Krokos said he plans to use his knowledge to design a Web site.
Senior Rohit Ramesh, 16, teaches Introduction to Game Design. The curriculum is based on his experience programming simple shooter and strategy games that he posts online.
"Each student has their own game that they pick and choose at the beginning of the year. We go over things like, what makes a game a game," Ramesh said. "We've moved into actually coding the program of the game ... how they'll make a player interact with certain objects.
"Teaching's just a fun experience," Ramesh said. He likes helping others make sure "the code they write does what they want it to do."
Although Hahne checked on his student teachers periodically, he spent most of his time programming Java with middle-schoolers. Mount View Middle School is across the street, and several students visit the high school on Technology Thursdays.
"With the middle school kids ... we can evolve into a [grade] six through 12 program," Hahne said. "Things I'm teaching them are things I teach in my regular computer programming classes."
Last week, Hahne's students were learning to use the program Java to alphabetize databases.
Joy Lee, 11, a Mount View seventh-grader, signed up for Hahne's class because "it seemed like a lot of fun." "I like the theory, which is more of the math part of it," said Joy, adding that her favorite subject is math. Eighth-grader Sammy Fishman said he enjoys programming because "I really like problem-solving and it challenges my abilities." When he enters high school next year, Fishman will take Computer Science III.
"I have a head start," he said, because of his classes with Hahne.
Saunderson said that the Technology Thursdays program has helped Marriotts Ridge develop relationships with businesses and people in the community. "This is a fantastic opportunity to show all that is good about Marriotts Ridge kids and what's going on at our school," he said.
Schaffer - a former teacher - said that he plans to return for more Photoshop classes. He said students taking on a teaching role "enhance their mastery by trying to share their knowledge and understanding with others. I've always found that to be a powerful teaching tool."
For more information: www.marriottsridge.net/TechOpp.php.
