A Model for Personalized Learning

In Clear Creek ISD, we leverage the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) from the University of Southern Florida (http://techmatrix.us) as a resource to help our teachers understand what transformational learning through technology looks like. They also use it for self-reflection to assess their growth in this endeavor and for examples of different learning environments, such as Collaborative, Authentic, and Goal-Directed.

If you like Dr. Puentedura’s SAMR model, then you will most likely appreciate the TIM.  The TIM has 5 levels of technology integration (Entry, Adoption, Adaptation, Infusion, and Transformation) with clarity provided for how each of these levels is associated with the teacher, the student, and the physical environment. While the TIM is very approachable for any teacher or administrator, there is also a fair amount of depth to it, especially when you begin to explore the exemplar videos.  At CCISD, we discovered a need to make it all even more approachable, particularly when we tie the technology integration into personalized learning, which I firmly believe go hand-in-hand.  So, I crafted this graphic for them:

In this graphic, which I also have available as an animated PowerPoint slide, The letter T or S represents who is using the technology- Teacher or Student.  The blue dots symbolizes the starting point for the work and whether it is fixed or varied for each student.  The green dots indicate whether the work product is fixed or varied for each student.  The red arrows indicate the degree of choice in technology tools a student can use and what determines the selection of the tools.  Working left to right, each column is mapped to the 5 levels of technology integration in the TIM.

Visuals Explained

In Entry level, the key is that the teacher is using the technology.
In Adoption, the student is using the technology, but there is still a fixed progression in which much of the learning is about the technology itself.
In Adaptation, some teacher-defined choices are provided for the students, but there is still a fixed beginning and end point.
In Infusion, the students make choices for technology based on their goals.
*In Transformation, the two keys are the variation in starting points and the fact that the work could not be done without technology.

So far, I’ve received some positive feedback on this model, but my favorite feedback came when I shared this with one of our sister school districts in Texas.  It was observed that, to the audience, the graphic seemed to have a subliminal message- and one that seems to fit:  “I LOVE TECH”.

Kevin Schwartz currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Clear Creek ISD, home of 40,000 students, NASA, and the Latitude 2 Learn 1:1 tablet computer initiative and he brings 20 years of experience in K-12. He is also Chair-elect of Texas of the Texas K-12 CTO Council and actively serves on the CoSN SEND and SmartIT committees. Kevin is a frequent presenter on a broad range of education technology topics and is a consultant to school districts that seek transformational changes in learning through technology.