How can teachers use technology effectively in primary education?
During this blog, I will be discussing how helpful technology can be within classrooms for teachers for organization and teaching.
The future curriculum designs are all about access, learning and collaborating all locally and globally. This is why it’s important for teachers to be adapting lessons with technology, but also being organized to guarantee the best possible practice.
SAMR
Dr. Reuben Puentedura (2017) the framework creator of the SAMR model that categorizes four different degrees of classroom technology integration. The letters SAMR stand for Substitution, Augmentation, modification and redefinition. The SAMR framework shows the impact that technology can have on teaching and learning.
The SAMR model is useful to teachers because it enables teachers to think about how learning can be extended through the use of technology. With such organization and easy to follow steps, this allows teachers organisation for the oncoming years of the adapted technology. The SAMR model provides pedagogical insights into how technology should be used within the classroom, this will give teachers confidence on how to use technology within the future.
This relates with education to today’s day and age, because teachers of all capabilities with technology can train and use it to the fullest with this framework.
Below is a framework diagram from the SAMR framework:
Relating to the SAMR framework. Achieving increased attainment, improved student engagement via learning and immersive engagements are all key and should help inform which device to embrace and deploy (Bush,2012). Many teachers just turn to the iPad, when there should be some thought on what sort of device would suit the certain activity because there are many more devices than the IPad. This is crucial practice to use, especially with digital competence, if the digital world is fast pasted so should the children of the future. This is why the SAMR frame work is an important tool for teachers to use. In relation to this Andrea Schleichder the OECD (2019) director of foundation stated that many teachers struggle with pinning down good technology use in education, teachers find it hard to pin down.
Technology and assessment
Technology can be used to support assessment in many ways. Certain software can be used to track pupil’s development and progress over time such as Class dojo. With class Dojo, you can interact with your pupil’s parents, and you can track all developmental stages and use the software for pupil’s home work. This is a modern way of doing homework, classroom activities and it helps teachers keep track of progress especially if you have a big class of pupils (class dojo, n.d). 
Another form of tracking assessment would be software like socrative and mentimetr, these are good for children who lack in confidence and this can also help a teacher keep track of a child’s progression. This can help teachers focus on areas they also need to progress in order for a child to progress.
References -
Bush, T. (2012). Devices in education: it's all about improving outcomes. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/12/devices-education-teaching-technology.
Puentedura, R. (2017). SAMR Model: A Practical Guide for EdTech Integration. [online] Schoology.com. Available at: https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration.
ResourcEd. (2016). How can technology aid learning and assessment? - ResourcEd. [online] Available at:https://resourced.prometheanworld.com/technology-learning-and-assessment/