Computers Mere Teenagers’ Play

Kyle Christen is a techie. That’s a job title, not a synonym for computer geek.

It means Christen, a junior at East Valley High School, is paid by the East Valley School District to do computer maintenance and troubleshooting at the district’s five elementary schools.

Christen’s first assignment on Wednesday was a piece of cake.

”(Teacher) Linda Clark is having trouble with Sim City,” said Connie Bendio, computer parapro at Trentwood Elementary School. “It keeps going back and forth between color and black and white.” Bendio outlined a couple of other tasks and Christen got on his way.

In two minutes, Christen solved the problem.

“It’s a really old version of Sim City and it doesn’t like your new monitor,” Christen explained to Clark, a fifth-grade teacher who uses the computer game as a way to help students develop decision-making skills. He adjusted the color control downward, so that the program and monitor would be more compatible.

The techie program is not a brand-new idea. It is a way of giving computer savvy students valuable work experience, while helping school districts stretch their dollars.

East Valley’s techies are both students and recent graduates. The students are enrolled in a technology-in-practice class at the high school. The program is small, just four techies right now. It’s expected to grow next year.

West Valley High School has something similar and University High School had a few students working last year. Central Valley High School hopes to offer a computer science class next year that could grow into a similar program.

East Valley used to handle its computer maintenance through a contract with Educational Service District 101. East Valley paid $34,000 for that contract last year, but dropped it this year and started the techie program instead, paying the youths a bit more than minimum wage. The district is also giving its computer parapros more training.

“This is school-to-work at its best,” said Paulette Fink, vocational director for the East Valley School District. She downplays any financial savings to the district, emphasizing the educational side of the techie program. Fink also envisions programs that put students in businesses and vice versa, bring businesses to schools.

“We’re trying to give as many students experience in the business community as possible,” Fink said.

Today’s student techies know that two hours of work on computers every day after school work is a good opportunity.

“It’s a lot better job than working at Taco Time,” Christen said. “I mean, anyone can make a taco.”

“Plus, there’s lots of respect there,” said Nick Lasko, a sophomore techie. “You’re doing something for teachers that they can’t do for themselves. And respect from adults is something that kids don’t always get.”

The technology class at EV High is taught by John Twining. It gives kids like Christen and Lasko the chance to both learn and teach.

No sooner do the two teens walk in the door, but they’ve been snagged by their classmates.

“Hey Kyle, what do we put in here?” a student asked.

In plenty of cases, the techies know more than Twining does, the teacher admits.

“I’m constantly amazed at how much these kids know,” Twining said.