GenYES program allows students to teach teachers
Photo Credit: C. Eby
Chugiak's technology leaders. [Left to right]: Mike Wyeth, Zachary Layton, Jake Murray and Steven Farabaugh. [Not pictured: Caleb Bower.]
March 15, 2010 • Meg Mielke, Editor
Filed under 2009-2010
A new program at Chugiak High School is reaffirming the value of community, and the give-and-take relationship that should exist between students and teachers, especially in the area of problem solving. Generation Yes or GenYES is a program designed to funnel student knowledge and experience regarding technology to the teachers, and to assist the teachers in everyday technological difficulties. GenYES is used in schools across the country and was started by Dr. Dennis Hopper in 1995 with monetary assistance from the Technology Challenge Grant program.
“[GenYES] acknowledges that many teachers are technologically challenged, and it works to direct student experience toward the teachers, in order to improve the overall learning environment. The amount of knowledge the average student has is usually enough to help out teachers. But another goal of the program is to advance involved students’ technological prowess,” stated Caleb Bower, one of the student tech aides.
Together, Chugiak and West High schools are simultaneously piloting this program in Alaska. “With this program comes the web domain which is administered by GenYES. It works as a database for any info the teacher needs to know about computers,” Bower stated.
As well as submitting requests for direct help with their computers, the website has a forum style “help” section, and the capability for published tutorials or informational articles, to help teachers solve future computer-related problems on their own.
The technology team, which includes: Caleb Bower, Steven Farabaugh, Zach Layton, Jake Murray and Mike Wyeth—and who are led by Chugiak’s tech coordinator Craig Kasemodel—report to librarian Carol Eby during either fifth or sixth hour, and from there, they are directed to work on solving the school’s technological issues.
When asked about the quality of the program at Chugiak, Bower had high praises. “It allows students from different backgrounds to take part. When you take all of our knowledge it creates a good team, making technology less intimidating for teachers. When you have a program where students are teaching teachers, it works better than you would ever think it would.”
