Hamilton Tech participates in first day of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Summer Camp
Hamilton Tech’s electronics instructors, Craig Wright, Lyle Andersen, and Larry Bradley, as well as Mark Christy, Director, participated in the first day of PLTW summer camp by providing a basis introduction to electronics. Twenty four 8th grade students arrived at St. Ambrose University campus at 12:15 following a tour of the Eastern Iowa Community College John Blong Technology Center. The first day of camp was to give the students an opportunity to participate in some type of engineering or engineering technology education. The Blong Center exposed the students to to the machining and industrial technology programs. The students were also given an introduction to the “green technology” programs that are now a part of EICC.
The students traveled to St. Ambrose University campus where they were divided into two groups of twelve. Half of the students went with Dr. Jodi Prosise to create an object using the SolidWorks 3-D drawing program and printing the 3-D object they had created. The other half of the group came to the Hamilton Tech lab, set up in teh St. Ambrose Engineering Department. The students got an introduction to basic electronic components and schematic symbols that are used to represent these components on an electronics circuit drawing. The students were working in teams of two; each team had a basic electronics trainer with a “breadboard” area.
Following the introduction, each team of students was given the components to “breadboard”/create a basic amplifier circuit. With the schematic in hand, and with Craig, Lyle, and Larry’s assistance, the students “breadboarded” the circuit. Within 15 to 20 minutes the circuits came to life with hums, whistles, and feedback, as the students’ voices were amplified by the circuits they had created. I think the students were amazed that they were able to create or “breadboard” a functioning circuit so quickly. The first group moved to the SolidWorks lab and the second group moved into our lab to build their amplifier circuit. The group was able to build the first circuit quickly and got to try their hand with a second circuit that Craig had developed that had a solar cell incorporated into the design. When the students covered the solar cell, it stopped the circuit from squealing. Craig was also able to do a short demo of the oscilloscope that we had included with a typical lab station setup. Our time was up and the students headed back to Davenport West High for a wrap up of the first day of PLTW Summer Camp 2010. We hope the students had a great time learning about basic electronics, and that they will all consider being a part of Project Lead the Way as they work toward a career pathway in high school. We had a great time, too!
Project Lead the Way is a 6-course sequence of rigorous courses taught in conjunction with college prepatory math and science that can help students be successful in post-secondary engineering, engineering technology, and technical career fields. PLTW started in the Davenport School System in the fall of 2007. It has been a very beneficial, successful addition to engineering and engineering technology courses at the high school level. Congrats to West High for being chosen as a national PLTW Model School in 2010. Davenport Community Schools are to be commended for their commitment to PLTW and for the resources necessary to continue this excellent program. Mr. Christy has been a active member of the PLTW Advisory Committee since 2007.
Mark Christy, Director
