[sdiy] Can your *really* teach "Engineering"

[mailing gigaspeeds]

I'm forwarding this for someone who replied to me : srmaietta at yahoo.com

~Steve Maietta
 
 
+++++++++++++++ 
 
Reading all these posts, as a teacher, always wondering how to improve 
my game, may I ask the S-DIY group a question or two??
 
-_How did that DIY, Engineering, Tinkering interest develop in YOU_? 
Were you a math-capable person who got into engineering or a tinkerer 
who got through the math?
I know for me the hands-on, how's it work, tinkering mindset was there 
since the first grade, perhape some of us are born with it?
-_How can we nurture it?_
 
some background.. 
I am a technology teacher at a high school in the US.  This topic is of 
course very interesting to me because my main goal is to get students 
interested in how things work/engingeering/tinkering, etc, and hopefully 
encourage them to make that jump to an engineering/design course of 
study in College.  These kids have ZERO Technology/Industrial arts 
classes until HighSchool where they are then optional electives.. Kind 
of sad actually.
 
I run very hands on projects, I encourage students to explore many ideas 
and to redesign/try again.  I teach them how to use and get them 
comfortable with hand and machine tools, and I teach them about 
materials.  We take alot of "Junk" apart..    
Mechanics/Electronics/Industrial Design/Tech, ethics, and society,CAD 
software..  these are a few things I go over in this level one 
"Innovations and Inventions" class.  I have synth schematics hung up all 
over the place and we make atari punk consoles as the "Capstone" of the 
electronics component of the class..  It's a great job.
 
So If I could perhaps continue this discussion here or in private emails 
with anyone... 
again  
-How did that DIY, Engineering, Tinkering interest develop in YOU? 
Were you a math person who got into engineering or a tinkerer who got 
through the math?
I know for me it was there since the first grade, perhape some of us are 
born with it?
-How can we nurture it?
 
thanks
~Steve