcandyduring
whichtheyvehadablast,buthavenoideaaboutanyofthestructuresorfunctionsof
theorganelles.Imeanthedeeplysatisfyingtypeoffunwhereyouveengagedin
intellectuallystimulatingdiscussions,debates,andexplanationswithoutlosingsightof
thejoyandhumorthatoftenaccompaniessuchcollaborativeintellectualjourneys.
Furthermore,Ifeelthatthenotionofteachingforconceptualchangevalidatesmy
teachingphilosophy.Itrulybelievethatmeaningfullearningexperiencesarethebest
testpreparation.Sadlywecannotescapethehighstakesstandardizedtestsimposed
uponourstudents.But,ratherthantryingtotouchoneverypossibletopicandsubtopic
thatastudentmightbetestedon,Ibelievethatallowingstudentstogainadeep,
conceptualunderstandingofabigideaalsoempowersthemtothinkcriticallyabout
similarprinciplesandideas.

WhatamItakingfromthisexperienceandhowcanIusethatwhenIgobackto
myclassroom?
TherearesomanyideasthatIintendontryingoutinmyclassroomthisyear:
Quickfires,assigningstudentsasarchivists,TodayinHistory,protectedreflectiontime,
andimprovgamesarejustafew.However,oneofthebig,overarchingideasthatI
hopetoemployistheideaofwonder.Humansarenaturallycurious,andschooltends
tochipawayatthisinthefaceofcurrentpressuressuchashighstakestesting.Iwant
totapintomystudentssenseofwonderasthebasefromwhichlearningbegins.Once

thissenseofwonderisnurtured,thenIcanusetheTPACKframeworktoweave
togetheralloftheabovementionedideasandcreateyearlonglearningexperiencesfull
ofWOWandAHAmoments!
Bibliography
Mishra,P.,&Koehler,M.J.(2009,May).TooCoolforSchool?NoWay!Learning&
LeadingwithTechnology,(36)7.1418.[PDFdownload].
Sawyer,R.K.(2004).Creativeteaching:Collaborativediscussionasdisciplined
improvisation.EducationalResearcher,(33)2,1220.P.1220.
Wiggins,G.,&McTighe,J.Understandingunderstanding.InUnderstandingbyDesign,
expanded2ndEdition,ASCD.