Blog Post 1: Technology Integration Frameworks

Module 1 of our class dealt with Technology Integration Frameworks within the modern classroom.  These frameworks are made up of four different systems. This module has helped me understand how the various Technology Integration Frameworks will improve the lessons I will present in the future, in the following ways.

The first framework is the Standards for Technology Integration, designed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). The ISTE Standards are built around seven points as follows. By the end of their education, students should have become Empowered Learners, Digital Citizens, Knowledge Constructors, Innovative Designers, Computational Thinkers, Creative Communicators, and Global Collaborators. These seven points allow for educators to impower their students to leverage modern technology in all of their future endeavors. In the modern classroom, technology is a vital tool for both the students to learn and the teachers to utilize and to teach.

The second framework we discussed was the SAMR Model. Designed by Ruben Puentedura during the mid-1980s, SAMR is meant to help teachers evaluate the use of technology in their classrooms. Each of the letters in SAMR stands for one of the ways technology can be used in the classroom. The S stands for substitution, which means that technology is substituted with no functional change to the learning. The A stands for augmentation. This means that technology acts as a direct tool to substitute traditional learning with functional improvement. Together, these two ideas are considered the “Enhancement” stage of the SAMR model.       

The next part of the SAMR model is represents the “Transformation” stage. This stage begins with the letter M. The M stands for Modification, which is defined as technology that allows for significant task redesign in a lesson. Lastly, the R stands for Redefinition. This is the highest stage in the SAMR model. Redefinition is when technology allows for the creation of a new task, previously inconceivable in the classroom.

Teachers are encouraged to “swim laps” between these stages during their lessons. Rookie teachers might find that the substitution and augmentation phases are easier to use in the classroom early on. The video SAMR Swimming Pool describes these as a “shallow end of a pool”. However, teachers are encouraged to go out into deeper waters of modification and redefinition.

The Third framework we went over was the Alabama Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study (DLCS).  This document is focused on the study of technology in Alabama for all students (from kindergarten through 12th grade). The DLCS defines the minimum standards needed for students in Alabama to pass each grade. Since technology plays such a critical role in the modern world, educators want to make sure that students are prepared early starting in their educations. 

Lastly, we learned about the TPACK model. TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. TPACK is meant to help teachers evaluate how they use technology in the classroom considering both their content knowledge and teaching styles. In the modern classroom, technology is essential in helping the students to reach their goals. This is why teachers must understand and demonstrate use of the technology. Teachers should also be able to know how to find the best applications, websites and data for students to learn within their content field.

In my own classroom, I will use the SAMR model to help me integrate technology more into my lessons. The Alabama Digital Literacy and Computer Science document also has a great appendix for History Teachers to use regarding technology. With these two new frameworks at hand, I will be much better prepared for my next classroom. The ISTE standards will also be useful to me, as it will allow me to be able to know which goals to focus on for my student’s benefit in their education.  It is my goal that when I enter the classroom again, I will be able to use these frameworks as a means to help my students succeed. 


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