1. TECHNOLOGY IN THE
CLASSROOM - IS IT
WORTH IT?
AUTHOR: STEVE KAPSALIS,
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
COACH
06 Apr 2016
Technology is continually evolving, with new advancements steamrolling into schools
and education.
The question I ask, with technology evolving so quickly, is education up to speed with
these advancements? The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) doesn't think so.
The OECD have stated "computers and iPads in schools does not improve numeracy
and literacy skills” (1). They go one step further by saying that there was "no
appreciable improvements in student achievement in reading, mathematics or science
in the countries that had invested heavily in (information technology) for education” (1).
Australia is one of those countries that has one of the highest amount of users of
technology schools. Concerning? Yes! Maybe? Depends on how you look at it. What
the OECD findings suggest to me is that using technology in the classroom has far

2. more positive benefits than relying purely on traditional assessments on student
learning. We know that technology in the classroom helps students with critical thinking
and workplace skills they will need to be successful in their future. We want our
students to value the importance of collaboration, solving complex real problems and
making a positive difference for their future, developing different forms of
communication and leadership skills and improving motivation and productivity - most of
which are not assessed in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). All these positive
attributes is what provides me the passion to drive further greatness in our teachers to
integrate technology in the classroom. It also motivates me to work with teachers so
they can be confident, empowered and enthusiastic about integrating technology in the
classroom to create an environment for students to be engaged, empowered and have
a genuine, authentic interest for the love of learning.
I think it is great that so many Australian schools have invested heavily on the
infrastructure, professional development and technological devices in their learning
spaces. I also understand there is an important and vital link between the integration of
technology and schools = the teachers. However, are our teachers engaged with the
use of technology and are they prepared to use it in the classroom? No matter what
pedagogy is used in the classroom, are educational goals established prior to the
learning experiences taking place, especially when integrating technology?
When coaching teachers to integrate technology into the classroom it is vital to focus on
the learning outcome, rather than the technology itself. The question and focus should
be, "has learning been enhanced with the technology and what are the students
learning when using the devices that was impossible before?”.
1. OECD (2015), STUDENTS, COMPUTERS AND LEARNING: MAKING THE CONNECTION, PISA, OECD
Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264239555-en