Searching "technology and kids" in Google will bombard you with the harm that excessive screen time can cause.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But there seems to be much less attention given to the opportunities that arise from digital learning.
On Monday and Tuesday, more than 250 educators from ACT schools gathered for the Google Apps for Education Summit 2016, to share how Google tools can enhance learning in and out of the classroom.
The event, which featured a range of international speakers, is the second of its kind in Canberra and the sixth in Australia.
Executive teacher at Fraser Primary School, Scott Pearce, said Google Apps allows for more efficient feedback and collaboration between students, parents and teachers.
"Students can learn outside of schools hours, anywhere and anytime," he said.
"They can learn with their parents, which we haven't been able to do before."
Since January, 32,000 students across 79 schools in the ACT have used Google Apps, which has a range of tools available for all pre-university grades.
There are no complicated programs involved, or any at all. The tools can be accessed with an internet connection and device.
Students can monitor their progress and teach each other, parents are able to comment and the feedback process can be reduced from days to minutes, Macgregor Primary School teacher Renee Waters said.
"We are able to deliver lessons based on various needs and abilities," Ms Waters said.
"Students can write something, hear it back and then punctuate and edit it."
"And there's not necessarily a separate document for their work, they are able to see their growth from kindy to year six."
Education Minister Shane Rattenbury said the program could potentially change the culture of learning and teaching.
"Technology is transforming the way that people interact with each other and the world, and it is important that our students develop skills and understandings to help them find their place in this world," he said.
"Using a platform like Google gives educators and students access to a boundless range of information and the tools to understand and use it."
High-speed internet in the ACT has driven the initiative's success, chief information officer at the Education Directorate, Mark Huxley said.
"It means that our schools can go onto these platforms cloud-based, on the internet, anywhere across the school site."
Mr Huxley said an independent privacy assessment undertaken before the rollout of the program found it was "very low risk".
