Taking part in the United States Department of Energy's Real World Design Challenge (RWDC), the author describes how four technology education students at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, took on the challenge to redesign an aircraft wing, attempting to make it more efficient than one currently in operation. The…

The current state of manufacturing in the United States calls for serious attention and action. For many years, U.S. manufacturers have complained of a shortage of skilled workers--and the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics backs up their concerns. One can place blame for reductions in American manufacturing on many things, but certainly the lack…

Competitive robotics as an interactive experience can increase the level of student participation in technology education, inspire students to consider careers in technical fields, and enhance the visibility of technology education programs. Implemented correctly, a competitive robotics program can provide a stimulating learning environment for…

The 1890s was the heyday for the bicycle in the United States. By 1896, bicycle manufacturing was a major industry with 300 established firms. Interest in bicycling, or "wheeling" as it was known then, grew rapidly into a national craze during the latter part of the 19th century. In 1890, American manufacturers produced nearly 30,000…

Wind energy is the fastest-growing renewable energy source in the world. Over the last 20 years, the wind industry has done a very good job of engineering machines, improving materials, and economies of production, and making this energy source a reality. Like all renewable energy forms, wind energy's successful application is site specific. Also,…