Without support of peers, they very often suffer from extra workloads, lack of specific ICT training, and equipment failure. Regional groups develop ongoing relationships with vendors, model success, provide online support, and hold workshops to address needs. Funds for these organisations are usually from their members. Recently, OETC organised a practical conference to help schools develop ICT plans. It is held in mid-January and would be a great one for New Zealand teachers to attend.
Technology evolves at cyberspeed.
Some schools are now making effective use of PDAs such as the PalmPilot. There is also demand for more bandwidth. Many home users in the United States have better Internet speed than schools in New Zealand. The Internet has made a huge impact in our district. American teachers are quite shocked to learn that New Zealand schools pay high rates for web access, and cannot believe there is an extra charge per minute for school phone lines.