The Tech Edvocate

Top Menu

  • Advertisement
  • Apps
  • Home Page
  • Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
  • Home Page Four
  • Home Page Three
  • Home Page Two
  • Home Tech2
  • Icons [No Sidebar]
  • Left Sidbear Page
  • My Account
  • My Speaking Page
  • Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
  • Newsletter Unsubscription
  • Our Brands
  • Page Example
  • Protected Content
  • Register
  • Request a Product Review
  • Shop
  • Shortcodes Examples
  • Signup
  • Start Here
    • Governance
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • The Edvocate
  • Topics
  • Write For Us
  • Advertise

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue

logo

The Tech Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Contact Us
    • Books
    • Edupedia
    • The Edvocate Podcast
  • Topics
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development Tech
    • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
    • EdTech Futures
    • EdTech News
    • EdTech Policy & Reform
    • EdTech Startups & Businesses
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • Online Learning & eLearning
    • Parent & Family Tech
    • Personalized Learning
    • Product Reviews
  • Advertise
    • Request a Product Review
  • Apps
  • Tech Edvocate Awards
  • The Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence

  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech

  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

  • Mixing And Matching: How To Blend Online Learning And AI

  • Understanding Institutional Reasons to Move to Cloud

  • How to Get Your Educators Excited About Using Edtech

  • Teaching Intelligence: Digital Literacy In the ‘Alternative Facts’ Era

  • The Digital Revolution in Schools: It’s Not Just Remote Learning

Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechThe Hechinger Report
Home›Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech›OPINION: The four ways we can train teachers to use technology that hasn’t been invented yet

OPINION: The four ways we can train teachers to use technology that hasn’t been invented yet

By Matthew Lynch
June 7, 2017
Spread the love

by Candace Roberts

 

Education critics often see technology as unnecessary bells and whistles to a curriculum that has sufficed for decades. But the reality is that technological innovation today is opening the door to entirely new methods of teaching that have never before been feasible.

New tools have changed how teachers interact with their students, and how the students interact with the materials being taught. More than 100 years ago, the chalkboard was a great teaching tool. It’s since been replaced by interactive whiteboards, document cameras, tablets and virtual reality headsets, each slightly more functional than its predecessor.

Changes today are not just incremental improvements of old tools. They are helping us move to a new paradigm, and teachers need to be prepared not only for the tools available today, but for the tools that we can’t fathom are coming in the next 10, 15 or 20 years.

Without a roadmap, how can we be sure our teachers are prepared to handle the coming tidal wave of educational technology that only shows signs of getting larger?

Saint Leo University’s education department began making the use of technology in classroom environments a priority in our teaching program in 2008, in response to feedback from recent alumni. Now, our students don’t graduate without being exposed to, and expected to use, a vast array of technology tool.

It’s not enough to simply provide access to new tools. Certainly, it’s impossible to incorporate the use of virtual reality goggles or headsets if you don’t know how to use them, but knowing what each button does is only the beginning. Teachers must also be able to see the potential in a given object and how it can be tapped to unlock greater learning opportunities.

Every new device or new piece of software that is used in the classroom varies in the impact it will have on learning.

The most basic level is substitution. An online version of Jeopardy to review course material may be more visually appealing but is similarly as functional as any kind of review game that teachers have used in the past.

The second level is augmentation, where technology acts as a direct tool substitution, but also provides functional improvement. Perhaps this makes learning or grading slightly simpler or more proficient, but it doesn’t lead to new horizons.

These two levels are largely dependent on the tool itself, rather than the teacher’s ability to use and innovate with it. Conversely, maximizing the tool requires teachers to see potential in them, and find ways to unlock it.

When this is possible, teachers reach the third level of modification, where technology allows for projects and tasks to be redesigned. Online polling platforms such as Socrative and Kahoot! not only make quizzing more fun, but they provide students and teachers with immediate feedback. These real-time analytics illustrate if there are gaps in student understanding that require additional time, or if it’s time to move on to new concepts.

