Using TPACK as a Framework for Tech PD, Integration and Assessment.

Henrico County Schools System has adopted the TPACK as the Framework for professional development and 21st Century Learning in the Henrico County Schools System.  Henrico County is one of the largest and earliest districts to pioneer and implement a one-to-one initiative.  They have adopted this model as its conceptual framework to guide their progress towards the 21st Century Learning. The following video will set the stage to provide insight into how this school district uses technology for relevant and real-world learning.


See How Henrico County School District Incorporates Technology into Learning.
Henrico 21 Overview from HCPS Instructional Technology on Vimeo.

To see more videos visit this link.


Below are some essential pieces toward meeting their vision.  


The TPACK Model
The TPACK Model was created in response to the need to provide a framework around the important pieces of innovating learning with a focus on Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge.  The overlap of these three components is where the 21st Century classroom is most powerful. Here is general information on TPACK and The general framework of TPACK for Henrico's 21st Century Learning. 

This is a diagram of the model.



Assessment Tools

• 21st Century Skills - Student and Teacher Assessment
  This is a fantastic rubric created by the Henrico County School district that students and teachers can use to assess themselves and have a conversation with coaches, advisers, etc on where they are, where they want to be and how to get there. Interestingly findings generally indicate that students and teachers are not at the same level.  
• Observation Tool for Assessing TPACK evidence
  These instruments have been developed to help researchers and teacher educators to assess evidence of teachers' knowledge for technology integration, or TPACK (technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge). All of the instruments available at the site have been tested for multiple types of reliability and validity, and have proven to be robust tools.
• TPACK Survey tool for Pre-service Teachers
  Technology assessment tool for pre-service teachers.

Reflective Friends
Henrico County Schools also uses something called The Reflective Friends which is a process designed to provide participating schools with objective data on their efforts to build 21st century learning environments.  Through a series of systematic classroom observations and interviews with teachers and students, a profile of trends in classroom instruction (content, pedagogy, and technology) will emerge.  These data become good information to be used for future development of your school program. Here is a Reflective Friends Sample Report.


Technology Infused Lessons
The teachers write lessons incorporating the elements of the TPACK model. These lessons are vetted and posted on their professional development space.  What is great about these lessons is there is a community that can comment on the lessons and rate them.  They use the Wordpress platform to host the lessons.  What I would add to this, (which may exist or be in the works, but I couldn’t find it) is a way to sort the lessons by topic and technology used as is done with this bank of lesson ideas to innovate learning. There are tags, so I imagine this will become available.  I’d also recommend they add technology used and/or software used.  This way people using the same tech or software can connect.  An obstacle they had in ensuring the lessons were vetted was the amount of manpower and funding it took to do so. If you don’t have funding or manpower where you work, you may decide to let teachers self publish and viewers can take a look at the material and incorporate what they like and leave behind what they don’t like.  



Henrico County is using some valuable tools and provides helpful insights for other schools and districts moving toward providing students with 21st century learning experiences.  

To view the webinar visit this link.  

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Thanks to Henrico County School District Tech Director Tom Woodward for sharing the innovative work of his district.  Tom Woodward blogs at http://bionicteaching.com and can be reached via Twitter at @twoodwar

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