To SAMR or not to SAMR

I first wrote about the SAMR model for integrating technology into instruction last April (here, here, and here). When working with teachers, I have occasionally found it useful to refer back to, asking them where they think a particular lesson or activity falls. This usually spurs some reflection about what is the appropriate use of technology in that teachers' instruction, which is exactly my goal.

Krista Moroder has written a thought-provoking blog post explaining why she does not discuss SAMR (or TPACK, another model) with her teachers. Go read it and come back. I'll wait.

.

.

.

OK, welcome back. I completely agree with her take on TPACK. In my opinion, that model is too complicated to be useful to practicing teachers. I suspect it is more useful for education researchers, but for a middle-school or high-school teacher trying to figure out a lesson plan for the next day, TPACK is too much.

I also agree with her that the focus for professional development should be on good teaching rather than on any particular tool. This is where I think SAMR can be helpful with teachers. In my experience, most teachers who are working on the Substitution level can be encouraged to think about Augmentation, Modification, or Redefinition when prompted by exposure to this model. As they think about how they could modify or redefine their task, they are necessarily thinking about more engaging practices for students. A lesson that moves from S to A, M, or R, doesn't do so without becoming more individualized, more engaging, and more effective. This is where I have found it useful to explicitly use SAMR with teachers, as a way of getting them to think about how educational technology can lead them to more effective teaching practices.

While this is a useful approach for some teachers:

The approach that I think is more effective with teachers is: "you're trying to do Y- and here's how X can make you more efficient or effective (through increased access, better organization, more automation, etc.)". That way, the focus for professional development starts with good teaching practices- rather than starting with the tool.

what I've found is that focusing on better organization or more automation too often leads teachers to Substitution or at best Augmentation. The worksheets they used to xerox, pass out, and collect are now downloaded, filled in, and then emailed to the teacher. Thinking about modifying or redefining the worksheet can usually lead the teacher to add more interactive and more effective components to the lesson.

Having said all this, I really just wrote this post in order to have an excuse to re-post Moroder's wonderful infographic:

Resources and Ideas from SDCUE 2013

Saturday was this year's San Diego CUE conference at CSU San Marcos. This year SDUHSD had more than 20 teachers and administrators attending; last year I think we had five. Samantha Greenstein and Tracy McCabe presented about the Computational Thinking activities that they are incorporating in their science classes; Chris Faist and Tracy McCabe presented on their experiences last year flipping their classes; and I presented about using Google+ and Google Hangouts for professional learning.

When I wasn't presenting, I attended some great sessions, and would like to share some of the resources and ideas from those.

Subtext

Holly Clark (formerly of Carmel Valley Middle School) has been presenting about Subtext at the last several conferences and workshops that I have attended, and now I understand why. She absolutely loves this collaborative reading tool; after listening to her, I feel the same way. Subtext is a game changer for supporting students as they read complex texts.

Subtext (www.subtext.com) is a free iPad app and Edmodo plugin; they will soon be adding a web-based client so teachers and students with any device can use their service. Teachers set up a class account and add their students. Then teachers can import books or articles for their students to read. Along the way, the teacher can add annotations (including images, videos, or web links), checks for understandings, or surveys. Students can use Subtext to highlight and annotate, taking notes as they read. Those notes are then searchable later on, so students can actually go back and find all instances of foreshadowing, for example. Teachers can see where a student is in the reading, so you can keep an eye on students who might be falling behind. Teachers can see students' notes, and students can share them with each other as well. Additionally, Subtext includes a feature that can read text out loud to students.

As we implement more and more Common Core-aligned lessons in all subject area classes, Subtext is going to become a more and more useful tool to help scaffold reading skills and differentiate for readers of all abilities.

