A Teacher’s Guide to SAMR, Part 4: Redefinition

Congratulations! You have seen the simple Substitutions, approachable Augmentations, and manageable Modifications. Now, you are ready to Redefine education through purposeful technology usage!

Ready, Set, Redefine – Part 4: Redefinition

Redefinition: This is when we use technology to do something completely new that wasn’t possible without it. It’s like using a teleportation device to instantly travel to a different country.

At this stage of the SAMR ladder, technology allows us to completely transform the learning experience. Instead of being constrained by traditional methods, students can engage in activities that were previously unimaginable. This enhances their understanding and retention of information and also prepares them for a world where technology is rapidly changing and evolving.

MODIFICATION
Doing This? Traditional Activity	Try That! Tech Substitution
Field Trips/Web-Based Research	Immersive Historical Reconstructions through AR, VR, and XR
Pen (and Paper) Pals	Global Cultural Exchange Projects
In-Person Meetings	Virtual Language Cafés

 

1. Field Trips and Research to Immersive Historical Reconstructions

We have seen how field trips can be a great place for technology to augment the experience and make the locales more accessible. But what if they could also transport you through time? Immersive historical reconstructions via AR, VR, and XR have the power to breathe life into historical places AND events.

2. Pen Pals to Global Cultural Exchange Projects

As a youngster, I had a pen pal. I lived in Tennessee and she lived in Minnesota, which felt like a million miles away. We would mail each other letters and trinkets—it felt like months would pass between each new note. Nowadays thanks to basic innovations, the change from snail mail to platforms such as PenPal Schools has completely changed the name of the game. Not only do kids get the opportunity to link with other students across the planet, but they also connect on a deeper level through a shared goal to become well-informed global citizens.

3. In-Person Meetings to Virtual Language Cafés

In the dark ages, you used to only be able to speak with someone in the target language in person. Either you are visiting a country where the language is spoken or you are lucky enough to have a native speaker in your neck of the woods. When I was learning Italian, that often meant I was not able to practice speaking very often. Now, thanks to apps, video conferencing, and web-based platforms, the opportunity to practice is more readily available and can be transformational in acquiring the language.

How Meg Supports Your “R” Goals

AI Companions

While technology can bring us together, it can also feel isolating. Having approachable peers there to guide students on their journey helps build confidence while adding relatable cultural context to their language acquisition process. The companions in our Journeys language learning platform are AI-generated and human-voiced. They set up tasks throughout the content and celebrate with learners along the way. Backed by research, this approach effectively contextualizes and scaffolds content, fostering curiosity and motivation in learners.

Ziggy the Chatbot

Differentiation is critical to the language classroom, but like differentiation in any lesson, it can be difficult to achieve when you have one teacher and 20+ students to support. This is where AI becomes an absolute asset. In Journeys, we have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence within our own Ziggy the Chatbot. Ziggy provides safe parameters for students to practice their learning and because it can react in real time, it meets students where they are.

Culture Quest

Imagine jumping on a plane to the Great Wall of China or taking a time machine to pre-Columbian Machu Picchu. Through augmented reality, virtual reality, and 360° video, it is possible to do all of the above. With just a laptop or an iPad, Our Culture Quest games make it possible for students can travel to another continent, go on interactive missions, and complete cultural challenges without ever leaving the classroom.