Ruben R. Puentedura

Ruben R. Puentedura has a blog at this address that discusses his theories and vision of technology in education.

http://hippasus.com/rrpweblog/

He lists the benefits of using technology in education as affordable and mobile. Devices no longer have to be attached to a desk or a wall and stationary in one spot for students to use them. Nor do they have to be transported just from home to school. Students can use their devices any where in the world and transform their education from just occurring in two locations, home and school to occurring anywhere! the world can become a learning zone. 


He has also developed an SAMR theory that looks at how technology can be used in the classroom. The SAMR stands for the following:

Substitution: When teachers are still assigning the same task but using different technology to acheive the task. This use of technology doesn't impact student outcomes significantly.

Augmentation: When using the technology enhances how students are carrying out the task but task is the same.

Modification: When using technology allows students and teachers to reach goals that they couldn't before. The heart of the task remains the same but important parts of the task is modified so students can now meet goals they couldn't before. There is a significant improvement in student outcomes

Redefinition: When old tasks are replaced with new tasks that they couldn't do without technology. Students are teachers reach into new areas that they couldn't before. There is a dramatic improvement in student outcomes and students who are failing are now successful.

In terms of the school I currently work at, we are smack dab in the middle of the Substitution way of using technology. None of the tasks have changed, we still expect the same outcome from the students but sometimes the students have the option of using technology to accomplish this task, sometimes they don't. Much of being stuck at this level is due to the uncomfortableness that our administration feels in regards to technology, another is the lack of technology (which probably some what stems from the first point), there is a lack of teacher knowledge, and there is a lack of technology support. When a device at the school breaks or something needs to be looked at, it can take an extremely long time before it is fixed or updated.  I can not blame where I am at in my classroom with technology implementation entirely on my school. I could be taking more steps to move along the SAMR implementation of technology.

Ruben also suggests 5 categories for looking at how technology can be used in the classroom and to assist teachers in determining what category fits their specific purpose. 

Social: Using Blogs, wiki's, flikr, you tube etc.
Mobile: Devices are mobile so making the information relevant to where they are in the world
Visualization: Allowing the students to go from abstract to concrete. Using maps, time lines, diagrams, etc.
Story Telling: Allowing students to bring together text, image, audio, video. Students will be able to make better and more sense out of information.
Educational Gaming: A way for students to win. Students become interested, intrigued, and motivated to win the game by discovering the learning.