One of the coolest console debug modes is for Super Mario Bros 3. If you put in game genie code KKKZSPIU, it will unlock a whole bunch of features, including extra lives, world select, and an option to change your power just by pressing select! More information is available at http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/ggco/betas/smb3debugm ode.html.
One of our teachers started something like this the year before she retired. It wasn't just a computer club, but rather a whole group of clubs that weren't normally clubs that students could get together and enjoy. They were called "Creative Arts Teams," and now there are over 20 of them! Check out the list at the school website: http://www.elkhorn.k12.wi.us. If you send an e-mail to someone I'm sure they could send you more information about it.
If you are interested in starting this or just a computer club, there are still a few things you need to keep in mind.
1. Find a teacher that understands what you want to do.
It doesn't matter what teacher is your advisor, but make sure they understand what kind of club you want this to be. Don't just go to the computer teacher, because maybe they will want to do the club their way, and not necessarily the direction you are intending to go. Which brings me to my second point...
2. Clearly define the goals of the club.
Make sure not only you know the rules and regulations and the goals of the club, but also make sure other teachers know about what you want to do. As said in some other comments, teachers are frightened of students who know more about computers than they do. Our school went so far as to have a "blacklist" of students who had to be watched when using a computer! Don't let this happen. Make sure the boundaries are defined.
3. Get the teacher to find an outside advisor.
The teacher may think that they can teach the clubs activities or have a student direct it, but this doesn't work so well (I know from experience). Try to find a small business owner that can advise, or sometimes you can find a retired computer store owner or something like that, someone who has the free time to spend teaching stuff. Even if he doesn't end up doing too much, at least he'll be able to give some good tips/ and or have some ideas for activities.
4. Find some old computers that the school has stored away.
The school will invariably have some old computers stored away. USE THESE! Schools are pretty anal about people putting junk on their newest systems, and with the old computers you can take them apart and play with stuff. This is where the advisor might come in handy. You can learn all kinds of cool stuff about hardware that you normally wouldn't learn until college.
5. Make sure you cater to all students.
Don't make this a club for just the "hacker elite" for your school. Make sure that all students know about this club, not just a select few, and make sure they know that it's not just for the computer literate. One way that you can remove the stigma of "hacker" from the extremely computer knowledgeable students is to have them teach those who know less than they do. In fact, my economics teacher was a part of our club, and it was cool to be a student teaching a teacher!
I hope these tips help. Good luck starting your club, and remember that it will only be as good as what you put into it!
Our school uses blackboard, and last year the machines were shut down for a long time because students used methods to get free stuff out of the snack machines. And I'm not talking cracking a case or making a fake card either. It was really simple too, like swiping really fast after the transaction, if I remember right, and you could get a second item for free. Kinda scary.
Frankly, it's about time this technology has been adapted to good use (not saying that Napster & others are not a good use:) )
These programs can be invaluable for companies that work on big projects and need to collaborate information from a vast variety of sources. The Kazaa network has shown just how vast that information can be...
Anyway, that's my 2. Back to downloading movies...
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One of the coolest console debug modes is for Super Mario Bros 3. If you put in game genie code KKKZSPIU, it will unlock a whole bunch of features, including extra lives, world select, and an option to change your power just by pressing select! More information is available at http://www.angelfire.com/mb2/ggco/betas/smb3debugm ode.html.
One of our teachers started something like this the year before she retired. It wasn't just a computer club, but rather a whole group of clubs that weren't normally clubs that students could get together and enjoy. They were called "Creative Arts Teams," and now there are over 20 of them! Check out the list at the school website: http://www.elkhorn.k12.wi.us. If you send an e-mail to someone I'm sure they could send you more information about it.
If you are interested in starting this or just a computer club, there are still a few things you need to keep in mind.
1. Find a teacher that understands what you want to do.
It doesn't matter what teacher is your advisor, but make sure they understand what kind of club you want this to be. Don't just go to the computer teacher, because maybe they will want to do the club their way, and not necessarily the direction you are intending to go. Which brings me to my second point...
2. Clearly define the goals of the club.
Make sure not only you know the rules and regulations and the goals of the club, but also make sure other teachers know about what you want to do. As said in some other comments, teachers are frightened of students who know more about computers than they do. Our school went so far as to have a "blacklist" of students who had to be watched when using a computer! Don't let this happen. Make sure the boundaries are defined.
3. Get the teacher to find an outside advisor.
The teacher may think that they can teach the clubs activities or have a student direct it, but this doesn't work so well (I know from experience). Try to find a small business owner that can advise, or sometimes you can find a retired computer store owner or something like that, someone who has the free time to spend teaching stuff. Even if he doesn't end up doing too much, at least he'll be able to give some good tips/ and or have some ideas for activities.
4. Find some old computers that the school has stored away.
The school will invariably have some old computers stored away. USE THESE! Schools are pretty anal about people putting junk on their newest systems, and with the old computers you can take them apart and play with stuff. This is where the advisor might come in handy. You can learn all kinds of cool stuff about hardware that you normally wouldn't learn until college.
5. Make sure you cater to all students.
Don't make this a club for just the "hacker elite" for your school. Make sure that all students know about this club, not just a select few, and make sure they know that it's not just for the computer literate. One way that you can remove the stigma of "hacker" from the extremely computer knowledgeable students is to have them teach those who know less than they do. In fact, my economics teacher was a part of our club, and it was cool to be a student teaching a teacher!
I hope these tips help. Good luck starting your club, and remember that it will only be as good as what you put into it!
Our school uses blackboard, and last year the machines were shut down for a long time because students used methods to get free stuff out of the snack machines. And I'm not talking cracking a case or making a fake card either. It was really simple too, like swiping really fast after the transaction, if I remember right, and you could get a second item for free. Kinda scary.
Frankly, it's about time this technology has been adapted to good use (not saying that Napster & others are not a good use :) )
These programs can be invaluable for companies that work on big projects and need to collaborate information from a vast variety of sources. The Kazaa network has shown just how vast that information can be...
Anyway, that's my 2. Back to downloading movies...