ISJ November 2012: Digital game-based curriculum? My child doesn’t play computer games

Jeanette Hannaford

Abstract:

In the complex community of an international school, bridging useful connections between the home and the classroom is an ongoing challenge. While the desire for children to become knowledgeable, thriving contributors in our rapidly changing world could be claimed as a shared objective, parents and teachers often perceive the pathways that lead to this outcome quite differently. This presents challenges for educators, families, and, most importantly, students.

Technology and digital culture are sites in which differing attitudes between home and school are increasingly encountered. While many school leaders consider that a progressive use of technology signals a 21st century school, the views from the students’ homes can be more complex and more confused. This article draws from observations made during a study into the digital lives of a group of pre-adolescent children in an international school. It considers the differing attitudes from the children’s families, and suggests that schools need to understand parental positions around technology and digital culture, and reflect on these as they plan their digital future and train their teachers.