Moving up the Digital Pedagogy Train

Tying in new information with old can work quite easily in theory however putting it into context in the classroom can be an entirely different matter. The idea of using Technology in the classroom at the basic level can be all that some teachers aspire to. Depending on the pedagogical practices of the teacher in the learning environment the use of ICT in the room can be at many different levels. Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a tool to measure the stages of learning and thinking, the basic needs in the classroom would begin with providing knowledge to students. Standing beside the SAMR model this would consist of Substitution or Augmentation technical tools such as Power-points, links to videos or blogs on the subject.

As teachers in a fast moving technical environment we need to proceed through to the critical thinking level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, along with SAMR model. To do this requires teachers to use Profession Development to acquire skills in the knowledge of ITC tools available to produce higher order thinking, and tying them into their own pedagogical practices in the classroom. To ensure Higher order critical thinking teachers will need to implement and instruct students in the use of ICT tools that will not only act as a direct substitute to traditional methods of pedagogical instruction but also in how to transform and redesign learning tasks.