SAMR
Slowly adding to your skillset - one skill at a time.
Then whisk into your teaching practice
Slowly adding to your skillset - one skill at a time.
Then whisk into your teaching practice
“SAMR” is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.
The SAMR model is more like a spectrum of technology integration and it is important for teachers to understand that not every lesson needs to be registering in the 'Redefinition' phase but every lesson using technology needs to be used in a meaningful way.
At one end of the SMAR model (Substitution), technology is used as a one-to-one replacement for traditional tools and then at the other end of the spectrum (Redefinition), technology enables experiences that were previously impossible without it.
The Lighthouse PD offers a variety of training opportunities to support educators to find more meaningful ways to use technology in their teaching practice. What better way to work through this process than to use the SAMR model to reflect on how student's learning can be enhanced and transformed through the use of technology.
Susan Oxnevad referred to this movement across the SAMR spectrum as "teaching above the line." Think of the difference between topping your salad with plain mayonnaise (Enhancement) or creating an entirely new and tasty home-made mayonnaise packed full of local fresh ingredients (Transformation).
Reading Guy Claxton’s blog ‘Making Mayonnaise’ struck a chord with me on two different levels.
Firstly, I actually do make mayonnaise (above) and had just made our first summer batch this morning.
I managed to source some black garlic at the markets and made a top class aioli.
Secondly, Guy's mayo-making analogy to give "slow and timely professional learning" in developing skills in technology gave me food-for-thought to support teachers to "whisk [new technologies] into their daily teaching practice"
This is so important for teachers to remember to go slow and develop deep skills when integrating technology into their teaching practice.
Students replacing handwritten work by using a Google Doc will need to develop their word processing skills but why stop at Substitution?
Students can be encouraged to Augment their work by adding images, tables and embedding hyperlinks to other material into their Google Doc.
Student writing undergoes a transformation at this Modification point where their ideas could be published for a wider audience either in their own blog or in blogs managed by their teacher.
To Redefine the learning process the teacher needs to think of learning activities that were previously inconceivable without the use of technological skills such as creating meaningful text, collaborating with others and exercising digital citizenship. (EG create a Twitter account (managed by the teacher) to share the learning journey with other students.