Australia's 10 Most Influential Education Leaders-2019

• Differentiated learning paths, that allow students to
access materials with greater choice and voice about
the pace and mode.
• Development of digital portfolios to capture goal
setting, evidence of learning, reflection and growth
over time.
• Using technology to redefine the type of task we design
and take advantage of simulations, real-world
problems and require students to create content in
response to the learning rather than simply consuming
material.
• Using technology to connect and share with
communities of learning across the world.
Despite these opportunities to enhance our classrooms with
technology, some continue to view it as little more than a
distraction for young people, already labeled as screen
addicted. Recent system wide interventions that call for
bans on mobile devices in schools demonstrate the fear that
tools that suit their classroom and their students just as
teachers do with other teaching strategies.
Technology can encourage educators to consider the role of
teacher and student differently. In classrooms we can create
new learning experiences where students become creators
not just consumers, teachers can become co-learners and
focus on providing personalized programs and regular
powerful feedback. This change demands that ICT systems
are streamlined and that schools prioritize professional
learning opportunities for teachers to share with each other
the technology and teaching approaches that are most
effective in their unique school context.
E-Learning when implemented purposefully can support a
classroom learning environment that enables thinking and
innovation, where students are engaged and encouraged to
take meaningful risks towards connected learning
outcomes, ensuring they develop the skills and capabilities
they need for economic, social and cultural success in the
st
21 century. T R
Students and
teachers at St
Margaret’s and
Berwick Grammar
school consider the
application of
technology in
STEM Learning.
can dominate the discussion. Such discourse limits the
exploration of the potential of these technologies to enable
valuable E-Learning opportunities. The success of
E-Learning strategies has also been impacted by a one-size
fits all approach to integrating technology. Examples
include single device programs, mandated learning
management systems or whole school adoption of a single
tool. Instead, teachers need a bespoke collection of ICT
50 | JULY 2019