Looking Through The Lens of the Tiers Model
Posted by Abbey on November 14, 2008 in Instructional Strategies
I recently heard someone quote a poem by Caventry Patmore who said,
If you want to understand the meaning of technology integration you need to reflect on where you are in your implementation and where you want to go to improve your practice. Is it for the purpose of helping you be more productive, or for engaging students in learning or general self improvement?
The Tiers of Technology Integration into the Clasroom Indicators is one of the best tools that has come our way to understand what it means to integrate technology in the classroom. As you read on, I propose two reflection activities that teachers can use to examine the Tiers Model.
Brief History
This Tiers model was developed by the Educational Technology Support Center Directors in Washington State in 2005. It was the result of many conversations regarding the challenge of helping educators understand the multi-faceted role of technology in schools, and develop an understanding of the ways technology use in the classroom can be reflected in different ways. The intended outcomes of the model include being able:
- To answer the “What should we do with technology in classrooms?” question
- To provide educators research/effective practice-based answers to technology integration questions
- To be applicable to all teachers
- To provide a common terminology for technology planning
- To fit on one page
- To focus on teaching and learning rather than products
Reflection Exercises
There are three tiers described. Tier 1 focus is on the teacher using technology for productivity. Tier 2 involves the teacher modeling to the whole class and student engaging in use of technology only as teacher prescribes. Tier 3 requires a shift in practice towards student-centered learning environment where students work either collaboratively or independently making decisions about appropriate technologies to help them complete higher level thinking tasks such as proposing solutions, defending a position or evaluating and synthesizing information.
Here are two exercises I suggest for looking through the lens of the Tiers of Technology Integration into the Classroom Indicators to begin constructing meaning for “technology integration”. Please, take 10 minutes to do the exercises before reading on.
Exercise 1:
In this exercise, you will read through the descriptors for each tier, two times.
During your first “read through” , ask yourself these question for the purpose of self evaluation:
What have I tried?
What do I know?
What do I hope to try in the near future? What do I need to act on?
What do I need to aspire to in order for my students to learn?
How do I bridge the gap between what I know and what my students know about the uses of technology?
Exercise 2
To help further define the meaning of technology integration, I would propose we consider one piece of technology at a time and think through how you might use it for the purpose of each tier. For example, let’s consider the use of a document camera…
Teacher B uses document camera to model to whole class how to explain their thinking in writing to solve a math problem. This activity would be found in which tier? Answer: Tier 2
Teacher C has commissioned students to create a multi-media product to promote an afterschool program they believe should continue for years to come. Student’s are planning to present to school’s principal before decisions are made in regards to budget for those programs. The document camera is one of several offerings student can choose to present their learning on this project where students plan and create within collaborative small groups.
This activity would be found in which tier? Answer: Tier 3
Let’s consider the use of Excel, a software tool, in the following scenario:
While studying a science unit about plant life, Mr. Stalk asks students to determine what the key elements are to make a plant grow. Students are to set up an experiment, using a plant and variables of their choice and record the data in Excel to show the growth over time. Working in groups, they should decide how to best present their conclusions and supporting data for Open House.
First I would ask myself: This type of activity would be found in which tier? Why?
A natural follow up question would be: Could this activity be altered to make it a higher level activity? If so, how?
You can find additional examples of technology tools I have applied through this thinking process in Template of Examples. I have processed this activity several times and every time I experience a new epiphany to inform my understanding of what it means to integrate technology. I call them my Truths but you might consider them revelations. I have shared my truths or Revelations below .
I would encourage you to share your own revelations after you have completed one or both of the reflection activities. I would welcome any additions to help us further understand this concept.
Revelation #1
After going through these exercises, I realized that effective use of technology integration is not about the technology or the sophistication of the technology; however, it has everything to do with the decision a teacher makes for how to use the existing technology available today.
Revelation # 2
It does not matter where a teacher begins the journey toward using Technology. Everyone learns a new tool in different ways. Some begin with something practical and related to a personal task. Others jump right into experimenting with how to recreate the learning environment for their students. Start with what is comfortable, but I would challenge all of us to stretch ourselves to reach for student-centered learning environment which now stretches beyond the four walls a classroom. The condition described in Tier 3 are the key to the most effective use of technology lies.
Revelation # 3
Some of building blocks that a teacher needs in order to use technology to transform the learning environment (Tier 3) are:
- Guiding students to set a purpose for learning
- Scaffolding-taking students from what they know to the new learning
- Balancing total class modeling, cooperative learning, or small group activities for scaffolding
- Facilitating individual and team exploration
- Higher level thinking skills
- enable students with the skill of making decision independently
These skills have a direct correlation to good sound practice for teaching and learning and everything to do with what it means to integrate technology into your curriculum. Thus, it brings us full circle to what matters to all teachers; improving our practice. It is no secret! To be the most effective user of technology in the classroom we need to aspire to be creators of a classroom described in Tier 3.
Whether you use these reflection exercises to start a conversation within a group of colleagues or or as personal self assessment, I truly hope you help me continue the conversation by sharing your revelation on this topic.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Hi, Abbey -
It’s very exciting to see how you’re taking the Tiers model and applying it in Seattle. You have a lot of really thoughtful comments here, and I particularly like your “revelations.” I’d like to add questioning strategies to my own revelations – with or without technology, good questions can provide a lot of the direction you describe in “Revelation #3.” The presence of the right technologies provides students with many more opportunities to seek the answers to those (or their own)questions, as well as new ways to share what they’ve discovered!
Conn