Unknown benefits of technology use in the classroom

During my research I found it difficult to stay on task with one particular topic. Each piece I researched kept leading me to another interesting topic. I decided to keep researching using technology in the classroom to see if their were specific types of technology use that wasn't beneficial and which types worked the best. I found a website that discussed 7 different benefits for using technology. Beforehand I knew there were many benefits but was surprised to see some of these. I was unaware that the range of benefits of the use of technology was so wide.
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

• Change in Student and Teacher Roles
  
• Increased Motivation and Self Esteem
  
• Technical Skills
  
• Accomplishment of More Complex Tasks
  
• More Collaboration with Peers
  
• Increased Use of Outside Resources
  
• Improved Design Skills/Attention to Audience
  

Looking at students and teachers change in roles discusses the importance of getting students to do these hands on activities. They are more in charge individually then just listening to the teacher lecture. By using technology to support student thoughts, students are able to identify their goals, and track their progress by looking at their individual work.

Motivation is a key benefit when integrating technology in the classroom. There are different motivations students get when using technology in the classroom. Students may find things out they never would have before technology and be able to show their peers their hard work. This gets others motivated to learn and find new things as well. I was surprised to see that using technology in the classroom can increase student self esteem! Students become more confident when using and competing their research or projects using technology. They feel like they have really accomplished something.

In today's society, technology is a key aspect. By utilizing it in the classroom, students are able to increase their technological skills needed for the future.

With all of these benefits I believe that technology will soon be a key aspect in an everyday lesson. As teachers we need to stay up to date so we can better our students with these benefits. How can we stay up to date on the latest technology uses?