Ken Schaffer recently bought a professional-quality camera. The Ellicott City business owner and amateur photographer wanted to learn the computer program Photoshop so he could play around with his pictures. That is why he spent a recent Thursday at Marriotts Ridge High School - where his daughter is a ninth-grader - doctoring a photo of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Schaffer followed along as two Marriotts Ridge students, juniors Patrick Talcott and Thomas Conchie, guided him through drawing a dotted line around Gates' head, then dragging the head off Gates' body. Five other students practiced with Photoshop techniques. One was working on a buck-toothed Bill Gates. Another gave Gates a mustache and goatee.
They were at the high school for Technology Thursdays. These after-school classes feature high school students teaching courses in Photoshop, game design, Web design and popular programs like MS Office. The classes are free and open to Marriotts Ridge students and community residents like Schaffer.
The teens teaching in the program have an interest and talent for technology, said Reg Hahne, the instructional team leader for Career Technology Education at the high school."As a team we can do some really cool things. They have some abilities. I have the drive and passion to help them showcase their abilities," Hahne said.
"It's a neat opportunity to have our students, our staff and the greater community working together," said Pat Saunderson, Marriotts Ridge principal. "Some afternoons, I'll walk down the halls and see our students giving workshops for middle-schoolers through senior citizens. It's just impressive that our students are able to take on that leadership role."
Hahne transferred from Atholton High when Marriotts Ridge opened in fall of 2005. Several of his Atholton students did not want to lose him, he said
"We came up with a scenario where they would come out every Tuesday and every Thursday" to work with Marriotts Ridge students, Hahne said.
He recommended that his Marriotts Ridge students continue the program. Those interested in teaching must write a curriculum with lesson plans, which Hahne reviews.
"Some of these kids just blow me away, how good they are at teaching. They actually teach their peers, adults, anybody who comes into the room," Hahne said.
Eric Krokos, 16, took the Photoshop class after watching Talcott and Conchie work with the program. He was impressed his peers could take a photo and "change the background, change facial expressions."
