ABSTRACT
The day-to-day management and administration of schools is underpinned by software systems that support and structure the actions of students, teachers, administrators, school leaders and parents in a variety of ways. Growing numbers of commentators see schools as inherently conservative, inward-looking and disconnected from the needs of wider society. Many people are convinced that schools can be reformed along high-tech lines, and that schools have an opportunity to 'innovate' themselves out of their current problems and reinvent 'school' for our contemporary, digitally infused times. Schools are now resourced with a variety of powerful digital systems, applications and devices. The remodelling of schools around digital technology use is a mainstream aspect of educational thinking. Claims for the impending technological transformation of schools have been made regularly over the past 40 years. Social media, texting and web surfing were popular practices throughout the school day for many students, often in ways that supported their studies.
