Ms. K is confident in her subject knowledge and classroom management, so she assumes a lesson using an online video will run smoothly. She opens the website for the first time in front of her waiting class, and it takes several minutes to load while learners sit idle.
What is the main mistake in this scenario?
All three TPACK knowledges matter, but this mistake sits specifically in the intersection of technology and pedagogy — understanding how to use technology effectively in a classroom setting. A simple trick like opening and loading tabs before learners arrive avoids wasting valuable lesson time.
Mr. P feels his lessons are falling short because he hasn't reached the "redefinition" level of the SAMR model in every lesson. He starts planning every single lesson around achieving redefinition, even for the simplest concepts.
What is the mistake in this scenario?
SAMR is best understood as an aspirational model, not a staircase everyone must climb to the top every time. Substitution has real value, and there are even times technology isn't needed at all. Trying to force redefinition into every lesson can be overwhelming for both teacher and learners.
Ms. R adds a short video clip to her presentation and argues this is "just substitution — no different really from writing on the board," since she's still simply presenting information to the class.
What is the mistake in this scenario?
Substitution means technology acts as a direct substitute with no functional change — text on a slide instead of a blackboard. Augmentation is a substitute with functional improvement, such as a video that shows learners something they could never see just by having it described or drawn on a board.
Mr. T discovers a new app he's excited about and builds his entire next lesson plan around getting learners to use it, only afterward jotting down what he hopes learners might learn from the experience.
What is the mistake in this scenario?
Planning should always begin with the learning outcome — what is the learner supposed to learn? — before moving to the learning event, and only then to the technology. Starting with an exciting tool and reverse-engineering the outcomes is exactly how technology becomes an add-on rather than something meaningfully integrated.