Let me just play the cynic here just for fun and discussion.
First, I sure wish I had a computer in school; high school and college - but not elementary or middle school.
Writing papers and certain other work would have been so much easier. But I truely fail to see the bang for the buck for putting computers in the hands of younger students. Maybe bunnies hopping across the screen help kids learn arithmetic, but you'll have to prove it to me.
Computer tools are neat, powerpoint, page layout tools, etc. one can really jazz up a presentation or paper. But this is eye candy trumping content; and even hiding the lack of it.
Some may argue for internet access, but I contend the internet is a poor research tool in general. It's content is broad, but not deep. And who's to say what web site's information is accurate or credible? Maybe there are good research sites out there, but do we need to give every kid a computer to access it?
I think the argument "we need to teach computer skills" is BS. Just what the heck are computer skills anyway? Typing? Critical Thinking? These are not computer skills. So what's left? Mousing? Double-clicking? Shortcut spelling for those IM chats? Maybe "computer skills" is the new driver's education. Certainly driver's ed is not classical education, but who doesn't drive in our society? Likewise who doesn't run into computers? Well, we didn't buy cars for kids.
Computers are not the silver bullet of education.
email, aim, myspace, facebook, flash games, funny movie clips, etc. 
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