In a broad sense, the word "technology" refers to the application of science to commerce or industry. From 1997 to 2007, according to a time line created by California State University, Long Beach, educational software, with increasingly attractive graphics and improved interactivity, videos and other tools were incorporated in the classroom as more districts employed the use of technology.
A 2008 study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 97 percent of districts have a local area network (LAN), which allows computer users within one school building to connect to each other, in all their schools. Further, 81 percent provided a district network, connecting the computers in all of the district's buildings to each other and the Internet.
Technology has changed many aspects of the education system. Rather than sending fliers and papers home with a child in his backpack, districts relay information to parents and the public through websites and email blasts. Instead of keeping physical files on students, administrators now use online databases, with some schools allowing parents to log in and see their child's grades in lieu of a paper report card. Parents typically can email teachers to get information about their children without having to schedule an in-person meeting.
While technology brings many positives to students, teachers may lack skills or need support with troubleshooting problems. Successfully bringing technology into the classroom often "depends too heavily upon the individual teacher's comfort level and technological expertise," writes Steve Cameron, a professor at Boston University, in Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine. He also argues that teachers "need to be able to rely on an individual who can instruct them in the use of the applications, and assist them if they run into difficulties."
Using technology, including the Internet, can create a more interactive educational environment. In a 2003 Conservation Biology article, a teacher described how the Internet can be used to host course-related discussions not only for teachers and students, but also between the students themselves. "They have used the discussion sites to share data, collaborate on assignments, and argue the fine points of take-home exam questions the night before they are due," the teacher wrote.