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6 Stages of Personal Tech Integration

By Ross Cooper 2 Comments

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6 Stages of Personal Tech Integration

Here are the 6 stages of personal technology integration, which I devised based on my experiences as a teacher and administrator. The “lowest” step starts with educator unwillingness to use technology, while the “highest” involves being able to leverage these tools to promote inquiry-based learning (through project-based learning, 20% Time, etc.).

These stages were part of a keynote presentation I did last week for a school district in New York. During the presentation I also emphasized:

  1. How technology “fades away” at the greatest levels of use because it is leveraged to enhance effective pedagogy, not replace it. (For more on how this shift can be accomplished, see “Project-Based Learning: The Easiest Way to Get Started.”)
  2. Educators should be aware (“technologically self-aware”) of (1) where they fall on this spectrum, and (2) what needs to be done in order for them to climb the ladder (by visiting each other’s classrooms, taking more risks, getting support from administrators, etc.).

Technical/Research jargon has been omitted from the 6 stages to make them understandable at the surface level with minimal explanation. Most importantly, educators should be able to easily identify with the different steps/quotes as a result of the various on the job experiences they have had throughout their careers.

What are your overall thoughts on the 6 stages? Did I hit the nail on the head or did I leave something out? How could you see yourself leveraging this model during professional development?

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Ross Cooper
Ross Cooper
I'm an administrator in New York and the coauthor of two books on project based learning.
Ross Cooper
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Filed Under: Education Technology, Inquiry-Based Learning, Professional Development

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  1. 5 Soft Skills That Will Upgrade Your Presentations - Cooper on Curriculum says:
    February 27, 2016 at 9:31 am

    […] relate to a topic than by discussing how it impacts those who are closest to you? I did it in my last keynote. My friend Tom Murray (@thomascmurray) did it in his PETE & C presentation on Monday. And Tony […]

    Reply
  2. edWeb Leadership Wrap Up: Are We Technologically Self-Aware? - Learning Bird says:
    March 15, 2016 at 4:54 pm

    […] There are various models out there which are used to demonstrate the different stages of technology integration, such as the SAMR model. Ross has developed his own ‘6 stages of Personal Technology Integration’: […]

    Reply

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