Obstacles

What has slowed the use of technology in education and how can those obstacles be overcome?
I think there are three obstacles that hender more rampent use of technology in classrooms today. First, is the availability of the resources. Not all schools have equal access to the technology that is available today and too many school systems have a hard time just keeping their computers up to date with software and hardware. Secondly, teachers get frustrated with the limited access provided by the IT departments in various school systems. Too many IT directors feel it is easier to block access to Internet sites using a coded blanket as opposed to taking the time to research sites and make restrictions only when appropriate. For example, most blog sites are blocked by school districts when blogs can be a valuable tool in the classroom when used correctly. Third, and finally, even when resources are not a problem and districts are blessed with a forward thinking IT Director, the implementation of technology is slowed down by teacher fear and inadequacy. Too many teachers do not have the skills necessary to implement technology in an effective way in the classroom. Teachers must receive professional development to gain the necessary skills to teach students to be productive in the 21st Century. Will computers replace teachers?...no of course not, but teachers who use computers will replace those who do not.