Introduction

Computers, video games, cell phones, and Blu-ray Disc players are the toys and tools that many American children of all ages use on a daily basis. American society has moved from the Industrial Age of the 19th century to the Information Age of today. During the transition to the Information Age “an economy built on knowledge rather than goods and services began to emerge” (Bitter & Pierson, 2002, p. 2). The 21st century will turn out to be the period of America’s greatest preeminence and the United States is better positioned than any other country to multiply the potency of its power resources through information (Nye & Owens, 1996). How prepared American children are for the challenge of entering the technological workforce will impact the status of the United States as a world power.