Page 172 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Chapter 6 • Small Changes and the SAMR Model

The basic concept aligns with SAMR in that the first two levels (Substitution
and Augmentation) really fall into the Enhancement level of learning with
technology. This is like being in the shallow end of the swimming pool, in
that students are somewhat safe from drowning and can still enjoy the water.
Technology in the enhancement level is much the same way. Students can
enjoy the technology with firm controls and guidance from the teacher, but
without going off on their own and “drowning” with a tool or website they
shouldn’t be using.

However, once you pass that pool safety rope (you know, the one with the
buoys that you aren’t supposed to hang onto), a lot more responsibility falls
on the students to behave appropriately. Being in the deep end also means that
students can do more than they could in the shallow end. As a teacher, your
role shifts from someone telling them to stay in the shallow end, to someone
encouraging them to try new tricks off the diving board or to touch the
bottom of the pool. Just as with a swimming pool, you can see the inherent
risks in doing this with technology.

Enhancement Ideas

for the Classroom

In Dr. Puentedura’s research, he found that most teachers and students
immediately gravitated to the substitution or augmentation phase of his model
when any new technology was introduced. Indeed, when we introduced iPads
to teachers for the first time, one of the very first questions we got was “Are my
textbooks on there?” For many schools implementing a mobile device initia-
tive, this will be the preliminary step to get devices into the hands of students.

Although almost all textbooks are now available in digital format, they were
not when we started. Even today, many of the digital textbooks are really just
glorified PDF copies of the original text. Using devices solely for the sake
of reading electronic versions of textbooks or doing digital worksheets is a
serious misuse of their potential. That said, it is a necessary first step—dipping

64 Mobile Learning Mindset: The Teacher’s Guide to Implementation

Mobile Learning Mindset: The Teacher’s Guide to Implementation 172