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"Reconsider the Use of the SAMR Model December 4, 2017 - Leave a comment The four-stage Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model introduced by Rueben Puentedura back in mid-2000 has not only grown in popularity there are people building upon this its unsubstantiated foundation. The SAMR model was initially intended to help K-12 teachers move the up the ladder of technology use by using tech for the creation of new tasks, tech for a significant redesign, tech as a direct substitute with functional improvement, and tech as a direct substitute, with no functional change. SAMR not only looks like an innocuous model of using technology it also seems to appeal to the way many people tend to approach the use of technology. If we look closely at the fundamental presupposition of its use then we will see that there are serious issues in how the model can enhance learning. The first time I was introduced to the SAMR model was over a decade ago and I recall thinking that this model has a fundamental flaw that many people will tend to overlook. While using technology to simply make an activity or task more efficient or to explore ways to enhance or even redefine that activity or task may seem innocuous or even worthwhile the problem that we run into with this sort of thinking is that we are ignoring the validity of the original task that SAMR is being applied to. For example if you use SAMR to move your paper-based fill in the black worksheet to a digital model (substitution) and then add some branching questions in a google form (augmentation) and then add enabled voice responses (modification) and finally allow your class to create a video to answer the questions (redefinition) the problem is you are still asking your students to regurgitate content regardless how sophisticated the regurgitation becomes. I have also noticed in my time working with hundreds of teachers and faculty that there is a tendency for most people to NOT move beyond t

"A book club, also referred to as a reading group, is a collection of readers who participate in the regular discussion of books. Traditionally, a book club consists of several members who meet in person each month to talk about a specific work. A Book Club is also... In addition to discussion-oriented book clubs described here, a book club can also be a place to purchase books. These discount book clubs offer great deals for readers who wish to purchase several books each year. Many of these are available online, where readers can use the book club's website to choose their books. However, the advent of web forums and email has made it possible for book clubs to exist online. While both traditional and online book clubs offer readers the opportunity to participate in spirited discussions, each type has its own set of advantages. Traditional book clubs offer the benefit of having all members in the same room, which makes for a much more personal and intimate experience. Since most traditional book clubs are somewhat small in size, each member typically has more control over what books are selected to read (often members will vote on a list of suggested titles that have been submitted or take turns selecting). At the same time, it is often difficult to organize and maintain a book club that meets regularly. In addition to the challenge of recruiting quality members for a book club, a regular meeting time and place may be difficult to establish, especially if members have busy schedules. Also, the small size of the traditional book club typically limits the diversity of views and perspectives that enter into the discussion. Online book clubs offer several advantages over the traditional reading group model. Due to the vastness of the web and the variety of book clubs available, readers who turn to the Internet to find a book club enjoy a much wider selection of clubs, including many dedicated to a specialized interest or genre. In addition, online book clubs

"Here's a handy tutorial for using Microsoft's free Photo Story 3 to create "Book Trailers" - and other projects using photos to tell a story, with. Photos are a great tool for teaching in the classroom, but with moving pictures, narration and music, they are even better! Photo Story 3 is a free download from Microsoft that lets you easily create narrated "mini-movies" using photographs. It also has a built in music generator that allows you to put your story to music, copyright free! Think of Ken Burns's many wonderful documentaries. This program will allow anyone with a computer running Windows XP to do something similar. 1 The program gives students the ability to make their own 'Book Trailers' to help other students get interested in books they have read. Students can scan, draw or take pictures related to the book, import the pictures into Photo Story 3, arrange the pictures, add narration to the pictures, and choose the type of music used when the trailer plays. Photo Story 3 then generates a stand-alone movie based on all of the above. One of the ways I have used Photo Story 3 is with my "Integrating Technology into the Classroom" course at Dakota State University is by inviting a local fifth-grade class to visit our lab, then helping students build their own book trailer. Over the course of the hour, we help students scan or take digital pictures, import their pictures to Photo Story 3, add narration, motion and music. They take their movies back to show on morning announcements, to their friends, and to their parents. For example, one student, Brian, made a Photo Story of Sammy the Seal. It shows enough information to get other students interested in the book, but not so much that the ending is given away. Another example is "Zack's Alligator goes to School", a story of the (mis)adventures of a pet alligator named Bridgett. Making a Book Trailer is fairly simple. Just follow these steps: Quick Start Guide"

