According to the Australian Labor Party (2007), students within Australian schools need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to access and use computer technologies, in order to successfully participate within modern society. As such this section outlines some of the arguments as to why technologies should be integrated within the education system.
Argument 1: Digital natives
According to Mark Prensky (2005) students of today are subjectively different to those of last century’s, as technology has promoted them to think and learn in different ways. Prenksy (2005) argues that in order to engage students within the classroom, teachers must integrate technologies, such as laptops, mobile devices and the Internet within the curriculum.
For further information on the digital natives argument see:
Prenksy 2001a, Digital natives, digital immigrants - Part 1
Argument 2: 21st century skills and knowledge economy
Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) claims that educators need to provide students with the skills to critically explore and articulate thoughts and problems through creative measures and communicate with others within a collaborative manner. Students need to acquire these skills in order to participate in modern society, which today places a greater emphasis on intellectual capabilities rather than physical inputs or natural resources (Powell & Snellman 2004). These 21st century skills should not be taught in isolation, but rather should be taught in relation to the content of the curriculum. Silva (2009) claims that effective student learning occurs when students learn the basic rules and procedures at the same time that they learn how to think and solve problems. Therefore in order to prepare students for active participation in a knowledge driven economy, Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) alludes that students must learn 21st century skills through technology.
For further information on 21st century skills and the digital economy see:
Partnership for 21st Century Skill 2009, P21 Framework Definitions
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