This introduction to computers might be used by readers as young as the middle school. It includes elementary explanations of these topics: history of computers, what computers can and cannot accomplish, how computers work, what flowcharts are, and how programs are written. Interspersed with explanations are simple problems which ask readers to…

Proposes that computing is, in itself, a valuable discipline that should become part of the school curriculum, even for young children. Instructional strategies and suggestions for teaching programing are offered. (JN)

Presents a collection of computer teaching activities for the early grades, including instructions for teaching children to start up a computer on their own. Also suggests exploring electronic bulletin boards, using old typewriters to practice typing skills, and using subroutines in computer programs to streamline programs. (JN)

Describes features and uses of LogoWriter, a revised and expanded version of Logo. With LogoWriter, a student can not only command the turtle to draw pictures but also (because of a built-in word processor) can add text to the screen. (JN)

Presents a collection of computer-oriented teaching activities for the early grades. They include creating musical tones using Atari PILOT, a simulation of traffic lights, teacher-friendly password protection, drawing the alphabet using Logo, and using the Commodore 64's special character graphics. (JN)

Presents four teaching activities suitable for students in early elementary grades. The activities focus on creating a database for student use, a bulletin board which uses a visual diagram of modular programing, a program (with listing) which uses graphics to present a birthday greeting, and a random number program. (JN)

Presented are six practical teaching suggestions selected from commercially available materials and ideas submitted by readers. A personalized poster program, a hiking program, and activities in which students send the Logo turtle on an egg hunt and study pattern block programing are included. (JN)

Discusses Piaget's pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages and shows how this information sheds light on how children approach computers and computing, particularly with the LOGO programming language. (JN)

Describes various solutions to sequence problems using Logo programing language. Complete program listings are included when applicable. (JN)

Outlines four dual art and computer-art lessons, presenting lesson objectives, activities, and suggested instructional strategies. The lessons focus on the usefulness of shared images, how moving an object affects its shape, creating the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface, and the relationship of parts to the whole. (JN)

Presents six computer-oriented classroom activities. They include: surveying a house for products using microprocessors, writing a program to display a flag, experimenting with LOGO's graphics capabilities, writing stories on the computer, using FOR/NEXT commands to create a blinking object, and teaching the Milton Bradley Big Trak to play…

Presented are four teaching activities for early grades, including one using the Atari PILOT "fill" command. Includes an article ("The Human Computer") by Andy Van Duyne suggesting a role-playing activity designed to illustrate programing techniques and terms. (JN)

Learning to program involves developing an understanding of two hierarchies of concepts. One hierarchy consists of data and extends from very literal data (which represents only itself) to very abstract data incorporating variable values in complex interrelationships. The other hierarchy consists of the operations performed on the data and extends…

Presents computer-oriented teaching suggestions suitable for early grades. They include creating houses and stained glass ornaments using Logo, recording class activities with a database management program, making mazes with graphics programs, making drawings with a KoalaPad, and using a program to introduce computers to non-English speaking…

Provides tips to help primary-aged students with computer keyboarding skills (suggesting the use of color codes and listing currently available software). Also describes (and lists) a program which helps test students' understanding of IF-THEN statements and illustrates some hazards of "spaghetti programming" (debugging). (JN)