The way technology is used in our classrooms should have a purpose greater than simply using technology. The problems surrounding too much screen time for children make it very clear that simply using technology in the classroom doesn't have benefits by itself. We need ways to know that our students are getting benefits from using technology in our classrooms and not just avoiding traditional school methods like pencil and paper. This is why lots of bright minds have come up with ways of analyzing the value that a particular way of using technology has an impact on the learning outcomes of students.
In the diagram below, I have outlines three of these models and how they map onto each other as well as with Bloom's taxonomy. These models are the SAMR model, the TECH model, and the Three E's model. A more complicated model for evaluating technology use in the classroom that was not mapped onto the diagram is the TIM model.
The SAMR model starts with Substitution as the base level, where a task that can be done with the same level of learning outcomes without technology is done with technology as a replacement. An example of this would be having an ebook without any extra features. The next level is Augmentation, where a task is done using technology in a way that improves at least one learning aspect of the task but doesn’t fundamentally change it. An example of this would be writing an essay in a word processor that has features such as spell check instead of writing the essay by hand.
The first two levels are enhancement levels, where the task is still fundamentally the same, and the second two levels are transformation levels, where the task is fundamentally different. The third level is the Modification level. At this level, the nature of the task has somehow been substantially changed, but it would still be technically possible without technology. An example of this is giving a multimedia presentation as part of a project presentation to the class because a multimedia presentation is far different than an oral one or even one with props, but it is still a presentation and that can be done without technology. The last level is the redefinition level, which is when a learning task is done that is not possible at all without technology. An example of this would be real time collaboration between students in your classroom and students in a different classroom many miles away.
The way that different ideas and educational philosophies can come to the same conclusion and map onto each other was one of the most fascinating parts about this to me. The way that TECH and SAMR map onto each other reminds me of the way that Montessori, Waldorf, and Charlotte Mason homeschool methods all emphasize outdoor time, helping at home, natural materials, and freedom of the child, but each for different reasons and from different angles.
It is very empowering as an instructor as well to know that technology is not any sort of naturally good or bad thing, but instead just something we can use, and how much of a difference it makes for our students comes down to us and our knowledge. In a world where teachers are increasingly losing our ability to be empowered and creative, it is comforting to think we do have freedom in how we use technology.
