Written by VSTE Professional Services member Barbara Valenzuela 

With new digital tools appearing every day, how can educators make sure technology serves learning—not the other way around? Explore two resources that support more intentional, equitable, and learning-centered technology decisions.

New digital tools appear constantly, each promising to save time, increase engagement, personalize learning, or transform the classroom. With so many options available, it can be easy to begin with the tool instead of the need it is supposed to address.

That raises an important question: Are we intentionally choosing technology, or are trends, convenience, and availability making the decision for us?

A Tool on Whose Terms?

The UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, Technology in Education: A Tool on Whose Terms?, offers a valuable resource for educators and school leaders considering this question. Rather than assuming that more technology automatically produces better learning, the report examines educational technology through the lenses of relevance, equity, scalability, and sustainability.

One of its central messages is that technology should serve learners and support human interaction—not replace it. UNESCO also encourages decision-makers to look beyond access to devices and consider whether a technology responds to an actual educational need, has evidence of effectiveness, includes all learners, and can be sustained over time.

These considerations matter at every level, from districtwide purchases to the tools educators select for a single lesson. A platform may be innovative and visually impressive, but that does not necessarily mean it is the right choice for a particular group of students or learning goal.

→ Explore UNESCO’s Technology in Education: A Tool on Whose Terms? report

From Reflection to Classroom Practice

For educators who want to connect this broader reflection to classroom practice, the Triple E Framework offers another useful resource. Developed by Dr. Liz Kolb, the framework invites educators to consider whether technology supports engagement in learning goals, enhances the learning experience, and extends learning beyond what would otherwise be possible. Its emphasis remains on the learning goal rather than on the novelty of the tool.

→ Explore the Triple E Framework 

Consider this…

Neither resource suggests that technology is inherently beneficial or harmful. Instead, both encourage intentional decision-making. Sometimes technology can provide access, connection, creativity, or learning opportunities that would not otherwise exist. At other times, a simpler approach may serve students more effectively.

Before adopting the next platform, application, or digital feature, it may be worth pausing to ask: