SEAMOLEC’s Initiatives on Technology and Values-Driven Transformation in K-12 Education

This article explores the intersection of technology and values-driven transformation, especially in K–12 education. It discusses the need for values-driven transformation in education, the connection between technology and values-driven transformation, and the role that technology can play in facilitating this transformation. Good values are instilled in schools as early as possible and through habituation among students. This has become part of the teacher’s obligation to integrate these good values through classroom learning. Values-driven transformation in education can be referred to explicit or implicit. Explicit values education refers to schools’ official curriculum of what and how to teach values and morality, including teachers’ explicit intentions and practices of values education. Implicit values education is associated with a hidden curriculum and implicit values influence, embedded in school and classroom practices. Teaching is inevitably a moral activity in which teachers have to consider the ethical complexity of teaching and the moral impact they have on their students. The article highlights two initiatives of the SEAMEO Regional Open Learning Centre that aim to integrate technology into the educational landscape while also staying true to the core values of education. The centre believes that one of the many ways to reach this objective is through the socialisation of digital literacy skills. The two initiatives include assisting the SEAMEO Secretariat in developing the Global Digital Literacy Online Course using Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in 2019 and providing assistance in the conduct of ASEAN Teachers’ Online Media and Information Literacy Bootcamp in 2023. Both initiatives are targeted at teachers because they are the drivers of education, and equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge is crucial for providing students with a quality education that prepares them for the challenges of the future. This article also analyses the impact and future directions of technology and value-driven transformation in educational contexts that are both far-reaching and evolving. Overall, the paper argues that by embracing technology in a values-driven way, educators can better prepare students for the challenges of the future and equip them with the skills to be responsible and ethical citizens. The skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.