It is easy to assume that preparing children for this future means giving them more technology, earlier. But perhaps there is another question we should be asking: What do we need to intentionally protect and nurture in our children as technology becomes more capable?

This connects deeply with Lutheran Education Australia’s vision of Free to Flourish. At Living Faith, we want our students to be curious, creative and critical thinkers. We want them to solve problems, communicate, collaborate, adapt and make wise decisions. These deeply human capabilities have always mattered, but in a world increasingly shaped by technology and AI, we believe they will matter more, not less.

Sometimes, the struggle is the learning

As adults, we are often very good at removing difficulty for children. We explain the answer, fix the problem or find a faster way. Technology can make this even easier, with an answer rarely more than a few taps away.

But learning is not always meant to be quick or easy.

Think about a child wrestling with a difficult maths problem, searching for the right words in their writing or building something that keeps falling apart. They try, adjust and try again until eventually there is that wonderful moment: “I've got it!”

The thinking that happens along the way is incredibly important. We often call this the cognitive grapple-the mental work that happens when children actively engage with an idea, make connections and work through a challenge rather than simply being given the answer.

When technology removes too much of this thinking, we need to ask: What learning is actually taking place?

At school and at home, we can protect these moments. It might mean asking, “What have you tried?” before stepping in. It could mean handwriting an idea, building a model, playing a game, talking around the dinner table or simply allowing children to be bored and work out what to do next.

Sometimes, the struggle is the learning. When it comes to learning, faster is not always better.

Finding a better balance

Across Australia and internationally, there is a growing conversation about the balance between digital and non-digital learning, particularly for younger children. At the same time, renewed attention is being given to handwriting, physical books, conversation, making, drawing, playing, moving and learning through real experiences.

This does not mean going backwards or removing technology from learning. Digital tools can provide extraordinary opportunities for children to create, communicate, collaborate and access learning in ways that were not possible when many of us were at school.

It simply means being more intentional.

At Living Faith, we are continuing to think carefully about the role technology plays in learning. Is it helping a child think more deeply, create something new or communicate an idea in a powerful way? Is it extending learning, or beginning to replace the thinking? Could this experience be richer through conversation, handwriting, practical exploration, collaboration or play?

Our students will grow up in a world where technology and AI are part of everyday life. Preparing them well will require more than teaching them how to use the latest tool. It will require us to nurture their curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration and character so they can use technology wisely and to their advantage.

Our goal is purposeful technology: the right tool, at the right time, for the right purpose.

We want our students to be ready for the future. More importantly, we want them to have everything they need to flourish within it.

Alana Reville
Head of Learning and Innovation