Rich Hall’s BLOG

Recently I had a nice email discussion with an instructor about one of his Senior engineering students and what he could do with his resume.  Let me say up front, I’m no expert on resume writing, but, I do have to keep mine up to date at work for proposals and such with the company’s interrest in mind.  I also keep my full personal resume current about every 6 months with the latest updates.  Every region and every job has its ways that are preferred for how a resume should look and what should be on there.  Since I work in Huntsville, Al, one of the high tech centers of the Unites States with large commercial, military and space interests represented, there is a pretty simple format to follow for a resume here.  I think this formula should work for anyone in the engineering/technical fields.  The formula for the best resume is short and full of details.  Below you will find a list of what I have found in my carrier to be a good compromise for your resume.

• Experience and education are paramount and personal information can be brought up in an interview and is not necessary as filler.  Never include ”hobbies” or other personal or religious information unless it is directly related to the job position you are applying for.   
• Find a resume format that condenses everything onto one page.   The more pages, the less likely a person scanning for details is to look.  Rule of thumb is one page is great, 2 is ok, 3 pages go in the garbage. 
• Bright colors are not necessary in the format or paper.  Subdued shading is preferred.  Most companies still print and fax to black and white and colors obscure details and, if for some reason the document has to be scanned or faxed, it creates black blobs which don’t look good. 
• The use of a generic objective is ok for a generic resume.  ex: I am seeking a position in the engineering field pursuant to my skill and education.
• If you are applying for a specific job, the resume and content should be tailored to the potential position.  ex: Modify the generic objective to state for a military/aerospace company to something similar to: ”I am seeking a position in the aerospace community where I can play a productive role with my experience and education.”
• Include and entitle a  list of basic skills as “core competencies”.  ex: If the company uses SolidWorks as its design package and you have SolidWorks experience, then move SolidWorks to the top of the list.  Also include all software experience no matter how good or bad you are or how much you like it.  Companies today are looking for diverse experiences to help build their “core competencies”.   This could get you hired!
•  If you are going to have a resume listed with a recruitment (headhunter) agency then they may want a generic version or maybe 2 or 3 versions if they are in a diverse market environment like Huntsville.  It just depends and this should be a question the candidate asks the agency when signing up to be represented.  One thing of warning about headhunter agencies, if you don’t mind short term, feet wet, type jobs to gain experience and pay the bills,  this can be great and challenging carrier path for a single person.  If you are a more mature, experienced person who doesn’t want to jump around or who is looking to get married or is already married, this might not be the avenue for you.  
• Have the reference sheet ready to go but do not send it unless required by the company, also carry one in your notebook during an interview.  Put the statement “References Furnished Upon Request” at the end of your resume.  References will be checked but the space this takes up applies to your page count.  (see comment above regarding page count)

I hope this helps and this info should be shared with anyone looking for jobs.  I have found the following site to very good advice.  I don’t agree with everything it says as applied to the engineering/technical fields, but it has very good content.  http://www.damngood.com/jobseekers/tips.html

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A couple of months ago, I started asking around my network for educators who might like to get some coverage here on the Educators Corner.  Richard Doyle, our great SWUGN leader and recent winner of 2009 CAD Society Joe Greco Community Award, sent me a list of people and my next guest was one of the folks listed.   When I say that Tony Cantrell is an experienced guy, I’m not exaggerating in the least.  When you read the following excerpt from his resume you’ll see just what I mean. 

1973 – 2008  Design & Drafting

Thirty-five years experience in design and drafting of mechanical, facilities, product and civil drawings.  Experience includes board drafting, Anvil4000, Cornerstone, Mainframe Cadam, Professional Cadam, MicroCadam, Helix Design System, AutoCad R14Lite to 2004, and Solid Works 99 to 2008.  Geometric Tolerance & Dimensioning.  Hands on experience in machine shop practices, and field construction.  Office Skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, Architectural Graphic Standards, Means and Pulsar estimating systems.  Operating Systems: IBM Mainframe, Unix, AIX, Dos, and Windows 3.x, 95, 98, NT, 2000, 2000me, XP.

RH: I’m glad to have you on Educators Corner, Please tell me about Tony Cantrell (TC). 

TC: I went to school at Midlands Technical College for Industrial Drafting (This was all drawing board and slide rule; no calculator).  I currently teach at Midlands Technical College NE Campus doing continuing education classes using SolidWorks.  I am the user group leader for the Palmetto SolidWorks User Group and we are having a user group meeting April 20, 2009.  If you are interested in attending please contact me at the email link HERE.

 

 

RH: Do you have any industry experience?  

TC: My current job, since 2000, is with Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Company Columbia, S.C. where I Design/Draft/Model Various product parts.  I also assist engineering in design, build testing and installation of equipment, fixtures, tooling, gage components and product.

RH: What led you to become a teacher and why SolidWorks?

TC: I really enjoy watching the light bulb go on when someone understands something, and with SolidWorks, it is just a matter of time.

RH: How long have you been teaching?

TC: Just about three years now.

RH: What SolidWorks certifications if any do you currently hold?

TC: CSWP 2005, CSWA

RH: What are your classes (age range and/or skill level)

TC: Continuing Education (SolidWorks the basics, Engineering Design, Drawing and Detailing) all adults ages 18 and up.

RH: What is a typical classroom day like for you?

TC: My classes are in the evenings from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, I generally start with an introduction to SolidWorks and me, and then off to the modeling.

RH: What is your preferred teaching method?

