Education is a social process.  Education is growth.  Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.  John Dewey
  Education is a social process.  Education is growth.  Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.  John Dewey
  • Welcome
  • Educational Technology
    • Connect
    • Create
    • Listen
    • Organize
    • Visualize
    • Write
  • Professional Development
    • Operation vs. Application
  • Blog
  • Work Examples
    • Ethics of the Atomic Bomb
    • History of Communication Learning Model
    • Mashups
    • TPACK Teaching Case
    • Visual of Production Cycle
  • Contact
  • Welcome
  • Educational Technology
    • Connect
    • Create
    • Listen
    • Organize
    • Visualize
    • Write
  • Professional Development
    • Operation vs. Application
  • Blog
  • Work Examples
    • Ethics of the Atomic Bomb
    • History of Communication Learning Model
    • Mashups
    • TPACK Teaching Case
    • Visual of Production Cycle
  • Contact

Tech Tip Tuesday: SAMR Model

1/24/2017

0 Comments

 
Today's Tech Tip Tuesday is focused on the SAMR model.  Designed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, the model helps educators design, develop, and incorporate educational technology into learning experiences.  SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.  Below is an image of the model.  Notice how each area either falls in Enhancement or Transformation.
Picture
I think it is important to note that there is no "bad" area of this model.  Meaning, all teachers will fall somewhere in one of these four areas at any time, depending on the lesson.  Remember, we always consider TPACK when planning our lessons.  That means considering what we want to teach and how we want to teach it before deciding if (and how) technology will support the learning.  

Consider SAMR as a ladder: How can you get from enhancing learning to transforming learning in your classroom?  Some lessons are appropriate at the Substitution and Augmentation level, but many lessons can rise above the line to become transformative learning experiences for your students.  Consider how you use texts in your classes.  If a student uses an e-Book instead of a physical textbook that is considered Substitution.  Now consider how you can move up the ladder.  How about if students use an e-Reader with apps that allow annotations and highlighting?  That would be considered Augmentation.  Now let's take it a little further.  Right now the student is working in isolation, but what if she could communicate with others about her reading?  Using technology to allow communication about the text would be considered Modification.  Finally, allowing your students to analyze the reading in a blog or continue the conversation over Twitter would be considered Redefinition.  Now you got it!  

​There are a number of questions you can ask yourself to move up the SAMR ladder.  If you want to go from Substitution to Augmentation, ask yourself what ways can you make the lesson more engaging with technology?
If you want to move to Modification, ask yourself are there ways to give more control to the learner and/or ways to make the learning more authentic to the learner?  Finally, if you want to move to Redefinition ask yourself what would you do in your ideal teaching world if you had no limits?  How can you transform the learning with your students?

SAMR helps educators design learning tasks that have significant impact on student outcomes.  Kathy Schrock extended this thinking by making connections to the updated Bloom's Taxonomy as seen in the image below.  

Picture

Not only should we design learning that targets higher-order thinking skills as seen in Bloom's Taxonomy, but we need to design learning that also has an impact on student outcomes.  Therein lies the connection between Bloom's and SAMR, and they go hand-in-hand.  We are already designing learning that builds on the levels of Bloom's; now we can use SAMR to also consider learning outcomes.  Not only that, but both help guide the successful and effective introduction and continuing use of educational technology in learning.  Want to learn more about these connections?  Here is Dr. Puentedura's take on the topic, and here are Kathy Schrock's ideas on the topic.  

Want to learn more or see great SAMR examples?  Check out the links below.  

8 Examples of Transforming Lessons with SAMR

SAMR Flowchart
SAMR Through the Lens of 21st Century Skills
Assessing Yourself in Using SAMR and Transforming Learning (Rubric)
SAMR Model Explained By Students

​
How are you using SAMR?  Leave a comment to join the discussion.
0 Comments

Tech Tip Tuesday: Looking for Inspiration?

11/29/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The semester is starting to wind down for many of us, and we are ready for a much-needed break.  However, as is typical for most educators, we're always thinking about the next big thing on the horizon.  For most of us, that means the spring semester. This week's Tech Tip Tuesday is a short one and meant to inspire your thinking as you take your break.  Check out this list of tools to get inspired.  While we never plan with the tool in mind first, of course, this can still start re-energizing you for the next semester ahead.    

Have ideas to include in the list?  Feel free to leave a comment below.  And be sure to check back regularly as the list is updated.  

0 Comments

Tech Tip Tuesday: Tools to Support QuickWrite Assignments

11/1/2016

0 Comments

 
We all want to find different ways to get our students to reflect on their learning.  One way to do this is to have students do a quickwrite.  You can use this type of assignment as a weekly, in-class exercise, or you can ask students to do this in preparation for class.  The quickwrite is designed to encourage students to reflect on the week's content and revisit their notes to review what they learned.  It is a way to ask questions about course concepts without having to do a review in class.  Quickwrite also helps the instructor to identify areas of review; for instance, if many students mention they are still confused about a concept, the instructor can follow up with review immediately instead of waiting to see students miss certain content questions on the exam.

Here are five questions you can use in a quickwrite assignment, though feel free to create your own as well:
  1. What terms were the most important in this week's content?  Define any important terms in your own words.  
  2. What was the muddiest point for you (what did not make sense)?
  3. What would you like to know more about and why?
  4. How does this lesson relate to your other classes and/or experiences you've had outside of this class?
  5. Why do you think you were asked to learn this content?  How does it connect to what you've learned so far this semester?

