TPACK and SAMR Model

SAMR Is a model for teachers to help integrate technology into teaching and learning in the classroom. The SAMR model breaks down the categories of integration of technology. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.

Substitution directly flips an activity from pen and paper to technology based. For substitution, I think that one of my apps I found, called Titration, would fit into this category because it takes the place of a titration lab. Another substitution are word processing programs that take the place of pen and paper.

Augmentation is when technology acts as a substitute but there are fundamental changes in the ideas. Group work can be redefined by Google Classroom where all materials are available to student and it takes away some of the paper work. Also, online notes where you can take notes and go back and organize them and make changes to them can fall into the Augmentation category. This takes the place of regular note taking where you can’t go back and change after its written. 

 Modification are when tasks normally completed within the classroom are accomplished using technology. I think Quizlet would fall into this because it it’s a different way of learning facts and it would work for some learnings but not for others. Quizlet gives students options on how to learn the necessary information which plays to all learning styles.  

Redefinition in technology allows the teacher to have students accomplish a task that previously was unavailable to do. An example of this can be Google Docs. If students are all taking notes on one Google Doc during class and then having online conversations after class regarding confusion about the notes or the class that will aid in student understanding. This is a way to involve all students. Where typical study groups are normally full of friends and nothing ever gets done. This can create a more open learning environment for students who might not have a study group. I also found an app called Nova Elements. This app has manipulatives to explore and create substances that would not be available in the classroom. It has videos that you can stop at any point and look on the app for deeper information about the topic. It promotes deeper learning and allows students more opportunities than they would get in the classroom.

TPACK stands for technological pedagogical content knowledge.  This concept explains that teachers need cemented content knowledge and to be able to engage their students before they can effectively bring technology into the classroom. The teacher should have a balance between, content knowledge, technology knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge.

In my future classroom I will want to integrate technology. Following TPACK I believe that I need to have secure content knowledge and teaching ability. Without content knowledge teachers would rely too heavily on technology and students would not get effective teaching. The SAMR model I think is a little less important than the TPACK model. I think that SAMR is important to understand but if the teacher follows the TPACK model then the technology should fall into place. A teacher who engages their students and knows the content knowledge should be able to see the differences between certain technologies that would and would not impact students within their classroom.