TC: I like to start by showing the basic steps and then turn them loose and watch what happens.

RH: What method of teaching SolidWorks have you found to be successful?

TC: So far, what I stated above seems to work, occasionally I have to spend a little more time with some students.

RH: What curriculum and industry standards do you teach?

TC: The curriculum is Continuing Education, as far as standards, I would say mainly ANSI but I do answer questions about ISO when asked.

RH: How do you use the SolidWorks Educator resources and curriculum in teaching your class?

TC: Currently, I am teaching from the SDC books written by David and Marie Planchard. I do go out to the educator site for ideas and techniques.

RH: Do you have any work from the students or from your curriculum that you are able to and would like to share? 

TC: I do not save any of the models, but I use the exercises from the textbooks by SDC Publications mentioned above.  

RH: What industry do you teach for or what is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

TC: I do not target any industry.  As far as the industries around; this is a list of companies in our general area:

Westinghouse

Spirax

Mid State Tooling

Energy Solutions

A.O.SMITH

REI Automation Inc.

Superior Machine Co of SC, Inc.

Garlock Helicoflex

Fischbein-Inglett

Accutech Machine

Michelin

Hansen International

ALPHA Mfg.

Howden Buffalo

Protected Vehicles, Inc

Watermark Design, LLC

Bose

Jarden Materials

Schneider-Electric

American Spiralweld

Precision Machine Works

Hagler Systems

Elite Tool & Design

Curtis Fabrication

Whidtec

Force Protection Industries

Tobul Accumulator, Inc

Interlake

Access Mfg.

CompositeResources

Energy Solutions

Mancor

Steck Technologies, Inc

Custom Components Inc.

Parsons

Thermal Engineering

Partion Systems Inc.

Kaydon

King Design and Drafting, LLC

Shaw Group

Midlands Biofuels

Dixie Poly Drum Corp

 

RH: What universities or community colleges are nearby that your students would attend and pursue a course of study with SolidWorks application?

TC: Clemson University, University of South Carolina, multiple TECH schools

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? If so, what was beneficial from a teaching standpoint?

TC: Yes, Orlando twice and New Orleans.  This past year was the first from an educator standpoint and for me, meeting Marie Planchard was a highlight.

RH: Will your school board or current school be willing to fund a trip for you to SolidWorks World? 

TC: I really doubt that, since I am an Adjunct Instructor and not full time.

RH: Knowing that most school systems are in desperate financial situations, do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills. 

TC: As long as there is a demand for educated people in these fields, then tech schools will try to offer these courses.

RH: How important do you feel that teaching CAD/drafting skills is for the future of engineering and industry in general?

TC: I believe it is imperative that we teach these skills, if we don’t, how will we progress?

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

TC: Getting more classes.

RH: What are some goals for your future and do you always plan on teaching?

TC: As long as I am able, I will probably teach these classes or until they run me off.  My goals are to have fun and show others how much fun design can be.

Tony,

Thank you for taking the time to share with everyone.   

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 It’s amazing who you can meet at SolidWorks World where a whole bunch of like minded folks get together.  Right after breakfast on Monday morning of day 1, Gary Hall (my brother of no relation) and I were headed up to get in line for the general session.  As we approached what we thought would be a good entrance point, Gary said hey I know those guys.  We walked over and got in line where I was introduced to Randall Bock and Wescott Pusey.  I found out from our conversations that they were SolidWorks teachers at Pennsylvania State University, better know as Penn State or PSU.  I also found out that they were running the Happy Valley SolidWorks User Group on campus.  Throught the week we kept in touch through Twitter and email and Randall ( @randllbock ) told me that one of the SWUGN summits was going to be hosted by HVSWUG later in the year.  Details have not been released on the Happy Valley Summit yet but the date has been set for June, 16 2009.  I have never been to Pennsylvania so it sounds like a good road trip to me.  I am planning on taking my family up on vacation in June and attending the Summit.  Randall has a lot of dynamic ideas and projects he has shared with us here at Educators Corner.  Be sure you take a look at what the next generation of SolidWorks students are learning at a major university. 

 

  

 

Rich Hall (RH): Hi Randall.  Why don’t you share a little about yourself.

Randall Bock (RB): I currently hold a BS, MS in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Penn State.  In my day job I am an Engineering Associate and Affiliate Instructor at The Pennsylvania State University in the area of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.  In my area of core responsibility, I work with faculty and students in the design and implementation of teaching, research, and outreach programs. The engineering and agricultural challenges being studied are wide ranging: bioreactors, food-born pathogens, particulate mechanics, natural resource conservation, structural and mechanical design, food and biomass processing, agricultural health and safety, ethanol production, computer modeling and simulation, and nano-technologies.  My night job is Continuing Education Instructor at The Pennsylvania State University at University Park where I develop and instruct coursework for EDSGN 496A: SolidWorks Fundamentals (3 credits).  Virtually all products manufactured in modern facilities begin as three dimensional computer models (3D-CAD).  SolidWorks has approximately 800,000 licensed seats worldwide and is the most accessible 3D-CAD application at Penn State.  This course delivers the methods and techniques necessary to become proficient in the application of SolidWorks for product design and manufacturing.  The SolidWorks corporate certification exam is included. Advanced topics on weldments, sheet metal, and finite element analysis are covered. 

RH: What led you to become a teacher and why SolidWorks?

