Image by: Industrial Designers Society of America
This week in class we dove into intentionality in the technology that we use in the classroom, and how we can modify it to make it better suited for our learners. We started by going over SAMR and TPACK.
SAMR is an acronym for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition; where Substitution is using a direct substitute for a previous piece of technology with no functional change, Augmentation is the direct substitute with functional improvement, Modification implements significant redesign, and Redefinition is an entirely new task using technology. TPACK, on the other hand, stands for: Technology, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge. TPACK overlaps its values, where SAMR is more defined and simply put. SAMR regards the enhancement of a task using technology and goes further with a transformation in technology.
SAMR theory is able to break down the function of a piece of technology to test if it is being used properly or if there are some potential adjustments that could assist its exposure to students. SAMR breaks down the purpose of the technology so that we, as teachers, understand the why? behind using it.
The next part of our lesson was on Sketchnoting. To sketchnote is to take notes, but with quick sketches instead of words. It is the practicality of jotting down ideas that spark memory, not a form of art. An example of sketchnoting is a mind map- connecting ideas visually. Other ways of using it could be learning another language, highlighting the key points in an article or essay, or gaining an understanding on new ways of learning. This led to our skills building portion of the class, where we had to practice what we were learning. Below, I have included my quick practice sketches, and some sketchnoting to help with learning vocabulary in Spanish.
Sketchnoting is a great tool for learners, however it certainly would not work for everyone. I, myself, would have a really hard time focusing on the lecture going on in front of me if I were to sketchnote my comprehension of the lesson. I would become wrapped up in making sure that the sketch is the perfect size or shape etc. For other students sketchnoting could be a great way of holding their understanding when listening to a lesson. It is a potential tool for grades where students are using more than worksheets to display their notetaking. Overall, this lesson was a beneficial, hands on take to understanding a lesson in multiple forms.
