As we start integrating the laptops into our classrooms, we need to be aware of their impact on student learning. We can evaluate how we are integrating technology using the SAMR model. This model looks at 4 steps of technology integration and how this can impact learning.
The first stage is Substitution, which is the easiest stage for any teacher new to using the computers in the classroom. I often refer to this stage as “digitizing worksheets”, because all you are doing is replacing the old way with the same thing, but using a computer. This is not a bad place to start but if we have no tools in the classroom, we should be able to use these new tools to improve instruction and learning.
Augmentation comes after Substitution. In the Augmentation stage the technology is adding some improvements over the old way. There is still not a lot of change in how things are done but there is some functional change.
Modification happens when significant task redesigns occur. We are giving our students new options and they are able to do things in a much more effective way using the computers. There is a big difference between this stage and the Substitution stage, which should correlate into better learning if the focus is always on the desired outcomes.
Redefinition occurs when the technology has allowed for the creation of new tools and methods that were not possible before. We are creating a brand new learning environment for our students, hopefully one that is focused on the 4 big questions; what do we want all students to know, how will we know when they have learned it, how will we respond when learning hasn’t occurred and how will we respond when learning has occurred.
The videos below go over SAMR, easily something everyone can watch and get ideas from. There are a lot more resources out there, but the key is just to think about what are are doing in our classrooms and how we can improve the learning environment using the new tools we have.