What are the Three Levels*

Literacy

Using Technology for the Sake of Technology

Literacy uses of technology in the classroom focus on using technology for teacher productivity. When the technology is used with student the focus is on "teaching the technology". Students learn technology for the sake of technology and there is little connection the the regular classroom curriculum and little transfer for the student. However this is the point at which every teacher and user of technology must start.

Adapting

Doing the Same Old Things with New Tools

Adapting uses of technology directly support the curriculum and do put the technology into the hands of the students. The activities are common and familiar lessons which could be done without the technology, however the use of technology does support the learning activities. The technology may reinforce the learning but is not necessarily mandatory for the lesson.

Transforming

Doing New Things with New Tools.

Transforming uses of technology are rich and meaningful classroom activities which are connected the the world outside the classroom. They are typically activities and problems without  clean, simple solutions. The students must interact with the content, struggle to make meaning of the information, and begin to guide their own learning. The students use the tools to react out and interact with the world outside the classroom. They are allowed opportunities to work collaboratively with an ill-structured world. At the transforming level, technology becomes an integral and required component of the learning activity. 

* the terminology for these levels is taken from the Illinois Next-Steps Technology Use Evaluation Project -- developed and piloted by NCRTec, Education Technology Planners, Inc., and the Illinois Learning Technology Centers.

Working Draft

Literacy (7 modules)

  Adapting (7 modules)

 Transforming (7 modules)