ABSTRACT
Introduction Modern technologies permeate every aspect of our lives in the twenty-first century. They present us with an opportunity to transform the ways in which we communicate, share ideas together, teach and learn. Technologies can also help us develop our thinking about subjects and curricula, reshaping our views about the principles and purposes of teaching and learning. On occasions, learning in the ‘real’ world, outside of the formality of schools and classrooms, is sometimes portrayed as more transparent
and boundless. Without the discrete notion of subjects and curricula, learners can navigate their way seamlessly amongst and in-between subject knowledge, which, in a more formal setting, might be more difficult to achieve. Of course, such bald parallels are based on false assumptions and a narrow understanding of what happens within both contexts. But modern technologies can offer the opportunity to change. I repeat, they have the potential to challenge our way of thinking about subjects, curricula, teaching and learning. But this is not something that happens automatically. It requires a deliberate sense of engagement and, as with any aspect of educational practice, the critical and reflective user of technology stands a better chance of understanding and implementing effective technological change within their particular field. As this chapter unfolds, it will encourage you to become this more critical and reflective user of technology, both in the way that you use technology as a tool in your own teaching, which I hope will become increasingly cross-curricular in its ‘flavour’ and scope, and in the way that you design opportunities for your pupils to use technology to assist their learning. These dual aspects are reflected in the government criteria for effective teaching and learning with technology.
