Digital is Different

Teaching and learning digitally is different. While its possible to make the same activity available online (where pupils do the same task and somehow send the page or a photo of their outcome) this is the first stage in the SAMR Model.

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This Edutopia article explains how digital teaching moves from Substituting the offline task for an online equivalent (no real change) to Augmentation (the content is the same but includes links, games etc to improve the activity) which leads to Modifying (using a platform like Classroom/Moodle where communication and evaluation etc are all combined) and finally to Redefining the activity (the learning is redesigned in ways that could only happen digitally).

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So, how to be 'different'? Alice Keeler give these options. "Paperless-is-not-a-pedagogy" is a great way to capture that  teaching needs to change to make digital learning better than in person - and take advantage of online opportunities. Just using a computer isn't automatically better. 

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One option to consider is the "4E lesson model" - Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. These are the stages of the lesson and these is a detailed explanation in this article. These steps help use technology to improve teaching and have a greater impact on learning. 

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Bloom's Taxonomy is closely linked with digital learning as many of the tools and resources tend to require higher order thinking skills. This article has a detailed explain about Blooms Taxonomy and there are many resources online to find question stems to practically apply in class. 

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So, how to make digital teaching even better? Well, ideas and resources are always welcome, Twitter is a very useful platform where educators share books, resources and ideas. 

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These ideas lead onto what tools are available and ideas to use.

Ditch That Text Book and Matt Miller on Twitter

Eric Curts at Control Alt Achieve 

Kasey Bell at Shake Up Learning 

All are are excellent site to explore - tips, resources and much more. 

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