#WEEK 2/ Translator/"The TPACK-ACAD Speedlearning."

"I'm Cristina and I'm in charge of the Translator this week, so I'm going bring up the five core terms related to this activity."

In the "TPACK-ACAD Speed Learning" activity, a series of new concepts to take into account in our educational practices have appeared. In total, we mentioned five substantial concepts that have made up the whole plot that comprised this second week. According to the other posts, our aim was to present two frameworks of educational theory, TPACK and ACAD, to the public in the clearest and most attractive way possible. With that in mind, we are again using these five terms to facilitate the understanding of the contents we have worked on.

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Figure 1. Word cloud.

Self-made. Source: https://wordart.com/

In the following lines, we will present the different terms selected, giving a simple explanation of what each one is about, as well as an assessment of the weight it has had in this activity.

Firstly, a concept that gives meaning to the rest of the activity, which serves as a basis for understanding the TPACK and ACAD terms.

-“Framework", the theoretical support of a phenomenon, in which we find those concepts, theories or related criteria that are used as a reference in its treatment.

Thanks to this structure, we can find a diversity of studies to tackle the same problem, serving as a guide with respect to the information and procedures available to carry out the research. On this occasion, we are presented with two types of theoretical frameworks on what factors can determine the learning process, such as the teaching process.

Having understood that general idea, we can approach those key concepts, such as:

- "ACAD", a theoretical framework that entails the analysis of activities within complex learning environments, as well as all those factors that come to influence them.As provided in this framework, one cannot directly control the trajectory with which the activity emerges, because it depends on many circumstances beyond one's control. However, task design can influence it, as the modification of the physical and social contexts, which encompasses the learning environment.

Thanks to this framework, we can be aware of how difficult it is to prepare lessons for learning to take place.

-”TPACK”, a theoretical framework that analyses those blocks of competences that teachers need to develop in order to ensure effective learning.

Within those competence blocks, they add three, such as: technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of the content to be taught. Apart from considering that the teacher has to master the subject as well as the ways of teaching it, it is believed necessary to incorporate technology in his or her practice. They are not independent blocks, and can be combined in different ways to improve the learning experience.

Thanks to this framework, there is a need for the incorporation of technological competences, apart from the rest of the common blocks within the teacher's preparation.

Within TPACK, it is worth highlighting another term, which complements the two previous ones:

- "Technological competences", a skill that seeks to integrate ICT with educational practice in order to improve teaching and learning spaces.

The aim of these competences is for teachers to know how to search for and select the best tools in technology to stimulate both the learning and teaching processes.

Thus, we include the most relevant concepts for the development of the task. Finally, we need to mention the way in which we have decided to present it:

- "Graphic Organizer", a visual tool that helps to organize information, in order to facilitate its understanding and internalization.

As such, it is considered as a teaching tool to show in a visual way the relationships between different concepts and ideas. Based on this idea, there are different types, which, depending on their design, can offer a variety of advantages for conveying information.

However, the type of content we want to represent may require one or the other. In this sense, when we wanted to represent the explanation of the two concepts above, we opted for a mind map. This choice is because it helps to show the key concepts in a very schematic and concise way.

THOSE WERE ALL THE FIVE CORE CONCEPTS!

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SPACE FOR OTHER MATTERS.

GIF retrieved 28 February, 2021 from https://weheartit.com/entry/164025190.

Having recognized these five essential terms, we can discuss the difficulties encountered in approaching this activity. Carrying out a visual representation of these two theoretical frameworks was complicated by not knowing how to parse the information correctly. This task was alleviated by solving some questions that served as a guide to decide which contents were appropriate.

Taking into account the time limit and the proposed difficulty, we decided to divide the tasks. Each member had to answer a question and summarize it in such a way that it could then be presented in the mental representation. This kind of strategy helped to save time and to work more efficiently. However, it could not be considered entirely individual, as the whole group corrected each other's proposal.

After searching for information and elaborating the answers, we ended up choosing what kind of tool to use for the mind map we were looking for. Mainly, we tried to research about the different types of graphic organizers and see which one was most appropriate. After that, we used the online tool “Canvas”, to create the mind map together.

In the end, our task has been finished and ready for future exhibition, which has ended pretty nicely. The result turned out quite favorable despite the difficult circumstances the team was in. Despite the optimal work among all participants, having more time to plan the tasks would have been quite beneficial. However, the team was still able to get out of the predicament. Thanks to this experience, we have been able to learn a little about the organization that will follow this kind of weekly activities.