A Delicate and Moment by Moment Balancing Act I remember when I was a new teacher and so much of my lesson planning was making sure I was solid in my knowledge of the content I was teaching. My degree is in biology and my first teaching job included a lot of earth science. I was definitely doing that beginning teacher trick of staying one chapter ahead of them. I had some excellent mentor teachers so I was immersed in pedagogy options. One thing I love/hate about teaching is that it never gets old or boring because there is this ongoing cycle, a yin and yang of content and pedagogy. Just when you think you have it really figured out, the content (standards) change or new research reveals that there is a better pedagogy model on the horizon. As teachers we are always growing , evolving, and sharpening our skills. When the lens of technology is added into this mix it does begin to feel like a three-ring circus. There is a lot going on and I sometimes feel like that clown on the unicycle trying to balance what to teach, how to teach it, and how to infuse technology into all of this. The technology has been a big learning curve for me since the start of the pandemic. I wasn’t even using Google Classroom consistently until we started Distance Learning. Now everyday, all day, is using tech to teach. I was teaching a lesson recently that I had created a Hyperdoc for. The content and tech were in a nice balance but I realized as I was teaching it that something wasn’t clicking. The kids just didn’t seem engaged. I made a quick tweak in my pedagogy to pull in a very simple, hands on demo that each student could perform individually at their desk or at home. Instantly things were back in balance. What I realized in that moment is how important it is to be in tune with your learners, to sense when they are not connecting. Just like the clown on the unicycle, we have to read the crowd and work for the “laugh”, the engagement and most of all not be afraid to change direction til we get it right. The power of TPACK is that it gives you those 3 lenses to look at your craft through and reflect on what you are doing. The Schoology Exchange website states, “If nothing else, TPACK can be a helpful mantra urging you to step back and look at your whole strategy and the nuanced connections between all of its moving parts.” You’re picturing those clowns juggling on that unicycle right? Exactly!
1 Comment
Kelly W.
12/15/2020 10:01:59 pm
Hi Betsy!
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AuthorHello! Welcome to my blog! This will be a fun place to share thoughts about teaching and learning. I am a middle school science teacher at Redwood. When I'm not teaching, I'm hanging out at home with my family or enjoying nature somewhere in the valley. Archives
March 2021
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