Chrome Support Squad learns 21st century skills

Four students at Oconto Falls High School are participating in the first-ever Chrome Support Squad, and they will receive elective credits this school year to diagnose and repair the school district’s fleet of nearly 2,000 Chromebooks.

Technology Services Director Corey Jeffers and OFHS senior Jessie Pumplun briefed the Oconto Falls School Board about the unique new program Nov. 8.

In partnership with Technology Resource Advisors Inc. in Milwaukee, the students are learning how to inspect, diagnose and repair problems with the Chromebooks issued to high school students. Later this school year TRA trainers will be back to teach them on the middle school and elementary school devices, as well.

Any trouble that proves beyond the students’ abilities are sent to TRA, Pumplun said.

Jeffers said the initiative relates to one of the “key interests” identified in setting the school district’s mission: “providing students with 21st century learning opportunities and applications that adjust to their future life skill needs.”

Before establishing the Chrome Support Squad, glitchy devices had to be sent to TRA for repair, which usually involved about a four-week turnaround, Jeffers said.

“Right now, we have a process that if they can fix them in-house, they can turn them around within the week,” he said. “They’re doing a very nice job with that.”

The group meets three times a week during what otherwise is a study hall. Their first exposure was two full days of training in the summer with a pair of technicians from TRA, which provides IT services at 16 locations around the country including its Milwaukee headquarters.

“The students at this point in time are learning what the world is like as far as technology shortages all over the world; it’s affecting the parts that we get sent to us and all kinds of things like that,” Jeffers said.

In addition to saving the school district time and money, the students are learning valuable job skills, he said.

“Students can go right from this particular position right now; they can technically work for TRA or another type of company that does this type of repair,” Jeffers said.

They’ve been told if they wanted to work part-time at this while going to college, they’d be starting at $18 an hour, and that wage could increase to upwards of $30 an hour after about four years of working there, he said.

A second two-day round training is planned in September, and the trainers expect to return for a third round in the spring.

“It’s all hands-on, and it’s nice that the company is willing to drive to Oconto Falls and do it right in our Technology Services room,” Jeffers said.

Pumplun said the experience has taught him to diagnose and fix problems, look for new solutions and adopting when the solution is not immediately clear.

He added that he has become adept at working on his own personal devices — “I’m able to be less scared of fixing them or troubleshooting them.”

Certifications are available for this kind of work, and Jeffers said he hopes to arrange training that could place on the alternate days that are now the students’ study halls.

“There’s a pretty high level need for this type of work out in the workspace right now, especially as more places around the world go to a remote learning and more places need people to know how to do these skills,” he said. “There’s just not a lot of situations where students are learning this type of information yet, and these types of skills. It’s a pretty unique area with a high-level need.

Board member Jan Stranz said the program is progressing well.

“When this program was first talked about in the spring or summer, I thought it was a really good idea,” Stranz said. “Having heard this report, I think this is a tremendous idea. This is taking off, and I’m really pleased where it’s going.”

Jeffers said the program has generated a lot of interest among other students.