steve this might help: http://euri.ca/2011/03/get-around-new-york-times-20-article-...
We've been exceptionally lucky to have a Montessori charter school local to us. So far it is working really well for 2/3 of our kids, and better than the local alternative for the remaining third. This may just be nostalgia, but I think there is so much value in getting dirty, breaking rocks, and working with your hands. I knew *mk's dad when I was a kid, and was always jealous of that classroom. They broke and fixed RC cars and experimented with computers while we say in rows and memorized spelling. There's probably a place for each kind of learning, and the trick as a parent is being willing to try something different to match up your kids' learning style. Don't get me wrong, my kids have access to a computer in the classroom and at home. But it is just another tool in their box to get the project done.
I'd like my kid to write at least one computer program in his/her life. It's a unique effort. IMO a successful education creates an intellectually curious person with the ability and desire to figure things out. Everything else is just details.