Examples of Applying The SAMR Model Can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace It

Examples of Applying the SAMR Model can Help
Teachers Understand and Embrace it

The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching, developed by Dr.
Ruben Puentedura, has gained a good deal of exposure in recent years.
“SAMR” is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation,
Modification, and Redefinition. The SAMR model provides a technique for
moving through degrees of technology adoption to find more meaningful
uses of technology in teaching and move away from simply using “tech for
tech’s sake”.
We recently discussed the SAMR model during an Academic Technology

Work Group meeting at The College of Westchester. We examined the
video, SAMR in 120 Seconds. One thing that really struck me is how much
the example helped, so I made it a point to gather and/or create some more
examples.
Following are 8 examples of the SAMR process, each taking an example of a

typical classroom exercise that does not use technology and walking it
through each phase of SAMR. For half of these, I searched and borrowed
from examples that teachers had written about online (original sources are
provided – in some cases I tweaked the example a bit). I also created
examples of my own. In working through this, it became apparent to me
that while Substitution and Augmentation can be relatively straightforward
conceptually, there is even more room for interpretation when it comes to
Modification and Redefinition.
The goal of this exercise was to help me (and readers) better understand the
SAMR model, and to really see how lessons and assessments can be
transformed while considering the benefits of evolving them through these
stages. I find it particularly interesting to see the vast difference in between
the original lesson and the redefined lesson … there is often a much wider
range of skills required in the latter stages, and lessons can become much
more engaging and collaborative when modified or redefined.
Lesson: Writing a Short Paper

Taken from: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/samr-model-
explained-through-examples.html.
Original Assignment: A hand written paper.
 Substitution: A Word Processor replaces a Pen/Pencil in a Writing

Assignment.
 Augmentation: A Word Processor and text-to-speech function are
used to improve the writing process.
 Modification: The document created using the Word Processor and
text-to-speech function is shared on a blog where feedback can be
received and incorporated to help improve the quality of writing.
 Redefinition: Instead of a written assignment, students convey
analytic thought using multimedia tools.
Lesson: Geography & Travel

A modification of an idea found
at https://edofict.wikispaces.com/SAMR+Examples.
Original Assignment: An overview of a location consisting of hand written

content supplemented with compiled cut-and-pasted magazine clippings.
 Substitution: Use presentation software (like Powerpoint or Prezi)

to construct a presentation providing information about a selected
locale.
 Augmentation: Incorporate interactive multimedia – audio, video,
hyperlinks – in the presentation to give more depth and provide
more engaging presentation.
 Modification: Create a digital travel brochure that incorporates
multimedia and student created video.
 Redefinition: Explore the locale with Google Earth; seek out and
include interviews with people who have visited the local.
Lesson: Understanding Shakespeare

Taken from: https://edofict.wikispaces.com/SAMR+Examples and modified.
Original Assignment: Read a Shakespeare play in traditional printed

format.
 Substitution: Read Shakespeare texts online.

 Augmentation: Use online dictionaries, study guides, history sites,
to supplement reading.
 Modification: Use multimedia resources like text, audio, and video
tools to jointly construct knowledge, learning, and understanding of
a portion of a play, or a character, as a group project.
 Redefinition: Answer the Question, “What did the culture of the
time have on the writing of Shakespeare’s plays” my using a
Concept Mapping tool and constructing a mind map demonstrating
key elements through words and images.
An Assessment Exercise
Idea taken from: https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-
learning/samr-model and slightly modified. In this example, we take a
simple form of assessment and evolve it into a collaborative group project.
Original Assignment: Take a quiz, answers handwritten in a printed form.
 Substitution: Distribute the quiz in a Word Processor file format

and have student fill in answers on a computer.
 Augmentation: Use a Google Form to deliver and complete the
quiz. “There is some functional benefit here in that paper is being
saved, students and teacher can receive almost immediate feedback
on student level of understanding of material. This level starts to
move along the teacher / student centric continuum. The impact of
immediate feedback is that students may begin to become more
engaged in learning.“
 Modification: As an alternative form of assessment, students could
be asked to write an essay around a relevant theme. The written
essay could then be narrated and captured as vocal recording.
 Redefinition: “A classroom is asked to create a documentary video
answering an essential question related to important concepts.
Teams of students take on different subtopics and collaborate to
create one final product. Teams are expected to contact outside
sources for information.”
Following are some example lessons, evolved through the SAMR

