As a design instructor it has been a challenge on how to balance the use and the extent of technology in t teaching early designer the essentials of the the design process. I have found that if technology is introduced too early in the process students become very easily "seduced" by the graphic or "pretty pictures" that can be produced quickly and without much depth from critical thinking. I have found greater success by limiting their use of technology during the early phases of the project and make them think through the process with sketches, hand drawings, writings, etc... once a firm conceptual basis is established they are then permitted to explore it with that idea with the appropriate program. For me this made for richer projects developed from more critical thinking and not just producing a good looking image on the computer. As technology advances as more of an instinctive and fluid thinking tool it can be introduced earlier and earlier in the design process? But I believe it should always supplement and not substitute critical thinking in the learning process.