GE Transportation’s Engineering Day

This past Friday, Erie’s GE Transportation held Engineering Day for local high school students. The event focused on exposing these students to various STEM related fields like mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering.

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Sources

In case no one believes me, the event got some local news coverage over at Erie News Now and GoErie. Of course, you won’t find any pictures or quotes from me. I guess coding isn’t as cool as magnets to the media. Oh well, my fame will come with time!

My Python Lab

I had the pleasure of running my own module throughout the day. It featured a basic lesson in Python with a focus on math operators and variables. After a brief presentation, the students had the opportunity to try some pair programming on a Raspberry Pi. Basically, we just set each pair of students up with a packet of tasks.

As they completed tasks, they were asked to reach out to a lab instructor. By the end of the lab, they should have gotten about halfway through the packet. The remainder of the packet is for students who happen to be a little quicker. I didn’t really want them just sitting around.

I can’t take credit for this structure. I actually borrowed it from my Introduction to Java course at Case Western Reserve University. Thanks, Professor Connamacher! Overall, I think it was a huge success, and I hope to do it again next year! Shout out to all the awesome students who worked really hard throughout the day.

Engineering Day Offer

If anyone is interested in running a similar type of program, let me know! I’d be happy to provide support if possible. If you need someone to run this sort of event, I can do that as well. I honestly wouldn’t mind getting some more teaching experience. After all, that’s where I ultimately hope to end up.