At the 2008 Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education conference Dr. Punya Mishra and Dr. Mattew J. Koehler presented the keynote presentation entitle, “Thinking Creatively: Teacher as Designers of Technology, Pedagogy and Content (TPACK). Here is the abstract:
The ability to be creative and flexible is critical in face of a rapidly changing world. Nowhere is this more important than in teaching. Teachers operate in a complex and chaotic ecology where success depends on improvising knowledgeable answers to largely unanticipated problems.
Technology, and its rapid rate of change, further complicates the the pedagogy of teaching subject matter. Teaching with technology has been called a “wicked problem,” because they defy standard problem solving approaches. We argue for an approach than honors teacher creativity as an essential guide for navigating these wicked problem spaces. In this presentation we describe the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a way of thinking about teacher knowledge, technology integration, and the role of teachers’ creativity. TPACK, with its emphasis on the interaction teachers’ knowledge of Content, Pedagogy, and Technology, places teachers front and center as designers of curriculum, who flexibly and creatively integrate technology and pedagogical approaches to help their students understand subject matter.
In this interactive presentation we will explore the meaning of creativity, particularly in contexts relevant to teaching and learning. We shall also explore strategies for improving technology integration through nurturing and supporting teacher creativity.
I encourage you to watch the video of this presentation. It brings up some great points in regards to technology and teaching.