RB: Up until 2006 I was using AutoCAD to do 3D solid modeling.  One of my students showed me SolidWorks.  I stopped AutoCAD, dove into SolidWorks and never looked back.  The software changed nearly every aspect of my job.  Design became fun and life got better.  Much of my work is developing prototype equipment for research.  Now with SolidWorks I have the ability to design and analyze using the same package.  Before my class was developed, Penn State did not offer a rigorous course in 3D modeling.  Freshmen engineering students were doing the SolidWorks tutorials as part of a general engineering class and other students we doing the Pro/E tutorials.  In general I found that the software was under utilized.  This fantastic engineering teaching tool was available but no one was using it.

RH: How long have you been teaching?

RB: I started teaching in Spring 2008 with 20 students.  The class has grown to 40 students in two sections with broad interest among under graduate students, graduate students, engineering professors and returning adult students.

RH: Why do you teach CAD with SolidWorks?

RB: Penn State has 500 EDU licenses that are available in all University computer labs through out the Penn State system.  Students new to SolidWorks can achieve CSWA level proficiency in one semester.

RH: What SolidWorks certifications do you currently hold?

RB: I passed the CSWA, CSWP, and plan to take the CSWP-CDES this Spring.  I am also a CSWA provider. 

RH: What are your classes (age range and/or skill level)

RB: The age range is from college freshmen to 65 year old professors.  Most have tried the software but they all lack the knowledge required to make elegant parts and assemblies.  Symmetry, design intent, multi body, and in context modeling are all new concepts. 

RH: What is a typical classroom day like for you? 

RB: I work as a research engineer during the day and teach in the evenings for continuing education.

RH: What is your preferred teaching method? What method of teaching SolidWorks have you found to be successful? 

RB: Since student learn differently, I teach using a variety of methods:

• Standard lecture for new information
• Follow the leader: for detailed modeling techniques or complex features 
• In class challenge assignments
• Timed quizzes: to prepare them for the CSWA
• Homework assignments: I encourage them to work together
• Midterm project: consisting of 8 parts minimum
• Final Project: assembling the parts from the midterm project, producing drawings and doing FEA. 

RH: What curriculum and industry standards do you teach? 

RB: I developed my own curriculum which using what I call “Basic Strategy”  (Blackjack inspired terminology).  This Basic Strategy presents good habits, best practices, and reinforces the basics: design intent, symmetry, constraints, etc.  I have found that students really need the knowledge of experienced users.  Good design practices and strategies normally come from experience; I try to give it to them in the classroom.  I tell them that as a goal: 80% of producing a 3D modeling happens in their head and that pushing the keys is the instant gratification / detail phase. 

RH: How do you use the SolidWorks Educator resources and curriculum in teaching your class? 

RB: The SWE resources are project based.  I start the students with the basics.  I feel making impressive looking parts in the beginning diverts attention away from fundamental modeling techniques.  So I have them start by making very simple shapes.  Then later after they have learned the tools one at a time, they are assigned progressively more complex parts.  After they can make complex parts, I have them pick a project.  I emphasize that the project should have some value to them personally or should otherwise be connected to a project in another class. 

RH: Do you have any work from the students you are able to and would like to share?

To view the following files you must have eDrawings for SolidWorks.  Please click the free Download link below:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH: What industry do you teach for or what is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

RB: I do not teach for any particular industry although most student are in mechanical or aerospace engineering.

RH: What universities or community colleges are nearby that your students would attend and pursue a course of study with SolidWorks application?

RB: Penn State is it.  We are in central PA there is nothing else for miles!

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? If so, what was beneficial from a teaching standpoint?

RB: I attended SWW 2009.  This was a great networking and learning opportunity for me!  I am hooked!  I am already planning for Anaheim.

RH: Will your school board or current school be willing to fund a trip for you to SolidWorks World?

RB: So far this hasn’t been a problem.   Penn State supports my trip to SWW as professional development. 

RH: Knowing that most school systems are in desperate financial situations, do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills? 

RB: At Penn State… if it makes money they will let you do anything.  I need to recruit more adult students.  Possibly the Engineering Stimulus will help!

RH: How important do you feel that teaching CAD/drafting skills is for the future of engineering and industry in general?

RB: It is absolutely essential for engineers of all disciplines to have a strong foundation in 3D CAD and analysis.  Many of my students receive job offers based on the classroom training and CSWA.

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

RB: Having the time and energy to do my daytime job and then get charged up to teach from 6-9pm. 

RH: What are some goals for your future and do you always plan on teaching?

RB: I started the local SWUG because I found that classroom experience isn’t enough.  Students need contact with real world projects and the opportunity to present their solutions.  I hope the Happy Valley SolidWorks User Group can provide an educational and networking resource for Penn State students and local industry.

We are hosting a SWUGN Summit on June 16, at Penn State (State College, PA).  Please watch the SWUGN web site for further details.  Please feel invited to join us for a great time in Happy Valley!

Randall,

Thanks for taking the time to share with me at Educators Corner.  I am looking forward to visiting you in June!

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 ” The good you do today, people will often forgot tomorrow; Do good anyway.”……..!!!!!!  This is the tag on my next guests email.  When you look out on the SolidWorks Forums, you’ll find him there.  When you log into SolidWorks Geeks, you’ll find him there.  At these sites you’ll find him as well: Yahoo SolidWorks group, Google SWcad group, Comp.cad.solidworks, Angelsix forum and the MNSUG yahoo group.  “I comment/contribute on these groups/forums as I’m always learning a new thing and wanted to share what I have learned during my life time.“  In this edition of Educators Corner, I will be talking to Deepak Gupta (DG).  Deepak currently works with a multi-national company in their design centre in New Delhi, India.

