Technology: An Ethical Obligation?

I thought "Social Justice: Choice or Necessity" by Colleen Swain and David Edyburn was right on as far as preparing today's youth and tomorrow's work force. Obviously this is a technological world and we are doing a great disservice to our students if we deny that fact. As teachers, our job is to prepare our students for the future and make them intelligent, functioning, contributing members of society---therefore, technology education is crucial. Teachers need to know what their students have available, whether this is at the school or outside, and use it to their fullest advantage. Unfortunately, the world is a place of inequality and social injustices; however, there are ways to "undermine" or "decrease" the ways in which these inequalities effect our students. First, teachers should take FULL ADVANTAGE of ANY technology available at their schools. If you have an hour a week on the computers, you better use that hour to its fullest and really try to cram as much "techy lessons" in as possible. Kids figure out "computer stuff" so fast and it only takes a few times after demonstrating for them to become fully independent and capable. As the technology assistant at an elementary school, I am often frustrated by the teachers that allow their students to come in for "free time" for 40 minutes and "waste" it by playing on Paint doodling squiggle lines...Really? What are the kids learning from that? NOTHING! I think teachers should use their time on computers to really make it substantial and meaningful. Obviously each school has different resources available to their students so this could vary. Outside of school, you can encourage and teach families about using the computers at the local public libraries. Also, search for technology FOR your students. Write grants and get your kids laptops that he/she can keep at home. There are even organizations out there that provide resources for underprivileged youth. Although there are certainly boundaries and restrictions, there is this one organization called "A Laptop For Every Child" and it provides just that! Teachers will need to be creative about how they integrate technology in their classrooms and assess the value of each lesson.
I think the biggest, underlying issue is that technology is here to stay and as future teachers, we better figure out a way to implement it SUCCESSFULLY in our classrooms. It may be a challenge for some but it is completely crucial and 100% necessary for the success of our students in today's society and workforce.