My view was that each classroom should implement computer technology in the teacher process. Therefore my superiors also had to be convinced of the current benefits of implementing a computer system that students could use almost constantly. Once I was able to effect this, each classroom was furnished with 4-6 computers, depending upon the average number of students that entered the class per week. Students were then able to work on the computers in a group capacity, where each group member had an opportunity to work with the technology with the help of the rest of the group. Once this was done, my second challenge was to help my diverse students to become used to the technology and be able to use it effectively. This was particularly challenging, as some students have been working regularly with the library computers, while others have used them as little as possible. Contributing to the already existing diversity in my classroom was also the fact that some students had personal computers at home, while others did not. Some of my students were simply not as interested in the technology as others.

I handled this by dividing students into groups where as many of the diverse issues as possible were presented. One group for example would have at least one student who was very well-versed at computer technology, one student who had worked very little with computers, with other members who are in a diversity of academic and technological range. The idea was to help students help...

When I taught a skill -- searching the Internet for information, for example -- I would then give each group members about 5 minutes on the computer to demonstrate their skills or to learn new skills. The group members were then to supervise and help the student in question should this be needed.
Peer learning is a very important component of implementing technology in the classroom. Precisely because funding is a challenge, providing a computer for every single student in school at every single moment during their day is impractical. However, I believe that peer groups can work to the advantage of both the educational process and students themselves.

In the future, I believe the greatest challenges will remain funding and student diversity. These can be overcome by means of correlative effort by educators and parents, as well as by peer group education. The fact does remain that technology is and will remain a vital part of preparing students for their future at tertiary institutions, and ultimately in the workplace.

Sources

Klopfer, E. Osterweil, S., Groff, J. And Haas, J. (2009). Using the Technology of Today, in the Classroom Today. The Education Arcade. Retrieved from: http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf

Stanford University (2000). Standards-Based Education: Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved from: http://www.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/archives/syllabi/CalTex_SBR/procon.html