What about technology and schools? How to keep it in perspective.

A survey by school administrators found that parents ranked computer literacy more valuable than honesty, citizenship, biology, geography, classic literature or athletics. A similar survey of teachers ranked computer skills as more "essential" than European history, biology, chemistry and physics

But in the rush to log on, parents might be wise to take a deep breath and examine whether the results have equaled the promise - and what the side effects on our children might be.

Child development experts believe that hands-on learning for very young children (K-3) is most valuable when it imprints knowledge deeply on a young child's brain by providing lessons of experience through several senses. Too-early use of computers exacerbates the effects of television, in which fast-paced visual stimuli change how brains are wired, limiting their attention spans and, in turn, hampering their ability to learn through reading or listening.

Even older children, for whom technology can make difficult concepts (such as certain physics concepts) more comprehensible, can find themselves seduced by the ease with which papers can be made to look snappy, and many teachers report that increasing numbers of students are writing research papers by combining ideas without exploring the relationships between them - a job made easier by "cut and paste" functions of word processors and the wealth of information available on the Internet.

So what should parents look for to maximize the positive aspects of technology?

For very young students, avoid a push to early use of computers which might limit their emotional and intellectual base. Or use it to "fill in the gaps", such as the use of phonics software to supplement teachers who were never taught how to teach phonics.

For older students, ensure that your school integrates technology into the curriculum by allowing classes to plunge into a variety of real-life hands-on experiences: tracking bird migrations and posting them on the web, using e-mail to fulfill assignments on what it would take to build an industrial plant overseas, or directing a simulated three-month expedition through the jungles of Central America - all of which have been done in the classroom.

And in all cases, first things first: Make certain that good curriculum and excellent teaching drive technology - not the other way around.