How far is too far?

One of the issues my Field Based Supervisor encountered during teaching, is that sometimes the students missed out on important steps in the learning process due to technology. The specific example I am talking about is the Quadratic Formula. Today, many programs are into calculators for students to already calculate the answer as long as they know a, b, and c values, but when it comes to actually applying the quadratic formula they get lost, and teachers have to reteach. I think its a very fine line when it comes to technology and how far is too far when using it in the classroom. My personal belief is that students should have that basic knowledge of important subject areas like the quadratric formula, because it is not just going to end in high school. In fact, just last Thursday night I helped my friend who is a Sophmore at USD study for her College Algebra II class, which involved solving for the Quadratric Formula. From my own personal experience, I know the formula was useful in Physics class as well. It gave me an edge when learning knew material like projectile motion. In the end, the Quadratic Formula is only one example of how skipping over the steps with technology can hinder the learning of students. We as teachers need to find that right balance in our classroom to ensure that they are not only being enriched in technology, but also learning the knowlege of the basic concepts of math.