Tech is everywhere.

With limited time and so many tools to choose from, how are you supposed to know which will actually make a difference?

Today, there are 8000 verified tools in the edtech marketplace. School systems are using over 1,400 tools per month, with both teachers and students using over 140 individual tools per year.

Despite the unmatched levels of edtech use and the growing investment in the development of new tools, there is much more to understand about maximizing the impact that technology can have on teacher practice and student learning.

The VATT Framework is additive and is not intended as a replacement for great thinking that already exists.

Alongside well-known frameworks, including SAMR, TPACK, and the ISTE Standards for Teachers, VATT offers a holistic, contextualized, and teacher-centered perspective.

Effective tech-enabled instruction will likely require a healthy blend of all of these frameworks.

Sample Use Cases for the VATT Framework

  • As a classroom teacher, you may find using the VATT Framework helpful for:

    Articulating the impact your new tech-enhanced student collaboration strategy has had on fostering a culture of positive communication

    Determining whether to maintain a current process for accessing digital content for instruction or adopt a new one

    Providing impact data related to how a tech-enhanced practice has increased effectiveness in your ability to better personalize instructional content for a diverse array of student needs

  • As a school-building leader, you may find using the VATT Framework helpful for:

    Discovering the impact using technology tools to engage with families and communities is having on student classroom experiences

    Coaching a teacher or PLC on using more efficient and engaging content delivery practices using a school- or district-based tech tool

    Collecting data on teachers’ use of tech-enhanced practices to optimize the teaching of a current curriculum

  • As a system-level leader, you may find using the VATT Framework helpful for:

    Understanding the varied levels of impact tech-enhanced practices can have on students’ learning experiences and teachers’ instructional capabilities

    Determining which areas are experiencing the highest positive impact from tech-enhanced practice

    Deciding how to invest in technology designed to support instructional practice and student learning experience