{"id":47820,"date":"2026-10-30T16:05:34","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T05:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/?post_type=article&p=47820"},"modified":"2026-10-30T16:05:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T05:05:34","slug":"from-the-head-of-learning-and-teaching-29","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/article\/from-the-head-of-learning-and-teaching-29\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Head of Learning and Teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Parent Perspectives on Screens and AI in Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week, we welcomed a group of parents to our first focus group as part of MLC\u00a0School\u2019s inquiry into the use of screens and artificial intelligence (AI) in learning.<\/p>\n

We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously shared their experiences, questions and insights. The discussion provided valuable perspectives on how young people are using screens for learning, communication and recreation, both at school and at home. It was particularly enlightening to hear from parents working in the technology industry, whose professional expertise added another dimension to the conversation. While there was a diversity of views, there was strong agreement that schools and families have a shared responsibility to help young people develop healthy, balanced and purposeful relationships with technology.<\/p>\n

The conversation reflected what the research increasingly tells us: the question is not simply how much time young people spend on screens, but how they are using them. Recent Australian research has found that educational uses of technology can support learning, organisation, communication and creativity, while excessive recreational screen use and social media use are more likely to be associated with poorer academic and wellbeing outcomes. Research also suggests that the impact of screens depends on factors such as purpose, quality of engagement, sleep, attention and the balance between online and offline experiences.<\/p>\n

Our discussions also explored the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. Parents recognised the potential of AI as a powerful learning tool, while also expressing understandable concerns about over-reliance on technology. These conversations align with emerging research that suggests AI can enhance learning when used thoughtfully but should not replace the productive struggle, critical thinking and independent reasoning that are essential to deep learning.<\/p>\n

One of the strongest themes to emerge was the importance of partnership. Parents appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the conversation, and we valued hearing a wide range of perspectives about the kind of digital habits, capabilities and dispositions we want to cultivate in our students.<\/p>\n

This focus group is the first step in a broader inquiry. Over the coming weeks, we will continue to seek the perspectives of parents, students and staff as we work towards a shared understanding of how technology can best support learning, wellbeing and human connection. Our aim is not to be either \u201cfor\u201d or \u201cagainst\u201d technology, but to ensure that its use is intentional, evidence-informed and aligned with our educational values.<\/p>\n

We look forward to continuing this important conversation with our community.<\/p>\n

Upcoming Dates:<\/p>\n

Parent Focus Group – Monday 9 November 2026<\/strong>\u00a0at 9am for Junior School Parents.<\/p>\n

– Melissa McMahon
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/a>Head of Learning and Teaching<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Parent Perspectives on Screens and AI in Learning This week, we welcomed a group of parents to our first focus group as part of MLC\u00a0School\u2019s inquiry into the use of screens and artificial intelligence (AI) in learning. We are incredibly grateful to the parents who generously shared their experiences, questions and insights. The discussion provided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":23545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[20],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-47820","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","article_category-learning-and-teaching"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/47820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=47820"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/mlc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=47820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}