In the anarchic style that characterizes the Internet, these schools are springing up across the country with the help of forward-looking administrators, investments from the public and private sectors, and community support. One of the most successful is L'Ouverture Computer Technology Magnet School . Far removed from the digital empire of Silicon Valley, this elementary school in Wichita, Kansas, was transformed five years ago from a struggling inner-city institution to a model computer program. Students at L'Ouverture get their first taste of the Net in kindergarten. By the third grade, they are posting their own homepages on the Web.
Technology is a good hook.
Pitler, a former music teacher who has used computers in his classes since the late '70s, applied to the Wichita school district to start the magnet program. Despite Pitler's confidence that it's never too early to learn about computers, some parents were leery about how the machines would affect their children. Some even feared that their kids would be crippled with carpel tunnel syndrome by the end of the school year. But enthusiasm prevailed over skepticism, and the community welcomed the change. L'Ouverture now has a waiting list with more than 150 names.