In K12 settings a careful balance needs to be established between the organizational efficiency of standardization and the developmental needs of learners at different age levels. Hardware and software standards within a school or school system provide consistency for users. Even when operating dual platforms, both PC and Mac, standardization is possible. With standard hardware and software, users are able to depend on each other for support. What one person learns is relevant and transferable to others because they are using the same, or at least similar, hardware and software.
Standards are best when input is sought from users throughout the decision making process.
Standards support equity as well. With standards, no one classroom, school, teacher or group of students has access to technologies superior to another. Finally, standards provide certain economies of scale that can often times free resources for support of the technologies in place. For the purpose of this discussion, systems is defined as the coordination of all of the efforts discussed so far. K12 technology initiatives must be district wide.