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Helps adult learning organizations advance education with technology.
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SkillRise features
The Profile of a Lifelong Learner
The dispositions and skills that adult learners need to be successful in the future of work.
And the
Upskill with EdTech Framework
Practical advice about technology usage for adult learning and workforce programs.
Technology
Transformations
Getting the Most Out of the Technology You Already Have
Monica Perez teaches the Career Success course at the local community center three nights a week in addition to teaching seventh grade at the local middle school.
Hi!
Her classroom was given a set of Chromebooks last year, but with no real support or training for Monica, and no plan or suggestions on how they should be used.
But she’s put them into action…
I had the students use the Chromebooks for the career-exploration assignment.
They took a career quiz online, then did research in the O*NET career database, and wrote up a report using Google Docs.
It went OK - you know, fine, but it wasn’t too exciting for them - or me.
Later, I heard about the SkillRise framework our center was adopting.
It’s full of ideas for using technology to offer learning experiences that really work for your students - and for teachers, too.
One thing from the framework jumped out at me:
It’s called SAMR. It’s this cool model of the ways we use - and don’t use - technology.
It shows four different levels of how technology can be used when teaching and learning.
S UBSTITUTION
The first level is Substitution - and this is totally what I was doing. I was just having them use the Chromebooks to type and save the work, basically replacing what they were doing on paper before.
A UGMENTATION
The next level is Augmentation, which means improving the task without changing things too much.
M ODIFICATION
The third level is Modification, where technology is being used to significantly redesign the task.
R EDEFINITION
And the highest level is Redefinition, where the students and teachers do something new that would be impossible without technology.
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In my original assignment, there was nothing wrong but students were just using the computers to turn in their assignments.
But I thought - could I move beyond substitution and up to the next levels?
...and when I did, it really changed things.
For my students, and for me too!
I’ll show you three tips to move up the SAMR scale. You’ll see what we did, and what happened - and how it can work for you!
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TIP
AUGMENT the assignment by asking students to find and submit a podcast or online article related to their project.
A portrait illustration of a character
First thing I did was to give them greater choice. I asked them to research any career option that interested them….
….and find an article, podcast, photo essay, or video about the career, then submit it online with a review.
I was looking at Medical Assistant programs - but I really want to work with patients on a deeper level.
Then I saw the different levels of nursing, and I thought I could maybe do a Licensed Practical Nurse program.
That’s great you discovered that, Rosemary.
What are you thinking might be some next steps to learn more about this?
Well, I’m researching different options, and after I’ve done that I’m going to call each of the programs with my questions, and see about visiting them.
By giving my students more choice in this assignment, they learned how they could use technology to plan their next career steps.
This connects to...
Lifelong Learners access, analyze, and apply digital resources in order to build knowledge, advance their careers, and experience the best life possible
The TIP: Augment the assignment by asking students to find and submit a podcast or online article of their choice related to their project.

How does this tip relate to your own work with learner-workers
Is this something...
That you have already tried with your learners?
That you think would work well for your classes?
That would be really challenging to do?