/See also *Whiz Kid * article./
Tech club helps fix Computer Glitches
By Shawn Cohen, Poughkeepsie Journal: 1/27/99 1b
Typically, teachers educate students. But in the world of computers,
there is sometimes a role reversal.
Poughkeepsie High School students John Lyon, Joshua Pilgrim and Latisha
Clark occasionally get summoned to classrooms to help teachers install
computer software or assist with "trouble-shooting." They have even
helped to rebuild old computers so that new computer labs could be
opened in the high school and middle school.
They did so as members of a new student club called Tech Scouts, which
was formed by the district's new technology director Bram Moreinis last
fall.
"It's not very often that a student gets to help a teacher with
something," said Lyon, a senior. "This is not like any other club I've
ever been a part of."
Bram Moreinis based the club on a program he developed for the Central
Park Secondary School in Manhattan three years ago.
The 17-member club, which meets once a week allows students not only to
hone their computer skills, but also to assist the district with its
serious computer needs, according to Moreinis. The district, which
employs only two technicians, often has a hard time and long waiting
list to address computer problems for the eight schools, he said.
"We had to come up with a way to make better use of our human
resources," said Moreinis, the self- dubbed "scoutmaster" who assigns
tasks to the students.
He says it's a win-win situation for everyone.
"The kids need a way to capitalize on their skills - for their careers
and sense of self," said Moreinis. "Very often, technologically gifted
students are socially isolated. Now they have an opportunity to depend
on each other, be respected for their skills and work together for the
sake of their fellow students."
During Thursday's meeting, he introduced the scouts to the
newly-appointed "turnkeys" - eight staff members
who will work with Moreinis to support technology in their buildings.
The turn-keys will help teachers who need assistance in classrooms, and
with leadership teams as they decide how to use and re-assign computers.
Also during the meeting, the students video-conferenced with staffers at
Dutchess County BOCES, live via the Internet.
Afterward, the tech scouts headed to a computer room to work on their
own web site, which was started by Moreinis.
Most members are high school students, but one is just 9 years old - a
computer prodigy named Adam Tabak. Tabak, who is self-taught and attends
Poughkeepsie Day School, was invited to help with the club.
The scouts have been very active since September Members collected,
cleaned, tested and repaired 14 machines from stockpiles of retired
EBMs, with new hard drives.
The systems are now being used at the high school.
The students made similar efforts for the middle school to create a new
typing lab.
"It is a pleasure to work with knowledgeable young people who enjoy
doing and teaching those of us who are dinosaurs along with our
equipment," wrote high school social worker Mana Watsky in a letter of
thanks to the Tech Scouts.
Scouts are learning to program in BASIC and plan to start an online
newsletter.
*Logging on: * The Tech Scouts web site address is www.pcsd2.kl2.ny.
us/tscouts