Nadine Dunstone

Introduction

Digital technologies in the classroom

In 2018 the Premier of NSW banned the use of mobile phones in State Primary schools. The decision was in response to an expert review which found a rise in online bullying, inappropriate sharing of explicit images between students, predatory behaviour from strangers, and unnecessary distraction for students (State of NSW Department of Customer Service, 2018). Other states followed suit, with Tasmania banning mobile phones in Government schools all the way up to Year 12 (Government of Tasmania Department of Education, 2019).

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When considering classroom technologies, there is an important distinction between ICT as a learning tool versus a learning goal (Voogt et al., 2011). ICT capability is one of the General Capabilities that explicitly pervades all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum as a learning goal (ACARA, 2018). Simply put, if we don’t use technology in the classroom, we are not fulfilling one of the core outcomes of the curriculum. Therefore, it is interesting that state education departments have banned the most pervasive ICT device of our generation. It seems more sensible to take an educational approach, rather than a punitive one. Surely we should be developing the students’ capacity for self-management (McDonald, 2019) of their time, distractions, and devices by teaching them how to use devices appropriately and safely.

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Incorporating technology into teaching is easier said than done, especially if the teacher has a self-conception as a digital immigrant (Voogt et al., 2011).  The TPACK framework requires teachers to develop eagerness to experiment with sometimes unfamiliar technologies with a disposition of intrigue, to construct new learning experiences (Mishra & Koehler, 2009). Digital native teachers could be perceived as having an advantage since they are likely to have more experience integrating a wider variety of technology in their everyday lives. However, whether this familiarity translates to the technological pedagogical content knowledge required (Mishra & Koehler cited in Voogt et al., 2011) seems questionable.