The planning team must not only determine how the school district will use technology but also decide where technology will be used. Research on academic gains attributable to technology points to easy access for students and teachers in the classroom as the place in which the greatest impact may be achieved.
Technology in the classroom is therefore preferable to technology located only in labs. But will each school also have labs to provide access to technology for students and the community after school as well as for whole-class use? Are labs the entire district can afford for the first few years as it begins its acquisition of technology? These and other questions must be answered to make decisions about network capabilities and the amount of hardware purchased for both the short and the long term.
Another location issue is after-school access to technology and the school network. Will teachers, parents, and students be able to gain access to school equipment to complete their work in on-site, after-school programs or in community technology centers? Will they be able to use the school network from home or other non-school locations?