LYNN — Peter “PJ” Holey Jr., a computer science teacher at Lynn English, has ways of getting his students interested in the nuts and bolts of technology: he starts from the ground up.
“When it comes down to it, we use our hands for just about everything,” Holey said on Thursday.
He had just taken a break from working in the Project YES program at Marshall Middle School, where he assists students with emotional, social and educational needs. There and in his computer science classes at English, diving into the details provides students with the surest path forward.
Holey serves on the instructional technology faculty and teaches a program organized by Cisco Systems, the digital communications conglomerate. His courses have involved students learning about computer technology from the inside out. Students learn how to build ethernet cables before they proceed to understanding computer networks. More advanced courses get into the details of cyber security–a popular course, Holey said, due to how it touches everyday life.
“The kids are growing up in a different generation,” Holey said. “They gravitate toward stuff that’s relevant to them. But they don’t usually know how these things actually work.”
“But once they see relevance, that’s where the kids find the joy of it,” Holey adds.
While Lynn English offers courses in TD Media, fundamentals of computer science, and coding languages, some of the kids gear their education towards workforce training. But even if they were to become auto mechanics, courses in computer science would help them understand how the onboard computers in almost every car functions. Other students have set their sights on Wentworth or computer programs at Salem State, Holey said.
Holey has taught at Lynn English since 2011. He is the son of Peter Holey Sr.–many Lynners will remember his prowess on the football field while playing for Boston College.
PJ Holey is also no stranger to the gridiron, having played and coached football at English.
But these days, he’s more active in helping train kids for a technocentric future. “We’re trying to create a technical pathway for the kids so we can catch up with other districts,” Holey said.
“The Lynn Public Schools set the pattern for computer science,” he added. “I hope this is something that’s pushed forward.”