Infographics: Telling a Story with Data

Renea Jaeger from Horace Mann Middle School in San Diego presented about her experience having students create infographics about biomes. She shared tools that students used as well as some best practices, including giving students multiple examples of infographics, having students evaluate each others' work early in the process, being explicit with students about how to reference sources, and providing students with sources of copyright-free graphics. Her students typically thought that doing an infographic would be easy, until they actually started working on it. She found that it forced students to use multiple sources for information (not just Wikipedia and one other site), and that it made them think very hard about the best way to present information. She also found that during the final presentations, students clearly demonstrated greater knowledge of their topic than if they had done a report or traditional presentation.

This website has information and links to tools that you could use with your students to have them create their own infographics.

Science Apps

This presentation by Kathy Hayden and Stacey Campo of CSUSM focused on work done in the iQuest and CyberQuest programs. They shared a collection of iPad apps designed for inquiry-based science lessons, primarily in elementary and middle school. Additionally, there are other lessons that include all the resources that a teacher would need to have students complete an inquiry about some topic in science.  (Many of the iPad apps that they shared have equivalents for Android or for web browsers; as I research those, I will add them to this post or in the comments below.)

Blogtoberfest, Day 31: Robbie Shockney

How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from Robbie Shockney, Social Science Teacher at Diegueno Middle School:

In 1994, I was 12 years old and just met my English teacher for the first time. “She seems cool,” we would say. Little did I know how cool she was. Through her visionary guidance, she supported my social, emotional, and academic growth in ways I can never repay her for. This teacher gave me more than lessons in an English class, her connection with students was a guiding light though awkward years of adolescence.

In 2007, I was 24 years old and just met my master teacher for my first time. Anxious and excited to get into a classroom and work with kids, her wisdom and direction provided me a path to an experience where I could grow professionally. My mistakes were made to seem like minor bumps in the road and my successes like New Years Eve. As a veteran teacher who emphasized not only academic growth for all students, but a sound environment for them to thrive as people, this teacher offered an experience that has guided my personal teaching philosophies.

In 2008 I was hired to teach at Diegueno Middle School. My 7th grade English teacher and my master teacher became my colleague. In the years since being hired, Linda Huston remained my teacher, my mentor, and colleague. Her passion for students spilled into whatever she did and it carried over into those who worked with her. My connection with Linda allowed for some amazing collaboration around student support and has been guiding my work as an educator and will continue to so for years to come.

Now in 2013 as I approach my tenth year in education, this blog reminds me of the value I place in connecting with those I work with. Collaboration is a tool we in SDUHSD use regularly and use it well. The connection with Linda Huston is unique, but not uncommon. Since I began teaching at Diegueno, I have worked in and through six different subjects. Much like some of conversations had this month on the blog, each new subject granted an opportunity to collaborate with other teachers who were already teaching that subject - the experts in our district. I am thankful for the people who willingly take on my questions, those who have reached out to help when I needed it and didn't realize it, and those I have the chance to pay it forward to in the years to come. I am proud of the connections made on a regular basis and the high level of education delivered in our district is a direct result of this practice.

Blogtoberfest, Day 30: Bjorn Paige

How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from Bjorn Paige, Assistant Principal at La Costa Canyon High School:

I get kidded by some colleagues for my tweeting (lots of photos and a pinch of what I hope comes across as wit), just as I've been chuckled at for my weekly emails to parents; “Your Wilfred Brimley moment,” a fellow administrator calls it, not altogether disparagingly.

The folks who don’t kid me about these electronic communications are parents, and increasingly students. This audience, what we call our “Maverick Family,” have given me such positive feedback for my digital missives, that when I was given this opportunity to write about how professional connections have affected me, my first thought was the profound connections social media and more traditional electronic communication have given me to the people I strive to serve.

My professional communication with this audience: parents, students, as well as grandparents, guardians, aunts and uncles, makes me a better educator, and to be honest, it started with one of those wonderful accidents that can define life: When I took on sending out our school’s “E-News,” an electronic newsletter posted on our website, I set up the email so if one of the recipients hit “reply” they got me. And did they ever hit reply.

