Using Technology in the Classroom: Potential and Pitfalls Over the past decade, increasingly powerful technologies have begun to make their way into classrooms across the nation. Many classrooms are now equipped with personal computers running educational software to help teach students facts and concepts in a more engaging way than a traditional lecture. Advances in telecommunications technologies have led to nearly universal access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people around the world and access a wide range of educational materials. New ways of obtaining and presenting information have given students powerful new ways to understand the world around them. However, while the use of technology in the classroom has proven to be very beneficial to students, it is important to note that without a well-planned technology support system, this expensive educational technology often goes underutilized or misused. the class can significantly improve student performance. Lessons using computers and technology can be more interactive and hands-on, increasing student engagement and motivation. Schools that have implemented computers and other technologies in the classroom report higher attendance and lower dropout rates than in the past (Braun 7). Teachers report that students are more challenged, engaged, and independent when using technology (U.S. Department of Education). A 1995 study funded by the U.S. Department of Education concluded that in the nine technology-rich schools studied, the use of technology resulted in educational benefits for all students, regardless of age, race, or parental income. or by other characteristics (Means and Olson). .Also, media-re...... half of the document...... Final Report: Recommendations for America's Education Decision-Makers. International Society for Technology in Education, 1990. Carlson, S. “The Missing Link in Educational Technology: Trained Teachers.” TechKnowLogia October 2002.Carver, Sharon M. et al. “Learning through hypermedia design: Evaluation and implementation issues.” Educational Psychologist 27.3 (1992): 385.Means, Barbara and Kerry Olson. “Beyond the Classroom: Renovating Schools with Technology.” Phi Delta Kappan 77.1 (1995): 69. Spoehr, K. T. "Using Hypermedia to Clarify Conceptual Structures: Illustrations from History and Literature." Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco, California, 1992. U.S. Department of Education. “Using Technology to Support Education Reform.” September 1993. http://ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/TechReforms/index.html. Accessed June 3 2010.