Are Your Teachers in the Redefinition Phase of SAMR?
It is very unfortunate school teachers were pushed into a sink or swim model; learning how to implement new technology while redesigning their own curriculum has been a challenge Globally, teachers were not trained in online student-learning. In every school district K12, teachers are substituting what they did in the classroom into an online platform and that simply doesn’t work. This is one of America’s biggest experiment on K12 learning the world has ever seen. Are you ready to handle Elementary students starting their “Gap” year? I’m afraid many students will be left behind while many teachers struggle to stay alive, support academic achievement while trying to avoid a nervous breakdown.
How Long will it take for Teachers to Master Online Learning? Redefinition
For teachers to go from Substitution to Redefinition, is a long process. With background and expertise in technology, some will ultimately understand the stages but struggle to find the appropriate technology that fits their student’s needs while remaining in their school budget. Teachers are working hard utilizing various resources just to be able to deliver content that is digestible to students and redefinition is one way. Redefinition allows for technology to be used in the creation of new tasks that couldn’t be created before. This could be anything from the creation of mini-documentary videos to the creation of websites publishing students to work on a global scale. Kelly Walsh, a geography teacher, shares that the use of google maps in Geography lessons really provides real-world examples while allowing students to identify characteristics of location by zooming in on different locations. Previously, a student could use a physical paper map to locate places, now the student can identify, track, locate, and experience space in the world using google maps. Students can articulate what the area looks like in different places without ever visiting, enhancing their learning in specific regions, and building on their background knowledge. Students can explore demographic Modes by identifying sectors of a city without having to travel to the city but what makes takes this a step further, is teachers can co-create, co-explain, and simultaneously edit and redirect students misconceptions while adding real-time data onto the platform. YES! This is the power of redefinition!
Pushing Beyond K12 Expectations!
Going further, redefinition can also include social media developments. Social media is one of the most used online outlets in the current years and is progressively being used for students. It is now to which we are finally seeing public schools connect with families in various ways. A school in New Orleans asked parents which Social Media platform are the majority of the parents on and the school sent information through those sites to reach a large demographic of their families. Social media is one of the most under-utilized free online outlets, and it’s progressively being used by organizations, schools, districts, and student service centers. Schools are starting to employ their students often using Twitter and Facebook to develop their skill set You are starting to see a strong social media presence by the school that is fueled by their student groups.
Redefinition does not mean the abandonment of old teaching methods, however, as traditional methods are still used. It simply just redesigns and develops tasks to enhance the students learning as well as their experiences within an educational context. It often allows for their learning to be taken home, especially social media, and with the new generation being filled with technological advancements, can often make it easier for the student to understand.
References
https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration
https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model
https://www.smore.com/hcm9a-samr-redefinition
https://sites.google.com/site/atimgogogooclass/