SINCE THE 1980 S, there has been much discussion about the need to make sure that today's elementary and high school students are "computer literate"—that is, able to understand how computers work and to use them in such applications as word processing, spreadsheet calculations, and databases. Both educators and business leaders are concerned that today's students may not be prepared for the kinds of jobs that will be available in the early twenty-first century. Increasingly, most of the better-paid jobs, whether in science and technology, finance, sales and marketing, or even manufacturing, will require good computer skills.

Computer skills are not just something to be used in a future career, however. Students are using computers and the Internet in today's schools to learn subjects such as social studies, mathematics, science, literature, and art in new ways. A...