Crucial to the success of technically supported instructional programs is implementing instructional cycles of reasonable length that synchronize changes in curriculum, instructional practices, technology, staff development, and in management and leadership practices. During the cycle, teaching, management, and leadership practices should enjoy the same opportunity to mature and be evaluated. Technical disparities hinder effective integration of technology where deployment is less than ubiquitous and participation of the school s total community is missing or the participation is fragmented. In this complex and comprehensive cycle, teachers can manage changing teaching strategies more effectively for enhancing student learning through the integration of media and technology. Also, leadership practices can evolve to accommodate telecomputing demands on the institution and its community.
Many schools have limited connectivity between electronic resources.
Availability often confines telecomputing resources to areas such as the Media Center, laboratories, or the classrooms of technically savvy teachers. Confinement is a boundary condition for integrating the technology into specific learning activities. In this environment, coherence within the grade level, coherence between grade levels, and long-term viability of practices may be poor. Excellent examples of practices and management exist, and constructing a platform that will facilitate their propagation through the school is a foundation for tomorrow s projects. Successful use of technology will require schools to form and participate in collaboratives that promote professional exchange and cooperation between technically competent practitioners, advance common needs of regional partners, and effectively unify learning activities across the student s day.