Moving Tech from Mindless to Meaningful

Today, I had the privilege of leading a professional learning day on a topic that has never felt more urgent:

How do we move our use of technology from mindless to meaningful?

Technology is now deeply woven into the fabric of daily life and education is no exception.

We know our students (and children) are at risk of overexposure, overuse and danger due to screen time and the insidious social media. So much so that our Premier is instigating a social media ban. But our students need tech in life…how do we manage this?

The real question isn’t whether we use tech. It’s how we use it  and whether we’re helping students to grow as thinkers, creators and collaborators, or simply allowing devices to become digital babysitters.

How We Got Here: A Quick Look Back

We started the day by tracing the last fifteen years of technology in schools:

A model based on my experience.

• 2010–2012: New Tech Era 

  Schools were reluctant to invested in new mobile technology (iPad). Expense, consumption-centric and juvenile in the education space kept this technology at arm's length.

  
  

• 2012–2016: Jump On Board Era 

  Everyone raced to adopt — iPads, 1:1. If you didn’t have a contemporary tech program, your school was left behind.

  
  

• 2016–2020: Consolidate Era 

  Schools paused (briefly) to embed systems, build teacher capacity, question and refine impact.

  
  

• 2020–2022: Just Survive Era 

  COVID pushed us into remote learning almost overnight. Strategy gave way to survival.

  
  

• 2022–2025: Divergent Era 

  Now, some schools are using tech intentionally to enhance learning; others are sliding into dependency, with screens filling time rather than building minds and quality learning.

“Technology didn’t just change what we do - it’s changing who we are becoming.”

Why Screens Are So Hard to Resist

We explored the brain science behind why screens hook us so effectively.

Our brains evolved to be highly sensitive to:

• Movement

• Bright colours

• Novelty

• Social cues

  
  

10,000 years ago, these instincts helped humans survive.

Today, they’re being hijacked by apps, videos, notifications and endless scrolling  activating excitement without genuine survival value.

It’s like a delicious chocolate bar for our minds : our screens make us think, “This is important - stay here!”, even when it’s not.

Understanding this helps us teach students, and ourselves, to manage tech mindfully.

2025: Welcome to the Screentime Era

We are now firmly in what I have call the Screentime Era - a battle playing out as we head towards an era of Social Media bans. The battle between Passive and Purposeful screen time. Being purposeful in digital learning is nothing new - but with a significantly greater community awareness to child screentime, being purposeful is now more important then ever. Watch this space!

🥊 Passive Screen Time

• Consuming mindlessly.

• Clicking without thinking.

• Shallow engagement.

• Scrolling, swiping & sedentary

vs.

🥊 Purposeful Screen Time

• Creating, designing, collaborating.

• Thinking critically.

• Using tech to amplify learning, not replace it.

The difference isn’t the device.It’s the intent behind the task.

Where Does SAMR Fit In?

As we explored today, the SAMR model gives us a useful lens to reflect on how we use technology:

• Substitution:

  Tech acts as a direct substitute, with no functional change. (e.g., typing a worksheet instead of writing by hand)

  
  

• Augmentation:

  Tech still substitutes but with functional improvements. (e.g., typing with voice-to-text or embedded dictionary)

  
  

• Modification:

  Tech allows for significant task redesign. (e.g., collaborative writing across schools in a shared document)

  
  

• Redefinition:

  Tech enables creation of new tasks previously inconceivable. (e.g., students creating podcasts or augmented reality tours)

The goal isn’t always to be at Redefinition -but if most of our tech use is stuck at Substitution, we’re missing the real potential.

Meaningful technology moves beyond "digital worksheets" and asks students to think, create, connect, and innovate.

“If tech isn’t helping students do deeper thinking, it’s just a very expensive pencil.”

Parents Are Noticing Too

The wider community is noticing - and asking questions, like these real comments from parent groups:

"Looking for a screen-free kindy..."

"Worried about my child's screen habits at school..."

"Is Minecraft being used for learning - or just to fill time?"

Parents aren’t rejecting technology. They’re craving purposeful technology, and they’re trusting us, as educators, to lead the way.

What Does "Meaningful" Actually Look Like?

Purposeful technology in classrooms looks like:

• Students creating new knowledge, not just consuming information.

• Students modifying tasks to suit individual strengths.

• Students collaborating across platforms to solve real-world problems.

• Students using digital tools to amplify their ideas, not just pass time.

It also means teachers asking better questions:

• Not "Is there an app for that?"

• But "How is this tool deepening the thinking and learning?"

  
  

It’s not about using more tech. It’s about using tech better.

Small Shifts That Matter

The great news? You don’t need to reinvent everything tomorrow.

Small shifts make a big impact:

• Be intentional about when and why screens are used.

• Prioritise higher-order thinking tasks.

• Model mindful tech habits.

• Teach digital wellbeing explicitly, not as an add-on.

Every click, every task, every choice matters.

We'll get there...

Technology is a brilliant servant - but a dangerous master.

When we lead with purpose, not habit...

When we see screens as tools for creation, collaboration and critical thinking, not just as babysitters...

We unlock the real power of digital learning.

Our students don’t just need to use technology.

They need to understand it, shape it, challenge it and create with it.

Technology should amplify learning, not distract from it.