The transformation of technology in the classroom SAMR The transformation of technology in the classroom

What is SAMR? Substitution; Augmentation; Modification; Redefinition SAMR is a progressive journey which shows the use of technology in classrooms. As the continuum progresses, the students are ultimately able to achieve goals that were once unconceivable. Developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, this model has immediate relevance as all educators strive to meet 21st Century Learning goals.

S A M R Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition There is no real change in function at this stage. Students are still required to complete the same tasks, just with a different tool. The learning environment is still teacher-centered. Augmentation This is similar to substitution, but there is added functionality. Though the learning environment is still mainly teacher-centered, students may become more engaged because of immediate feedback or additional resources available. Modification This is where the shift begins from enhancing student learning To transforming the learning process. The educator can redesign parts of the task which will allow students to become more active in their own learning. Redefinition S A M R The exciting part of the journey! Students can achieve tasks that were once unconceivable. Technology is no longer the tool for a final product, but becomes the source of student-centered learning. Higher level thinking skills are used.

What does this look like in the classroom? Substitution ●Students take a quiz on the computer and the teacher checks the answers. ●Students type papers on Microsoft Word then manually print and save document to be graded by teacher. Augmentation ●Students take a quiz on the computer and get immediate feedback of their accuracy. ●Students type papers on Google Docs which automatically saves the documents and syncs them to the cloud. They can use the online dictionary and the read aloud feature. Modification ●Students complete an audio track of their written essay which will be played for the class. Knowing the work will be heard by an audience will give students the desire to create a quality product. ●Students can be assigned parts of a large project which will be collaborated online. Online conversations will allow classmates to share ideas and offer feedback. Redefinition What does this look like in the classroom? ●Students create a movie documentary of the history of their city. Their send them across the country to students who do the same in return. ●Students work collaboratively with others worldwide to create a project and share ideas.

Let’s look closer at an example…the “old school” way. Mrs. Agnesi teaches 7th grade in Italy and has a passion for math history. She assigns a 3 page paper to be neatly hand written or typed. In addition, an oral presentation will be given in front of the class.

Substitution Mrs. Agnesi assigns a 3 page typed paper using Microsoft Word. The students must save and print their work in addition to the oral presentation.

Augmentation Mrs. Agnesi assigns the 3 page paper to be done through google docs. The work is automatically synced to the cloud and students can have their paper read aloud to them which will assist them to evaluate the fluency and check for grammatical errors. Mrs. Agnesi can access the work through Google Docs and grade it accordingly. An oral presentation will be given in front of the class.

Modification Mrs. Agnesi assigns a 3 page paper to be written on Google Docs. In addition to writing their own paper, the students must evaluate and critique the work of three other students. Through the ability to share ideas, students can edit work and produce a paper of higher quality. Mrs. Agnesi knows that if students are aware that peers will be evaluating them, they will have more motivation to produce work of higher quality. In lieu of an oral presentation, students may create an audio track of their essay and play that for the class.

Redefinition Mrs. Agnesi has a sister, Sophie, who lives in Paris. Her name is Mrs. Germain. In attempts to connect with her sister as well as have the students connect to other parts of the world, Mrs. Agnesi decides to create a collaborative assignment. Each of her students will be paired with one of Mrs. Germain’s students. They will use an online translator to help them communicate. Each pair of students will create a movie or slide show depicting the life and history of a famous mathematician. The students in France will make an audio track for the movie in their native language, and the Italian students will do the same. The movies will be shown to both classes.

How does this apply to me? As a teacher in Baltimore County Public Schools, this concept has immediate implications. Dr. Dance has begun the roll out process which will have digital learning devices in the hands of every student over the next few years. Textbooks in the math classroom are already becoming a thing of the past. This has me completely out of my comfort zone!

The Good Old Days I began my teaching career 15 years ago. All the students were assigned a textbook and I stood at the front of the class room next to my overhead projector and taught the objectives for the day. The students were amazed by the “new” TI-83 calculators. Homework assignments were usually from the text and quizzes/tests were done with paper and pencil. I spent hours making copies, stapling packets and grading papers. I enjoyed the art and science of teaching, though the long hours of preparation and grading were at times difficult.

Accepting Change As tiring as the good old days were, I find myself missing them. Not because they were better, but because it was what I was used to. Today, we have SMART boards, wikis, twitter, facebook, i-everything, pinterest, kick, Instagram, google pages, edline, etc. It is hard to embrace all of the technology that has come barreling into the 21st century. My students teach me new things everyday as it applies to their reality. As much as I want to hold onto those days past, the 21st century is forcing my hand to change.

Change is Good Learning about SAMR has already had an impact on my perspective. While the old ways were effective at teaching certain skills, I now realize that embracing the tools we have will only broaden our horizons. I have already begun to think of ways to put assignments online that will provide immediate feedback for students. Not spending as much time grading will allow me to spend more time creating lessons that will inspire. Students learn when they are motivated. If I can put the wow-factor into lessons, they will want to come to class prepared and ready to learn. This is the digital age and we, as educators, need to meet the students where they are.

Closing Thought “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” ― Benjamin Franklin

Resources https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome- instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=ben%20franklin%20quotes%20learning http://det.wa.edu.au/ipadsforeducation/detcms/navigation/literacy-and- numeracy-focus/?page=all https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr- model http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/samr-model-explained- for-teachers.html http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/