It draws on the expertise of teachers and gives pointers to the types of learning environments conducive to maximising this potential. The case studies of teacher practice present a broad spectrum of learning activities across all curriculum areas and all levels of schooling. The case studies have been selected to have relevance for all teachers, regardless of their IT knowledge and experience. They represent a range of applications from the relatively low tech to more sophisticated applications and from technology poor school environments to situations where teachers and students have ready access to powerful hardware and software and technical support.
Teachers are at different stages of the journey in their application of IT in their work.
In presenting a range of case studies, the intention is to assist all teachers to take at least one step in the journey from where they are now to where they wish to go. In considering this collection of teacher practice and student work, some important trends for the future role of IT in education, have emerged. The overwhelming trend is the need for learners to experience the communication media of their generation. A second trend is the effect of IT use on teachers with a shift in their role from the expert to that of a facilitator. Many teachers in their case studies describe their role changing to one of a manager of learning and co-learner.