Technology has affected every aspect of teaching. As technology infuses all aspects of education it becomes a more essential ingredient to all teaching. When the technology doesn't work it becomes a burden because students have come to expect that instruction will be delivered in a specific way (usually via a PowerPoint presentation) or as the instructor you have developed a method of delivering instruction that requires the technology.
As the semester has progressed I have faced this type of issue. One of the rooms that I teach in has frequently had some technological issue relating to the desktop. This means that the PowerPoint presentation that I've developed cannot be displayed on the screen clearly. Normally, this might not be a major issue because in the past I have given students my complete slides for each lecture. However, in an attempt to add value to the classroom experience I've recently provided the students with the PowerPoint outlines without all the notes included. This has lead to students spending more time taking notes rigorously in class and has made the clear presentation of those notes much more important.
The iPad has proven to be a useful back up solution to the desktop in many of the classrooms. When the desktop computer in any of the classrooms isn't working I just take out my iPad with the special connector and plug it in just like a laptop. I store all my complete PowerPoint presentations on Dropbox. With remote access from anywhere, its made my presentation of the material very easy even when the desktop in the classroom hasn't worked.
Ultimately technology can be a part of the problem or it can be a part of the solution. Its up to instructors to develop skills using all of these tools.
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