There is simply no way to rest on our past achievements. Today" s competition renders obsolete huge chunks of what we know and forces us to innovate. For each individual, several careers will be customary, and continuing education and retraining will be inescapable. To attain this extraordinary level of education, government, business, schools and even individuals will turn to technology for the answer. In industry, processing the information and designing the changes necessary to keep up with the market has meant the growing use of computers. The schools are now following close behind. Already some colleges in the United States are requiring a computer for each student. It is estimated that 500, 000 computers are already in use in American high schools and elementary schools. Although there is an abysmal lack of educational software, the number of computers in schools expands rapidly. The computer is the Proteus of machines, as it takes on a thousand forms and serves a thousand functions. But its truly revolutionary character can be seen in its interactive potential. With advanced computers, learning can be individualized and self-paced. Teachers can become more productive and the entire learning environment enriched. It is striking how much current teaching is a product of pencil and paper technology. With the computer" s capacity for simulation and diverse kinds of feedback, all sorts of new possibilities open up for the redesign of curriculums. Seymour Papert, the inventor of the computer language LOGO, believes that concepts in physics and advanced mathematics can be taught in the early grades with the use of computers. He cites as an example the teaching of the laws of motion in physics, which he says are accessible at an early age when a computer is used to assist in the instruction. On an everyday level, word-processing significantly improves the capacity for written expression. How? Simply by making it easier to revise and rewrite. In terms of drill and practice, self-paced computer-assisted instruction enables the student to advance rapidly—without being limited by the conflicting needs of the entire class.