EDUC 5243: Blog Week #2 (Admin of Learning Technologies)

Week 2 Blog Assignment: .Technology Integration Framework 

1. The technology integration framework that could be used by my organization/district to provide guidance to support technology use practices based on the ISTE standards and the evaluation tools used by my district/organization is the Triple E Framework by Professor Liz Kolb developed in 2011.

2. Provide a paragraph description of the Framework, you are welcome to link to resources that further describe the framework and are encouraged to embed graphics that help describe it.

The Triple E Framework has its three areas of focus: Engage, Enhance, and Extend.

• Engage, or engagement, it is vital that the focus be on the learning goals (LG) and the task at hand. If the tech isn't fully aligned with the LG, then it becomes a distraction. Active and human engagement must occur to fully fall under the scope and requirement that is the "engage" tier.
• The goal of enhance, or enhancement, is to ensure students are utilizing high levels of (critical) thinking and problem solving. A push for exploration and creation builds a foundation of creativity and curiosity that does not exist in typical "drill and practice" exercises. We as educators must be ready to support and scaffold the utilized technology so deeper learning can occur. Another key focus is realizing that the quality of work done is more crucial when comparing to the amount of time the students spend on the technological device or software. We must be ready at any moment to shift gears when we gauge that we/our students are resorting back to the robotic learning mentality (via drills and practice or others) that we often get trapped into.
• Extend, or extension, is intentionally weaving in student's everyday day life and experiences with the learning they are attempting in the classroom (pragmatism). Individual isolated experiences is the water bucket to the burning embers that is the extend tier when attempting to integrate technology. Having a multiple and broader use of the tech that can directly impact and integrate into the student(s) life is curating authentic and genuine learning. Situational cognition is an important stamp here as this theoretical approach thrives off connecting learning to the social, cultural, and environmental aspects; when these things are woven with the communal mentality of others around us for integrated learning, then the true form of extension can co-exist with the other two.

3. Discuss the appropriateness of the use of this framework/model within your organization/district based on:

a. Context: Does this model align with other initiatives in place within your district? Are current practices congruent with the model?  Describe.

Based on my district's teacher evaluation system (Guideposts for Excellent Teaching (GET)), as stated before, you can see how little the actual integration of technology is when simply and briefly mentioned towards the bottom of this rubric. The Triple E model works great with HYPOTHETICAL and IMPLICIT scenarios that may be created by the admin/educators, but nothing is explicit here. Current practices are not congruent with the Triple 3 framework and if it could laugh, I'm sure it would be doing so at the GET.

b. Relevance: Does this model show promise? Does it address current perspectives/approaches to thinking about technology use by educators and students?

I believe that the Triple E framework is a promising guide in helping educators in building the foundational lessons of showing scholars to utilize all areas of technology that is meeting or even adding value to the learning goals in an active, social, creative, and authentic way. It both addresses current perspectives and approaches in thinking about tech use on campuses; and with such confidence might I add. While reading up on the framework, I came across a section that seemed a bit shaddy to me in comparing other frameworks to itself:

"There are a number of frameworks that teachers use for integrating technology (SAMR, ADDIE, TIM, TPACK, RAT), while all of them have benefits, none directly focus on how technology helps students achieve learning goals. "

Now, I can greatly respect and appreciate one who feels so confident in their framework to literally call out every other frame Dr. Shannon had mentioned and then some. Although my knowledge of the other frameworks are not as extensive as Triple E's, I can at least see the apparent difference on the locked in focus of students ACTUALLY achieving the learning goals/objectives via the use of tech integration and provided framework. Not only does it mention WHY it stands out among other current approaches and perspectives provided by other researchers, but HOW. The quality of the tech integration should support the objectives, rather than fixating on the quantity of time spent using said technology.

c. ISTE Alignment:  Can you make clear connections to the ISTE standards through this framework?  Provide details/descriptions

The following are at least one key point from EACH of the ISTE standards that make connections (some more explicit than others) to the Triple E framework. I highlighted and provided the E item that I believe make the connections between the standard and the framework:

• 2.1 Learner: 2.1.a Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness. (ENHANCE) 

• 2.2 Leader: 2.2.b Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students. (EXTEND)

•  2.3 Citizen: 2.3.b Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.(ENHANCE) 

•  2.4 Collaborator: 2.4.c Use collaborative tools to expand students' authentic, real-world learning experiences by engaging virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.'  (EXTEND)

•  2.5 Designer: 2.5.b Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning. (ENGAGE/ENHANCE/EXTEND) 

• 2.6 Facilitator: 2.6.c Create learning opportunities that challenge students to use a design process and computational thinking to innovate and solve problems. (ENHANCE) 

•  2.7 Analyst: 2.7.a Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology. (ENHANCE/EXTEND)

d. Evaluation: Does this model/framework align with the evaluation tool in use?  Describe.

When attempting to align the Triple E framework to the GET rubric from the district, it continues to fall short with a full lack of explicit alignment and mentioning of full teacher and student tech expectations and integration. The vagueness and brief summaries of the GET hurts my tech brain and my tech heart knowing that the gap between the two is so massive. I hope for this year to get to the bottom of those who have curated this teacher evaluation tool and show them the large technological gaps and opportunities that we are missing out on for our scholars and educators.

Citation

Kolb, Liz. “About.” Triple E Framework, 5 Jan. 2015, www.tripleeframework.com/about.html.