DG: I used to visit engineering colleges and industries to train students /people. I was involved in this training while I was associated with a SolidWorks VAR.  I am planning to start my own training school (part time).  I have a 4 year advanced diploma in Die & Mould from Indo Swiss Training Centre, Chandigarh, India. 

Check out Deepak’s Webpage Boxer’s Blog 

 

RH: Do you have any industry experience? 

DG: I have around 8 years of experience working in different companies and on different products.  I have been in design, R&D, production, tool room and vendor development.

RH: What led you to become a trainer and why SolidWorks?

DG: I wanted to learn SolidWorks for myself and this led me to be involved in training others.

RH: How long have you been training?

DG: I did that for almost 1 year.

RH: What SolidWorks certifications if any do you currently hold?

DG: CSWA, CSWP, CSWPSMTL (For details of these Certifications, see the SolidWorks Certification Site)

RH: What are your classes like when you train?

DG: All the students were 18+ and include Engineering students, Industry beginners, 2D Cad users and 3D Cad users of software other than SolidWorks.

RH: What is your preferred teaching method? 

DG: Providing useful examples while demonstrating commands/options.  I prefer using practical examples from industry and day to day life while training.

RH: What curriculum do you teach?

DG: I make my own curriculum depending on the user level and needs.  I usually teach the basics of SolidWorks depending on the need.  I will teach sheet metal, surfacing, weldments and animation, but just a basic overview of the these tools. 

RH: What is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

DG: Mechanical industries mostly involving design and analysis work.

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? 

DG: Not yet. Was planning to this year but due to some personal issues I could not make it.

RH: Do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills?  If so, is it short term or long term support?

DG: Yes and it will be long term support.

RH: How important do you feel that teaching CAD/drafting skills is for the future of engineering and industry in general?

DG: It is very important.  Today every industry needs trained/skilled people and no one has time and funding to train employees after they are hired.  Some one needs to do this job (training people) and this has to be done at the institutional level.

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

DG: Sometimes the people using other 3D software packages start comparing the options in the software and start making opinions of the software compared to SolidWorks

RH: What are some goals for your future?

DG: I will keep working in my present field.

Deepak,

Thanks for your time.  I really appreciate your input and am glad to know there are other passionate SolidWorks people around the world!

Rich

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As I try to cover SolidWorks education from different perspectives, I sometimes wonder just how committed the folks at SolidWorks Corporate are.  Well let me tell you about two of the guys.  Jeremy Luchini and Mike Puckett are the guys behind the SolidWorks Certification program.  Recently Jeremy and Mike made visits to some young and impressionable SolidWorks users and made a difference.  Check out Mike Puckett’s Blog and read his account of these visits.  I love these quote from Mike’s story: “Its great to see these kids so excited about engineering at such a young age.” Mike said, speaking about some students involved in the  UsFirst Robotics Competition.  A later visit to still more students at Greenville High School in Marc Nelson’s class spawned this quote from Mike, “One student even asked if they could turn in an assignment after the weekend just so they could use the new home install they had just received.”  Talk about inspiration!  I appreciate what these guys are doing personally and what SolidWorks is doing Corporately to support the next generation of engineers.  If you appreciate what they are doing as well, leave comments here or on Mike’s blog.

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It’s time for another installment of the Educators Corner featuring SolidWorks teachers and educators.  Today I’ll be speaking with Bill Casnovsky, a well known SolidWorks User Group leader and SolidWorks World presenter.

 

Richard Hall (RH): Hi Bill. What is your background?

Hello everyone, I’m Bill Casnovsky (BC). I have a BA in Industrial Design from Michigan State University. I currently teach (Adjunct Assistant Professor) at Austin Community College & I’m a lecturer at University of Texas.  I am the group leader of the Central Texas SolidWorks User Group in Austin, Texas.  We have a meeting coming up on March 19th.  If you are in the Austin area and would like to attend, contact me by email at bill@cazdezign.com

RH: Do you have any industry experience? If so what and/or who with? 

BC: Yes, many years experience.  I had long stint early on working in a Consulting firm. I was a Corporate Designer with Motorola & Lockheed Martin. I am currently doing business as CAZ DEZIGN, where I do Consulting Product Design. 

RH: What led you to become a teacher? 

BC: I felt like I would like to provide instruction to others based on my many years in the design industry. 

RH: Why do you teach CAD with SolidWorks? 

BC: SolidWorks offers CAD tools that are powerful and easy to use in CAD and Mechanical Design. 

RH: How long have you been teaching? 

BC: 4 years 

RH: What SolidWorks certifications if any do you currently hold? 

BC: No current certs – have taken advanced SolidWorks classes in Modeling/Assemblies and many classes in CAD including GE Calma, CADDAM and Cadkey. 

RH: What are your classes (age range and/or skill level) 

BC: I have students ranging in age from 19 to 50. Most have no SolidWorks experience.

RH: What is a typical classroom day like for you? 

BC: I make lesson plans, lecture in class and work interactively with students working on assignments. 

RH: What is your preferred teaching method? What method of teaching SolidWorks have you found to be successful?

BC: My preferred method is to introduce students to SWX tools and then encourage them to work concurrently with me as we go step by step through part, assembly and drawing assignments.

RH: What curriculum and industry standards do you teach? 

BC: I designed my own class content and teach my material using ANSI-English & Metric drawing standards.

