Headlines from QTL™ for IT Educators

Survey says students getting hands-on opportunities
The latest survey of QTL-affilitated IT teachers suggests student tech support is alive and well. The survey also indicates the 2005-06 QTL curriculum revisions feature some well-received improvements. Read details.

Students wow adults at Summer Conference
Students from Jacksonville High wowed the crowd at this year's NCDPI Summer Conference in Greensboro. They showed video clips they produced in class, and 'case mod' products they're building in a business on the side! They joined presenters from Brevard County and Swain, Rowan, Martin, Orange and Moore Counties as presenters at this year's event. Read more about it here.

QTL™ co-sponsors national T+L2 Conference
The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning is a proud co-sponsor of T+L2: Leading Learning to a Higher Level. The national education technology conference, spearheaded by the National School Board Association, takes place October 26-28, 2005 in Denver, Colorado.

From the school board member to the classroom teacher - T+L2 is the nation's only K-12 education technology conference designed for district leadership teams. Save the dates now and register early. If your district is a member of the Technology Leadership Network (www.nsba.org/tln ), you'll receive a significant discount on registration! Register by 7/31/05, and your name will be entered into a drawing to win FREE ROUNDTRIP AIRFARE to Denver for this year's T+L2 conference! To register, go to www.nsba.org/t+l or call 800-950-6722.

Spring 2005
Teacher Profile: Pinckney Academy has "Wright" stuff
Moore County, NC teacher Kathy Wright stays extremely busy, building a tradition of success at student competitions, working on curriculum and training for QTL, and a myriad of other leadership activities. Find out what keeps her going at such a hectic pace.

Students soar during Spring 2005
Students in QTL-affiliated programs scored at SkillsUSA state level competition in North Carolina. B.J. Copeland of Williamston High was the first-place winner in the computer maintenance competition in Greensboro in April. Second place went to Jared Bowman of West Johnston, while Phillip Perry of Pinckney Academy placed third. Matthew Park of Chapel Hill High and Robert Bennett of N.F. Woods Technical Center rounded out the top five. Almost three dozen students competed.

Numerous students have qualified for QTL's Certificates of Excellence this spring. Click here to see a list.

And this is the time of year many Computer Engineering and Networking students sit for CompTIA's A+ or Network+ certification exams. Dana Gardner of Union County Career Center in Monroe, NC took six students to take the exam, and tells us all six passed. Now THAT'S a great success rate!

Teacher makes most of computer donation
A Chief Information Officer who had given computers to QTL-affiliated schools in Arkansas years ago continued that generosity after taking a new job in North Carolina. When Blue Ridge HealthCare had dozens of surplus computers available, Jamey Pennington called QTL. He was connected with East Burke High teacher Wayne Whaley, whose class made the most of the donation. Get the story from the Burke County Schools website.

Workshop wows educators in Asheville
A QTL™ regional workshop in Enka, NC drew almost a dozen people, including teachers, technology staff members and media coordinators. Participants began the day with fantastic session on Troubleshooting led by Aaron Bishop, a multi-certified tech professional from Brevard College (Aaron's great PowerPoint presentation is now available on our FTP site).  Regional Facilitator Steve Kavli of Brevard High School arranged the session, and we appreciate the help from CTE Regional Coordinator Shirley Ray in arranging for the facility and lunch at the Western RESA in Enka !

Arkansas students 'are at it again...'
Jim Ermert's students at Corning High School have yet another bit of community service under their belts. The story, in Jim words:
"Our guys are at it again! We received a couple of donated computers and refurbished them and installed them in our community center for the kids program." That program is open to children whose parents drop them off before school. Many go back after school, too. This is another great example of making use of donated equipment and giving students hands-on experience, even if the refurbished computers can't go into the classroom!

Mississippi teacher to present at national conference
Natchez High School Computer Engineering teacher Shannon Burts, one of QTL's Regional Facilitators for Mississippi, will be in the national spotlight this summer. She has been selected to give a presentation for the 2005 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Conference, �Better Teaching, Better Learning, Better Schools,� in Washington, DC, July 20-23. She plans to talk about her own program, the 2002 Mississippi Governor's Initiative, and how QTL's programs helped her lay the foundation for her student tech support program in her school. 

Martin County students impact community - again!
Charles Thorne's students at Williamston High School are used to getting out into the community. This winter they've helped with a project that'll provide new opportunities for children and adults alike. Read more

Time-Warner Cable gift assists hands-on program
Time-Warner Cable is helping QTL™ teachers everywhere through a $5,000 grant. The funding, presented Feb. 10 in Research Triangle Park, NC, helps underwrite the "Strategies for Success Handbook," a 2005 expansion of the "Building Your Dream Program" publication. The handbook, one of the resources provided for participating Computer Engineering and Networking teachers, shows how leading teachers have overcome common problems, and created new opportunities for their students.

Fall 2004

'Emergency training' helps new teachers
With turnover an ongoing issue for schools, every year several QTL™/ExplorNet schools find themselves hiring new teachers after the summer training season has passed. Fall emergency training sessions help those late hires get off on the right foot and do the best job possible until they can return for the full training the following summer. Read more

Regional facilitators make connections
The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning™ launched a brand new Regional Facilitator program in the fall of 2004 to provide a closer connection to teachers in its IT programs. A dozen lead teacher/facilitators have begun making initial contact with teachers at participating schools in three states. Read more

Spring 2004

Mississippi student gets district's top tech job
Joey Herring graduated from Hattiesburg High School in 2003. Now, less than a year later, he is technology coordinator for the entire school district. Read more

Teacher urges others to "Build Your Dream Program"
Turning a brand new program into a successful one can take time and patience - but the goal can be attained. Robin Migliorato of New Bern (NC) High teacher shares her encouraging story during a QTL™/ExplorNet workshop. Read more

Kelly IT Services endorses 'Certificates of Excellence'
One of the nation's leading IT outsourcing firms has given the thumbs-up to the QTL™/ExplorNet Certificates of Excellence program, saying it can help identify students who will make good employees. Read more

Arkansas teacher jump starts strong program
Ashley Jones didn't let herself be intimidated by the task of getting started with Computer Engineering. As a result, her students benefited from some wonderful opportunities. Read more

Arkansas youth named IT student of year
A Corning High School student has been named QTL™/ExplorNet's National IT Student of the Year. Cody McGrew won the honor as an external committee pored through numerous strong nominations. Another Arkansas student, Kyle Godbold of the Russellville Area Vo-Tech Center , placed second in the rankings. Jarrett Congleton of North Pitt High School in North Carolina ranked third in the national competition. Read more

North Pitt in NC named IT school of year
North Pitt High School was named IT School of the Year, while another North Carolina school, Williamston High School, was also singled out. Read more

Studies shed new light on student views of technology
How do students see technology impacting their learning, and the rest of their lives? Some new studies and surveys are revealing. Read more

Teachers use creativity to provide hands-on learning
Teachers in QTL™ programs use a variety of methods to give students a chance to learn by doing. Read more

2004

Students plan lab for Senior Center
Corning High School's IT students have a history of making things happen. This time they've made life a little better for seniors in the community. Read more

NC students, teacher build innovative lab for school
Students at Orange High School didn't just learn Linux in theory - they got hands-on experience and built a lab that will benefit their whole school. And they did it with throwaway computers and free software. Read more

Mississippi Project Gets Earn National Attention
Scores of QTL™/ExplorNet students and teachers in Mississippi build 6,000 computers in a matter of months, helping the governor's office complete a massive project. The result garners national attention, making Mississippi the first state in the country to have an Internet-connected computer in every classroom. Read the New York Times story

Read teachers' First Person Success Stories