ExplorNet News

WILLIAMSTON, NC - Hands-on experience is critical for any Career & Technical Education course, but when students are preparing for high-tech careers in computer technology, networking or digital media, it's absolutely indispensible.

Few teachers are able to provide a better real-world learning environment than Charles Thorne of Martin County, NC. For several years, his students have been the primary tech support force not only for their classroom, but for the economic development center where it is housed.  The effort has not only helped students excel, it has saved taxpayers an enormous amount of money in infrastructure and tech support dollars.

Martin County high school students "give back" to the community while honing their IT skills with real equipment in a real workplace setting.

The Northeast North Carolina Technology and Business Center in Williamston is an up-to-date technology facility serving rural Martin County and the surrounding area.  It serves as a business incubator, providing office space and connectivity for startup businesses. The building houses a combination of government, business and industry personnel, as well as a public access area with computers and printers, and has hosted a variety of teacher training sessions. 

Much of that technology was installed and has been maintained by Thorne and his students.

The Telecenter's infrastructure is a complex and robust network. Students from Martin County's four high schools come to the telecenter for computer engineering and Cisco networking courses.  The center provides a large classroom space, where students get the opportunity to work on real computers and real networks, and for real clients.

"There is nothing like hands-on experience to make this highly technical content come alive for students and help them truly understand what they're learning," says Dave Boliek, CEO of The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning. The Raleigh-based non-profit provides the curriculum and resources Thorne's Computer Engineering students use. Much of the learning is conducted in a Moodle-based online environment, but the real-world application of those concepts enables students to remember what they learned long after tests are graded and the course is over.

"We are always thrilled to hear when teachers are able to provide real-world learning to their students, while at the same time providing money-saving services to their district or local government," Boliek adds.

Northeastern North Carolina Regional CTE Coordinator Vicki Peel, who has an office at the Telecenter, says Thorne goes the extra mile with students, calling parents if they aren't doing well, and tutoring on Saturdays when they need extra help. She says he is a role model in another important way.

"One of the things that always impresses me is that he exemplifies lifelong learning," she says. "He’s always trying to learn something else. I'm comfortable using the technology facilities that we have here because I know if something goes wrong, he and his students can fix it. If I ask a question he doesn't immediately know the answer to, I know I’m going to get an answer because he will keep digging until he figures it out."

Giving a tour of the Telecenter recently, Thorne proudly talked about the work his students have done and continue to do there. The work requires plenty of time after hours, but Thorne says it's worth the extra effort.

"I believe that we take a lot of things in life for granted," he says. "We are a lot more fortunate than a lot of people in this world and being able to give back to the community is only a small part of what I believe we as Americans were taught when we were younger. I very much want to pass those values on to the younger generation of today."

During the planning stages of the Telecenter, officials determined their networking/computing needs and sent out an RFP for the work.  Bids averaged $40,000.  Thorne saw an opportunity for students, and volunteered to take on the job.  In 2002, he and his students did all the wiring and built the computers that are used throughout the building. Today they are still providing networking/tech support for the Telecenter. 

The tech support doesn't stop at the front door of the Telecenter, though.  In addition to the work there, the Martin County students have provided community service and outreach to organizations in and around Martin County, at a value that he estimates to be around $80,000, just this year.  They've wired churches and senior centers, and have even built computers and networked QTL teacher professional development facilities for The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning. (Read a list of projects.)

For more information, contact Robin Fred via e-mail at rfred@qtlcenters.org or call him at 888.507.3800.