The need for the liberal arts curriculum to incorporate new technology in order for education to reach its potential is examined in this paper, which also looks at the potential for computer-based telecommunications to extend continued education for professionals. A survey of applications of computer-based telecommunications in reading and writing instruction covers issues related to use of a word processor, courseware and software problems, and computer programs as a model for children's writing. Computer programming is discussed in terms of its relationship to reading and writing skills, including mastering rules of syntax, mastering a sight vocabulary, enhancing visual discrimination, learning to respond to semantic cues, and comprehension. Suggestions are given for the following 12 activities for students: a scrapbook on computers, a computer writing and book activity, an assignment for role-play as a newspaper reporter, a time line, a computer dictionary, creative drama--acting out robotics and programming, a walking field trip, a junk sculpture project, doing art on the computer, collecting computer related want ads, protecting people from computers, considering how technology helps or hurts, and examining mistakes of past predictions to better look into the future for new technology. (LMM)