January brings many opportunities for change. The new year also allows district technology leaders and innovators to reflect on how the rapid pace of technological change is impacting what happens in their classrooms. Instructional technologies that were all the rage a year ago (netbooks) can be swept aside by this year's favorite (iPads). Discerning which new developments are truly effective and which are just fads is the toughest challenge. "T.H.E. Journal" recently convened five experts who spend their days in the trenches helping school districts understand the impact of technology on teaching and learning. The panel of experts determines which educational technology devices and practices are heating up, and which are losing steam.