Finally, the greatest level of impact that teachers can unlock is redefinition. Assignments and tasks are now possible that were previously inconceivable. Instead of written reports, perhaps students can now produce a research project as a video or an interactive digital timeline.

The demands for research and learning are the same, but these additional avenues provide new opportunities to foster student engagement, allow students to create, and  require students to “own” their own understandings. These four levels of technology integration — Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition — are known as the SAMR Model. Developed by Ruben Puentedura, the model provides teachers a framework for determining the efficacy of various technology options

Unlocking the coveted redefinition impact through education technology frequently requires teachers to stretch outside of their comfort zone. Often, they’re more than willing to do so, provided they’ve also been given the necessary tools, training, teams and time to succeed. Trial and error is key, and is something that current and future teachers should embrace.

It’s why our department has also reached out to veteran teachers in the surrounding community through events such as the Teacher Technology Summer Institute, where  teachers join together to learn tools they’ll then take back to their classrooms and use every day. The tools are theirs to keep, so long as they engage in a yearlong action research project and report back on what worked and what didn’t.

The goal is to determine new best practices for devices that are ever-changing. The sooner we unlock the full potential of the tools, the sooner we can unlock the full potential of the teachers to use them, and ultimately redefine the role education plays in student development.

Candace Roberts is a professor of education at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida.

This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news website focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about blended learning.


Spread the love
TagsEdtechedtechchatelearningSTEAMSTEM
Previous Article

Schools must get the basics right before ...

Next Article

Make a match: How some schools decide ...

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Best of the Best ListsEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    The Tech Edvocate’s List of 20 Must-Follow K-12 Edtech Twitter Feeds

    January 31, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech NewsHigher Education EdTech

    Many low-income students use only their phone to get online. What are they missing?

    September 30, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Best of the Best ListsHigher Education EdTech

    Top 7 Educational Technology Tools, Apps, and Resources for Higher Education

    July 20, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    STEM Learning Must Go Beyond Memorizing Facts and Theories

    June 21, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechPersonalized Learning

    7 Examples of Project-Based Learning Activities

    October 19, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Why Edtech Companies Should Care about Amazon’s Emergence in Education

    November 9, 2017
    By Matthew Lynch

1 comment

  1. AKP 30 September, 2017 at 03:54 Reply

    Learning the SAMR instructional model as a student pursuing an education degree – could be a game changer in providing effective teaching and learning environments.

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    5 Ways to Create a School of the Future

  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech

    Do students lose depth in digital reading?

  • Uncategorized

    8 Tips for Launching Successful Mobile Learning in Your District

Search

Login & Registration

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 26, 2021
  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 26, 2021
  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 25, 2021
  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 24, 2021
  • Generational Differences Affect Tech Initiatives In Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 23, 2021
  • 20 Top Virtual Reality Apps that are Changing Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 11, 2017
  • 7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    March 4, 2017
  • Why Mobile Technology Enhances Instruction

    By Matthew Lynch
    December 14, 2016
  • What is the Future of Online Learning in Higher Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 2, 2018
  • 7 Roles for Artificial Intelligence in Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    May 5, 2018
  • 6 Resources for Teaching about Artificial Intelligence - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    China Is Teaching Children about AI in Kindergarten. Should the US Be Worried?

    […] possibilities which is ...
  • How New Innovative Features in Classrooms Support EdTech - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 26, 2021

    The Significance of Technology in Your School

    […] Dictionary defines “Innovative” ...
  • Distance Learning during the Pandemic: Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 25, 2021

    Virtual Learning Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

    […] applications and platforms ...
  • Universities Deploy Chatbots To Aid Students In The Admissions Process And Beyond - The Tech Edvocate
    on
    February 24, 2021

    How Can We Use Chatbots in Education?

    […] chatbot is any ...
  • Let’s talk Tech – Sine up for Math
    on
    February 23, 2021

    7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

    […] Lynch, M. (2017, ...

EdTech Policy & Reform

  • EdTech Policy & Reform

    How Much Bias Is Okay in Your School?

