My views on technology in the classroom are definitely shaped by my experiences. I've seen several formats of data storage emerge and die out already for example. Part of whats hard about embracing technology in the classroom is choosing the technology that's going to be around long enough to be useful to the students, have an effective library of educationally relevant materials for student to view, use, or otherwise learn from and with, and be cost effective for school districts to manage and maintain. There is also the reliability and compatibility aspects of technology, especially as you integrate newer technologies into existing systems. Any equipment that is cutting edge today will be an antique within 5 years. Will it still work with whatever new systems are available then? Will it still be supported by the manufacturers, installers, and developers? Will you be able to find new software, new videos, new games for it? And most importantly, will any of it actually help your students learn or will it needlessly complicate the classroom?
What technology is "appropriate" is definitely based on a mixture of the instructor's proficiency with the technology and the school's ability to properly maintain it. Even something as simple as an overhead projector is useless if there are no bulbs to put in it for example.
One thing that connects my techno-bio and my classroom posts are the evolution of technology. A good example has been the migration of instructors to power point from overhead projectors with plastic slides. Another is going from filmstrips and slideshows in elementary schools to DVD's in high school.
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I agree with the idea the technology is only useful when teachers know how to use it, and it is properly maintained. I like the question you asked: "will any of it (technology) actually help your students learn or will it needlessly complicate the classroom?"
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