RH: How do you use the SolidWorks Educator resources and curriculum in teaching your class?

BC: I do not use them.

RH: Do you have any work from the students you are able to and would like to share? (pictures or models)

BC: Sure. I have a special assignment during the semester that permits the student to be very creative. I can share some of those student solutions. (I will post these as Bill sends them to me)

RH: What industry do you teach for or what is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

BC: In my class, I expose the students to product & mechanical designs created via machining, molding & sheet metal. Industries out here use designers in each of those fabrication methods.

RH: What universities or community colleges are nearby that your students would attend and pursue a course of study with SolidWorks application? 

BC: Austin Community College & The University of Texas

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? If so, what was beneficial from a teaching standpoint? 

BC: Yes, I have attended 4 times. I found that meeting/networking with other teachers and attending the technical breakout sessions very beneficial to teaching. Observing good presenters at SolidWorks World really inspires me to try things back in the classroom.

RH: Will your school board or current school be willing to fund a trip for you to SolidWorks World?

BC: Given my adjunct status, I doubt it. However, presenting at the conference is my ticket to getting there.

RH: Knowing that most school systems are in desperate financial situations, do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills? If so, is it short term or long term support?

BC: Austin Community College is celebrating its 35th anniversary, this year. Solidworks has become a core requirement to obtain a degree. Students are also able to pick up classes in AutoCad, AutoCad Inventor & Pro E. This college is fully committed to teaching CAD skills.

RH: How important do you feel that teaching SolidWorks/CAD/drafting skills is for the future of engineering and industry in general? 

BC: Absolutely essential! In addition, ACC likes to recruit teaching talent from the industries in the area primarily to insure that the CAD/Drafting skills remain pertinent and relevant.

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

BC: Each class is unique and filled with students of various skill levels. A big challenge for me is to find the sweet spot, each semester, that keeps the fast learners challenged and the slow learners inspired.

RH: What are some goals for your future and do you always plan on teaching?

BC: I want to continue with my Product Design Consulting business, slowing to part time as I near retirement. I also wish to continue teaching part time so I can help prepare students who will lead our country to new horizons using Engineering and Design.

Bill,

It has been a pleasure speaking to you about this most important of subjects.  I look forward to the students results from you class as I’m sure everyone is.  Thanks for your time and I hope to see you at a SolidWorks event soon,

Rich

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A few years ago I was asked to start training all the new engineers as they came into the company.  This training included company proceedures, processes, drafting and SolidWorks.  Company proceedures and processes were no big deal since everything was written down in company documents, but how to do the other?  I had no idea what to do or how to teach, train or instruct in the remaining areas even though I have years of experience in them.  At that time I began to think about how this could be done efficently and correctly.  The first thing I implemented was a priciple that I learned from helping my wife get her masters degree in early childhood education.  That priciple was the use of observation of the students to figure out their learning “style”.  Every person has a learning “style” and they fall into 3 primary categories: Visual learner (a person who learns by seeing); Auditory learner (a person who learns by hearing);  Kinesthetic learner (a person who learns by touching or doing).  This principle is know popularly as the VAK principle.  Once I observed how each person learned, their “style”, I could taylor the training courses and exercises to reach each type of learner.  Let’s explore the VAK principle further.  On of the best definitions of learning styles is available from the website presented by Don Clark in the section Learning Styles & Preferences.  Once you understand the VAK principle, you can begin to implement it to recognize each students learning style.  There are several free VAK tests and one is included on Don Clark’s site on this page Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Survey.  In another self test from businessballs.com, 4 test methods are examined for use with determining learning style.  The 4th method has several good questions which allow a through testing of a subject.  Give this a read and try it on a couple of students and see if it works for you.  If this helps or doesn’t, send some feedback so that others can learn from various trials.  If you would prefer to send comments via Twitter, comment to @richard_hall and I will capture them and post them.  Stay tuned for more at the Educators Corner!

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In this installment of the EDUCATORS CORNER,  I will be talking with a former SWUG leader who now spends his extra time teaching at the post secondary level in Oregon.  Let’s see what he has to say about using SolidWorks in Education!

Richard Hall (RH): Hi Adam. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m Adam Scheible (AS).  As a child, I had a fascination with engineering. More specifically, I liked process engineering and eventually took a drafting class in middle school. I continued this pursuit by attending Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, Oregon, then started classes for mechanical engineering. In 1996 I started working full time for a local Medical/Dental manufacturer. I became active in the Portland Area SolidWorks User Group, and was elected as their leader for three years. Over the past three years I have taught at both Portland Community and Clackamas Community Colleges. Currently I teach one or two SolidWorks classes weekly at Portland Community College. You can follow me on Twitter at @adamiser. 

RH: Do you have any industry experience? If so what and/or who with?

AS: I work full time for Beaverstate Dental, a Medical/Dental manufacturer in Newberg, Oregon. I have been there since 1996, and manage Sustaining Engineering and Quality Control. I also do various contracting/consulting jobs with local companies. This full time involvement in industry enables me to stay on the edge of the daily workings of the SolidWorks program, community, and processes.

RH: What led you to become a teacher?

AS: I have always enjoyed teaching and mentoring. When I made the case to purchase SolidWorks at Beaverstate Dental in 2002, I joined the local SolidWorks user group. I was an active participant and presenter, and became the user group leader in 2005. I held that position until December 2008 when I needed to give more time to my family and teaching.  (Richard Doyle’s comments on Adam)   

RH: Why do you teach CAD with SolidWorks?

