Page 182 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Chapter 6 • Small Changes and the SAMR Model

collaboration, the life of this soldier becomes a truly transformative experience
for the student creating the project.

3. The Power of Choice
In Chapter 4, I shared the story of a third grade assignment on the solar
system. Rather than telling the students to deliver the content on a particular
tool or app, she allowed a level of student choice. Much like the example of
the student creating a Roman bath house in Minecraft for Latin class, giving
students a choice of medium can increase their ownership over the content.

Giving students some level of choice with their devices can be powerful for
ownership, and it can also lead to transformative learning. Dr. Puentedura
says that Redefinition is when technology allows for the creation of new tasks
that were previously unimaginable. If you are a teacher who doesn’t allow
students any choice or say over the process of learning in your classroom, this
level of depth cannot be achieved. That said, having too many choices can also
stifle learning, so the teacher needs to act as a guide and mentor for students
making their choice.
Ultimately, there will be times in your classroom when students are in
different parts of the pool. The student or students who have earned a level of
responsibility may be allowed to swim deeper and try some new app or tool
that the classroom hasn’t used previously. A student who is struggling or may
need more guidance can stay in the shallow end for a while until he or she
feels comfortable going deeper. Some students may need to stay out of the pool
altogether. The bottom line is, with your students, don’t think of technology
as a goal or ladder that you need to climb together. Think of it as a part of the
everyday routine of learning. Like a pencil, a pair of scissors, or glue, it comes
with expectations and instructions—but try to not limit what students can
create if you let them explore the deep end of learning.

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