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to introduce a group of high school teachers to the free Socrative student response system. The response from the teachers was overwhelmingly positive to the point that one math teacher stayed with me for an extra twenty minutes just to brainstorm more ways to use Socrative in her classroom. Socrative is a free service that allows teachers to post questions to students during a class and gather feedback through responses submitted from cell phones, tablets, and laptops. Socrative gives teachers a virtual room in which they gather responses from students. Students sign into a teacher's virtual room by simply visiting the Socrative website and entering the room number distributed by the teacher. There are a variety of ways in which teachers can pose questions to students and gather their responses. The simplest way to pose a question is to simply ask verbally or post it on a whiteboard and then telling students to submit their answers. Teachers can also create quizzes ahead of time, store those quizzes in their Socrative accounts, and then make the quiz go "live" in the virtual room when they want students to take the quiz. Teachers can activate an instant feedback option so that students know when they have answered a question correctly or not. A fun way to use Socrative is to host a team "space race." A space race is a competitive format for quizzes. Space race can be played as a team or individual activity. Each correct answer moves a rocket ship across the screen. The first person or team to get their rocket across the screen wins. I've included below, a video of space race being used in a classroom.

"Tessellations here mean designs featuring animals, birds, etc, which can fill the page, without gaps or over-lapping, to form a pattern that completely fills a space. It's the simplest kind of jigsaw puzzle: all the pieces look alike! You can see example tessellations in the top right corner of this website. The example changes each time you move to a new page. On these pages, you will find information about all aspects of tessellations, from their history and development to complete galleries of examples by school students, guest artists, the webmasters Seth and David, and of course M. C. Escher, the pioneer of the art. Also included are extensive workshops showing how to design and produce your own. All are accessible from the orange navigation bar or from the site index -see below. This site is a dedicated graphics site and not focused on the math. As M. C. Escher said, "Mathematicians go to the garden gate but they never venture through to appreciate the delights within." To use another metaphor, you're missing the fun if you use a microscope to enjoy a merry-go-round. If, as a result of your visit, you venture through that garden gate, please send us your designs for inclusion in the guest gallery. Link to us! To put a button that links to us on your website, if you're comfortable with HTML then just copy the text below, change the text to suit your feelings, and add it to your website."

"Education Links - Elementary and Secondary Education Adult Education Alternative Education Early Childhood Elementary and Secondary Financial Aid Fun Stuff Organization and Associations Post Secondary Special Needs Student Resources Study Abroad Resources Government Resources Department of Education - This award-winning site is designed to help pursue the President's initiatives, including No Child Left Behind, and advance our mission as a Department-to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence for all Americans. Education News Parents Can Use - To help parents understand the No Child Left Behind Act and all the important changes it will bring, the U.S. Department of Education launched a new monthly television series entitled Education News Parents Can Use. What is different about Education News is its focus on information and resources of value to parents and families. The program features brief segments, including one-on-one interviews, "how-to" demonstrations, more video and graphics, and brief conversations with parents, educators, community, business and religious leaders, and education experts. Estuaries.gov - The primary function of this Web site is to educate the public on the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them. FCIC's Educator Page - Here are four activities to help you teach young citizens how to be proactive consumers and learn about the government. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - Part of the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, this is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. NOAA Education Website - This site has been designed to help students, teachers, librarians and the general public access the many educational activities, publications, and booklets that have been produced. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) - OESE promotes academic excellence, enhances educational opportunities a

Our program brings together enthusiastic young learners and distinguished college faculty to read and discuss Great Books and Big Ideas. Your student will discuss the likes of Plato, Jefferson, Tolstoy, Borges and Vonnegut with other young people who love literature just as much as they do! Join discussions on Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, or Henry Ward Beecher led by Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Doris Kearns Goodwin, Joseph Ellis, Debby Applegate or one of our other Guest Speakers. This summer Great Books welcomes authors Richard Reeves to Stanford University and Dennis Lehane to Amherst College. Great Books helps students find their voices in the classroom and gives them the opportunity to grow academically and socially as they prepare for high school and college. Open discussions encourage students to express themselves and give power to their ideas. Have your high school student go beyond Great Books and explore Great Films! We take our unique style of learning through discussion and apply it to the medium of film. Students learn to apply critical thinking to a visual medium and develop their listening skills through discussion. Experience a week or two away from home and spend it at a top liberal arts college - students can choose from two campus settings: Amherst College in Massachusetts and Stanford University in California. This is the perfect opportunity to preview life on a college campus! Flexible 1, 2, or 3-week programs fit nicely into any summer schedule. Students may come solo, with a friend, or better yet, with a group of classmates. Round out a summer of leisure and sports with some engaging, thought-provoking fun! Great Books has welcomed students from 43 states as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Jordan, Korea, China, Switzerland, England, Canada, France, Mexico, Denmark, Croatia, Italy and more. This is the perfect opportunity for international students to come to the U.S. for summer learning and

