Informed Decision Making

Informed decision making is crucial to our technology driven world. Teaching students and teachers to make informed decisions and use critical thinking is a powerful tool when deciphering between a multitude of information.

Simply knowing how to use technology is not the same as knowing how to teach with it.

When planning for technology instruction, using the TPACK model is an appropriate way for librarians to make informed decision making. TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) is a framework for understanding technology integration for education.

TPACK is comprised of three stages.

Stage 1: Content knowledge: librarians identify the content that is to be presented and what technology will best suite the lesson objective.

Stage 2: Technology knowledge: what will be needed to make the technology appropriate for the learning. At this stage, librarians will need to investigate way to use the technology effective.

Stage 3: Pedagogical knowledge: librarians will assess the learning needs of students and how to best configure the lesson to meet the technology needs of students.

Below are technology integration lesson plans and evaluation rubrics I have researched and created using the TPACK model. Evaluating technology to determine its significance is crucial. There is an abundance of tools available, but a critical eye is important. While evaluating, you should be aware of the cost effectiveness, age appropriateness, and the curricular relevance. The technology provided should be a compliment to the curriculum. It is also crucial to evaluate technology and its resources before, during, and after a lesson or unit of study.