"They teach them the basics, gently suggesting: 'Here's why you're getting that blinking light, you might try this,"' said Bob Moore, executive director of information technology services for the Blue Valley, Kan., school district.
It's a role reversal increasingly seen in schools across the country, according to a survey released Wednesday by the National School Boards Foundation. The study of 811 school districts showed that 54 percent of respondents rely on students to provide technical assistance for computer systems.
Teachers, meanwhile, are "unevenly prepared for using technology as a tool for teaching and learning," with 69 percent of respondents rating new teachers as average or novices at computer work, the foundation said.
As in Blue Valley's four high schools, the students often provide the how-tos for teachers who, in turn, must learn to integrate the Internet into their lesson plans.
The result is the beginnings of change in the relationship between teachers and students as online lessons provide electronic instruction.
"Teachers become the guide on the side, instead of the sage on the stage," said Anne Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association.
That may be a snapshot of the future of education, but for now, school districts are struggling to find appropriate roles for students and teachers who exchange information.
In Blue Valley schools, students don't show teachers how to integrate the Internet into lesson plans, for example. Though they perform some technical tasks on the schools' computer systems for academic credit, professional experts handle major problems, such as network breakdowns, Moore said.
"We do have to remember that they are children ... we don't want to give them too much responsibility to put them in a position where they might not be successful," Moore said. At the same time, they are challenged to develop their work skills by doing tasks other than maintenance.
"You don't learn a lot by unboxing a computer and setting it on a desk," Moore added.
That's about the right balance, according to the Bush administration.
"If you're just solely relying on students, there is a problem," said John Bailey, director of education technology of the Department of Education.
Directed properly, student-led technical assistance can be a beneficial situation born of necessity, Bailey said. Many schools may not have the resources for technical support and have no choice but to rely on students. Some tutor, others run help desks and still others have earned network and software certifications.
Most Internet instruction is done in subject areas such as history, social studies and science, according to the survey. Eighty percent of school leaders say the primary instructional use of the Internet is for research that helps teachers shape lesson plans.
But many new teachers aren't experts yet at using computers and the Internet, school districts said, according to the study.
That's where help from students comes in.
Of the school districts surveyed, 54 percent reported that students were providing technical support for their districts. In 43 percent of districts, students troubleshoot for hardware, software and other problems, it said. Thirty-nine percent of districts said students set up equipment and wiring, and nearly as many districts report that students perform technical maintenance.
The findings were based on telephone interviews with officials who make decisions on technology in 811 school districts -- including 90 of the 100 largest districts, which represent 25,000 students.
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