Use of the computer

I agree with Peter when he suggested about time spent in the lab: "If you consider the underlying skills involved, would it not be better to use that time to teach something along the lines of Creative Problem Solving or Thinking Skills?"
To that note, I refer you to Designing Effective Projects: Thinking Skills Frameworks
Marzano's New Taxonomy.
"Marzano's model of thinking skills incorporates a wider range of factors that affect how students think and provides a more research-based theory to help teachers improve their students' thinking." p. 1

http://www97.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/ThinkingSkills/ThinkingFrameworks/Marzano_New_Taxonomy.htm