by Jim Farwell, Editor
 jim@open.k12.or.us
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  Teacher Bob Pearson
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Bob Pearson is the science teacher at Eddyville School located in the Oregon Coast Range. Three years ago, Bob agreed to administer part of his small rural school's Oregon Service Learning grants. Because he was concerned that hands-on learning opportunities available to Oregon students were decreasing as vocational classes fell to budget cuts, he used the Service Learning Grant to create a StRUT technology class in Eddyville.
 Student Kenny Ripka
 Student Samantha Parker
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StRUT, or Students Recycling Used Technology, is a national program that provides schools with used or outdated computer equipment (both working and non-working) donated by businesses. At first, Bob's course was a learning experience for everyone, including himself. Together, he and his students disassembled several old 486 computers -- and then figured out how to put them back together again. Next, they rejuvenated these machines and loaded them with operating systems and word processing software. These refurbished computers were then placed in classrooms. Once the classroom computer needs were met, Bob checked them out to Eddyville students without home computers.
Today Bob's technology class has evolved into a busy nonprofit business. Most of the computers that the class receives are donated by local businesses and organizations, such as Georgia Pacific, Corvallis' Good Samaritan Hospital, and OSU Federal Credit Union. For both spare parts and new parts, Bob makes special trips to the StRUT warehouse in Portland. Other components, such as newer memory products and software, must be purchased. The two seniors in his class serve as tech prep assistants. They make sure that each computer is revamped and ready for distribution within Eddyville School and other schools in the Lincoln County School District. In fact, so far, 10 other Lincoln County schools have received computers from Eddyville's StRUT program.
The curriculum for Bob's class is driven by a pressing real-world need: fixing computers and getting them into the hands of K-12 students and educators. It also provides a hands-on learning experience. StRUT students perform all tasks related to computer assembly and repair and ask questions as they proceed. The class is small (four students), so most instruction is one-on-one, and by the end of the school year each student has a good basic understanding of how computers work.
In the future, Bob sees his students constructing more specialized computers (including servers) and building networks. He would also like to create an inter-school computer games club where Eddyville School students can compete with students from other high schools in online tournaments. It is Bob's hope that organized computer gaming will stimulate student creativity, while generating broader appeal for a nonviolent computer entertainment.
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