"Top 10 Apps for Digital Storytelling Feb 15 Written by: 2/15/2012 8:47 PM A while back I did a post on top sites for Digital Storytelling. This has been a skill that is being taught in school districts all around the world, and is a key for developing technology literacy. With the recent wave of mobile devices and technologies, a giant step has been taken in how students develop these skills (via touch screen) in a brand new way . Toontastic - A wonderful free iPad that allows children to create animated cartoon stories. They can choose from stock characters or draw their own while animating them and recording their voice for narration. Also, Toontastic's built-in story arc takes students step-by-step on how to create a story. i Tell a Story - A excellent free iPad that works very similarly to how Garageband creates a podcast. A user uploads a photo and then can record their voice for narration while adding stock sound effects. Voice Thread App - A great free iPad/iPhone app that compliments the Voice Thread very nicely for storytelling. A user can manage their Voice Thread account as well as make digital stories by uploading photos and drawing/recording their voice. Story Patch - An iPad app ($2.99) that is ideal for digital storytelling. A person can create a story from scratch or use one of their well-designed templates to complete all the parts of a story. Sock Puppets - A free iPad/iPhone app that is a lot of fun for kids to create animated stories. This is done by selecting your sock, background, and props and then recording your voice as the socks talk. Art Maker - A wonderful free iPad app that allows children to create a digital story from scratch. A user selects their background, characters, and props and then moves them around the screen while recording. Puppet Pals - A excellent free iPad app that lets users create a

"The i-SAFE Inc. Community Outreach initiative extends Internet safety awareness beyond the classroom by bringing students, parents, school and community leaders, and others together to spread this knowledge throughout the entire community. Students can take the lead as i-Mentors and educate their peers about online dangers. Our youth empowerment campaign mobilizes students to get involved and take action. i-SAFE trains students and equips them with the tools to teach others how to protect themselves online. Parents can be the key to safe and rewarding online experiences for the whole family. i-SAFE helps educate parents about hazards in cyberspace, and gives them opportunities to spread this valuable information within their communities. Schools can build on the education program by taking Internet safety beyond the classroom. i-SAFE works with teachers, advisors, administrators, and counselors to inform parents and community members about the importance of Internet safety for all cyber citizens. Business, civic, community, and elected leaders all share a common duty to promote the well-being of our children. i-SAFE seeks to work with these leaders by lending resources and volunteering time. i-SAFE believes that it takes a strong commitment from all areas of the community for a true culture change to occur. By planning Internet safety activities, events, and trainings, you can be the spark that leads to an entire community of safe and responsible cyber citizens. Join i-SAFE and make a difference today."

"Galaxy Zoo: Hubble uses gorgeous imagery of hundreds of thousands of galaxies drawn from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope archive. To understand how these galaxies, and our own, formed we need your help to classify them according to their shapes - a task at which your brain is better than even the most advanced computer. If you're quick, you may even be the first person in history to see each of the galaxies you're asked to classify. More than 250,000 people have taken part in Galaxy Zoo so far, producing a wealth of valuable data and sending telescopes on Earth and in space chasing after their discoveries. The images used in Galaxy Zoo: Hubble are more detailed and beautiful than ever, and will allow us to look deeper into the Universe than ever before. To begin exploring, click the 'How To Take Part' link above, or read The Story So Far to find out what Galaxy Zoo has achieved to date."

"All Virginia Studies Standards The following are resources for all Virginia Studies Standards. LITERATURE RESOURCES Literature Resources for all Standards of Learning TEACHER BACKGROUND RESOURCES WEB SITES * http://www.myvirginia.org/ The official Commonwealth of Virginia home page is your gateway to Virginia . . . from the mountains of southwest to the waterways of Hampton Roads, state government to Virginia facts and figures. Use the buttons to explore Virginia. This site contains many informational resources. * http://www.Virginia.org The Virginia Travel Corporation Web site contains an extensive list of places in Virginia. You can search for a site alphabetically, by time period, by location, and by other categories (such as historic buildings). In addition, you may search for historic sites by city. Contact information, hours of operation, and other details are provided for these historic sites. Click your way around Virginia. * http://www.vahistorical.org/ The Virginia Historical Society founded in 1831 has provided visitors the opportunity to view, research, and learn about the ordinary and everyday artifacts of Virginia. These artifacts provide visitors with a comprehensive history of the Commonwealth. Online resources are also available. * http://www.virginiaplaces.org This comprehensive Web site contains a wealth of information about Virginia geography, places, and people. Teachers will find this to be a helpful resource about many topics, from the rocks and ridges of Virginia to "Virginia and the Internet." The Web site was created to support the Geography of Virginia class taught each fall at George Mason University. * http://marg.mhost.com/vahistory.html This site, developed by Tabb Elementary School in York County, has links to Web sites divided according to Colonial period, Civil War years, and miscellaneous. * http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects This Web s

