Before I take on something new, be it a new lesson plan for school or a new recipe for home I like to rehearse it in my mind over and over, trying to spot potential pitfalls that might crop up in getting me to my goal. Do we have eggs? Are the mixing bowls clean? Will the internet be working? Call me obsessive. I call it being prepared.
At a certain point in the filming of this video, after I'd shot perhaps the fifth 'slice' of carrot across the room, I had an epiphany. The technology wasn't failing me - the spoon just wasn't suited to the task of slicing. The vegetables were doing their part, acting like vegetables. I was able to modify the tool (spoon) to meet my needs, but perhaps what I really needed to do was modify my expectation of what the outcome should look like. My platter wasn't going to look like a party platter with smooth edges and identical slices of carrot and pepper. It was going to be messy, inconsistent, yet perfectly edible.
I think education reflects that need for flexibility, and the 'P' (pedagogy) in the TPACK model is the flexible component. Every student is different and brings with him or her a unique set of experiences, strengths and challenges. If we try to apply the same tools to the varied group of students and expect the same outcome, we will be disappointed, or at least surprised each time we attempt a task and it doesn't come out the way we expect. If, on the other hand, we can understand that the outcome will look different depending on the students we have and how they use the tools, we might be able to appreciate the final products for what they are: a combination of unique individuals using what is available to them to learn and create.
At a certain point in the filming of this video, after I'd shot perhaps the fifth 'slice' of carrot across the room, I had an epiphany. The technology wasn't failing me - the spoon just wasn't suited to the task of slicing. The vegetables were doing their part, acting like vegetables. I was able to modify the tool (spoon) to meet my needs, but perhaps what I really needed to do was modify my expectation of what the outcome should look like. My platter wasn't going to look like a party platter with smooth edges and identical slices of carrot and pepper. It was going to be messy, inconsistent, yet perfectly edible.
I think education reflects that need for flexibility, and the 'P' (pedagogy) in the TPACK model is the flexible component. Every student is different and brings with him or her a unique set of experiences, strengths and challenges. If we try to apply the same tools to the varied group of students and expect the same outcome, we will be disappointed, or at least surprised each time we attempt a task and it doesn't come out the way we expect. If, on the other hand, we can understand that the outcome will look different depending on the students we have and how they use the tools, we might be able to appreciate the final products for what they are: a combination of unique individuals using what is available to them to learn and create.