Reference:

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge?, Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

http://www.citejournal.org/vol9/iss1/general/article1.cfm

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/02635570610671524

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arnoud_De_Meyer/publication/222476379_Lasting_improvements_in_manufacturing_performance_In_search_of_a_new_theory/links/53f6a2010cf22be01c451460.pdf

This is interesting flowchart on how to combat rigidity in capabilities

Thanks!

Update: Nevermind, I figured it out!

Boitshwarelo, B. (2011). Proposing an integrated research framework for connectivism: Utilising theoretical synergies. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 161-179. Athabasca University Press.

The theoretical lens I chose to view my articles through was connectivism. Connectivism looks at learning as heavily influenced by social and cultural context, and looks at ways educators can capitalize on that aspect of learning with their students. This article put forth “a research framework for connectivism that integrates approaches commonly used in online learning environments,” (p. 161) such as social media, LMS, and SIS. The framework “integrates the theories of online communities of practice, design-based research, and activity theory to construct a research framework that is characterised by a synergistic relationship between them” (p. 161). This framework allows researchers to look at the use of social media in educational settings through the lens of how it connects students to the social world around them and leads them to learn better with connectivist principles. The writers of this article propose this framework and ask that researchers who use it report back as to its usefulness so that they may more fully see its use in educational research settings. Reading this article gave me a way to look at different research results with an overall learning goal in mind. I am very interested in connectivism, as I think it applies even more as a learning theory in this digital age. This article gave a cogent argument for their framework as a way to connect studies back to connectivism.

Meishar-Tal H., Kurtz G., & Pieterse E. (2012). Facebook groups as LMS: A case study. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(4), 33-48.

My company is an LMS creator and provider, so free alternatives to LMS are intriguing to me and something my company of course tries to stay aware of as we are constantly innovating. This article details a case study conducted by professors from the Open University of Israel, for which they evaluated the usefulness of Facebook as an alternative to an LMS. They described their methodology for the study, then detailed the pros and cons of using Facebook as an LMS. Some of the pros include no cost, no technical maintenance, Facebook seems to foster more interaction with content, and more synchronous communication is available. Cons include that Facebook lacks some of the sharing capabilities of most LMS, Facebook dictates the organization of the group, and group members and administrators have many of the same capabilities. The biggest con is that Facebook’s assessment capabilities are virtually null, and it is not possible to store and track grades in Facebook. In the case study, the researchers found that using Facebook as an LMS enhanced collaboration and socially-motivated, active learning. Students did find some difficulty in the organization of material, and in separating their social presence on Facebook with their schoolwork. The researchers concluded that depending on the goals and functions of a course, Facebook can be used as an effective LMS, with the support of some other free tools such as Google Drive.

Yamaguchi, M. & Maguth, B. (2011). Using social networking in the social studies for global citizenship: A case study of Japan’s 3:11 quake. Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, (3260-287).

This article explores the use of social media in social studies courses to track primary and secondary sources, access discussions and groups around the world, and find groups to support victims of natural disasters. These researchers looked specifically at the actions of people as they turned to social media following major natural disasters. They analyzed the use of social media and made conclusions, based on the study of education, of how social media could be beneficial in education. They argue that using social media in education is beneficial for two main reasons: the first-person accounts found on social media can rarely be found in textbooks, and when students produce on social media, they are putting their work in front of an authentic audience that can give them real-world experience. This article is pertinent to my workplace in that we are always searching for ways to engage and connect with our students, and social media is a great way to do this. Using social media as a scholarly research tool is something our teachers could use to create connection with students and connection between the students and the material they are studying.

My conceptual framework for Unit 1 is TPACK or Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. I believe this is especially important to my job as an English teacher at Brophy College Prep, a 1:1 computing high school in downtown Phoenix. Mishra and Koehler (2006) advocate for the integration of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge into one practice. No longer are these ideas separate from one another.  This makes technology much less intimidating to me. I don’t have to learn this aspect of technology in a vacuum. I learn this aspect of technology for my content area and my teaching style. Sometimes the best ideas and frameworks are intuitive.  This is certainly the case with Mishra and Koehler and TPACK.

References