Given the state of the art of computing in 1982, it is not necessary to know a computer language to use a computer. Three aspects of the current state of computing make it mandatory that educators from elementary through postsecondary levels rapidly incorporate this skill into the curriculum: (1) computers have permeated society--they are used in virtually every business; (2) they have begun to compete with schools for the attention of young people, as evidenced by the popularity of video games; and (3) they have potential as teaching tools. If this potential could be utilized, then the problem of the need for computing skills could be addressed early in the educational process, and educators might meet the competition of computer games. Since the individual teacher need not write computer programs, all that remains for educators is to obtain the computer and the programs and find someone who will demonstrate their use. Two invaluable resource persons are present in almost every community--the computer-knowledgeable parent, and the computer "whiz kid" from the local high school or university. The parent can give advice on obtaining computer hardware and the student can help "debug" commercial programs, as well as incorporate the instructor's ideas into programs written by others. (HOD)