Posts Tagged ‘Loomis’

Talking Directly to Advanced Manufacturing Employees Inspires Students

Wednesday, November 6th, 2013
Del Oro High School Students Tour Progressive Technology

Del Oro High School Students Tour Progressive Technology

Students participating in tours of Sacramento manufacturers repeatedly reported that the direct interaction with technicians, engineers and staff had the most impact of them. Many said that it solidified their education and career plans. The tours were part of the National Manufacturing Day and organized by Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) and the Sierra Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Collaborative.

An Oakmont High School student said, “It definitely made me more sure of my plans to pursue higher education for engineering and gave me a more clear idea what a future job might look like.”

Dan Frank, who teaches Engineering Support Technology at Rocklin High School, toured RobbJack in Lincoln, CA with his students. “As a result of the tour, my students seemed more committed to the program and can see themselves becoming technicians and engineers,” said Frank. “Students really connected to individual employees who talked to them about welding, organizing the shop using 7S or programming CNC machines to create prototypes.”

Teachers also say that the experiences are enriching their curriculum with applied academics and 21st Century Skills.

Learn more about the impact of high school STEM students touring local businesses as part of the National Manufacturers Day and how teachers are using the experience to help students refine their interest in Advanced Manufacturing careers as well as bringing real world applications into their classrooms by reading:  STEM Teachers See Impact of Manufacturing Day Tours Organized by Sierra College.


Sierra College Auto Student wins Soroptimist Award

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

Congratualtions to Sierra College students, Kathryn Potts who won the Women’s Opportunity Award from Soroptimist International Loomis Basin.

Potts plans to become an automotive technician or an automotive service writer. “I have always liked fixing thing and seeing how they work,” said Potts. “By working in this traditionally male field, I will be able to make a great life for my kids.”

Several Loomis Basin School District teachers also won grants at the ceremony in Loomis on February 27 to enhance thier mathematics programs:

Susan McQueen, 6th grade math and science teacher at Loomis Grammar School, received a grant to buy a supplemental math program that uses visual and kinesthetic approaches to provide students with a foundation for success with algebra.

Top LtoR: Patricia Sleizer; Susan McQueen; Tracey Curry; Dana Swain; Bobbi Nelson; Bottom LtoR Jennifer Ameigeiras; Amanda Tibbitts; Angela Smith

Tracey Curry, 1st grade teacher at Ophir Elementary School, was given an award to purchase tactile manipulative kits that can be used by students to reinforce and practice key first grade math concepts.

Dana Swain, 4th grade teacher at Placer School, received a grant for a banking project to enhance both math and history curricula. This program will reinforce the concept of decimals while working with money, and teach students about banking services, financial institutions and how money impacts us every day as a cornerstone of our economy.

Learn more at the Loomis News Soroptimist awards make a difference — Teachers, community members receive grants and awards.


Del Oro hosts Sierra STEM Instructors at SketchUp workshop

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

College and high school instructors spent Saturday, April 14 together at Del Oro High School to learn how their classes might use the free Google SketchUp  3D modeling program combined with the sketchyphysics  plug in that animates designs. The Sierra STEM Collaborative at Sierra College, dedicated to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers, organized the event. Instructors from Sierra College as well as Placer, Woodcreek and Del Oro high schools also shared best practices and toured the Tech Essentials, Welding and Wood labs to see equipment and student projects.

According to participants, sharing ideas with other Career Technical Education teachers is one of the best forms of professional development. Participants said that what they learned was relevant, they could see their classes importing sketches and CAD drawings into SketchUp and that sharing concepts, projects and teaching tools was very valuable.

Tom Stargaard, Tech Essentials teacher at Del Oro, demonstrated SketchUp, explained how he integrated it into the Tech Essentials class required for freshmen and then helped participants try it themselves. See Tom’s projects at https://sites.google.com/a/puhsd.k12.ca.us/sketchup/. In addition, the teachers discussed assignments using the Career Cruising program supplied to the schools through the Sierra STEM Collaborative to help students identify careers and the education path to get to their goals.