    Spread the loveThe algorithm has proven itself to be a handy tool when it comes to solving education problems. It’s also not without bias.  You may be wondering how some ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    Edtech Should Complement Good Pedagogy, Not Attempt to Replace It

    Spread the loveThe newest generation of edtech is downright amazing; it’s no wonder that various education stakeholders might be a little excited about its potential to transform education. However, edtech ...
  • EdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

    Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to ...
  • EdTech FuturesEdTech Policy & Reform

    3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st ...

    Spread the loveAccording to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Policy & ReformFeaturedFresh

    How Does Technology Immersion Shape the Brain?

    Spread the loveDo you wonder what all of the screen time we have is really doing to our brains? As edtech continues to rise in prominence throughout the world, this ...

EdTech Startups & Businesses

  • EdTech Startups & BusinessesOnline Learning & eLearning

    Using Nudge Theory in Your Corporate Online Learning Classes

    Spread the loveAfter reading this headline, you may be asking yourself, what is nudge theory? Nudge theory centers on positive reinforcement and inferred suggestions to motivate a person to complete ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Bringing Education into the Business World

    Spread the loveU.S. businesses spent nearly $20 billion on training in 2019. That number decreased by roughly half from the year before. Companies aren’t providing fewer professional development opportunities for ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    You Must Include These 3 Things in Your Edtech Business Plan

    Spread the loveDo you have a business plan? It’s the one question you’re going to be asked a lot as you begin your edtech business. The reasons to write a ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    Edtech Marketing Ideas to Implement Right Now

    Spread the loveEven if you do have the most exceptional edtech product or service in the world, you’ve still got to market it. Your sales and your success depend on ...
  • EdTech Startups & Businesses

    How Your Edtech Startup Can Make the Leap from Failure to Funded

    Spread the loveThe best ideas in edtech are often only ideas. They never become a reality because they lack the funding they need to get off the ground. Taking an ...

Digital Equity

  • Digital EquityDigital Leadership

    How Can You Assess the Tech Needs of Your Students Outside of School?

    Spread the loveToday, I received an email from the middle school principal in Los Angeles. She explained to me that the school that she ran was in one of the ...
  • Digital Equity

    It Is Time for the Edtech Industry to Stop Denying Its Equity and Race Problem

    Spread the loveThe EdTech industry is dominated by white employees, white leaders, and white entrepreneurs. If you doubt this statement, just attend an Edtech conference. Admittedly, educators and others don’t ...
  • Digital Equity

    How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

    Spread the loveThe cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. ...

EdTech Futures

  • EdTech FuturesOnline Learning & eLearning

    IT Trends To Watch As Higher Education Moves Into a New Decade

    Spread the loveEdtech couldn’t have hoped for a better launch into the new decade than the push the industry received from COVID-19. Even the most tech-resistant institutions and individuals have ...
  • EdTech Futures

    4 Emerging EdTech Trends in 2021

    Spread the loveCovid-19 has not only changed education as we know it, but it has forced education technology (EdTech) to up its game. EdTech has been crucial since the start of this ...
  • Adult EducationEdTech & InnovationEdTech FuturesEducation LeadershipEducational LeadershipHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechThe Future of Education

    Education Technology and the Future of Higher Ed Leadership

    Spread the loveEducation Technology (EdTech) has had a more significant impact on education than anyone expected. Now its effects are reaching into the field of higher education. In this article, ...
  • EdTech Futures

    Top Edtech Trends for 2021

    Spread the loveAre you ready to look ahead? Schools will soon be reflecting on what’s been working this year and what’s not. They’ll also begin thinking about their budgets for ...
  • Early Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech Futures

    In the Wake of Teacher Shortages, Schools are Turning to Virtual Teachers

    Spread the loveTeaching was once a greatly respected position, and today, morally it still seems to be of high value to many Americans. Institutionally, however, teaching no longer seems to ...

About Us

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the PreK-12 and Higher Education EdTech sectors and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

We started this journey back in June 2016, and we plan to continue it for many more years to come. I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Newsletter

Signup for The Tech Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in EdTech news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact Us

The Tech Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
advocatefored@gmail.com

Follow us

Copyright © 2021 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.