Retrieved from: http://www.edudemic.com/new-padagogy-wheel-helps-you-integrate-technology-using-samr-model/
Hi everybody,
Beginning to settle into a better routine with my classroom now so beginning to explore and introduce technology more consistently. I am looking at how I have changed from previous years and I suppose the biggest difference is that i am looking for more opportunities to use technology in the classroom. I have been using Edmodo frequently with the class, although at the moment, student engagement has not really taken off as I would have hoped. I have uploaded links to help with their learning and commented on any additions that they made. This week I have tried to take a back foot and let them take ownership off it themselves to see if they will use it more openly if the feel “the teacher isn’t watching”. At the moment i have about 4 children out of 25 who use it regularly by commenting and posting. It is frustrating but I can’t really judge considering how long I have spent lurking! I will continue to encourage and monitor and hopefully will see some better engagement as time goes on.
This week I started by looking at the Edutopia article Shaping Tech for the Classroom As well as looking at the SAMR model (this link has a handy clickable pdf that explain how the model links to bloom’s taxonmy and lets you access the apps mentioned) and reflected on where a lesson I have done this week falls. The lesson was basically a research lesson on specific systems of the human body (circulatory, immune etc)
The children were first split into groups and asked to research information using their own devices and books- “Old things in old ways” and a solid S on the SAMR model.
Secondly they had to then present there research in a variety of ways (making videos of them explaining, taking pictures of diagrams they made or typing out key information) as well as adding useful links to Padlet.com (here is example The Excretory System….ewwwwww!!!! Every single time it is mentioned!!). I felt this fell somewhere in between “old things old ways” and “old things new ways”. By that I mean this could have been done without the technology in the from of a poster and drawings followed by a presentation but by placing it on Padlet it becomes easily retrievable and accessible for all the class. Also the ability to add links allows other students to follow up with research on their on. I felt this fell into the Augmentation stage on SAMR scale.
Finally as homework for the lesson the children were to use Edmodo to access the Padlet’s of the other groups and comment on them by saying what they learned and asking the group any further questions they had about the system.(old things in new ways and Modification) However as mentioned above the uptake from my class on Edmodo has been poor and at the moment I don’t want to “force” them to do it as I want them to see it as a fun place to learn rather than something they have to do. This left me feeling a little frustrated as (as I felt atr the time) the one part of the lesson where technology was being used to a high level was not been accessed by the majority of the children.
However while reading Drape’s Takes I realised that I was falling into the trap of attempting to “climb the hierarchical ladder” I think this has helped me realise that substitution isn’t such a “bad” thing. Sure it is something that could be done in a classroom with no technology but is that such a bad thing. It makes my lesson easily adaptable if there is an issue with the technology. Also by using devices the students were able to get their research done quicker and explore a number of different sources. As Drape’s says:
Teaching at higher SAMR levels doesn’t guarantee greater educational benefit. Instead, it more likely results in different educational benefit.
However I have found the SAMR model useful for reflection on my lessons and helping with planning when considering the use of technology. As a wise man once said-