That was my first computer. Unfortunately I didn't have any kind of persistent storage, so I while I dabbled in BASIC I didn't really get into programming until

That was my first computer. Unfortunately I didn't have any kind of persistent storage, so I while I dabbled in BASIC I didn't really get into programming until I owned an XT. I wish schools had taught computer programming in my youth. Once a week we'd go to the "computer lab" and play "Oregon Trail " or something that at least provided exposure to computers, but little was done to educate us on how computers work. The tragedy is that today, fewer kids are learning the how. Using a computer isn't a black art, it is now pedestrian like teaching typing. While it may be a very serviceable skill to learn, it doesn't prepare students for truly valuable skills like logic and basic problem solving. I'm glad that there is renewed interest in exposing children to programming. While a programming language isn't a foreign language like Latin, it certainly has its own grammar and rules that can affect critical thinking in the same way. As long as the bill doesn't mandate that a particular programming language is the "Language of the Land," I believe that this could be a good measure.