Week 5 SAMR and Bloom's

Using SAMR and Digital Bloom's for Technology Integration. 

When considering the Digital Blooms model in classes I have taught during placement, the use of has varied quite widely. Certainly the lower order levels are covered in many lessons, as is the substitution and augmentation levels of the SMAR model. 

I have been fortunate enough to work in schools that have smart boards throughout the majority of the classrooms, which allows for basic use of technology in most lessons providing the teacher is familiar with how to use the smart board and has the right connections available to either their laptop or the classroom computer. 

Moving along the continuum of each model, the higher order levels are most often easily achieved during Design and Technology (D&T) lessons, with more conscious thought needed to add technology applications to Food Technology (Food) lessons. Within D&T lesson there are many opportunities to enhance, modify and redesign lessons and their content, students can virtually create anything before they move on to creating physical artefacts which isn't always necessary for the task to be considered complete. They can then evaluate their virtual designs without having used any materials and more accurately assess the requirements of the job ahead of them. 

During Food lessons though, more often the lower order levels are covered, students can substitute paper-based recipes and textbooks for online ones and the teacher is able to conduct lessons on the smart board. it is possible to integrate technology more thoroughly but as it has been mentioned before, it needs to be done in a manner that is not tokenistic. Currently, the majority of the lessons I have taught using technology have been at the substitution and augmentation stage of the SAMR model, I can envisage ways to move further along the continuum, but at this stage have not put this into practice.