Taking the current excitement among educators concerning the uses of microcomputers for student instruction as a point of departure, this paper addresses the problems and possibilities associated with the uses of microcomputers in the classroom and discusses these in terms of instructional techniques and the social aspects of integrating computer activities into classroom environments. A pilot program in which microcomputers were used to teach programming in elementary school classes is described and the six major instruction-related uses of computers--drill-and-practice, tutorial computer-assisted instruction, computer-managed instruction, simulation and model building, the development of computerized information skills, and teaching computer programming--are carefully reviewed. Special attention is given to the place of computer programming in the school curriculum and the advantages and disadvantages of the BASIC programming language are outlined. The social organization of computer use in schools is then considered. A summary of recommendations for researchers, developers of computer-based educational materials, and school system administrators concludes the paper. A 45-item reference list is attached. (Author/JL)