What do you think might be important technology to use/have in a classroom?

When trying to determine what kind of technology would be the most useful in the classroom there are several questions to ask. Is the technology being added into the classroom for that sole purpose? To have technology in the classroom and give the impression that the classroom is ‘with it’ or is the technology being added to the classroom to assist with teaching and increase desire and ability to learn? With this in mind it would be pointless to put advanced technology into classrooms if the teachers do not know how to use it affectively. They do not necessarily need to be experts but it is important that they know enough so that the technology is being used optimally and not being wasted.  

Another important question to ask is about accessibility. What can the school realistically afford to add and maintain in its classrooms? It costs money to repair, replace and run many of the current technologies. What technology do students have access to from home? Do all the students have computers and internet at home so that they can access information at home? Do they already have iPods, and cell phones that they could just bring into class?

After these questions have been answered, I believe that it is important to look at what grade levels. Different forms of technology will be better suited for different ages. Perhaps interactive white boards (IWB) would be better used in the primary and junior grades because they are already more inclined to be up, walking around and moving. The primary grades are also more inclined to kinesthetic learning. Laptops and iPads might be more useful in the intermediate, senior grades when students are writing papers and reading textbooks.

There are many different perspectives and things to look at when asking the question, what is the most important kind of technology to have in the classroom? The following blog had some interesting perspectives.

 http://goo.gl/wR2d0