Technological advances in the last quarter century have forever changed the daily lives of Americans. Rather than getting the news from the paper delivered to your doorstep, you probably download it on your PC or Mac. Tangible books are being replace by Kindles and Nooks, and there are apps for your Droid, Blackberry, or iPhone to do just about everything except pound out your erasers.

Schools have begun adapting to new technologies with assistance and encouragement from the federal government. The Washington Post reports that last year, federal dollars for educational technology totaled more than $800 million and projects that "state and local expenditures will total $16 billion next year."

The real question is how have these expenditures helped American students? The Post article quotes makers of SMART Technologies who claim that their Smart Boards and other interactive devices improve students' performance. However, William Ferriter, a sixth-grade teacher from North Carolina found that, "My kids were bored with it after about three weeks."

Novelty and advancement are prized in America, but so are reading, writing, and arithmetic. The technological devices may help teachers engage their tech-savvy students, but the devices can also be a distraction from the work of educating. Technology's novelty must be balanced with educators who are focused on students' learning, and the result will be a healthy and productive environment with engaged students and modern approaches to teaching the fundamentals.

How have you used new technology in your classroom?
Do new gadgets help engage students?
Are federal, state, and local expenditures on technology funds well spent?
Comment below.

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