model, that I have tried my hand at creating. It's easy to get caught up
in worrying about how effectively an approach constitutes “modification” or
“redefinition”, but that's not the point of the exercise. To my way of
thinking, it's more about understanding the difference between a just
replacing or augmenting a “paper” lesson with a “digital” one and actually
evolving it in a beneficial way and exploring new possibilities.
Lesson: Art/Painting
Original Assignment: Drawing a picture using traditional brush, paint,
paper. Of course, there is a a big difference between doing this “by hand” in
the traditional manner and doing it digitally – digitally is by no means
“better”, it is just different and opens up some interesting possibilities.
 Substitution: Use a digital drawing/painting program (like MS

Paint) to draw/paint a picture.
 Augmentation: Use a tool that allows the creation of your
masterpiece to be “played back” (like Educreations, for example).
 Modification: Pull a background image to use as a “canvas” – you
could even scan something hand drawn and use that.
 Redefinition: Create Artwork Collaboratively using a Collaborative
Online Whiteboard (like Twiddla or one of these other tools).
Lesson: Email Etiquette

Original lesson: Review printed copies of Email Etiquette concepts and
guidelines.
 Substitution: Students read an online article discussing Email

Etiquette concepts and guidelines.
 Augmentation: Student read an online article discussing Email
Etiquette concepts and guidelines that includes links to examples,
and offer comments online indicating their top 5 favorite tips.
 Modification: Student watch a video discussing Email Etiquette
concepts and guidelines and after reviewing the guidelines, they
create a Twitter account and Tweet their top 5 tips.
 Redefinition: Student watch the guidelines video, then assess
examples of Email Etiquette ‘violations’ and indicate which
guidelines should be applied to correct/improve on the examples.
Lesson: Learning Fractions

Original Assignment: Show understanding of fractions on a worksheet by
coloring in blocks.
 Substitution: Use an Excel Worksheet to let students “color in” the

blocks.
 Augmentation: Use Google Sheet to let students “color in” the
blocks, where the teacher can offer feedback directly on Google
Sheet.
 Modification: Use Google Sheet and direct students to online
examples and supplementary learning materials for areas that they
might struggle with.
 Redefinition: Use a Fractions App instead (here’s a handful
of examplesfor iOS devices).
Lesson: Phys Ed – Learning To Hit a Baseball Well
Original Assignment: Learning how to hit a baseball by watching and
listening to a Coach or Phys Ed instructor show you and then trying it
yourself.
 Substitution: The coach/teacher videos the training exercise and

uses this as the lesson.
 Augmentation: The coach/teacher videos the training exercise and
provides links to other training content (videos and articles from
other coaches, etc).
 Modification: The coach/teacher videos the training exercise and
“flips” the lesson, having students watch it as homework, and using
class time to practice and reinforce techniques.
 Redefinition: Students watch video examples and practice the
techniques, then the coach/teacher videos them hitting balls and
provides feedback about their technique.

Examples of Applying The SAMR Model Can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace It

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Examples of Applying The SAMR Model Can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace It

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Examples of Applying The SAMR Model Can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace It

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Examples of Applying the SAMR Model can Help

Teachers Understand and Embrace it

We recently discussed the SAMR model during an Academic Technology

Following are 8 examples of the SAMR process, each taking an example of a

Lesson: Writing a Short Paper

Original Assignment: A hand written paper.

 Substitution: A Word Processor replaces a Pen/Pencil in a Writing

Lesson: Geography & Travel

Original Assignment: An overview of a location consisting of hand written

 Substitution: Use presentation software (like Powerpoint or Prezi)

Lesson: Understanding Shakespeare

Original Assignment: Read a Shakespeare play in traditional printed

 Substitution: Read Shakespeare texts online.

Original Assignment: Take a quiz, answers handwritten in a printed form.

 Substitution: Distribute the quiz in a Word Processor file format

Following are some example lessons, evolved through the SAMR

 Substitution: Use a digital drawing/painting program (like MS

Lesson: Email Etiquette

 Substitution: Students read an online article discussing Email

Lesson: Learning Fractions

 Substitution: Use an Excel Worksheet to let students “color in” the

 Substitution: The coach/teacher videos the training exercise and

You might also like