I am always weary when people start to ‘assess’ the merits of technology (especially in a cost analysis situation). New technology is expensive, bottom line. And even worse, sometimes the wrong technology is purchased. However, when decisions are made solely based on budget, we often choose ‘cheaper alternatives’ or inadequate quantities of tools, so we end up with the ‘one computer for every 5 students’ model.

I am not delusional – I realize that budget is one of the primary concerns of all school boards, what I don’t buy is the use of budget as an excuse for not investing in technology at all. Many schools find ways to raise money, divert existing budgets or sacrifice other expenditures to make technology a priority. It is the ‘value’ that is placed on Technology (capital T) that makes these sacrifices possible. When educators, parents and students believe that an investment in technology is the best choice for education then many creative ways of raising funds arise.

I am currently part of a school that is investing a lot of money in iPads, raising money through various events. As one of the people leading this campaign I make sure to clearly articulate our goal. It is not about buying iPads for every teacher and student, rather it is about integrating technology into the learning experience of every student to enhance the type of learning that takes place and to teach our students 21^st century skills that will allow them to be successful outside of high school. With this as our goal, even if iPads are not the solution, we are creating the culture of ET in our school and that justifies the costs.