I am a part-time reading interventionist at Tyner Middle Academy in Chattanooga, TN, this is full Title 1, urban school, this is my second year here. I work with a group of 19 students that are between six years to six months below grade level in reading, and in the classroom helping all students with their writing.
I have to admit I am a little confused by SAMR, is substituting not considered productive? I kind of get the impression that if all we are doing is having them type a paper instead of writing it that is not considered genuine use of technology. But for my students typing is a real challenge. Next week we are facing the statewide writing assessment, in one hour they must read an article, then type an essay answering a prompt. Some will have trouble finishing, not because of the difficulty but because of the typing. Over the past few weeks we have practiced timed writing prompts, a lot, to help them improve their typing skills, so I will consider that my substituting part of SAMR.
I have been using the Augmentation part without even realizing it. In my work as an interventionist I use a computer based reading program, Carbo Reading Styles, http://www.nrsi.com/. With this program the students read short stories/articles, at their level, then have to answer questions based on comprehension skills. They receive immediate feedback on their answers then we discussed what they could have done to better comprehend the story, emphasizing skills that they need to improve. The program has been quite successful, moving up 1 to 2 and ½ grade levels in 4 months.
For Modification I am going to continue on my theme of using the reading program and the work I do with those students, by adding to the class a blog assignment. Before we would discuss the different questions they missed and I would work one on one to help them improve those skills. With a weekly blog addressing a different skill, their feedback and discussion among each other would give them another way to understand the skill. Embedded in the blog would be the need to use the skill being addressed. http://kidblog.org/MsHinkleysClass/wp-admin/?signup=new#comment-1
For Redefinition I will have the students work on a video speech presentation for their Promotion Ceremony in May. Each year the eighth grade students write speeches about their years at Tyner Middle to be read in front of their peers, teachers, and families. This year I will continue with with their speech writing but add in a video to be shown that displays their work. It can show their athletic accomplishments, academic, artistic and more. Using some of the Web 2.0 tools the video can include the band, and choir. This video could then be loading into the schools web site and the students could have it as a video yearbook.
Hello Barbara
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I am slightly confused about the SAMR model. You have some amazing ideas. I like the Carbo Reading because students love to get immediate feedback,it makes them feel so proud when they can announce to their teacher that they received an A. I like the weekly blog. The questions can be simple and right to the point, but because they are posted on a blog, kids seem to really be motivated. The video speech is an awesome idea. Many kids would love to see themselves on screen. When do you think enough is enough? What I mean is, Do you think it is possible to have too much technology in a classroom?
Good question, I don't know if there is a too much because I haven't come close to using enough yet, let alone too much. Taking online classes eliminate some of the discussion that a face to face class has but we have discovered ways to now include that too with discussion boards and blogs. So perhaps technology can even overcome too much issues?
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I'm wondering if the student characteristics you describe correlate to socioeconomic disadvantages--does that have anything to do with typing difficulties, and do they have regular access to Internet-capable technologies outside of school?
ReplyDeleteI have to respond to Erika also. Yes, I've seen the too-much-technology threshold. Just last year, my school approved student use of their own laptops, tablets, and such in class at teacher discretion. I felt like I had to let me AP students use them for note-taking and graphing programs, but they were also doing some not-so-appropriate things during class. Frustrating would be the mildest term I could use for that.
Wow talk about timely, it was brought up today at lunch about letting the students use their phones to read books on in class, almost in unison we all groaned that reading books is not all that they would be doing. So how do we let them have access, often with their own tablets or phones and still monitor?
ReplyDeleteAs far as the socioeconomic disadvantages playing a part in the students ability to type, I'm not sure, some have access to keyboards at home with computers, but they are taught keyboarding, or typing like I was years ago.
To answer the first question, it depends. For the most part, an "S" change is either strictly for productivity (on either the student or teacher [grading] part), adaptive (e.g.,makes it easier to read for certain populations, etc.) or just doing it because you can/administration is dictating it.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest of the comments, it may help when you limit the use of technology for S and A purposes but really focus on their use for the M and R. That way, you're forcing students to only use the technology for focused and specific activities that require the technology to complete, rather than the mundane stuff that allows students to drift. (yes, this is a little pie-in-the-sky, but it is one strategy to combat the distractions).
ok so I guess I can see that the typing is substitution and is productive because a typed essay is easier to read and grade and they were practicing a very necessary skill, keyboarding. I have read several articles this past week about what technology skills are needed and useful for our students/teens, (they will be in my social bookmark) and all of them have mentioned keyboarding as being essential. So they will keep practicing.
DeleteHello Barb,
ReplyDeleteI was looking for your blog because you left such nice comments for me at the beginning of our class.I also use the computer pre-programmed lessons to assist students who are behind in their grades. Using technology to give them pre -test and post test helps me see where they are struggling and i can give them the immediate help they need. I really like your response to redefinition because technology can really help students develop self pride when they can see their work in a video or in the year book with other peers, where everyone can see their accomplishments. I think this motivates them to want to be more involved in education.
Hi Andrea, I responded to your comments on your blog.
DeleteHi Barbara,
ReplyDeleteI too also really like the idea of having the students do a video speech presentation. I think it would be a lot of fun for them and many students would be excited to show others.
In response to some of the other comments, I believe that there is always the potential for students to abuse technology tools. However, something that worked when I was student teaching was to allow students who completed tasks (and did them well) to use technology in the classroom to then have a little free time to use the computers, or other tools. It might not always work, but using technology as a reward and a tool to complete assignments, was often helpful.
Yes, using technology as a reward works well with some age groups. I work in a middle school and their own personal use has progress beyond the sometimes simple games that are on school computers. They are into the more fast paced violent games.
ReplyDelete