Technology by itself is often little more than an expensive toy. In order to achieve the promised benefit, you must first clearly define your reason for investing in technology. Although this will invariably lead to a multi-faceted response, at the core there is really only one reason: technology makes more things possible.

The realm of expanded possibilities is the result of two capacities of technology. The first is the dynamic of increased efficiency. While many things can be done without the use of technology, they can often be done much more efficiently with it. These gains in efficiency not only improve the processes in which they are used but also enable the doing of more things. Improving the utilization of scarce resources will expand the possibilities by making things more affordable. Improving the productivity of those same resources will expand the possibilities by making things more timely.

The second capacity of technology is the domain of improved effectiveness. Ofttimes, processes that become more timely suddenly become worthwhile. Reports pertaining to individual student performance are only useful if available with sufficient notice to effect a prescriptive response. This is technically a function of improved efficiency . . .