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Externship Summary - 2007

RCNGM Leader:   Rebecca Marara, Platt Technical High School

Milford, CT

Externship:  Pennsylvania Globe

Curriculum Report

Lessons Learned

The most useful learning component of my externship was the hands on application of software in a real life, time related project. I am always striving to simulate an engineering environment in my classroom. Presented each cycle are projects with time constraints and various challenges in which an engineering department might face, the students are required to work through the expectations and grow in awareness of future expectations. I have been told my expectations are too high, but this experience has reassured me I am on target with industry expectations.

The most challenging component of my externship has been narrowing the experience to a single piece of curriculum. There were several areas in which I will be able to apply this experience and acquired knowledge into my classroom teaching.

Implementing this project into my current curriculum has been exciting and did meet my expectations. The students enjoyed utilizing the software application in a new way. They did see the significance of applying configurations to a single component base. Additionally, the students have continued seeking alternate uses for the configuration control application.

Penn Globe gave me many real-life applications in which I will be able to create the curriculum from. Penn Globe assisted me with a product that includes mechanical, electrical and sheet metal components and supplying me with a multitude of current manufacturing practices to apply toward my students curricular applications. Several catalogs were supplied for use in the lesson on part configuration management and actual components were used as the base of the lesson.

Impact on Student Learning

The students have been brainstorming where they will be able to apply this new learned skill. Their motivation level has grown and they are ready to learn the next command set. They have been able to apply this command set toward other areas of the curriculum as well.

Externship Sustainability

I presented an extension module for the trade’s curriculum within the technical high school system to include the configuration project.

I have presented the applications of this configuration module to the members of my State of Connecticut Trade and Technology Advisory Committee. They in turn have supplied me with their companies real life applications in which this same skill set could be applied and examples in which I may use in the future.

 

 


The Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education program. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.