Coaching and the SAMR Model

As an eLearning Coach with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, IN, I am asked a lot of daily questions ranging from tools and strategies, to troubleshooting tech problems, but I rarely consider the SAMR Model when conveying my advice.  The reason for this is that I haven't made it a consistent practice yet.  So if I were to utilize the SAMR Model in guiding my decisions where should I begin?  Time to plan!

First, I have to acknowledge the skill level of the staff member(s) I am attempting to support.  Taking traditional content, jumping past the SAM or SMAR just would be too overwhelming for staff - baby steps! Instead, building relationships with teachers to truly their tech abilities, openness to new ideas, and agreeable to change is paramount before rolling out a new tool and discarding a previous strategy.

Second, as awesome as technology is, and can be, the lesson structure shouldn't START with technology.  Instead, after determining the assessment, then backwards mapping, looking at the content through the lens of "How can this content be more engaging, more rigorous, and promote higher student achievement?" is the next essential piece of this process.

Then, once a tool is identified as an option to really unlock student understanding and mastery of the content, a discussion of its implementation is warranted.  Only when a teacher feels empowered and confident with the technology, will the desired outcomes of the lesson be realized.  How I build confidence with the teacher(s) is by offering the following levels of support:

1. I model the tool in a lesson with students.
2. I co-teach the lesson with the teacher.
3. I offer tech support, i.e. in the classroom to support the students with tech troubleshooting.
4. I discreetly sit as a passive observer for a debrief afterwards.
5. I follow up with the teacher at a later date.
6. Some combination of the preceding.

When teachers feel that this endeavor can be shared with someone that won't judge or evaluate them, they are much more likely to try the technology.

In conclusion, to tie all of this back to the SAMR Model, determining a tool and its use in each classroom is as an individually different process each time.  There isn't a one size fits all approach, so when using the SAMR Model in helping to make decisions, my advice to myself, and anyone else reading, differentiate for each teacher based on the information suggested above.

Go to http://elearningcoach.weebly.com/pd-strategies.html to search for PD resources you might consider for your next PD Session with teachers.

A Moveable Mindset?

As an eLearning Coach for the Bosse Attendance District in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation in Evansville, IN, I get the opportunity to conduct job embedded professional development.  Making sure this PD is relevant is key, but I often wonder, "Are the teachers I am working with learning and implementing the content I am bringing to them?"  It is my hope that I can enable them to work smarter, not harder with the use of technology.  It's easy for me to present a tool/strategy and 45 minutes later, send the teachers on their way, but don't I want them ponder the information, contemplate its potential, and follow through with an action plan?  Of course, but how do I get them to consider moving their mindset?  With that, how do I move my own mindset?  Ah, the fun begins!

I have to be willing to engage teachers in conversation that is ongoing on reciprocal.  If the information flows only one direction, from me, they won't make as great of an investment in the tool/strategy.  Getting teachers to collaborate orally isn't always as productive as having an online digital discussion.  Using a Google Classroom Question, an ongoing Google Doc, or Padlet are all great options for digital discussions.  Here are a few ways you might consider when encouraging peer-to-peer collaboration:

Directions: Respond to at least one classmate/peer in one of the following four ways, and label your response type at the beginning of your post. 1.) Be aware of the appropriate ways to respond in online discussions and 2.) Facilitate deeper-level discussion. This strategy is based on Fei Gao’s 2014 research “Exploring the Use of Discussion Strategies and Labels in Asynchronous Online Discussion“

1. Elaborate or Clarify (support your argument with evidence or details)
2. Make connections or build on someone’s response (connect with other arguments/resources or further develop perspectives)
3. Ask a question (Raise a question that moves the discussion forward)
4. Challenge what someone else said (suggest a different perspective

By stimulating conversation, and moving mindsets, a true paradigm shift might occur.  If this happens, student achievement is sure to be impacted too!

Daniel Watson, eLearning Coach

daniel.watson@evsck12.com

http://elearningcoach.weebly.com/

@eLearningWatson