Case Closed: 'Detectives' Solve Middle School's Technical Issues

Best Buy can keep its Geek Squad, because Black River Middle School has the Tech Detectives.

That’s what a group of nearly 30 students with a knack for all things technology calls itself at the Chester school. It’s not just a name, either – the young detectives always come through and solve their case.

Meeting after regular classes bi-monthly under the direction of teachers Laura Garrison and Kathy Vespignani, the students are given a checklist comprised by faculty members in the school with requests to fix everything from smart boards to projectors and everything in between.

From there, the detectives work in teams of three and four to diagnose malfunctions, then find ways to fix them.

“These kids are helping teachers set up Google pages and they’re fixing both hardware and software issues,” said vice principal Bard Currie. “It’s great for career readiness. They’re learning necessary skills like problem-solving and collaborating with others.”

There have been occasions, Garrison said, where a student may be asked to help with a technical malfunction during school hours in an emergency. Some of the students also work on resolving issues during their enrichment class time, Garrison said. 

“It’s great because we’re learning about technology that we might not be using otherwise,” said seventh grader and club member Jakob Kruse, who makes websites and is working on mobile applications in his spare time.

The club has become nothing less than a teaching moment for each member as well, regardless of “detective” experience.

“When I joined I thought I knew everything,” said seventh grader Kyle Papill. “I’ve learned a lot from other people in the group.”

Papill said his interest in technology came from his father and brother, both software engineers. He learned C++ over the summer from his dad, he said – a program not taught until the college level as recently as a decade ago.

The students aren’t looking to just fix and forget, either.

Club member Jeremy Rochelle is working on a mobile application for teachers that would allow them to troubleshoot their own technical problems without the help of students. He’s been at it for about a month, he said, but doesn’t have a completion date just yet.

For now, the year-old club will continue to solve technical dilemmas of all levels, and bring justice to all of Black River Middle School’s hardware and software crimes.