AS: Why SolidWorks? That’s easy, it’s my professional tool of choice. I can have more done at the end of the day with SolidWorks.

RH: How long have you been teaching?

AS: I have taught at the college level for three years. I have been an active member of PASWUG for seven years, and continue to be supportive of the growing SolidWorks community through work, schools, and social media.

RH: Why do you teach CAD with SolidWorks?

AS: I teach SolidWorks because of the culture of both the SolidWorks/Dassault company and SolidWorks community. It’s what I use in industry and what I believe in. Basically it’s the best tool for my daily livelihood.

RH: What SolidWorks certifications if any do you currently hold?

AS: I don’t have any certifications, but am trying to get the nerve up to take my Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) test before the summer break.

RH: What are your classes (age range and/or skill level)

AS: My student’s range from young adults to older, transitioning adults. Their skill level is across the board too. Most are working toward their BSME, but some are just trying to add to their skill set. Needless to say the classes are in high demand by everyone and we had to add another session this term. The popularity of SolidWorks is showing its relevance in all aspects of industry. This diversity is shown in each of my classes.

RH: What is a typical classroom day like for you?

AS: I work full time, and teach two nights per week. So, after a day at the office, I open the lab at 5:00pm to let my student’s work/learn/ask. I start teaching at 6:00pm and usually lecture for two hours. The next two hours are work time where I canvas the room helping students individually. I conclude my day at 10:00pm and then drive home to have dinner and kiss my sleeping kids goodnight. I repeat as necessary.

RH: What is your preferred teaching method? What method of teaching SolidWorks have you found to be successful?

AS: I have tried various textbooks and found strengths and weaknesses with all of them. Like Marc Nelson I used the SolidWorks Mountain Board project for a few terms. However, since I use SolidWorks professionally on a daily basis, I could not endorse some of the methods it presented. So, I wrote my own book and augment this with annotated video tutorials. Most importantly, I teach the “big picture” instead of button pushing. I’ve created my own version of the essentials course. I try to set up each lecture in three stages. 1) Key ideas outlined in a bulleted list. 2) Scripted example as a step by step lecture showing each button press. 3) Workflow example showing methodologies and thought process. 1, 2, 3 that’s it. Oh, I’m also a PowerPoint hater, and never use it.

RH: What curriculum and industry standards do you teach?

AS: Academically, I don’t have any curriculum standards. Likewise, I don’t have to teach to any industrial standard because I don’t just cater to drafting students. I’ve had students from mechanical engineering, industrial design, and manufacturing; so I try to focus on SolidWorks functionality instead of a specific industry or standard. That’s not to say they won’t learn drafting standards, but there is more to SolidWorks than drafting.

RH: How do you use the SolidWorks Educator resources and curriculum in teaching your class?

AS: For a long time the SolidWorks Educator resources were on the installation DVDs. However, the school IT department does the install before classes start. So, I never saw the materials offered. Then, there was a time that those resources were made available on the website and I was able to grab the mountain board project. However, this fall the SolidWorks website went through a major overhaul and the educator resources were not available. So, I don’t use the educator resources. Did I mention I tried the Mountain Board project two terms a while back? I could tell you more about it off the record. I just like to do things my own way. However, I see that content has been added to the SolidWorks Educators Blog, so I’ll have to check it out.

RH: Do you have any work from the students you are able to and would like to share? (pictures or models)

AS: I feel I should ask students permission before I share any of their intellectual property or projects, but I can tell you about our core classroom project. I build my class around a simple Lego set. Each piece we model illustrates various SolidWorks tools and functionality. We assemble the blocks to build various vehicles, and output drawings, renderings, and bills of materials like any company would expect.

 

RH: What industry do you teach for or what is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

AS: Oregon still has a large high tech sector. We have the Intel headquarters, Nike, and a lot of bio-tech upstarts. Everyone is using SolidWorks at one level or another.

RH: What universities or community colleges are nearby that your students would attend and pursue a course of study with SolidWorks application?

AS: Just about all technical colleges and schools in the area use SolidWorks. Most post secondary schools are transitioning away from ProE and moving to SolidWorks. A partial list includes: Portland Community, Clackamas Community, Oregon State University (Beavers), University of Oregon (Ducks), University of Washington (Huskies), Clark College.

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? If so, what was beneficial from a teaching standpoint?

AS: I attended SolidWorks World 2006. Everything I attended and everyone I met was beneficial. However, I did not see an educator presence there at all. I plan on attending next year and hope to do a presentation as an educator. (PS: Don’t steal my ideas.)

RH: Will your school board or current school be willing to fund a trip for you to SolidWorks World?

AS: I will probably be funding the trip to SolidWorks World 2010 on my own. Oregon seems to “spend” money very well, just not on anything anyone wants. I could go through the channels, but remember, I like to do things my own way.

RH: Knowing that most school systems are in desperate financial situations, do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills? If so, is it short term or long term support?

AS: This is a very hot topic for me because I both work in industry and am a member of the school faculty.

<edit: remove inflammatory, political monologue. (AS)>

A restructuring is badly needed. I try to live my life with this simple idea. I can’t discredit something if I haven’t made a real attempt to fix it. Therefore, I joined the curriculum advisory board at Clackamas Community College. One of the options on the table is restructuring the program from a two-year associates degree to a one-year certificate; something Portland Community College did some years ago. However, this is erosion of the highly-prized education model and may eventually lead to erosion of other degree programs. So I don’t have an answer right now, but I am at least taking an active part in the evaluation/solution process.

