I think it is important to take a leadership role in giving students the technological knowledge they need to succeed in academia. That said, I think it is also important to find work arounds for a lack of access to many of the new programs available.
I love to find the free version of everything, and as an added bonus to all the free software is that it's online. This makes a collaborative space which allows students to work and share from anywhere. When I was first introduced to educational software people used the word "someday", I think that someday is now. Every kid needs to know how to work online, be at ease with multimedia, and the creation of digital work.
How do I do it? Well, I think there are roughly a zillion ways to show you understand historical/geographical/economic/political content. Why not have students generate something which not only aids them, but their class, their school and their community? I have made walking tour maps with my home-study students about the historical happenings in Bellingham. Then we put the link up in local tourist hubs and tracked downloads. Children like doing things that have a purpose. the free publishing capabilities of the internet give them a space to share their work.
Though there are many advantages to using technology there are some downsides. First, hardware can be very pricey and it becomes obsolete quickly. I think partnering with computer recyclers and community organizations is key to give students access. Second, many new and flashy technologies come out and the pen and paper version is faster and better. For instance, I could have students keep a reading blog, or I could have them keep a notebook. I prefer notebook. Notebook can go to the park, or church, or anywhere. It never runs out of batteries and rarely crashes.
I think it is important to choose tech wisely.
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