Engineering Students Visit Shop Class
Source/Author: Richard Rho, US Computer Studies & Robotics Teacher
October 12, 2018
Students in Richard Rho’s Intro to Engineering, Programming, and Design Principles class had a special lesson this week from Theater Manager Bradley Miller. Mr. Miller gave them a hands-on tour of the theatre workshop. They learned about table saws, circular saws, drills, and also a double bevel compound sliding miter saw.
“I tell my students that my goal is to help them develop the skills and foundational knowledge that they can use to solve problems now and later on in the course,” explained Mr. Rho. “I elaborate that the wider their skill set, the better the types of projects they can create.”
Mr. Rho required a new table for the classroom, so he hoped the students could build one after an introduction to the workshop. “They enjoyed the experience. For a good number of them it was the first time they worked in a shop, and it was harder than they thought it would be.”
The new table will shelve microcontroller Arduino projects the students will be working on next semester. They began the course by learning about the engineering design process and the importance of breaking down complex problems into simpler components. Other technical skills learned in this class are circuitry, soldering, 3D modeling (CAD), 3D printing and programming. While these skills hold value, STEAM students are expected to use them in concert with various problem solving approaches (Engineering Design Process, Design Thinking) to come up with creative and meaningful ideas and solutions.
The class would like to thank Mr. Miller for his help on this project and willingness to guide new, upcoming engineers.
The class would like to thank Mr. Miller for his help on this project and willingness to guide new, upcoming engineers.
