A Class Act. Copyright (c) 1999, Globe Newspaper Company

Title A CLASS ACT COMPUTER WIZARD DOUBLES AS STUDENT, TEACHER

Date - FRIDAY, October 22, 1999

Author Doreen Iudica Vigue, Globe Staff

Section heading Metro

Page number B1

Word Count 1,071

WAYLAND - Standing before computer students at Wayland High School in jeans, sneakers, wire-rimmed glasses and a Dilbert T-shirt, senior Josh Gitlin looks every bit the teenage techno wiz that he is.

An honors student with straight A's in all his computer courses, Gitlin, 17, is fluent in the tongue of the young and plugged-in, discussing syntax and error, string and output, double-click, launch, slash, int, and executable file with the ease of a pro. Indeed, his command of the subject has brought him to the front of the class before -- but this time he's the teacher.

GLOBE STAFF PHOTO
BILL GREENE
Wayland High School senior Josh Gitlin, 17, was at the head of the class yesterday -- literally. Josh teaches 13 fellow students four times a week in ``C++ Programming,'' a complex computer language for top students.

Four times a week, Gitlin is in charge of the chalk, teaching 13 of his peers a four-credit independent study course in "C++ Programming," a complex computer language for advanced students.

The course was taught last year by a certified instructor, but he left the system for another job, and finding a replacement for such a specific course proved futile, according to assistant principal Doug Stather. Students were disappointed, among them Gitlin, who became an expert in the topic and was looking forward to a college-level version of the class this year. Rather than see the course cancelled, perhaps for good, Gitlin offered to teach it.

"This is not something we do all the time," laughed Stather. "But Josh's level of knowledge for the subject was there, as was his commitment and ability. We made sure it wouldn't overburden his own course load, then decided, `Let's give it a try.' "

The course was reclassified as an independent study, so it does not require a veteran instructor to lead it. Gitlin can only pass or fail his students, not give them letter grades, a rule for which he is grateful. "It would be really hard explaining to your classmates why one person got an A and another got a B," he said. "That could make things uncomfortable in the hallways."

But he does have to prepare lesson plans, correct papers, give quizzes, and learn to diplomatically shush the talkers in the back of the class, many of whom he hangs out with on the weekend. Each night, Gitlin straddles both sides of the teacher's desk, tackling his own homework before checking his students' assignments.

He has no teaching privileges beyond his own classroom, but Gitlin says his dad, Paul, jokes that his son should saunter into the teacher's lounge "put my feet up and say `Hey, Bob. How's your math class going? and then see what happens." The image cracks Gitlin up. His friends tease that he should wear a suit and tie to school, another amusing image. Gitlin's students, who scribbled notes, nodded their heads, and seemed intent on his lessons during yesterday's class, simply call him `Josh,' calling out their comments rather than raising their hands. Gitlin thinks of the class as "interactive." The students like the relaxed, collegial atmosphere in his class, but contend he's by no means an easy teacher. And they wouldn't want him to be. In many ways, Gitlin has a lot more to prove than a veteran educator, and he works hard to earn the respect of his students/peers.

"Not just anyone could do this. . . . It completely depends on what kind of kid he is," Lauren DiPerna, 16, a junior, said after Gitlin's 10:10 class yesterday. "I think he's a really smart guy in computers and everyone knows that. If some kid tried to teach English, which takes a lot of studying and education, that wouldn't work."

Added Rebecca MacVittie: "You have to be a lot more mature than the average student in this school. You can't just lose your temper and say whatever you want. You have to act older and in charge. Josh can do that." Gitlin's guidance counselor and other teachers check in on the class regularly to make sure things are going smoothly and offer Gitlin advice if he needs it. They make sure students are behaving and showing up (students who twice cut independent study class, considered a privilege, will fail). They also make sure he is not feeling overwhelmed or overburdened by his workload. At the end of the year, Gitlin will receive at least 4 credits for teaching the course and will add it to his already impressive college transcript. He received high scores in his Advanced Placement exam, has a GPA above 4.0, and scored a 1400 on his SATs. He was smitten by his first computer at age 7, which, he said, he promptly took apart to see how it worked. He's upgraded many times since then, he says, becoming more enthralled by cyberspace and more adept at programming with each new system. Gitlin has five teaching assistants, who also are students, friends, and computer wizzes in their own right. They help with lessons and call out pointers from the back of class.

So far, said Stather, all the feedback has been positive. "We think this is going to be a win-win situation for everyone," he said. "I think the kids will learn they can learn just as much from their peers as they can from adults . . . sometimes more. And Josh will learn being a teacher is rewarding, but not a simple job at all." That is certainly one lesson Gitlin, who in class emulates teachers he admires, said he's already mastered. Although he's committed to majoring in computer science in college (he's applied to Vassar, Brandeis, and Rochester University), he's considering a minor in education or psychology, because he is as fascinated by the human mind as he is by the computer brain. Teaching, he says, also has given him a new window onto what, besides computers, he's good at.

"This has taught me how to better interact with people, and how to better help people learn," Gitlin said, as he sat on a bench on campus after class. "It's really true what they say about how satisfying it is when you see that look in a student's eyes when they `get it.' I think I'd enjoy teaching as a career. Computers would have to be in there somewhere, too, of course."

PHOTO GLOBE STAFF PHOTO/BILL GREENE/Wayland High School senior Josh Gitlin, 17, was at the head of the class yesterday -- literally. Josh teaches 13 fellow students four times a week in ``C++ Programming,'' a complex computer language for top students.

Subjects WAYLAND; SCHOOL; NAME-GITLIN; COMPUTER; EDUCATION