Editor's Note: This is the second part of a six-part series looking at the use of technology in education.
New engineering and technology labs at Wawasee High School are providing students on the Supermileage car team opportunities to use new equipment to design and build better cars.
Supermileage cars are designed and built by students with the purpose of obtaining maximum fuel efficiency.
Senior Matt Siri said they use the CNC plasma cutter to make pieces for the cars. They also have available to them CNC mill and Wave machines and other equipment.
Siri is captain of the electrical team for the Supermileage cars.
"We're making our own motor per my design," Siri said.
He said he's been doing design work and operating a lot of machines since the team started building the cars at the beginning of the school year.
"It's experienced based," he said. "You're learning while you're doing it."
While you can be taught technology in the classroom, Siri said, learning by doing is the best way.
"Matt's got more experience than all of us," said Westin Becker, senior and driver of the team's diesel car.
When it comes to the Supermileage cars, Becker's job is "whatever Matt has me do. He helps me a lot. I've learned a lot from Matt and Mr. Coblentz," Becker said.
Siri's experience with technology started about three years ago on manual machines, he said. He was then exposed to CNC machines not too long after that. He has a lot of electrical engineering experience, which is why he was made captain.
Last year, the Wawasee Supermileage team built a diesel car and took first place at the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in Houston, Texas, Siri said. The electric car is new to Wawasee this year, he said, but he said it's his baby. Wawasee also has a gas car for competition this year.
Wawasee's Supermileage team competes in Houston this year March 28 to April 1.
Teacher Allen Coblentz said he and teacher Jamie McAdams had the opportunity to be involved in the design of the new engineering and technology labs at WHS.
"One of the main concerns was safety and being able to visually see what was going on," Coblentz said. "The second was to lay it out in a more logical fashion."
The third area was to provide space for technology they'd want to use. More computer-controlled equipment was added.
"The kids need to learn the difference between computer-controlled and machinery," Coblentz said.
If all an employee knows how to do is load parts into a machine, that doesn't make that employee very valuable, he said. However, an employee who understands how that machine works becomes a more valuable person.
McAdams' and Coblentz's classes have only been in the new labs for about 10 weeks. Not only are the students getting to learn to use new equipment, but the teachers also are learning about the new technology.
"I try to incorporate all my classes into using all of the equipment," Coblentz said.
He said he wants them to understand the design and build processes. His classes have become more advanced over the years.
"Think how far along computers have come. As society advances, high schools must advance, too," Coblentz said. "The hard part is keeping up with it. We're blessed to have a new facility, but there are costs and training involved."
The school corporation made a commitment several years ago to update the technology and cafeteria areas of the high school. Coblentz said the technology area hadn't been updated since the 1970s.
Besides the engineering and technology labs, there's a computer lab for the CAD and design classes. McAdams and Coblentz share a common office space, and there's another classroom for the manufacturing side. That room has computer capabilities as well as group tables in the middle for discussion and demonstrations.
Senior Chris Fox said the technology he makes use of in the classroom is "a lot of 3D and 2D modeling software. We use it a lot to mock up our parts. It enables you to see all the sides of parts rather than visually in your mind."
This year, Fox said, they've used the CNC plasma cutter, laser engravers and CNC mill machine to make parts for the Supermileage car they weren't able to make before.
"We don't have to outsource as much anymore and a we can be a lot more precise," Fox said. "It opens up a lot more possibilities to us."
With the addition of new computers, machines and software, Fox said, they also are able to write more papers, do more research and get more resources for their classes online.
Even after high school, the exposure to technology Fox got at Wawasee will be a big help to him.
"I'll go into college with knowledge of a CNC plasma cutter, drafting on 2D or 3D and being proficient on programs like Word and Excel," Fox said.
An open house for the new engineering and technology labs at Wawasee is scheduled Feb. 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
