The potential as well as the limitations of the technology needs to be discussed and a consensus reached on the justification of spending scarce resources on hardware, software and peripherals. Within the context of the overall school curricular plan, the computer could be looked at as a tool for motivating pupils and allowing opportunities for collaborative and social learning. Many curriculum reinforcement packages allow for very specific individualized learning and the use of ICT in remedial teaching or with pupils of exceptional ability could be investigated. Adaptive technologies open up immense possibilities for pupils with special needs and many schools may need to look at this area in their school plan. As existing hardware depreciates and edges towards obsolescence, it is worthwhile to consider whether the purchase of new or replacement hardware should be included in the budget.
Many schools fall into the trap of over-allocating funds for hardware.
The computer is only as good as the software it is running and the peripherals it operates. Often, computers are stored on trolleys for ease of movement to classrooms. It will then have to be decided how often each class gets computer access and for what duration. Staff bringing home computers during holiday time for familiarisation purposes Most teachers do not have the time to learn how to use computers during their busy school day. Some schools opt to allow teachers to bring home a computer during the evenings, weekends or holidays so that they can learn and experiment at their own pace.