As Coldfire stated, this is a false dilema. Technology has brought us benefit and detriment. And usually both at the same time. The industrial revolution opened up a lot of advantages to us, increased ease of exploration, transportation, manufacturing and commerce. But, decades later we find it destroying the environment, and necessitating more technology to fix the problems of the old.

However, if you think back to the simplest technology, things like the plow or learning how to use sticks and flintrock to make fire, you can see clearly that we are far better off with at least a minimum of tech.

I'm not at all surprised that your school would task you with such a false dilemma.

Technology can be both; it depends on how it’s used.

We can use it to explore space and create abundance for those in poverty, or we can use it to develop armed drones and nuclear warheads.

As most people are saying, it can be both. My reason is this, even a pencil is technology. Technology is anything designed to make our lives easier. A stick, to get ants out of an ant hole to eat is technology, used by gorillas (in Tarzan at least). With that knowledge, of what technology really is, it begs the question, "How can it be bad at all"

Well the answer is mostly this. While technology is great, and it is's sole purpose is to help us, it can also make us dependent and unable to cope without it. Modern examples are vehicles, food processing, and even the internet. If these things were to suddenly no longer exist, humanity as a whole would have a hard time dealing.