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More and more, schools are seeking efficient, cost-effective alternatives to using paper and supporting over-priced textbook companies. One way is by supporting technology in schools. Schools are seeking ways to upgrade and sustain wireless infrastructures and integrate mobile devices that broaden teaching and learning opportunities. Similarly, schools are decreasing their dependency on paper and incorporating digital workflows.

Curriki (1) is a website that curates content in a variety of disciplines, highlighting noteworthy teachers and content.

The CK-12 Foundation offers FlexBooks (2), full digital texts that students and teachers can access on multiple devices in PDF, MOBI and ePub formats.

Conversely, in a flipped class, students gain content knowledge at home through audio, video and text, so that more class time can be devoted to discussion, exploration and experimentation.

giving students not only the ability to learn at their own pace but also in the way that best suits their learning needs

Students have access to the content outside of school.

Students have access to a variety of apps that allow for creativity. By demonstrating their knowledge through apps such as Explain Everything, iMovie (13) and Keynote (14), they provide teachers with an opportunity for alternative assessments.

Students also experience flexibility to demonstrate their knowledge instead of a multiple-choice paper-and-pencil test. As they naturally begin to own their learning through the creative process on the iPad, students are proud of their work and eager to share their products.

I find that my students remain highly engaged in their learning. Gamifying my classroom has truly been transformative!

I also had unintended success by posting leaderboards with total earned scores -- there was a spike in iteration with students redoing work so that they could do it better.

Games enable my students to discover different ways of solving problems, which is more like life and less like standardized tests.

Plus, many students now have email accounts and use this medium to submit work or the occasional excuse.

By providing students with the option to access content on a mobile device, we begin removing many of the restrictions previously placed upon their learning environment.

The U.S. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (3) defines the concept of the Least Restrictive Environment as the opportunity for a student with a disability to be "provided with supplementary aids and services necessary to achieve educational goals if placed in a setting with non-disabled peers."

I saw the benefits of how technology could engage my learners, encourage collaboration, and provide meaningful project ideas to spark curiosity and exploration.

Some chose paper, some chose an iPad. I learned that introducing the students to a variety of tools allowed each child to have more creative choice.

The tragedy is that many of these students are capable and could live and succeed independently given the proper supports and tools.

We are starting to see an impact of the technology revolution on our ability to support students with autism and other disabilities