"i-SAFE's education component provides students with dynamic, interactive, up-to-date e-Safety curriculum in the classroom, online and in the community. These prevention-oriented lessons employ peer-to-peer communication and cooperative learning activities to help students retain this valuable information. The Outreach component facilitates the extension of students' newly acquired e-Safety knowledge beyond the classrooms and introduces the entire community about the need to be safe online. Youth empowerment is the link. Students are encouraged to become student i-MENTORs who communicate the e-Safety message via peer-to-peer contact and exciting community-wide activities, events and rallies. Certification is not required to teach the lessons. However, an i-SAFE Professional Development Program (PDP) - face-to-face or online through the i-LEARN video modules - is recommended to update educators on the specific topics covered in the curriculum. Attending a PDP or completing i-LEARN online is required for an educator to train others as an i-SAFE Certified Trainer."

History We set out to create a site where a trip through time over the last 85 years from the 20's to today was both interesting and informative, and as the site has continued to evolve over the last two years we have tried to include cost of living, Prices, Events, Popular Social Culture, Inventions and changes to Technology. Harnessing the power of multi media in the form of videos found on YouTube to bring the last 85 years to life. "If a picture is worth a thousand words then a modern history site providing 900 links to videos related to events and popular culture from the 20's, 30's, 40's through to the 90's must be worth millions of words". The site is split into decades and with each year with a dedicated page, there are also sections for Motoring, Homes, Computers, Clothes and Fashion and Music .

YoungBiz is all about the business of being young. As a teenager, there are tons of decisions you have to make every day -- decisions that can be as small as what cereal to have for breakfast to which college you want to attend. We're here to help you take those awesome decision-making skills you've developed and use them to make great financial and business decisions. Whether you know it or not, you're already a biz and economic wiz. After all, you've gone shopping (probably a few times more than your parents might like), made product comparisons, and probably have performed a whole bunch of product testing. We want to show you how to make the most of those skills. How? Well, think about the last time you decided to buy new jeans:

" About Us Contact Us How Do I? * Register with the recreational fishing information program? * Report a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding? * Apply for a fishing permit? * Request permission to use a photo found on the NMFS website? * Import/export fishery products? * Request an essential fish habitat consultation? Catch Share Task Force Download the QuickTime Movie "This is NOAA Fisheries" Video 2009 - 2010 Calendar New NMFS 2009-2010 Calendar! 2009 Business Report 2009 Business Report Featured Stories NOAA Working to Stem the Tide of Gulf Sea Turtle Casualties NOAA Fisheries Scientist Conduct Longest-Known Plankton Transect NOAA Endorses Innovative Management of Pacific Coast Groundfish NOAA Launches Enhanced Essential Fish Habitat Mapper v2.0 Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument Designated as a World Heritage Site NOAA Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Science Missions Skip to NOAA Navigation Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Supporting Navigation Skip to Search Welcome to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service). NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. As a steward, NOAA Fisheries Service conserves, protects, and manages living marine resources in a way that ensures their continuation as functioning components of marine ecosystems, affords economic opportunities, and enhances the quality of life for the American public. "

"Virginia Standard of Learning Students who graduate in 2004 will need to pass a prescribed number of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests to attain verified credits required for graduation. This web site has been created to assist students preparing for those exams by offering practice tests in history, math, science, English and computer technology. VirginiaSOL.com is not associated with Virginia's State Board of Education SOL Review Sites SOL Review Sites. Disclaimer: This web page contains links to one or more web pages that are outside the FCPS network. Quia - Class Page - 5th Grade Welcome to the 5th Grade SOL Web Page! ... Download SOL Answer Sheet in Adobe Acrobat ... 4th Grade SOL website! 6-8th Grade SOL WebPage! ... Instructional Services Standards of Learning Resources Virginia State Standards of Learning Science, Math and Technology ... All questions on this site are copyrighted by the Virginia Department of Education ... The SOL Practice Tests support strand selection and non-random tests SOLpass - Virginia SOL Test Practice and Review Review and practice for Virginia SOLs - Standards of Learning Tests - with fun, interactive activities and quizzes. Mrs. Wilborne's SOL Testing Page NEW SOLS Approved by State Department: Revised Math SOLs 2001 Released Tests These files are a form of the tests that students across the Commonwealth of Virginia took as part of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessments. Salem Elementary-SOL Websites These sites contain practice tests to help students prepare for the SOL tests. ... Jefferson Labs SOL site. A great sites for students to take practice SOL ... SOL Practice Tests Welcome to the Wise County Alternative Education Center SOL Practice Tests &. Tutorial Sites webpage. This SOL Practice SOL links and tests - VirginiaSOL.com is not associated with the Virginia Department of Education. This VA-SOL A Commonwealth of Knowledge: Virginia's Site for Educators - Click here to go ho

