eMINTS believes that as we use technology with students, we should be mindful of how the technology is being integrated into the lessons. The lessons and activities should not become about technology, rather the technology should be used as a tool to enhance the learning experience. There are times that low-level technology use can be used to help students to reach higher levels of thinking, while sometimes higher-level technology use can result in students engaging in low-level thinking. With that in mind, being cognizant of both the level of thinking and level of technology use in a given activity or lesson is important.
There are several different models for technology integration into instruction. SAMR was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura. It illustrates the various levels of technology use in the classroom.
Additional thoughts on how to use technology (both the when and why) can be found in the graphic below.
Duckworth, S. (2015, May 7). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers Who Use Technology [Infographic of tips]. Retrieved June 4, 2019, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/15664662@N02/17397028791/