Integrating technology. Yes. It’s different than simply using technology

I’m spending part of  today getting ready for my METC presentation next week.

(The not so subtle self-promotion? My session on using Flipboard and Pocket as content management tools is next Wednesday at 9:45 in Junior Ballroom A, Lower Level. I’m sure once it’s finished, the presentation is gonna be great. Fingers crossed.)

And as part of my presentation prep, I’m exploring what it really means to integrate technology. I started with the idea that just because teachers or their students use technology as part of teaching and learning, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are actually integrating technology into what they’re doing.

That idea morphed into the next:

Nerdfest 2015 Day Two: Teaching above the line – using technology

It’s Day Two of my Social Studies Nerdfest 2015. And I’m sitting in with Kori Green, Brian Bechard, Kim Gilman, Ed Finney, and Nick Lawrence. We started with a quick discussion of the SAMR model of technology integration.

If you’re not familiar with SAMR, the basic premise is that you begin using tech tools in a very intentional way so that your instruction focuses on the end result rather than just using some sort of “cool” tech tool. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.

For example, I can use Google Docs to post a online handout or worksheet rather than using a paper and pencil version. It’s simply a substitution of a paper handout for a virtual one. Same result. Same info. Same basic workflow. The Educational Technology and Mobile Learning folks have a nice overview of the concept. 

10 tasks every iPad classroom should be able to do

The Educational and Mobile Learning site highlighted a great step by step iPad task tutorial by the folks over at iSupport. They outline five tasks that “every modern teacher” should be able to do and use in their classrooms.

It’s a great list:

• A PDF
• A presentation
• An interactive book
• A podcast
• A movie

I really like how they put together an easy way to see how using iPad tools can lead kids through low level to high levels of thinking and doing.

But the list isn’t comprehensive. And it might start past the point where some teachers are right now.

So I’ve added five extra iPad basic skills that I think every teacher using iPads needs to have:

The SAMR model of tech integration and mobile apps

Back in the early days of my informal tech integration training, I heard Alan November share his thoughts on how schools could begin the process of embedding technology into instruction.

At that time, he talked about three different levels of integration that seem to make sense to me:

• automate
• informate
• innovate

The goal was to move from using technology to complete tasks we’ve always done to using technology for tasks that have never before been done. From using a computer grading program to speed up the scoring of multiple choice tests to using a mobile app to create an interactive and collaborative e-book.

November suggested that we need to move beyond thinking about the tool and think more about the task. Decide first what we want to accomplish and then select the tool:

No one who ever bought a drill wanted a drill. They wanted a hole.
Perry Marshall

It’s the end result that matters, not the tool.