Evo Sessions. Becoming a Business English Teacher

Week 4, Task 2:  SAMR Model for integrating technology.

Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition
           Enhancing                           Transforming

REDEFINITION: The creation of a new task previously unconceivable.

I agree with the use of the SAMR model to evaluate the implementation of web-based tools. Especially in the ever changing world of business and technology we could make use of the tools that have to do with our student´s immediate needs. For example a scheduled Skype session would be very useful for someone who needs to brush up his/her English for a client´s visit. I have used LyricsTrainning successfully with shy beginners with a love for music, but I also have a student who doesn´t listen to ANY type of music, so I resort to different interesting articles taken from online newspapers, which I send via Facebook and we later comment in class. I like knowing what my students´interests are and fish for multimodal content related to their prefereces. In that way I catch their attention and make them practice at the same time. I often search for tv commercials or movie trailers on You Tube and I use them as the basis for later discussion. Last year a even used a short film in Spanish, but because I knew that the content had great discussion potential and I wanted to stimulate discussion in class. 
However I realize that I have to constantly monitor myself not to yield to the temptation to use the amazing material available in the in the internet in the "old school way". I am also aware that the more I reflect about my own teaching, something I do in my blog, the better I become at evaluating the way I use classroom material.