Sierra College’s goal is to attract students to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education and careers explained Carol-Pepper-Kittredge, Sierra College CACT director, who administers the Sierra STEM Collaborative. “College and high school instructors told us that they want to see labs, share projects and find out about other teaching tools,” said Pepper-Kittredge. “When college and high school instructors collaborate, many students benefit and it contributes to a smoother transition to college.”

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office awarded grants to Sierra College to create a pipeline of students prepared to fill the need for skilled technical employees. For information, go to www.sierraschoolworks.com or contact Carol Pepper-Kittredge, director, Center for Applied Competitive Technologies, Sierra College, at [email protected] or (916) 660-7801.

 

 

 


Loomis News: Grant catapults Del Oro students

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Check out the 1/19/2012 issue of the Loomis News Grant catapults Del Oro students to see how Del Oro High School students are exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and benefiting from a partnership with the Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT). The students built Tech-Explorer catapults in a hands-on learning experience that introduces product development careers.


Catapult Launches Interest in Product Development Careers

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Del Oro High School students in Loomis may never have considered how products such as phones, sun glasses and cars are designed, produced and sold. After building the Tech-Explorer catapults, developed by Sierra College in Rocklin, CA through grant funding, freshman in the Tech Essentials class discovered new skills and explored careers in design and product development.

Daniel Gayaldo, Principal, Del Oro High School says that the school has benefited from the Sierra College STEM Collaborative (www.sierraschoolworks.com). Through the partnership with Sierra College, teachers had professional development opportunities, consulted with college faculty and went on externships at manufacturers. In addition, the grant provided classroom equipment similar to what is used in industry and projects like the Tech-Explorer catapult. “The grant provided by Sierra College through the Sierra STEM Collaborative has opened up an exciting new world of hands-on experiences to our students,” said Gayaldo.

Freshmen are enthusiastic about the applied academics catapult project that included using mills, lathes and hydraulic presses according to Tom Stargaard who teaches Tech Essentials at Del Oro. “For students who have never made something from scratch or used industrial tools, it is a very empowering experience,” said Stargaard.

After completing the catapults during the week of December 12, 2011, students’ evaluations were very positive. Del Oro students reported:

“I had fun getting to work hands-on with the tools and materials. I like the amount of trust we had to do it ourselves.”

“I liked learning how to use new tools and creating something that worked.”

“I enjoyed getting to build a project by myself.”

“My favorite part was finishing it and watching it in action.”

Sierra College’s goal is to interest high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and careers explained Carol-Pepper-Kittredge, Sierra College CACT director, who administers the program. “The applied learning experience exposes students to product development careers,” said Pepper-Kittredge. “If students discover an interest in manufacturing, they may want to study Mechatronics, Engineering, Welding, Energy Technology and Drafting Engineering Support at Sierra College and learn more at http://www.sierracollege.edu/programs/cte/programs.html. Local employers are actively recruiting from these programs,” said Pepper-Kittredge.

Students apply math and measurement skills to produce metal parts of the catapult using hand and power tools. Then they assemble the catapults and compete against each other to see whose ball goes the greatest distance and is the most accurate. To learn more, go to www.tech-explorer.com.

The National Science Foundation and California Community College Chancellor’s Office awarded grants to Sierra College to create a pipeline of students from middle school to high school to college interested in and prepared to fill the need for skilled technical employees. For information, go to www.sierraschoolworks.com or contact Carol Pepper-Kittredge, director, Center for Applied Competitive Technologies, Sierra College, at [email protected] or (916) 660-7801.


South Placer Robotics Club seeks sponsors

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

South Placer Robotics Club Sponsor Flier Since 2000, the South Placer Robotics Club has provided high school students with a hands-on learning experience building a robot for the FIRST competition. Students often say that participation encouraged them to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Careers. Businesses can contribute by going to the web site http://spcrobotics.com/ and getting more information on the sponsor page http://spcrobotics.com/sponsors.html.