RH: How important do you feel that teaching SolidWorks/CAD/drafting skills is for the future of engineering and industry in general?

AS: CAD is an integral part of engineering today. At an increasing level engineers are doing their own detailing work. As companies further combine MRP/PDM data and personnel resources, the data shared needs to be current and complete. SolidWorks data is a huge benefit in this collaboration.

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

AS: My largest hurdle while teaching SolidWorks is un-teaching AutoCAD. When will the world stop teaching this as a current tool??!! To be fair, legacy data exists, but only needs to be maintained for the short term. Getting the students out of the 2D dungeon is the hardest part. Getting them to the wow-factor of SolidWorks is always a great day in the classroom.

RH: What are some goals for your future and do you always plan on teaching?

AS: This country needs engineers. I think our schools have produced too many liberal arts majors in the last 10 years. My goal is to reach younger, middle school age students. I recently talked with Saturday Academy, a local group dedicated to mentoring and offering classes to school kids.  I would like to start teaching SolidWorks classes at this level, but the hurdle now is hardware. We need to get new enough computers to run the next releases of SolidWorks.

Rich,

Thanks for taking the time to interview me and other SolidWorks educators out there. Your outreach through the blog, just like our teaching, helps the engineering community as a whole. Your time and contribution is appreciated by all. Was that the tardy bell? Well, I guess it’s time to get to class.

You are very welcome Adam.  I am very interested in your curriculum compared to other post secondary teachers.  If you are teaching SolidWorks at any level, give me a shout and let’s talk.  See you next time,

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I am going to begin the Educators Corner by talking with a high school teacher from Michigan. Every time I hear something from this guy it usually is about teaching. I met him on Twitter and I feel he shares the same passions for SolidWorks and for education that the SolidWorks bloggers and most active SolidWorks users do. So without further adieu:

Richard Hall (RH): Hi Marc. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Marc Nelson (MN): My name is Marc Nelson. I currently teach at Greenville High School, Greenville, Michigan. I received my BS in Technology Education, in 2000 from Andrews University and my MA in Industrial Education in 2009 from Central Michigan University. I am currently a member of the West Michigan SolidWorks User Group. My Twitter handle is @marcnelson and my school website is http://www.jackettech.com

RH: Do you have any industry experience?  If so what and/or who with?

MN: I began teaching right out of college so I have very limited industry experience.  I did do an internship for my Master’s degree at Apiaries and Orchard Forklift in Edmore Michigan.  I worked mainly on what would become their parts manual for their main product, the Hummerbee Forklift.  Unfortunately I had to use AutoCAD for most of it and then they went to SolidWorks after I was finished (per my recommend).

RH: What led you to become a teacher?

MN: My desire to become a teacher came from several different influences. I have always enjoyed working with young people and watching them create, design and learn new concepts. I chose the area of industrial education because I enjoyed working with my hands. I thought it would be exciting to work with young people teaching them to apply their creativity to woodworking and metals. After taking drafting in high school, I developed a love for design and drafting and later learned CAD.

RH: How long have you been teaching?

MN: I have been teaching for 9 years, 4 at the middle school level and 5 years at the high school level, all for Greenville Public Schools.

RH: Why do you teach CAD with SolidWorks?

MN: When I started teaching CAD five years ago, the lab was equipped with AutoCAD 2000 LT. Knowing the program was old and that it had issues running on our network, I began looking for something that was based around parametric design concepts as well as a leading contender in the field of CAD software to replace it. Man, I was such a rookie back then. A colleague recommended I try SolidWorks and a vendor supplied me with a trial disk. After a brief love/hate relationship, I began to catch on. SolidWorks seemed to fit in naturally for the students I had try it out. I was able to find a vendor who would support us with our current network configuration (Novell). After having taught with the program for three years now, I have found that students easily catch on to the program due to the fact that today have a basic understanding of 3D space from video games and online experiences.

RH: What SolidWorks certifications if any do you currently hold?

MN: None currently.

RH: What are your classes (age range and/or skill level)

MN: I teach grades 9-12 and all of my classes have a mix of the four grades. Right now my student enrollment is about 140 or so with 28 per class max.

RH: What is a typical classroom day like for you?

MN: My day starts at 6:30 with my Engineering Graphics and Architectural Graphics classes. These are my upper level students. I currently have two CAD 1 classes, which are my introductory CAD classes. There is one CAD 2 class and a CAD 3 class as well. CAD 2 focuses on detail drawings, assemblies, section views, fasteners and some basic CNC through G-code. CAD 3 focuses on surfacing and packaging problems. I also teach a consumer tech class that is focused on basic automotive and home maintenance. It makes for a very busy day that wraps up with students at about 2:30. I then spend the next few hours planning and grading, hoping to not take work home. I am also our building’s technology representative to the district so that is one more duty during the day when issues arise.

RH: What is your preferred teaching method? What method of teaching SolidWorks have you found to be successful?

MN: What ever is successful. I have tried many different approaches and continue to try different things out. Introductory classes always start out with sketching. From there, I have varied my approach. Since I am sort of a traditionalist in the area of drafting, I prefer to teach orthographic projection early in the curriculum. Because I incorporate this early, I often do not jump in and use the SolidWorks educational curriculum right off the bat. In the introductory levels I will often teach the traditional drafting concepts and tie SolidWorks in as the method for obtaining these concepts. In my advanced classes, we spend more time focusing on design and learning.

