Technology-Enhanced SIM™ Learning Strategy Instructional Delivery
Instructing with SIM Learning Strategies this fall will look different than in the past. At the CRL, we wish to support teachers in their transition to instructing LS in varied teaching and learning environments (e.g., remote, virtual, in-person with social distancing). In the future, even when typical classroom instruction resumes, teachers may continue to enhance their LS instruction with technology; thus, we hope this resource will have ongoing relevance.
The table below, Technology Tools Per Stage of Instruction, has been organized around the eight Stages of Instruction incorporated in SIM Learning Strategies. It was developed in collaboration with more than thirty SIM Professional Developers, calling upon their experiences with a wide-range of technology tools. The Stages of Instruction are similar to the instructional sequence within explicit instruction. The interaction between the teacher and students for some stages is similar, given the purpose of the stage, allowing us to combine stages on the table below. For example, the procedures for Stage 1 Pre-test and Make Commitments and Stage 7 Post-test and Make Commitments will require similar technology, so ideas for technology tools are provided in one row.
There is a large volume of incredibly useful technology tools available to educators today. Therefore, quality over quantity is key, especially for systematic use of technology tools. We want to focus on technology tools that support instruction of content more than tools that are designed primarily for practice drills or memorization of facts. Additionally, when possible, it is important to select technology tools that can be used routinely (i.e., during LS-focused instruction and other types of instruction, and by several teachers with the same group of students). Thus, teachers will want to select high-utility tools that are generalizable across different settings. Another factor is to select tools that allow for high-touch, which means the technology promotes the ability to communicate often with students to address a lack of connection teachers and students experience during remote teaching and learning. Finally, considerations for digital equity are paramount. Thus, we’ve organized technology suggestions by low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech. Click here to listen to Nanette Fritschmann describe these overall considerations. 
Another approach to selecting appropriate technology-enhancements for instructional delivery with SIM Learning Strategies is the SETT Framework, typically used to determine assistive and instructional technology in a collaborative way. To determine appropriate technology tools, the SETT framework suggests viewing three factors in relation to each other a) each student’s current skills, special needs, and any functional areas of concern, b) environment parameters in the classroom and at home related to computer, personal device, and internet availability and access, and c) tasks required by each Stage of Instruction. Click here to listen to Jocelyn Washburn describe how the SETT framework helps us determine technology tools.
As we built the following table, we considered all these factors to develop a wide-range of technology solutions to accommodate for times when differentiating the type of technology per student, per environment, or per task. However, some schools or classrooms routinely use a digital platform (e.g. Google Classroom, Seesaw) that offers ways to meet the goals of each Stage of Instruction and will bring a needed sense of familiarity and efficiency for teachers and students. Additionally, technology selected may vary with opportunities for synchronous versus asynchronous teaching along with any access to a hybrid model of delivery (some face-to-face with some remote learning). Digital materials published by KUCRL & Edge Enterprises, Inc. are available. Click here for an example of how Seesaw can be used for both the Model Stage and Controlled Practice Stage.
Technology Tools Per Stage of Instruction
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What does it look like? |
What tools can I use? |
Why is it important? |
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Stage 1: Pretest & Make Commitments ● Aligns with selected and critical skills or content of the lesson or unit ● Incorporates various levels of difficulty ● Should be brief and may serve as a discussion prompt to gain buy in Stage 7: Post-test & Make Commitments ● Assign task to confirm mastery (mirrors pre-test) ● Celebrate mastery ● Discuss achievement and attribution for success ● Prompt increasing student responsibility ● Prompt commitment to generalize |
Low-tech: ● Mail pretest to home and student mails it back ● Phone call for conferencing on results and make commitments ● Scheduled dates for car-line pick up/drop off of materials for students Mid-tech: ● Email exchange of pretest ● Phone call or video-conference to discuss results and make commitments High-tech: ● Google Forms to complete the pretest/posttest ● Video-conference to discuss results and make commitments |
Teachers and students who know current performance levels learn important information.
