To me, good use of technology in the math and/or science classroom occurs when the technology serves to enhance a students learning experience without undue difficulty in mastering the technology and without drawing away from necessary knowledge. An example of this would be the use of digital probes and computers in the chemistry lab.
The computers and probes allow the students to more easily manipulate the data they collect from the laboratory experiments. The process of graphing data is a skill learned in both math and science, so the substitution of a computer program for the time students may spend graphing by hand makes sense when the students have already clearly shown a mastery of these skills.
The digital probes allow for a more accurate reading of experimental data than is possible with analogue probes, and the ease of use of this technology allows students to gather a greater amount of data in the same amount of time.
Students can quickly and clearly visualize the effect of adding chemicals to their experiments, as computers can be programmed to automatically graph data as it is recorded. This creates a clear relationship to students between the physical reaction of the chemicals and the theories they’ve learned in class.
The main drawback to this type of technology is cost. While students can quickly learn to use the probes and graphing programs, the equipment is not cheap and unfortunately, it is very easy to break probes through improper use or storage. Hopefully, as technology advances this equipment will become more affordable and durable.