Chapter 4 Development of English

The ED-U-Tech program from the University of Minnesota was an interesting approach to creating E-TPCK in preservice teachers. I thought the idea of a content area integrated with technology skills was an approach that makes sense. Forming a content area cohort provides students with a network of peers to share ideas on technology and content areas. The integration of Technology with the English content area would easily impact the development of E-TPCK. Determining how and why educators learn to use technology determines their development of E-TPCK. (90) Providing the preservice teachers with access to upgraded software and hardware, digital equipment, and staffing the computer lab with knowledge support personnel, is dream come true. Sign me up for this program. It is a shame that this approach is not fostered in our educational system.
Bowman describes a problem with the ED-U-Tech approach due to the lack of knowledge in students’ learning and lesson preparation that preservice teachers have. Would this approach be more suitable for mastery level? I do agree with Bowman that modeling is needed to provide guidance and support, but not just for preservice teachers. In order to create TPCK in any content area, guidance and support through modeling will assist in service teachers as well as preservice teachers.
This chapter expressed the need for teachers to be aware of new and critical technological literacy (Internet) that is found within our technological society. According to Selfe, “ a reflective awareness of social and cultural phenomenon; literate citizens should be able to carefully analyze, to pay attention to, the technology-literacy link at the fundamental levels of both conception and practice.” (102) As technology literacy changes to meet the changes in society, I’m finding it very difficult to “keep up.” I know that I need to “keep up” with these changes in order to prepare my students for the new skills and strategies required to be literate in the twenty-first century.
At the conclusion of this chapter, I feel TPCK would be developed easily by embedding technology within a content area. This would become more difficult when you have more than one content area to teach.