This week we learned about the SAMR model for teaching in the classroom. This was my first time hearing about SAMR. It’s an acronym that means: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. It was developed to assist educators to think about how they can implement technology in the classroom in a meaningful way (Terada, 2020). The first two levels, substitution and augmentation, are used to enhance the current teaching but not change it in any way (Terada, 2020). The last two levels, modification and redefinition, are used to change the way the teaching is presented, one such example would be the flipped classroom (Terada, 2020).
Personally I am not sold on using technology just because its available in the classroom unless it is enhancing the learning of a student. This for the most part makes the first level, substitution, obsolete in my books. Studying using pen and paper is better for consolidation and processing information for the students. This is because the students are forced to process and reframe the information the teacher is presenting while writing with a pen rather than being able to type it out verbatim (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). The only place I see substitution being valuable is in the case of open access textbooks, which allows schools and students access to high quality textbooks without having to take funding away from other useful classroom purchases. Although, most of the time substitution is not adding anything to the student experience; augmentation can be used to give the students an advantage (Google read and write, spell check, interactive links etc.). Augmentation can be useful for many things: learning to read and write, checking grammar and spelling. However, these do not – in my opinion – substitute for knowing and learning to spell, read, and write. They are tools that will be immensely helpful to students and teachers alike, (I admit that I rely way too much on spell check), but these tools allow students to be passive participants in their learning.
Modification and redefinition, if used right, can engage students that would otherwise be passive participants. Think about dissections – its messy, hard to see what is happening and some students are morally opposed to the use of animals in the classroom. You can use modification to engage these students – an interactive online program to show the organs of animals and their location. This program could also let you observe the organs functions – something you would not be able to observe in a dissection. Projects in science are usually boring and highly uncreative, however, you can redefine these by allowing students access to computer programs to develop and edit audio, video, or otherwise create a resource to present their topic and research to the class. I had an experience with redefinition in my science education. In my grade 12 biology class we got to create videos or presentations about one of the systems in the body, here is a video/rap two of my classmates made:
By being able to redefine the space for learning it allowed everyone in the class to become a master with one system and teach that to the entire class; the best way to learn in through teaching (Jarrett 2018). I believe that if implemented properly and on a case by case basis the SAMR model can be effective for students.
Works Cited:
Jarrett, C. (2018, May 04). Learning by teaching others is extremely effective – a new study tested a key reason why. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/05/04/learning-by-teaching-others-is-extremely-effective-a-new-study-tested-a-key-reason-why/
Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. doi:10.1177/0956797614524581
Terada, Y. (2020, May 04). A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-model-understanding-good-tech-integration