Educational Technology: Media for Inquiry, Communication,
Construction, and Expression by Bruce and Levin
 

Basically, I like the Taxonomy as it classifies educational technology based on a child's learning experiences and not by the functions or modes of the tools. It is also very comprehensive in coverage. It provides a useful  framework to think about how best to harness the power of IT in a constructivist classroom.
 

Oversimplifying

Any classification system, I believe, by putting items into categories, has the potential problem of over-simplifying. In this instance, certain educational technology can serve more than one purpose. For example,  several of the examples in Media for Communication could also be classified under Media for Expression. Media used  in document preparation such as word processing, graphics and outlining tools and desktop publishing are not used for preparing documents per se but for a communicative purpose as well. The class "document preparation"  fails to capture its mediative aspects.

Besides, depending on a teacher's creativity, any tool can become a Teaching Media. For example, synchronous communication can be used by a teacher to create discussion threads or forum within a class as a form of teaching media. The teacher could use the forum to get students to reflect on issues  and to give feedback to students.
 

Belonging to more than one category

Presently, microcomputer-based  laboratories, with sensors are classified as Data-Collection media. I would argue that  we ought to see microcomputer-based laboratories  as an entire integrated system.  The probes which collect data is  just one aspect of the entire integrated system. An example is the PASCO Science Workshop in which three probes recording temperature, light and voltage data in the field are provided. These probes collect the data to be input into computers. Information is then analysed and graphed. The laboratory has  multiple functions in the inquiry learning process - data collection, data analysis and document preparation and not just limited to the collection of data.

Another example is GIS database systems such as ArcView GIS .ArcView GIS is more than just a collection of resources. It also allows students to create maps and add their own data into existing databases.  The  software is also a powerful visualization tool. Students can access records from existing databases and display them in different map styles. Hence, it is not just a Media for Inquiry as classified but also a Media for Communication as well as a Media for Construction.

I think it is important to remember that the taxonomy is useful in getting  us to think about the full range of  possibilities. However, the teacher must not let it limit his or her exploration beyond the identified scope.