Technology is a tool to solve problems. The interaction among students with the Graphing calculator or without the graphing calculator is not much different. Students like to discuss using the calculators. With a limited number of computers in our Lab it made access to needed software much easier to accomplish. Statistics need a lot of number crunching if one would use activity-based approach.
Computer technology is essential.
However, a typical computer lab set up is usually not adequate for instruction, activities and computer work simultaneously. Generally speaking, technology helps to improve the entire class in both group discussion and instruction. For their projects I allowed them to use programs such as Mathematica and Maple although it was not required. If they were interested in using this technology then I would give the group a handout on how to use the software and have a mini training session with them - this was on their own time. Solving syntax and hardware problems forced them to work together.