One thing I have learned as a teacher is that I do not have control over where my students came from or what their background is. Likewise, I do not always have control of the resources the school provides me. I have to find a way to take the tools I have and adapt them for the students I have. TPACK is a framework that helps us think of ways to do this.

The video below is an example of having to adapt. I found myself struggling to cut cheddar cheese with a spoon. This is a ridiculous task, yet this was the tool I had. I had to find a way to make it work. I ended up making it work by using the simplest tool available to assist me; my left hand. It’s a great example of what happens when we rely on technology too much in the classroom. Many times we are told that we cannot teach without the latest and greatest technology, yet sometimes the only way to reach some of our students is to use old fashioned tools that are always on hand. It may not be the prettiest way to go about doing and certainly not the most fashionable, but it can get the job done.