How Schools Can Move Beyond “Tech for Tech’s Sake” to Improve Instruction

Over the past decade, schools have increasingly incorporated technology into their classrooms, with mixed results. Some tools have enhanced instruction, while others have introduced complexity without significant benefit.

To understand what it looks like to use technology with purpose, we spoke with Stevie Frank, a Digital Learning Coach at Zionsville Community Schools, Indiana. With a background in elementary literacy and experience as both a classroom teacher and digital learning coach, she has spent years helping educators ground their use of technology in sound teaching.

She often turns to GoGuardian Teacher and Pear Deck Learning, sister solutions within the GoGuardian digital education suite, which are designed to complement pedagogy and support teachers across focus, instruction, and student engagement.

“A lot of times, edtech conversations are very tech-forward, so sometimes it’s all about the tools and not so much about the curriculum and pedagogy,” she explained. “I want to talk about the what and why, and then the tools come in with the how.”

Where AI fits into the conversation

That “how” is evolving with artificial intelligence. Frank believes AI has an important role to play in schools, but only if it complements teachers and supports instruction. The most effective use of technology begins not with what the tool can do, but with what the teacher wants students to learn.

“AI is a train that has left the station. The longer we wait to jump on, the further it gets away,” she said. “Even the ‘experts’ do not know where it is going. We are all just on the train together.”

For Frank, the promise of AI is not about replacing teacher judgment. It is about making room for teachers to focus on what matters most: relationships, instruction, and student growth. She values AI when it is embedded directly into workflows, helping teachers see what is happening in their classrooms without adding more setup or stress.

GoGuardian Teacher is one example. AI-powered Off-Task Alerts automatically detect when students are disengaged, even if they are on seemingly productive sites like Google Docs. 

“One of my favorite features in GoGuardian Teacher is that if you do not have time to set up a Scene, you can set sensitivity levels,” Frank explained. “So if a student is on a website that is a little bit out of range for 10 seconds, their screen glows yellow so you know they are not on the task at hand.”

This model of AI as a teaching partner runs throughout GoGuardian and Pear Deck Learning. GoGuardian Beacon combines AI with human judgment to surface critical insights and ensure timely support when it matters most. Pear Deck Learning extends the same approach across the instructional cycle, through an AI-enabled platform to help teachers plan lessons, check for understanding in the moment, and turn student responses into differentiated next steps.

For Frank, these features represent the right role for AI in schools: giving teachers more visibility without adding more work, and creating more space to build relationships with students.

Making technology decisions that serve instruction

Frank has seen how quickly schools can lose sight of pedagogy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed what she calls the “2020 bubble,” when districts rushed to adopt digital platforms simply to keep learning afloat.

“It was just everybody trying to use tech for tech’s sake,” she said. “Now, I’m starting to see us backpedal and be more mindful in our use of technology.”

That mindfulness guides her coaching today. When teachers ask about a tool, she redirects the conversation. “When a teacher makes an appointment to meet with me and says, ‘I want to use this tool,’ I will say, ‘Okay, what are you teaching tomorrow? What assessment are you using? Let’s start there.’”

Using technology to support relationships and SEL

Relationships are central to Frank’s philosophy, and she looks for tools that support them. One of her biggest wins came from using Pear Deck Learning for daily check-ins and brain breaks.

“Middle schoolers will not care about you unless they feel cared about,” she said. “Pear Deck opened that door.”

Those check-ins also gave her actionable data. “So many kids were not in the green. That let me bring in counselors and behavior specialists. I would not have had that data otherwise.”

For districts, her experience shows how intentional use of technology can provide insight into student well-being that informs both classroom practice and wider support systems.

Technology that strengthens literacy instruction

Frank’s literacy background shapes how she evaluates tools. She recalls using Pear Deck’s drawing tool to help students develop text evidence skills.

“Text evidence is huge. With Pear Deck’s drawing tool, I would scan the text, model highlighting, then have students show me their own. On my iPad dashboard, I could peek inside every kid’s brain.”

In supporting literacy skills, the right tool is not about adding more activity, but giving teachers a clearer window into how students think with text.

Putting student-first philosophy into practice

Zionsville’s philosophy of “student-first and best practice” depends on aligning tools with instruction. Frank sees both Pear Deck Learning and GoGuardian Teacher as tools that fit this vision.

“With Pear Deck, I could see not only what students knew, but also how they were feeling,” she explained. “Sometimes kids are not whole when they come to us. Having that data lets me connect them with district resources. It showed this was not just my classroom, but a bigger issue across fifth grade.”

She takes the same approach with GoGuardian Teacher, which she advocated for as a classroom teacher. “I tell kids, your frontal lobes are not fully developed yet, so you will be distracted. This is not a gotcha moment. It’s a guardrail to help you make good decisions.”

Her language — guardrails, relationships, intentionality — underscores the role technology can play when it supports teaching rather than competes with it.

Why intentional technology use matters for every school

Frank emphasizes that the role of technology should vary by grade level.

“For kindergarten and first grade, technology is not always necessary, unless it’s for equity in high-ability testing,” she said. “But for upper elementary through high school, absolutely. It’s inevitable. But it has to be intentional. Tech for tech’s sake? No.”

She connects this thinking to the SAMR model, which describes how technology can substitute, augment, modify, or redefine instruction. “We absolutely need to be looking at the SAMR model and talking about intentional use,” she said. “If we are just teaching tech, then no. That’s not what we need to be on.”

For Frank, the lesson is less about keeping up with tools and more about staying grounded in purpose. “Choose one tool, get comfy and cozy with it, then move on,” she advises. “Even play with it on your own before using it with students. I coach by nudging teachers forward without bruising.”

Technology will keep evolving, but the principle stays the same: Start with strong pedagogy, then bring in the tools that make it possible at scale.