John Mertes has the rapt attention of the pupils in his computer class.
He is circling the room, instructing about 20 kindergartners how to load “Kids Time,” a matching-game program that teaches numbers, shapes and letters, in addition to computer skills.
“Look for the apple (on the screen) and click twice,” says Mertes, who is the computer science teacher at Rhodes School in River Grove.
“If you did it right, you should see a truck moving across the screen. It’s going to dump out the cards you’re going to match.”
The room buzzes with “Ooh!” “Aah!” and “Cool!” as a truck appears on each screen and leaves 20 picture cards.
The pupils have to match the cards in pairs–two with the same flower, two with the same car, and so on.
The game requires them to use the mouse.
“Click on one card, hold down and drag to the top of the screen,” Mertes explains. “Now, pick the card that matches and do the same.”
The pupils are all smiles as they quickly master the technique and the game.
Lester Leong, 6, likes to work on the computers because “there are fun things for kids to do–like games and stuff.”
Isaac Vasquez, 6, agrees, noting that the graphics are “cool” and that “it’s fun to play with the computer.”
Their enthusiastic response is the reaction Mertes wants.
“It’s learning by doing, ” he says. “It’s really that way for all the kids, but especially at this level. Allowing the kids to play with the computer is just as important as having someone teaching them.”
He has the pupils explore on their own, says Mertes, 29, who has been at Rhodes, a school for kindergarten through the 8th grade, for seven years.
“They learn where the commands are, how to get from one window to the next, how to open and close programs. One day of `playing’ or exploring on their own reinforces what I teach and is just as effective,” he says.
By the end of the school year, the pupils have a solid handle on hand placement, using the mouse and navigating the screen, he says.
“They can load, quit and print. They understand the keyboard and they can do a standard matching game. By 2nd and 3rd grade, it’s second nature to them.”
Mertes, who has been director of technology at Rhodes since fall 1991, stresses review and practice techniques, especially at the primary levels.
“It may not be the same program, but it’s the same technique. The more they practice, the better they become and the more comfortable they are,” he says.
By 4th grade, pupils are more independent and able to perform sophisticated tasks such as cutting, pasting and using a graphics program.
“And I teach an actual keyboarding class (for 4th grade) that stresses hand placement and memorization,” he adds. “I’m not that big on speed, but accuracy is important.”
Fifth and 6th graders use word processing programs that teach the fundamentals of editing and adding graphics. They also learn how to use a CD/ROM encyclopedia to do research.
“The emphasis is on writing papers,” Mertes says. “I want the kids to produce a quality product. The finished paper looks very professional with the correct margins, tabs and justification (centering).”
He also coordinates production of the Rhodes Reporter, the school newspaper that is produced by 7th graders. The paper, which is published about 10 times a year, is the major part of the 7th-grade computer curriculum.
Pupils are assigned sections–sports, national news, features and cartoons.
“They have to do the research, write and edit the stories, do the graphics and handle all of the production work on the computer. They do a very good job,” Mertes says proudly.
It’s important for pupils to have the hands-on experience “because the real world is technology-based,” he says. “They’re learning the technology and programs that are being used in desktop publishing.”
By the time they’re in the 8th grade, the pupils are using Hypercard, a program that allows users to write smaller programs. They use Hypercard, a major part of the curriculum, to integrate graphics, do animation and explain mathematical concepts.
“I like teaching Hypercard because it’s a simple, English language-based program that makes it easier for students to write programs,” he says. “For example, you can say, `Go to the next card,’ rather than using math language such as, `If x = y, then do z.’
“Students will be able to do that eventually, but they need more algebraic experience to run their programs without a lot of frustration,” says Mertes, who majored in math education in college.
“Kids like computers, and John shows them not only how to `play’ but also how to use it as a tool,” Principal Steve Sievers says. “Our kids know how to program, use the camera and scanner, and produce a professional-looking product. They’re not afraid of computers–in fact, we have more hands-on experience and kids working independently, which is what we wanted. John has brought our school into the 20th Century in terms of technology.”
Rhodes, which has approximately 650 pupils, has won several awards for technology, including one for its exemplary use of technology in education.
That award was bestowed during the 1992-93 school year by West 40, a cooperative of more than 40 school districts in the western suburbs that provides special programs for teachers and students.
The computer lab has 28 computers and each classroom has one. The library has 33 computers, and all administrative offices are computerized. The school offers several on-line services that allow pupils and teachers access to reference materials. Rhodes, which serves River Grove and a portion of Melrose Park, is the only school in Rhodes School District 84.5.
Mertes finds his job rewarding because he has the opportunity to make a difference in his pupils’ lives.
“It makes my day to have a former student come by and visit,” he says. “They stop by and share their experiences. They tell me what’s happening in their lives and at school.”
That kind of feedback is important to him because “it makes me think that when they were here, I had some type of positive effect on their lives. It means a lot to me that they still want me to be a part of their lives.”
“John works one-on-one with kids in and out of the classroom. His special talent is the way he interacts with the pupils,” Sievers says.
Mertes was born and grew up in Geneva and graduated from high school there in June 1984. That fall, he enrolled at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove with the idea of studying computer science.
“I found out that I loved the computer part, but that I didn’t like the business part or the accounting part,” he says.
So he changed his course of study and earned an associate’s degree in general science in June 1986.
That fall, he began classes at Northern Illinois University, De Kalb, where he started taking higher-level math courses.
“All of a sudden, I found I really liked math–but not so much the number crunching as the concepts, problem solving and logic.
“I also thought I might like to teach,” he adds.
He decided to pursue his interests, and in December 1988, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in math education.
In January 1989, he began teaching general math at Waubonsee. He remained there until August of that year when he resigned and took a job as a math and computer teacher at Rhodes.
“I (had) met Steve (Sievers) at a job fair at NIU in April of that year,” Mertes recalls. “At the time, I was looking for a math program to get into. I also love computers, so I was looking for a way to incorporate that.
“I was also getting married that August, so I wanted to have a stable job and get that settled, too.”
Mertes and his wife, Susan, live in Elgin. They have a 6-month-old daughter, Marisa. Susan Mertes is a customer service representative for a publishing firm in Chicago.
In addition to teaching all levels of computer classes, Mertes conducts outdoor-education classes, which include activities such as hiking and nature study, and he coaches boys’ softball. He also began Rhodes’ recycling program about three years ago; it includes paper, aluminum and cardboard.
“John is enthusiastic and energetic,” Sievers says. “He’s involved in many school activities and he has a variety of interests that benefit pupils in and out of the classroom.”
Mertes enjoys teaching “because of the kids–they’re my greatest motivation.
“Being a part of their lives is the biggest thrill for me. The interaction I have with them is my most valued experience.”
