The mysteries of the deep aren't always unsolvable. The students of Natick (Massachusetts) High School's robotics club and robotics courses took on a project that resulted in their locating and remotely exploring a barge that sank in Newfound Lake in New Hampshire, likely in the early 1900s. They did it by designing, building, and operating three…

This article describes a reverse engineering activity that gives students hands-on, minds-on experience with measuring tools, machine parts, and CAD. The author developed this activity to give students an abundance of practical experience with measuring tools. Equally important, it provides a good interface between the virtual world of CAD 3D…

There is a battlefield where no quarter is given, no mercy shown, but not a single drop of blood is spilled. It is an arena that witnesses the bringing together of high-tech design and manufacture with the outpouring of brute force, under the remotely accessed command of some of today's brightest students. This is the world of battling robots, or…

On a pleasant September day, 400 high school students and 40 teachers converged on the Careers in Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing Day at the IGNITE manufacturing industry trade show, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and sponsored by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). These weren't students getting out of school for a day to go…

In this article, the author describes how students in Kirk Marshall's industrial technology class at Bloomsburg Area High School, Pennsylvania, designed and manufactured battling robots (BattleBots) and their participation in an annual national robotics competition. According to Marshall, designing and building a complex robot would be virtually…

Employers require pristine drawings that convey clarity and precision for the production of goods. Can a change in sequence of instruction be expeditious and help teachers better prepare their students for the workplace? Research suggests that combining traditional drafting and computer-aided drafting (CAD) instruction makes sense. It is analogous…

It would be extremely satisfying for career and technical educators to have plenty of students sign up for their programs. In addition, it would be a more satisfying for them if they can make money out of their programs. In this article, the author provides ideas on how teachers can get the industry involved in their programs.

Teachers find themselves continually challenged to develop curricula, activities and strategies that satisfy evolving federal, state and district standards. The introduction of high-stakes testing and constantly changing reforms have brought about a significant shift in their responsibilities. With so much governmental focus on standards, teachers…