Fourteen middle school students chose to spend the last full week of their summer vacation at a camp that offered no nature hikes, no cookouts, no campfire sing-alongs and not a single arts and crafts hour.
What the camp did offer, however, was a chance to learn the intricacies of a state-of-the-art computer program that incorporates graphics, sound, still and moving pictures. Learning right along with their pupils were six teachers from Grayslake District 46.
”We have created a cooperative learning environment so that students and teachers can come in as equals. It`s fun for the students, but a little threatening at first for the teachers,” said Judy Abate, the district`s director of technical services.
Usually, the computer camp is held at the middle school, but construction this year forced a temporary move to the Lake County Educational Service Center at the College of Lake County.
Mornings are devoted to lectures and programming demonstrations. But after a quick lunch, the students scurry to work on their MacIntosh computers, developing group projects that other kids will be able to use after school starts.
”They never even take their full lunch break. They want to rush right back to the computers,” said Sandie Tucknott, Abate`s assistant.
Unlike other summer camps, with kids screaming and yelling and running around, this group was quiet and completely absorbed at their computer screens.
Creativity is the order of the day at this weeklong activity.
One group of 8th-graders-to-be, for example, has been working on a computerized tour of Washington, D.C., complete with soundtrack and elaborate graphics.
”Oh, it`s nothing, it`s very easy once you know how,” said 8th grader Laura Smith of a scene she created with a plane whizzing across the screen.
Incorporated within the tour are pictures taken by some of last year`s 8th graders on an annual excursion to the nation`s capital, as well as brochures, maps and original artwork.
”This kind of highlights what they saw, what next year`s 8th graders will see, when they visit. It`s like a little show,” said history teacher Karen Ferry. Assisting on the project was sophomore Matt Aleksich.
”He`s actually the assistant teacher,” said Ferry about Matt. ”He`s our computer prodigy.”
Although the students tend to learn fast, it may take a little longer for the teachers to catch up.
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Abate hopes that, once teachers become more familiar with the computer applications, students will be allowed to submit work on a computer disk rather than in a standard, paper format.
”Part of our objective for this is to get the teachers excited about the possibilities,” she said.