Access in the Classroom

We have been discussing access to technology in the classroom setting in my Educational Technology course.  One of the things that strikes me as odd as I have been observing my classroom environments as a Teacher Assistant, is that having a computer in the classroom, does not necessarily mean one has access to it.  My classrooms (I am a TA at two different schools) each have one computer workstation with a document camera set-up that is designated for instructional purposes.  At one school, a computer lab is located just down the hall.  I am a TA for art, and the ability to present visual information effectively can be easily accomplished by using tools like the document camera or PowerPoint and other presentation apps.  However, my Coordinating teacher only utilizes the document camera, so access to the web is inhibited by her lack of knowledge for navigating the computer settings.  These schools do not participate in one to one programs and do not use iPad carts like so many other schools have begun to do. Some students have access to smartphones, but cellphone use in any context is prohibited for students.  What frustrates me is not the lack of technology at these schools, but the limited way in which what they do have is being used, especially in the art room.  Technology has the potential to engage students in ways that traditional presentations of information do not.  I would love to have students actually participate in their own learning even in the simplest of ways by presenting visual, audio, or video clips that spark questions, curiosity, and longing for more information.  Currently, this is not happening.  I will be dong some investigating to find out where students have the opportunity to engage with technology at both schools.