The SAMR model was created by Dr. Rueben Puentedura
to describe a process that often occurs when we adopt
new technologies. It’s natural to begin by doing the
same things we’ve always done, replacing or
substituting with a new tool, until we can truly
understand its affordances and reinvent new approaches
or uses that transform the learning.
Puentedura observes that educators often go through a
process:
- Substituting a traditional practice with a new tool (e.g., using Google Docs as a word processor - same task - different tool)
- Augmenting - Using the technology to include something new that enhances the task (e.g. autosaving to the cloud)
- Modifying - Technology allows for significant redesign (e.g. students can collaborate on one document and use the comment feature to provide immediate feedback)
- Redefinition - Using technology to allow for new tasks that were previously unimaginable - (e. g., creating a piece of writing or a presentation collaboratively with students across the world including words, images and narrative and posting it to a website for a global audience)
The documents linked below provide case studies from Ontario educators demonstrating how traditional classroom practices can be transformed and redefined to embrace the tools available to today’s learners.