Cheatham County launches new student technology team, beginning with Sycamore Middle School – Main Street Media of Tennessee

By the students, for the students and of the students.

The Cheatham County Schools Career and Technical Education/Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics Department launched its first student technology team during the Spring 2024 school semester. Beginning with a five-student team at Sycamore Middle School in Pleasant View, the program will expand to all CCS middle schools first and then to all of the high schools, according to CCS Technology Director Chad Smith.

“We’re training them at the middle school level so they can take what they’ve learned right on into high school. I will say that this tech team at Sycamore Middle is only, and I didn’t know this, but it’s only one of five or six in the state, so that’s a pretty big deal. And these guys, they’re all extremely anxious to get started,” Smith said.

The team members are chosen by teachers and are taught basic troubleshooting, maintenance and repair of computing devices. CCS CTE/STEAM Coordinator Chris Cooper purchased the repair equipment for the program.

The impetus for the program’s creation is to help provide extra resources to keep the school’s technology running properly and to provide students the experience and training they need ahead of time to help pursue a career in information technology.

Smith shows the students things like basic diagnosis of common computer problems, performing regular maintenance like system updates and simple repairs.

“The inspiration for it is just to teach these guys the entry-level things that they can run into as far as walking into the tech world. The sky’s the limit. There are so many great jobs to be had in technology, not only from doing things like what we’re doing today, but from writing code for websites,” Smith said.

Eighth-grader Cortlin Johnson had taken coding classes before being chosen for the student technology team. He said he is excited for the opportunities being a team member will afford him and wants to be diligent to remember all he’s learning.

“It’s going to open up doors for me in the future so I can have a good career later on in life. Probably the toughest part is remembering where the parts go after you’re finished with meters,” he said.

Eighth-grader Baylee Baggett said her favorite part is getting to work on laptops and learning how to diagnose problems.

Smith said his favorite part of the program is not just watching the students learn, but seeing them develop a love for learning about information technology.

“Well, my favorite part of doing this, I think, is just getting to get out here and meet these guys and work with and just watch them. They’re just soaking everything up. They’re doing a great, great job. It’s the interaction for me. It really is. It’s a lot of fun just to watch them put it all together, so that’s pretty great,” he said.