RH: What curriculum and industry standards do you teach?

MN: My current curriculum is derived from a traditional drafting curriculum. Currently, Michigan does not have a specified drafting or vocational curriculum. The industry in our area varies and so I teach general approach to industry standards. My philosophy has been that since not every student I teach will stay in Greenville, I should prepare them with a good foundation for their post high school education no matter what area of design or engineering they go into.

RH: How do you use the SolidWorks Educator resources and curriculum in teaching your class?

MN: I have used these in various different ways. My engineering graphics class usually does the mountain board project every year. I often assign the tutorial and introductory activities to students who excel and allow them to work at their own pace. I am continually reviewing these materials and seeing how I can incorporate them into my classes. The power points are often a huge benefit as they allow students to refresh or review concepts I have taught about SolidWorks. These are great resources and I don’t fee like I use them enough.

RH: What industry do you teach for or what is the prevalent industry in your area that would eventually hire a SolidWorks trained person?

MN: Locally we have a heavy tooling and tool and die industry influence. But I teach my classes with an open-ended approach when it comes to industry. Since I would love to think that every student that leaves my classroom will continue on into an engineering career with SolidWorks as their chosen application. But as we all know, many times the workplace decides the CAD application and young engineers must learn the new software. Therefore, I want my students to learn two main concepts: 1) How to visually communicate parts through drafting/CAD and 2) How to learn a CAD program. If they have a basic understanding of these to concepts, I feel they will be successful in their post high school educational endeavors.

RH: What universities or community colleges are nearby that your students would attend and pursue a course of study with SolidWorks application?

MN: Our local community college is in the midst of transitioning to SolidWorks. Ferris State University and Central Michigan University also offer SolidWorks training in their engineering programs.

RH: Have you attended SolidWorks World? If so, what was beneficial from a teaching standpoint?

MN: Unfortunately no. But how many days till SWW10? The bloggers and Twitter users did a great job at giving the highlights, but I look forward to being there in person next year and meeting everyone. I feel like I have so much to learn and I could benefit so much from seeing when is being done with SolidWorks.

RH: Will your school board or current school be willing to fund a trip for you to SolidWorks World?

MN: This I am not totally sure of. I put in for it this year, but it happened to be about the same time that we found our funding was going to be lower than projected. I am sure the school administration would be happy to send me if there were outside funding options such as grants or donations.

RH: Knowing that most school systems are in desperate financial situations, do you feel that there will be continued support for teaching SolidWorks and CAD drafting skills? If so, is it short term or long term support?

MN: Continued support at the district level is very high as long as we can financially support it. Support from the state is questionable. Not doubt, with Michigan’s revised high school curriculum and budget cuts, electives are being cut in many districts. My short-term projection is we will be here. Long term projection is, well, I am not sure enough on that one to say. I would love to say we would be here for a while but with some wacky decisions being made, I can’t say for sure.

RH: How important do you feel that teaching SolidWorks/CAD/drafting is for the future of engineering and industry in general?

MN: Teaching the skills incorporated in SolidWorks are very important for our future. We as teachers are training tomorrow’s engineers, the ones to face greater challenges in design and conquer the challenges we cannot overcome today. The SolidWorks CAD package allows me to teach students to think critically and make changes based on data presented to them through the COSMOS applications. It allows them to see how entire assemblies work together to formulate a working solution to a problem. And teamwork can be incorporated into the learning process much like in an engineering design center.

RH: What are the biggest challenges you face in teaching SolidWorks/drafting?

MN: Two big challenges: time, the network and internal tech support. I really wish I had more time to sit down and become better with SolidWorks, learn it from one side to the other so I feel more proficient with it when I teach it. Second, our district is cross platform (Mac and PC) and we are running the district network on a Novell network. I am not going to go into the details, it adds complications along with how work orders are problem solved and resolved.

RH: What are some goals for your future and do you always plan on teaching?

MN: My plans for the future have always been to continue teaching. I love kids and teaching them to think and learn on their own while designing being creative. That is not to say I wouldn’t change my plans if the right job came along. I have considered working towards a college level position and even considered going back to school for an engineering degree.

Marc, Thanks for taking some time to share with me and everyone else about your life and passion for teaching and for SolidWorks.

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I am going to start what I hope is a regular feature article here on my blog.  The Educators Corner Featuring SolidWorks will spotlight different educators who use SolidWorks to teach CAD/drafting in their classrooms.  Educators from primary to post secondary schools will be featured.  The intent is to showcase the educators and to share information that will be beneficial to the teachers but ultimately to the students.  I believe that we as SolidWorks professionals should get involved with and support the teachers and students in our area as much as possible to help bring more awareness of SolidWorks into the industry pipelines.  SolidWorks User Groups can help but it will take individuals to get the unity and awareness that I feel is possible to support the educators that feed students into our industries.  I have a few educators that I will be sending a survey/questionnaire out to and then post the responses in an interview format (at least that’s the plan).  I need your help to suggest other SolidWorks educators to cover here.  Please comment on the post or you can email me directly at rich_hall@richardwhall.com.  Web links and contact information would be very helpful!  Thanks for your support in this endeavor.

Helpful education links:

SolidWorks User Group Network (Get involved and join a local user group today.  Information can be found here!)

SolidWorks Educators Blog  This site is dedicated to assisting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) instructors in incorporating SolidWorks into their course curriculum.

SolidWorks Corporation  Helpful links for Educators and Students

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