Between access and use: a case-study on technology mediation in a school environment

ICT are often seen as useful tools for educative purposes, in an instrumental perspective that corresponds to a certain appropriation of technology for social mobility. The investment on ICT from families as well as from State derives from an expectation on their utility regarding the children’s education, as long as and in so far – as they are regulated and controlled for maximized utility. As children are thought of as having a natural disposition to handle technology, but to progressively become more resistant to school education, the integration of technology in school is regarded as a useful and even necessary measure to keep them interested as well as to prepare them for the future. We conducted a case-study in a private religious school from the 5th to the 9th grade, which was equipped with new computers, interactive boards and Internet connection under the project "School of the Future [Escola do Futuro]" from Portugal Telecom, a major Portuguese telecommunications company. Here, we intend to discuss and analyze the conflicting perspectives and desires from the three main protagonists in the school setting (students, teachers/board and parents) regarding ICT usage.