"Forget about that image of librarians as a mousy bookworms. More and more of today's librarians must be clever interrogators, helping the patron to reframe their question more usefully. Librarians then become high-tech information sleuths, helping patrons plumb the oceans of information available in books and digital records, often starting with a clever Google search but frequently going well beyond. Click here to find out more! Librarianship is an underrated career. Most librarians love helping patrons solve their problems and, in the process, learning new things. Librarians may also go on shopping sprees, deciding which books and online resources to buy. They may even get to put on performances, like children's puppet shows, and run other programs, like book discussion groups for elders. On top of it all, librarians' work environment is usually pleasant and the work hours reasonable, although you may have to work nights and/or weekends The job market for special librarians (see below) is good but is sluggish for public and school librarians. Nevertheless, persistent sleuthing-that key attribute of librarians-should enable good candidates to prevail. That effort to land a job will be well worth it if you're well suited to the profession: love the idea of helping people dig up information, are committed to being objective-helping people gain multiple perspectives on issues-and will remain inspired by the awareness that librarians are among our society's most empowering people."

"What does the light bulb have to do with the U. S. Constitution? Or the board game "Monopoly"? How about the letter you wrote to the president when you were in elementary school? The answer to all three questions is: plenty-if you know your Constitution. The education team of the National Archives and Records Administration is pleased to present, for the first time, a self-service online version of our popular U. S. Constitution Workshop! This activity is: * Suitable for grades 4 through 12 * Fully self-contained, requiring little advance prep time * Correlated to the National History Standards and the National Standards for Civics and Government. We hope that you and your students will enjoy this unique opportunity to learn, through analysis of primary source documents, about the content, impact, and perpetual relevance of the U. S. Constitution to the daily lives of American citizens. "

Have an AP class that needs help with DBQ primary source documents? Do you want to introduce primary source documents to your class? Use the Constitution Day Workshop by the National Archives as a resource. The class will spend an hour analyzing primary source documents from the National Archives and relate them to the constitution. Many different references ranging from war orders of sent by Lincoln to Grant to Albert Einstein's immigration papers. You can print up copies of the information or view them online in the computer lab or project them for use as a class.

"This guide is not meant to be a comprehensive or scholarly introduction to the complex topic of the role of women in astronomy, but simply a resource for those educators and students who wish to explore the challenges and triumphs of women of the past and present. It's also an opportunity to get to know some of the key women who have overcome prejudice and exclusion to make significant contributions to our field. To be included among the representative women for whom we list individual resources, an astronomer must have had something non-technical about her life and work published in a popular-level journal or book. This explains why so many talented women are not covered; their work is mainly known through journals that students cannot read. Suggestions for additional non-technical listings are most welcome, however."

Lumiere Technology, a start-up based in Paris, reveals the true colors of the Mona Lisa. Pascal Cotte, engineer and founder of Lumiere Technology, largely contributed to the knowledge of the Mona Lisa thanks to the multispectral digitization of the famous painting, whose report is detailed in the famous book "Mona Lisa - Inside the Painting", recently published by Abrams in USA, Gallimard & the Editions of the Louvre in France, Shirmer Mosel in Germany. The hidden knowledge of the true colors was revealed by multispectrally scanning the painting in thirteen channels - from Ultra Violet to Infra Red. Then the spectral response curve of the varnish in each pixel was isolated and subtracted from the digital file to virtually reveal the surface of the painting when it had freshly exited Leonardo da Vinci's workshop. This virtual removal of years of accumulated varnish is an illustration of Lumiere Technology's technical knowledge that will now be marketed as an exclusive digitization service to museums and private fine art collections worldwide. The true revolution that Pascal Cotte developed enables the in-depth study of fine art paintings using a numerical file to reveal the true pigments for viewing and analysis without touching or damaging the paintings. Lumiere Technology offers this service to museums worldwide as a unique, single tool to assess, analyze, authenticate, restore and reproduce their masterpieces of fine art.