Self-Evaluation of Framework - SAMR

Introduction to a Technology Framework

Welcome back! This weeks blog will educate you on the SAMR Framework and allow me to reflect on where I stand on the model as an educator. As a first-year teacher, I am constantly evaluating my teaching methods and strategies as well as my students and their learning. This blog will allow me to evaluate how I use technology within my classroom. Not only am I evaluating myself, but I am being evaluated by my administration and school mentor program. 

What Does SAMR mean?

SAMR is a technology framework used in education from elementary classes to college courses. SAMR is an acronym that stands for Substitute, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Now that you know what the letters mean, you might wonder what these words imply on the model.  Please take a look at the picture below to understand what each stage represents. 

Photo Creds: Edutopia

Substitute and Augmentation stages of the model focus on enhancement of learning. Substitute means their is no functional change in assignments or curriculum. While augmentation has functional improvement on lessons. On the other hand, modification and redefinition act as a transformation in the classroom to create higher leveled thinking skills. Modification in technology allows for students to go beyond a traditional classroom and complete dynamic tasks. Redefinition with technology creates a lesson and curriculum that creates tasks and goes beyond what a student could do in a traditional classroom without technology. If these definitions are still unclear, watch this video to learn more!

My School District 

As mentioned above, this blog is to inform you on how I relate and reflect to the SAMR technology framework. In my classroom, technology is used every single day. My school district is 1 to 1. This means that every student has a privilege to a Chromebook device everyday in school. Last year, each student was given a Chromebook for at home use if requested. There were many pros and cons to this as an educator. A con to having Chromebooks at home is that they were not aways used for education purposes. This resulted in some students having access to the internet unsupervised by parents/guardians. However, a pro to giving students a Chromebook at home was when they were sick or out of town, they could complete classwork on Google Classroom. This allowed students to make up work easily when they missed school.

Self-Evaluation of SAMR Framework

Technology is used in my classroom as a substitution when students complete assignments online instead of on paper.  In 3rd grade at my school, students are being introduced to completing assignments online in Google Classroom. This technology advancement for their age allows the students to also work on typing skills. These skills developed at a young age will be beneficial for them in older grades. A way I use technology in the augmentation stage is by posting instructional videos in Google Classroom for students to interact with. I use Edpuzzle.com to post videos with questions for my students to answer while watching. This provides quick feedback to me to see how well the students are understanding a specific concept. I highly recommend Edpuzzle.com if you have never used it before with students. I have also used technology in the modification stage. In 3rd grade, students have their first research project in social studies to learn about a different country. They research through different sites to create a presentation as a group project. Lastly, I have used technology in my class as an act of redefinition. My students create their own book then share it with the class by recording themselves on Flip.com. This project allows my students to share their creation and record themselves reading. After my students record, they have a self-reflection and use a rubric to score their fluency levels. I enjoy using Flip.com throughout the year to see student-progress. During parent-teacher conferences, I can play the videos for their families to watch. However, I would like to think of more ways to use technology in the redefinition stage to promote more higher-leveled skills in my students at a young age. 

 

Additional Resources:

This article is a great read to better understand the SAMR model and how to use technology in the different stages. Below I have added a link to websites that are beneficial in my classroom to help advance learning. I hope you check these websites out and use them to your advantages! 

-Edpuzzle

-Flip

Photo Creds: GIPHY