The SAMR Model

The SAMR Model has been developed by Dr Rueben Puentedura and crystalises how we, as teachers, should think about children's learning in a digital age and moreover a digital school.

This week at RDS in Digital Learning Coaching, we have been looking at the SAMR Model and self reviewing how this impacts each of our classrooms. With the SAMR Model in front of us, we all realised we are teaching too much in the enhancement mode. Everyone went away with a new view on their teaching. I have to say that when I saw the model for the first time it did the same for me as well.

So is it wrong to teach in the ENHANCEMENT Mode - the simple answer is NO. It is wrong when you 'live' in the enhancement mode and never move into TRANSFORMATION.

Some work you will do may start out at SUBSTITUTION, like writing a piece on Google docs. You could have used a pen and paper. This becomes REDEFINITION immediately when your students share the document. They begin to collaborate, work on the document together, learning from each other as they go. This collaboration isn't confined to the classroom. They continue it later outside the classroom when it best suits them. As Rueben Puentedura says "we have moved from traditional learning places to a continuum of learning spaces so that the entire world becomes a place of learning for the student"

 
Rebecca McNamara introduced us to EDMODO. This is like Facebook, but controlled within your class or year group or even school. Again it is a great collaboration tool. In Digital Coaching we have been working our way through CLOUD TECHNOLOGY - how we use Google Apps, Dropbox, Edmodo and FLIPPED CLASSROOM. Some teachers have been on Edmodo and the students have collaborated with their students long after school has finished.

What is happening here?  Children are owning their learning. Learning is going on well after class has finished. Learning is collaborative and children are teaching each other. Technology has enabled the creation of new tasks and ways of learning that were previously inconceivable. This is REDEFINITION. REDEFINITON is what we all have to aim for at RDS. As one teacher said to me after looking at the SAMR Model, "I am doing my children an injustice if I am not working TRANSFORMATIONALLY."

Now lets just take this a step further. Another teacher said that they would talk with their children about the SAMR Model.  This will be age appropriate, but think about it. The first thing they would do is work through the vocabulary. Brilliant!  They will think about what it all means. At almost the same time, (and probably without being asked) they will self-assess themselves on how they work. It makes sense. When this teacher came up with the idea the lights went on for me as the Digital Learning Coach. Profound!

If children are going to own and drive their learning, they will need to know how they learn. Understanding the SAMR Model gives them a visual that will act as a reference point in all they do. So I challenge you. Print a copy of the SAMR Model. Work it through in your class (Probably Y4 +) and then put it on your wall at the front of your classroom. You watch, the children will be working and they will tell you what level they are working at! Couldn't be better

Here are some resources for further study.

SAMR Model Grpahic

Dr. Rueben Puentedura's Blog

The SAMR and TCPK: An introduction - these are the slides featured in the YouTube clip above
Useful SAMR Model information - I have taken a lot of the important documents from Dr. Puentedura's blog and put them in a folder on my Google Drive.

If you want help with this or further information then see me or Rebecca McNamara.