Momentum change in 2011

I have noticed this year (2011) that the driver of momentum for changes in the use of technology (in the classroom) is quickly moving from the visionaries and technologists onto the classroom teacher.  I am confident this is because the consumerisation of Technology, caused by the growth in iOS and Android platforms, has simplified the interaction and reduced the need for technology skills. 

The impetus for moving forward is now something that a significant number of ICT specialists feel should be contained.  I am certainly in that state of mind at the moment, even as the consumerisation and simplification of interaction between person and device continues there is still some significant shortfalls in the way these changes would be impacted in the classroom.  By this I mean that the importance of a reliable and secure environment for students to be able to learn in is still the primary goal of our IT infrastructure.  The new generations of personal devices will impact on our ability to deliver that basic goal.  The standardisation of the interface between teacher and student, the monitoring of activity and many common applications are simply not available at the moment on these devices.  It is also very difficult to work out which is the study device and which device is the personal device with a 3G connection that doesn’t even connect to the School’s infrastructure.