Each Monday I now look forward to a slew of responses to the email I send to the LCC community. It’s an email in which I do my best to paint a picture of what’s happening on campus in a paragraph or two, introducing the newsletter. As often as I hear back on specific items in the E-News, I also get comments on everything from the parking lot to upcoming musical recitals, big games, student events, and even questions about what we’re serving for lunch and the lost and found. I answer them all, and through this professional connection with my parents, students, and others, I stay connected with my school community.

Last Winter I took my experience with the E-News as a launching pad and blasted off into the Twittersphere. What a wonderful ride.

I’m still figuring out how best to use Twitter, but so far I've been served well by this analogy: I see my Twitter feed as a mosaic of life at La Costa Canyon High School. Every day I add a small piece of tile (a photo from the dance show, an observation from homecoming, a link to the ASB prom video) and collectively they help to create an honest image of our great school.

I’m excited for the big changes coming to education, and to our society. I’m not so arrogant as to believe that I have all the answers, but I am thankful that I work with so many great people who, like me, are asking questions, lots and lots of questions, and pushing ourselves and our schools forward into this brave new world. Paradigms shift, and I’ll be there to tweet it @BjornPaige!

Blogtoberfest, Day 29: Michael Santos

How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from Michael Santos, Science Teacher at San Dieguito Academy:

Collaboration is at the heart of the teaching profession. I feel that when you get into a room with other teachers, something magical happens. The sharing and collaboration just starts to flow like water breaking through a dam.

My experience going to National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conferences has really been reenergizing to my teaching. It is always great to be in a room, or at an event, where there are people of the same mind and motivation. These teachers all have the goal to help kids, to incorporate interesting and exciting lessons in their classroom, and are always willing to share. I loved going to Seattle, Anaheim, and Charlotte to talk and interact with teachers that love science and kids. I think that going to these conferences in the early part of my teaching career really helped me stay focused on the kids and made the countless hours we all spend grading/working totally worth it.

With budget cuts, both at the district and in programs that used to fund me going to these conferences, the interactions with other professionals from all the nation has been nearly eliminated. But not to fear...I find myself connecting with stellar professionals every day. The teachers that surround me here at SDA always want to share best practices and to offer a helping hand in anything kid related. The science department here also creates a sense of openness that allows for a free flow of help and curriculum. I know that I am a better educator because I am surrounded by even better teachers that are willing to help me and inspire me to do more.

Blogtoberfest, Day 28: Dave Bair

How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from Dave Bair, Spanish Teacher at San Dieguito Academy:

As professionals we are constantly re-creating ourselves and self-evaluating the effectiveness of our teaching. We ask ourselves how we can make learning fun for our students while reaching our shared departmental goals. Sometimes we even decide to change our goals as the times change. 

I have found that working with other language teachers has not only given me wonderful lessons for the classroom but sparked my own desire for knowledge and growth. A teacher who is excited creates excitement in the classroom. In every conference, workshop, training, share-a-thon or meeting I actively ask myself what can I get out of this experience to enrich the learning of my students. How can I accomplish the same objective in a way to create greater interest, participation and enjoyment? I know this will create successful results.

Learning is exciting for adults as well as children. When I am able to work with my colleagues or in the community with others, my students overall experience is positively enhanced.

Blogtoberfest, Day 27: Samantha Greenstein

How have connections with other professionals improved your practice? Today's entry is from Samantha Greenstein, Science Teacher at Earl Warren Middle School:

Growing up, both of my parents worked in the field of education. I saw, day in and day out, that their jobs were more than just a place where they went to earn a paycheck. I saw my parents making connections with the people where they worked. My parent’s colleagues became their best friends and a part of our family. 

When I graduated from college, I wanted a job where I felt a part of a community. From my experiences growing up, I knew that becoming a teacher would provide that opportunity. I was right. Through my work in the San Dieguito district, I have met some of my best friends. Being able to connect with the people I work with on a deep level has improved my practice tremendously. It is only when people have complete trust in each other can they challenge their ideas and push them to be better. In effect, my professional connections and friendships have helped me better serve my students.