My first webinar
There are so many things I'm not familiar with in technology. Grasping the technology of today, comprehending its various educational uses and implementing them in the classroom are often times quite overwhelming for me. Recently, my understanding of the digital tools available and their applications were made clearer at the SAMR webinar I attended, which was hosted by ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) and facilitated by Nicole Zumpano. Susan Oxnevad, an Instructional Technology Facilitator, Ed. Tech Consultant, Blogger and webinar host, was the presenter.
SAMR explained
Ms. Oxnevad explained that SAMR, a Model of Technology Integration, was designed to define the levels of educational instructions and digital tools educators use in the classroom. The SAMR model consist of four phases (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition), which are divided into
two stages (enhancement and transformation). The enhancement stage is comprised of digital tools that merely substitute (word pad vs. paper and pen) or augment (word pad with spell check) the traditional tools used for a specific task. This stage is considered "teaching below the line", meaning that there is no learning gained within the process. With the transformation stage the educator is able to introduce digital tools that modify (
www.wikispaces.com) and redefine (
www.Thinglink.com and Google Docs) how students represent and display their knowledge of the learning task. Within this stage, multimedia plays an important role, the teacher is able to design lessons (guided by questions, transitions and rubrics) based on the capabilities of the technology available and the students are able to design, invent, and create projects based on their individual interests and learning styles. Through digital tools, such as Wikispaces and Thinglink, students are able to discuss and collaborate on projects, allowing them to extend their learning beyond the classroom 24/7.
Digital Tools in Education
Wikispaces, a free website, allows educators to easily add, remove and edit content, serves as an effective tool for collaborative tasks and provides a variety of features to support all levels of technology integration. Thinglink (also free) allows users to turn any image into a multimedia launcher by creating "hot spots" on the image that links them to any location on the web. These digital tools are able to significantly redesign the learning task being presented.
My overall webinar experience
My overall experience with the SAMR webinar was excellent. I found the information to be invaluable, easy to comprehend, and definitely helpful. The format (listening and following along) was perfect due to the volume of information presented within an hour. As Ms. Oxnevad stated, as educators our goal should be to move up the SAMR ladder of educational instruction from one level to the next, striving to teach above the line. I look forward to exploring her instructional sites and implementing the tools supplied to enhance not only the students learning by my own.
Great subheadings, labels and cited images. Excellent summary on SAMR. I'm glad you found the experience insightful and worth your time. Webinars offer a great alternative to learning content at your own pace!
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