Local Perspective

Local and Global Perspective

A local factor that directly impacts schools’ ICT policies and practices is the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authorities (VCAA) ‘digital technologies document’ and the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. The ‘digital technologies document’, part of the Victorian curriculum, outlines; the aims, standards and achievement outcomes, individuals need to attain across foundation to year 10 in their digital literacy, and ICT skills, development (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2016). School A does not explicitly mention digital literacy in their curriculum, although it is an issue mentioned in their strategic plan. It is important that both ICT and digital literacy are

Rather than just incorporating ICT skills in the classroom, teachers should also be able to measure levels of proficiency in students’ ability to use and create ICT, as this will have a direct effect on them developing skills for jobs and future prospect----s. Jobs of today, and certainly jobs of tomorrow, require individuals to have an adequate knowledge and skills in the area of ICT. Although today’s students are the ‘digital natives’ it is necessary that they can be “creative and productive users of …. technology” (p. 5. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008). There is a misconception that today’s students the ‘digital natives’ are familiar with ICT; however, individual knowledge and skills is variable and dependent on experience and curiosity (Boyd, 2014). Assuming that all students are able to use and create technology equally, thus not needing upskilling in ICT, undermines and compromise students’ experience, skill

Effective integration of ICT into classrooms requires innovation (Zhao, Pugh, Sheldon & Byers, 2002). Techers are required to have innovated practice and for that they need to be confident, competent and resourceful in their use of ICT (Bingimals, 2009). Technology, in many schools is, easily accessible; however, it is not necessarily used effectively in order to enhance the students’ learning experience (Zhao et al., 2002). For example, in School A, where access to technology was readily available but it was not utilized in an effective manner. However, there is a massive digital divide amongst schools not just in Australia but worldwide. Digital divide is the division between those who can easily access technology and those who do cannot (Selwyn, Gorard & Williams, 2001). Digital divide is a major issue that arise in the successful implementation of ICT in schools that are low SES (socio economic status), where students might not have personal devices or internet access at home, or even the school having limited internet access. Thus, future disadvantaging them for developing ICT skills that have become essential in today’s global society. Moreover, a teachers’ own view on the use of technology can increase the prevailing digital divide, which may also be due to social ideologies (Selwyn et al., 2001) or