Allows for students to set realistic learning goals
Celebrate mastery
Build a rationale for learning the strategy or generalization the strategy |
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Stage 2: Describe ● Teacher paints a clear picture for the students before instruction ● Uses student friendly language ● Visual representation (e.g., Power Point slides, Cue Cards)
*consider timing of video-based interactions or recordings; chunking content should be considered |
Low-tech: ● Send home post-it notes on Cue Cards and use highlighters. ● Binder/folder set up with materials ahead of time ● Text an audio recording to accompany a packet sent home Mid-tech: ● Video-conference while teacher describes and asks students to use thumbs-up/thumbs-down ● Flash drive sent home with narrated Power Point of Cue Cards ● Follow-up Q&A over the phone High-tech: ● Google folder (or the like) set up with materials ahead of time ● Notability can be used sync/async while describing Cue Cards ● Nearpod: either async or sync, allows videos ● Slido for creating Polls in Power Point. ● Padlet for open-ended commenting, post-it notes appear, and/or kind of like polling. ● Poll Everywhere for polling, quizzing. |
Allows for students to better understand new or complex information
Allows students to “see” where they are headed
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Stage 3: Model ● Teacher imitates the skill, strategy, or process ● Teacher builds in common errors and how to solve those challenges ● Teacher performs “think aloud” for students to “see and hear” what the cognitive processes look like ● Teacher allows students to “sees and hears” all overt processes being completed |
Low-tech: ● Send a model passage or sheet home (through mail or pick up at school drive through) and talk on phone through model ● Text video to students’ phones ● Students could text one response as part of eliciting student engagement Mid-tech: ● Create a video-based model using practice passages ● Send home flash drive with video model and learning sheets ● Screencast-o-matic - Teacher creates video of both self and screen ● Synchronous option for eliciting student involvement: through phone call or video-conference High-tech: ● Make a video model using an online tool or App ○ Nearpod ● Flipgrid- Teacher posts video and students comment on video and/or create a brief video to try the strategy ● Model live through video-conference using “share screen” with a document camera or phone to demonstrate and elicit student responses through chat box ● Use phone as document camera and display during Zoom or iPad with PDF and tools ● Ziteboard allows pdfs to be displayed on whiteboard ● Seesaw website/App for modeling and practicing ● Slido for creating Polls in Power Point. ● Padlet for open-ended commenting, post-it notes appear, and/or kind of like polling. ● Poll Everywhere for polling, quizzing. |
Students are able to envision themselves completing the new and difficult learning task
Students can witness how to overcome common roadblocks |
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Stage 4: Verbal Practice ● Teacher leads students through oral practice of steps, cues ● Rapid-fire questioning where students are orally quizzed on important elements |
Low-tech: ● Print flash cards from Quizlet ● Partnering students to quiz each other over the phone or through text ● Group conference call ● Provide an exercise for parents to facilitate practice
Mid-tech: ● Quizlet (can be used synchronous or asynchronous) ● Flipgrid- for Verbal Practice Quiz ● Google slide option to make flash cards ● Kahoot- games, used solo or as a group ● Haiku (poem generator)
High-tech: ● Flippity.net (Google Docs based random name picker wheel) ● Play a practice game through Zoom or other video-conference (Poll feature in Zoom) ● Kahoot quiz ● Gimkit create more engaging online learning ● Poll Everywhere for polling, quizzing. |
Students can practice in a lower stress environment
Can be done as a warm up or check for understanding
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Stage 5: Controlled Practice & Feedback ● May be done after students show understanding and verbal mastery ● Use instructional level materials ● Individual feedback is provided to ensure understanding ● May notice patterns in errors to further target your timely feedback
Stage 6: Advance Practice & Feedback ● Teacher selects grade comparable materials for students to practice their new strategy or skill ● Students are more independent in their use of the strategy or completion of the newly learned skill ● Feedback should be timely and targeted here too
Stage 8: Generalization ● Teacher and students discuss other scenarios where students can use their new knowledge ● Students practice using their new knowledge in different scenarios to ensure it sticks |
Low-tech: ● Mail or use car pick-up to send packet home and have students mail back or drop off ● Provide feedback through mail, phone call, or teacher text ● Take a picture or scan to PDF on phone and text to teacher Mid-tech: ● Email packet home and email back ● Learning Sheet set as background on Google slide ● Provide feedback by typing on the same slide/PDF with the Learning Sheet ● Provide feedback using an audio recording and text, email, or post in shared website (free online voice recorder)
High-tech: ● Digital platforms that allow students to draw on Learning Sheets: Seesaw, Peardeck ● Provide feedback using Google Suite commenting features ● Feedback: Seesaw with voice recording, DocHub, Lumin PDF reader/editer |
Allows students to practice without many of the additional cognitive demands
Allows students to practice the strategy or skill moving towards and using grade level materials
Builds confidence and fluency
Solidifies student’s application and transfer of their new knowledge to different situations
Allows students to experience their new knowledges utility
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*Remind App provides alias for teacher’s cell phone instead of showing number.
Other online blogs and websites provide numerous ideas for how to engage students in online instruction. Here are a few recommended by SIM Professional Developers:
- Catlin Tucker’s blog:https://catlintucker.com/2020/07/8-ideas-designed-to-engage-students-online/?fbclid=IwAR3auwFxhnII47ab4G2KjJ3i-VlZaO8Qnb6JKgvR6BoKjmI9lxIopGAZXso
- Larry Ferlazzo’s blog:https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2020/06/08/the-best-online-tools-for-remote-teaching-share-your-own/?fbclid=IwAR3BdjvIWSX7HuzWYJSlo52wnqlba5qWmwWeSLVnnUCdvNqtKVIT1xGR2Dw
- Jennifer Gonzales’s Cult of Pedagogy blog: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/9-ways-online-teaching/