When giving instructions about the quickwrite, be sure to point out that students should focus on the content information and not the operation of the course (i.e., grading).  Also point out students should write in complete sentences and answer each question thoroughly.  While they may not have an answer for question #2 (great!), they should definitely have answers for the other questions.  You can assign points to each question as a graded assignment, or you could leave it open as a participation and process grade.  Choose whatever method makes the most sense for your course and your students.  The quickwrite never needs to be a high stakes exercise; instead, it should be a way to ask students to reflect on their learning and give you information on what content needs to be reviewed.  

The quickwrite can be done on paper, or you can ask your students to do the quickwrite digitally (it all depends on your objectives, but be sure to consider TPACK!).  If you choose to go the digital route, you can give students options to complete the assignment.  Below are some great tools that your students can use to complete the quickwrite and easily share with you in a digital format:
​
  • Evernote - Your students can create notebooks where they add their quickwrites and then share with you.
  • Google Drive and Docs - Google Drive is a great way to store and share documents.  Your students can create their own Google Doc and send to you via email, or you could create a class folder and share with your students so they can share their documents with you.
  • ​OneNote - Similar to Evernote, your students can create their own notebook for your class where they add their notes, assignments, and quickwrites and then share with you.
  • ​Padlet - (formerly Wallwisher) allows users to create their own virtual wall where they may post sticky notes with text, images, or other media.  Padlet is good for brainstorming and organizing during the writing process and may be used individually or in groups, either in real-time or asynchronously. 
  • Penzu is a free online diary and personal journal.  Students can write in their own diary or journal and keep it private or share it with their class.  

For more writing ideas, check out this list of writing tools!  Want to share how you use quickwrites with your students, please leave a comment below!

​Happy writing!

0 Comments

Tech Tip Tuesday: Ed Tech Tips For Every Teacher

10/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Whether you are a new teacher in the classroom or a veteran teacher with a lot of knowledge and experience, everyone has their own level of expertise when it comes to using educational technology in the classroom.  There is a misconception that newer teachers must have better understanding of technology because they have used it most of their lives.  They are often referred to as "digital natives."  That perception is not always accurate.  In fact, my experience working with teachers shows that while new teachers may have used technology most of their lives, they do not necessarily know how to leverage that tech use in the classroom.  Using educational technology is a whole different practice when it comes to the classroom and working with students.  Here are a few tips for all teachers when using educational technology:
  1. Always have a Plan B (or C, or D...) - As we all know, technology does not always work as planned.  When technology fails us, it can be incredibly frustrating especially when you are standing in front of a room full of students.  Be sure to have a back-up plan that considers both digital and non-digital technologies to support your lesson plan.
  2. Don't pick a tool and force it to work in a lesson - Educational technology is wonderful when it supports a lesson in meaningful ways and benefits student learning.  However, using technology just for the sake of using technology never works well.  Technology should never be a fancy add-on to a lesson; it should be a part of learning that provides students with meaningful, authentic, and engaging learning experiences.  If educational technology can help you accomplish something great with your students, then go for it!  If you can engage your students better with non-digital technology, that is fine as well.  It all comes down to your objectives.  Using technology without a specific purpose can lead to lower engagement and lackluster learning.  So always consider your content, pedagogy, and technology together (TPACK!!).
  3. Check yourself - Always make sure your technology works before trying to use it in the classroom.  Check your links and videos to be sure your school does not block the sites you want to use.  Each school district and institution has its own policy and filtering system in place.  It is good practice to make sure everything works so your students can access the learning materials.  Additionally, you should check your hyperlinks within your course before the start of each week since we all know sometimes things on the Internet don't always stay available.
  4. Beg, borrow, and steal...don't reinvent the wheel - Before you spend hours and hours designing your lessons, see what is already available out there from other teachers.  Most teachers post their lessons online for others to view and even use under certain Creative Commons sharing licenses.  You should also check with others in your building to see if you can share materials or design something together.
  5. Create a personal learning network (PLN) with social media - Social media is a great resource to reach out to other educators in order to share resources, tips, and tools.  Twitter is a great place to start.  You can search hashtags such as #educator or #teacher, and be sure to check out the #edtechchat that happens every week!
  6. Give students options - Students should have a say in their learning, and educators can give it to them.  Use educational technology to give your students a voice.  For instance, instead of requiring a paper, give them an option to create a multimedia product presenting their learning.  Students will love the opportunity to choose how they present their learning rather than simply being told what to do.  
0 Comments

    Archives

    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

    Categories

    All
    17 Challenges For Teachers In 2017
    Backchannel
    Banning Technology
    Bloom's Taxonomy
    BYOD/BYOT
    Chatzy
    Edmodo
    Education
    Educational Apps
    Educational Technology
    Flipped Classroom
    Go Green
    Google+
    Google Drive
    Google Expedition
    HootCourse
    Jedi
    Learning Objectives
    Mind Tricks
    Mission Statement
    OER
    Open Education
    Organization
    Padlet
    Pedagogy
    Poll Everywhere
    Print Friendly
    Printing
    Quickwrite
    SAMR
    Screencastomatic
    Shake Up Learning
    Socrative
    Student Centered Learning
    Student-centered Learning
    Student Engagement
    Student Success
    Tech Tip Tuesday
    The Knight Lab
    TodaysMeet
    TPACK
    Twitter
    Verso
    Virtual Reality

    RSS Feed


Designer Information

Julie K. Marsh is a long-time educator, a PhD candidate at The College of William and Mary focusing on curriculum and educational technology, and the Coordinator for Distance Education and Instructional Design at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing in Richmond, Virginia.  Her current research interests include Design Thinking, Community of Inquiry, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), creativity in the classroom, open sourced educational resources, and participatory culture.  

Website by Eduhuh Designs                                                                                                                 (c) 2016 EDUHUH

Picture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.