iPads and SAMR, Reclaiming Authentic Use of Technology-Enabled Learning
I clearly remember my nervousness when my school began rolling out our 1:1 iPad program. While I was comfortable with technology and enjoyed learning new tools, I felt a bit overwhelmed the potential for success, or conversely, complete and utter failure.
Part of the reason I was so nervous was that we were inundated with information on "technology integration" and so much of what was being thrown at us seemed to carry these huge warnings about using technology for technology's sake. We were to construct authentic learning experiences for our students...easier said than done with large class sizes and pervasive behavior issues.
It took about 3 months of trial and error for me to find a way to effectively use the iPads to enhance my student's learning. As the year progressed, the projects got better and my students earned more autonomy. During this time I learned some powerful lessons in creating student-centered activities that my students talked about years after moving on in school.
An iPad is one of the most flexible tools available in many classrooms today. Below is an example of a SAMR-aligned assignment and examples of how it can be used to elevate student thinking and add authenticity.
The table below is based off of the South Carolina 3rd Grade ELA standard for Reading Informational Text:
Tools for further learning:
1) "The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology
to enhance learning for K-12 students." It is a fantastic tool for teachers to use to evaluate their own understanding and comfort with technology while honoring the pedagogical experience and the classroom learning environment. Click HERE to access the matrix.
2) For an extensive list of strategies and ideas for effective use of iPads in the classroom, Click HERE
References:
Green, L. S. lgreen@georgiasouthern. ed. (2014). Through the Looking Glass. KnowledgeQuest, 43(1), 36–43. Retrieved
from https://login.pallas2.tcl.sc.edu/login url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx
direct=true&db=llf&AN=97937361&site=ehost-live
South Carolina Department of Education (2017). SCCCR ELA Standards [PDF file]. Retrieved from
South Carolina Department of Education (2017). SCCCR ELA Standards [PDF file]. Retrieved from
https://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/instruction/standards/ELA/ELA%20Standards/SCCCRStandards%20OnePagerGrade %203%20ELA.pdf
Wow you are exactly right when you talk about teachers being inundated with technology that they don’t know what to do with or how to use it with fidelity. The SAMR tool is definitely something teachers should have at a tool to implement technology correctly. I believe we will be able to lead those PD’s now that we are equipped with the (TIM). Thanks so much for the informative tools.
ReplyDeleteHi Katherine! I understand feeling overwhelmed with the amount of technology we have. My school has a closet full of makerspace/STEM activities that the teachers are not using mostly because they do not know HOW to use it. I've been experimenting with a few at time such at Cubetto and Osmo. Just this past Friday, students had an opportunity to play with both during library time. They loved it! Thankfully, my principal made sure I had a class set of iPads for the library. I am just now allowing my classes to start using them. This coming week they are using Britannica School to research animals. As you mentioned, it is going to take a lot of trial and error to figure out the best way to make the iPads a valuable learning experience for my students!
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ReplyDeleteWow you are exactly right when you talk about teachers being inundated with technology that they don’t know what to do with or how to use it with fidelity. The SAMR tool is definitely something teachers should have as a tool to implement technology correctly. I believe we will be able to lead those PD’s now that we are equipped with the (TIM). Thanks so much for the informative tools.
It was in my fourth year of teaching that I switched schools and ended up in a school that was lucky enough for our students to have 1:1 iPads. I have to say that I never mastered using them for many of the reasons you mentioned. It wasn’t a strength of mine and I was overwhelmed with the thought of them. My students only really used them so they could access Dreambox and Lexia. However, I knew there were people out there using iPads in amazing ways, and I have to say, I’m a little sad I wasn’t able to reach that with my students. I really liked the SAMR table you posted. I think if I had a little more guidance and PD of specially which programs would be best for my grade and a table like yours to assist with what it could look like, I think that I might have been a little more willing to try something new. I sometimes feel that districts want to push technology but they don’t think all of the steps out. Utilizing new technology takes a lot more than just having it available. That is just the first step.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, your post spoke to me in that I have long believed that in many districts there is simply not enough professional development before putting technology into the classroom - and Melissa's comment reiterates that. Teachers just do not have enough time to experiment and develop the lessons that use technology to its potential. In many ways, I feel that we drill down too much - talking about the nuts and bolts of the devices, and not enough about how to develop a classroom environment which fosters creativity and collaboration. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI know so many teachers that have not embraced technology yet mainly because they have been teaching so long and new technology is intimidating, sometimes a lot of work to learn, and there is often a lot of troubleshooting. I know I was that way when I first became a teacher but I embraced Chromebooks and now I love them. My school is just starting with the SAMR insanity. I do not know that much about it but I am glad that I read your blog because it was definitely informing!
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail write on the head when you said that "inundated with information on "technology integration"" When I first started using the iPads I didn't have any training and like you was told not to used it just to be using it, for the sake of using technology and like you, through trial and error I was able to incorporate it more as a tool of "transformation" within my classroom. "Transformation" in the R.A.T model of technology use can be likened to the "redefinition" aspect of the SAMR. "Redefinition" states technology allows for the creation of new task, previously inconceivable" and the 'transformation" of the R.A.T. is when technology reinvents aspects of instruction and new cognitive forms could emerge and that is what we want. As teachers, we want students to think out of the box and to show their learning in new and meaningful ways. The students that we teach live in a digital age where paper and pencil tasks no longer keep them engage or on task.
This is a wonderful article. I entirely appreciate the layout and perspective of applying the iPads for your students. The SAMR table helped the most in laying out the perspective for utilizing the iPad, and I appreciated how you mentioned student autonomy shifted as you and the students became more familiar with the technology. Thank you for your insight.
ReplyDelete-Jessie Ellieee