Monday, January 27, 2014

SAMR Model and teaching tools?

Recently, I discovered a diagram of the SAMR model with tools labeled next to each element of SAMR. Initially, I was excited about the chart and was anxious to check out which tools were put in which slots. However, after looking at a few tools, I thought about how this was actually the opposite of what I want from my teachers. If I show this chart to them, they will immediately start looking for which tools fit the different elements of SAMR. But, actually, it is not the tool that aligns to a specific element of SAMR - it is the method. For instance, I could use Aurasma at the redefinition level or the substitution level. It's all in how it is used.

Sadly, I've come across many of these charts. And, we are all too anxious to give these charts to our teachers and assume that we have given them the information to successfully integrate technology.

I am now on a mission to change charts that merely list tools to charts that list activities and skills. At the end of the day, we don't want students to be able to just make a movie. We want them to be able to think critically and to make positive impacts. While they may make a movie to do such things, what we assess and measure is not whether or not they made a movie. When we look on resumes, we don't want to know whether or not a candidate made a movie. Instead, we want to know if they are able to think critically, take action, drive change, raise awareness, and more.

So, in looking back at the SAMR model with associated tools, I'd like to shift this into something that shows how we can integrate SAMR into what we really want - to measure students' ability to think critically, take action, drive change, raise awareness, etc. How can we begin to shift current focus on tools and producing tools to producing quality citizens?

Here's what we have now...let's see what we can change this into!

 
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