Tech teachers urge more computer classes for children

Even in a nation where most every school has Internet access and computer use often starts by nursery school, teachers of technology see a warning message flashing.

For students in elementary and secondary schools, states have few developed standards or required courses in computer science — a field that goes beyond basic literacy to encompass hardware and software design, real-world applications and computers’ effect on society.

Such lean coursework means that many students don’t have the chance to study the science of computers until college, where a declining number are majoring in the subject. Somehow, teachers contend, states must embrace the idea of training sophisticated computer users at a younger age.

The sell isn’t easy. Computer science, like other subjects, is fighting for time on student schedules and a place on the political agenda, where reading and math dominate.

By Ben Feller, The Associated Press

Full Story: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2005-07-05-more–comp-classes_x.htm