I have made the

The positive and negative impacts of digital technologies on teachers’ responsibilities contrast of the
towards student learning and the school environment are explored in this driving question. positive impacts
of digital
Digital technologies allow teachers to provide effective communication within the school technologies
community and differentiated learning in the classroom. I feel that digital technologies have earlier in this
paragraph. I
allowed teachers to deliver content more effectively and provide a range of resources to have also
meet diverse learning abilities and needs. My teachers asked our preferred methods of effectively
outlined the
learning such as through interactive videos and websites which I found were beneficial. In negative
my viewpoint, the risks of digital technologies outweigh the benefits as there is In contrast, impacts which
has provided
the risks associated with digital technologies involve the increase in the ‘digital divide’ more clarity in
between students, and teachers experiencing difficulties with using developing my writing.

technologies. After completing more reading, I feel more responsibility that as a teacher I
need to ensure that every student has equitable access to technology and I have capable
knowledge of emerging technologies. the safety of students and help them maintain their
focus on learning in the digital environment. Although, I feel that digital technologies have
positively impacted how teachers deliver content and assist meeting the learning needs of
students. For example, during school my teachers would use interactive videos and websites
to meet our visual learning needs.
The increase of digital technologies in the classroom such as smartboards, tablets, laptops
and applications like Google Classroom, assist teachers in meeting each students’ learning
abilities. Technology integration into the classroom allows for differentiation involving
opportunities for personalised and creative learning and extending content knowledge
(Leibel et al., 2021). Through learning applications, teachers can deliver content effectively
and students can learn in their preferred method. For example, my Spanish high school
teacher used Quizlet flashcards to help us revise content. School management systems such
as Compass Education and Sentral which were used in my high school, have improved
communication between parents, teachers and students. Data collected from a survey of
683 secondary school teachers in England, found that digital technologies were used less
frequently by teachers for communication with students and parents outside of the
classroom (Perrotta, 2012). This has intrigued me that in a developing technological
society, teachers are utilising more face-to-face communication methods. and made me
recognise how face-to-face communication can be more effective in building positive
relationships with parents and students. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, learning
shifted to an online format where 87% of families had an internet enabled device with more
than 1 out of 10 students not having access to technology to complete schoolwork (McElroy,
2021). During the pandemic, my teachers provided learning content and communication
through online delivery. The access of technology for student learning outside the classroom
has created the ‘digital divide’. This refers to inequality formed due to students from I have included
a reference to the
minority groups, low-income households or EAL/D learners having limited access to the ABC News video
internet or devices in contrast to students who have access to these resources. The lack of I have posted on
my blog. This has
affordability of electronic equipment is common in low-income households. Di Hicklin, a strengthened my
argument in
pensioner grandmother had limited access and knowledge of technology which made her showing real-life
grandson’s learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving a Year 12 certificate situations where
students have limited
difficult (ABC News [Australia], 2020). The introduction of new digital technologies in the access to technology,
especially during
recent events such
as in the COVID-19
pandemic.
curriculum has negatively impacted teachers due to their limited knowledge. Data received
from 24 countries which have included computational thinking (CT) skills in their statutory
curricula found that teachers identified competition with other curriculum priorities as a
challenge was more prevalent at the primary level (Bocconi et al., 2022). This report has
supported my views, as including emerging technologies such as CT skills has made it
difficult for teachers to include amongst a crowded curriculum and with limited knowledge.
Through completing this unit, it has come to my awareness that to become effective
teachers we need to have knowledge of emerging digital technologies through programs
and from our university course.

Even though digital technologies have made teaching easier and effective, they have
created more challenges for teachers in the classroom. In general, I agree that digital
technologies have negatively impacted teachers as they have more responsibilities. These
responsibilities are towards students’ learning in terms of their access to devices and
helping them achieve curriculum areas according to their learning needs. Through my By including this
statement in bold I
acquired knowledge, I understand the importance of learning digital technologies in my have further
course and I will utilise differentiated learning in the classroom to meet individual learning emphasised
action plan in
my

needs and improve students’ access to technology. am informed on the ways to utilise applying my
knowledge into my
differentiated learning in the classroom. future practice
as a teacher.