|
STEM:
Science, Technology, Enthusiasm and Math
Engineering Tech teacher hopes to introduce students to the
career-rich - and exciting - world of emerging technologies
SEPT. 21, 2012 -
If teacher Zachary Carrico’s enthusiasm is contagious, students
in HFM BOCES Engineering Technology program are in for an
exciting year.
 Carrico
comes to HFM BOCES’ teaching staff this year from Niskayuna
Central School District, where he taught for seven years in the
middle school technology program.
“This program has a lot of similar elements to my middle school
program, but at a much higher level,” said Carrico. “What sets
this program apart is that this really is STEM-based. We pull
science, technology, engineering and math all into one room, for
one long period of time, instead of three or four different
classes.”
The two-year program is a collaborative partnership with HFM
BOCES, Fulton-Montgomery Community College, and the National
Science Foundation to create career opportunities for students
in the field of engineering technology. Students receive STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) instruction
focusing on career exploration in current and emerging
technologies. Students also apply college-level algebra,
physics, and engineering principles to develop systematic
approaches to problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
Carrico’s first-year students started the year by working on the
design of a small hovercraft. “We have a shop vacuum with no
wheels, and we’re going to explore a hover base,” said Carrico.
“We figured out how much a full vacuum would weigh and how much
lift would be needed to make a hover base. We’ll explore shapes
and stability, and once we figure that out, we can build a
full-size model.”
Carrico has had a life-long interest in engineering (helped
along by his dad, a mechanical engineer, and older brother, an
electrical engineer). “I was thoroughly set on course to either
mechanical or electrical engineering when I was in high school,”
said Carrico, who grew up in Saratoga Springs. “Then, a
technology teacher asked if I’d ever thought about teaching.”
That set him on his career path, and he received both his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees in technology education from
State University of New York at Oswego.
He’s looking forward to the journey with his students –
particularly given the access they will have to facilities at
Fulton Montgomery Community College, including the microchip
plant clean room, electronics lab and robotics lab.
“We have the freedom to shape this program to whatever the
students need,” said Carrico. “The program is going to be
exploratory for them, to find out what they are interested in. “
Students are typically recommended for the program by their home
school.
“We’re doing the same thing every other class at BOCES is
doing,” he said. “We’re just doing it in an area that hasn’t
been done before. We’re stepping up into an advanced degree.
We’re trying to get youth interested in it.”
During the course of the two-year program, students are eligible
to receive college credits through Fulton-Montgomery Community
College for the following courses: Intermediate Algebra; Physics
I; Physics II; Introduction to Engineering; and Semiconductor &
Fiber Optics Technology.
Carrico said engineering technology job prospects are likely to
increase in this area, particularly with companies such as
GlobalFoundries.
“Like other BOCES’ programs, the goal of the engineering
technology program is to develop an interest in the field,” said
Carrico. “My background is primarily in education, and my hope
is to be a facilitator for these students, to provide the
direction they need.”
|
