Edmonds School District Automotive Program Teacher Bryan Robbins gives instructions to students in an online video.
Members of the Edmonds School Districts Automotive Training Program recently defended their title as the top program in a Puget Sound-area competition for high school students.
The SkillsUSA automotive service technology competition, held virtually this year at the end of January, has two different skills divisions automotive service and automotive maintenance.
During the competition, students conducted various types of tests and diagnosed problems with both individual auto parts and vehicle systems. Participants perform these independently to demonstrate their understanding and application of automotive knowledge. During this years competition, students used an online training platform to complete the various tests and tasks from their own computers.
Students in the districts program swept the top four places for the automotive service contest Max Bird took first place, Cameron Skinner finished second, Marcus Coyle placed third and Izaha Bart finished fourth. This was the second consecutive year that participants in the school districts program took home all four top spots in the region.
Several other district students also placed highly in the automotive maintenance portion of the competition Jonah Peterson (second), Britain Smith (fourth), Muhenad Al-Haddad (fifth), Corey Hawkins (seventh).
Their instructor, Bryan Robbins, said the automotive service competition is designed for more advanced students who have already completed at least one year in the program. Its sort of the difference between like you need an oil change done (maintenance) versus your check engine light comes on (service), he said.
Robbins noted that students in his automotive program have now taken first place at the regional competition three times in the past five years. Hes proud not only of those individual results but also the programs overall continued success.
Meadowdale High School senior Marcus Coyle, who is president of the schools automotive performance club, said the biggest challenge compared to last years competition was having to perform tasks within a software simulation. Rather than being able to provide a diagnosis of actual physical components, it was a lot of the knowledge and the kind of mindset behind everything, not really the hands-on, he said.
As an example, he said, when it came to using tools in the simulation, participants would move a slider representing a wrench until they heard a click, which was meant to represent that the correct foot-pounds of torque had been applied. Coyle said it paled in comparison to the actual feeling and full experience of how to properly use and handle the tools themselves.
Robbins actually took the same auto shop classes he now teaches, back when he was in high school and first participated in the SkillsUSA competition as a student in 2003. He also has a family connection to the school district program because at that time his father, Dave Robbins, was teaching its automotive technology classes.
The experience of being a student in this program and then becoming the teacher, far and away thats why we do so well in SkillsUSA every year, he said.
The events organizers change the specific skill tests involved every year and then keep those secret until the actual day of the competition. Typically my students come in just as nervous as everyone else, but Ive spent so many years both as a competitor and a coach that they end up really well prepared for what tasks may be thrown at them, Robbins said.
Preparation before the competition this year was quite different from what Robbins was used. Rather than doing hands-on reviews involving vehicles and equipment in the shop, Robbins instead spent time with students online training them how to use the contests website and software. His predictions about the specific tests required at each individual station in the competition were also almost entirely wrong under the new format, he said.
Coyle said he felt that getting familiar with the new platform before this years contest was still a helpful training experience. He added that throughout his four years in the automotive technology program, Robbins has always put together an amazing class.
Robbins, who has been the instructor since 2014, said he typically eschews software programs and is instead heavily dedicated to hands-on performance training in the programs auto shop facility which has nine vehicle work stations. In addition to providing pupils with an explanatory foundation of repairs, it makes a lot more sense for them to physically know how to fix a car, he said.
Then classes had to suddenly pivot to a virtual format last March due to the pandemic. I was completely technologically backward before all this, Robbins said. I was one of the teachers that fought against actually having all the students being one-on-one with Chromebooks. And woo am I ever happy that I got voted down on that one, because those things have saved our lives this year.
Beginning last April, he started preparing curriculum and content, including 80 textbook chapters, that could be delivered online an undertaking Robbins soon found to be both large and taxing. Its more work than I have ever put into anything else, he said. I thought being a mechanic was the hardest that I had ever worked in my life. Then I found out that no you can stare at a computer screen and physically youre not doing anything but mentally it is taxing.
Robbins created a YouTube channel to show various shop tools and large equipment and to demonstrate tasks that would normally be done during in-person classes at the shop. To mix things up, he put together various quizzes, slide show-type presentations and lined up guest speakers from college programs and professional auto shops. But he said that it was important to also provide some hands-on experiences for his auto shop classes.
Robbins worried that if students were only given online lessons, they might grasp the vocabulary terms, theories and principles involved with the course material but still lack in practical applications of that knowledge. Youre going to end up with a kid who knows the names of all the parts, who knows how they work, how they function together, but tightens a bolt to take it off, he said.
Last fall, students in the program were given special kits, that included a 364-piece set of Kobalt tools, courtesy of the foundry10 educational philanthropy organization. These enabled them to participate in remote auto repair activities from home. Each month, students picked up mechanical projects that focused on a different aspect and would then return those to the auto shop for grading after completion.
Those assignments included working on drum brake assemblies, rebuilding a single-cylinder engine and constructing a wire harness to test its electrical circuits for faults. All students will be allowed to keep their tool sets, in order to help jump start a career in the automotive industry, after completing the course which is certified by the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) organization.
Coyle said that even though he has participated in the automotive classes all throughout high school, it was a little scary going into this year knowing that it would involve remote learning. He missed being around the shop and cars but appreciated having projects to take home and said overall the class went great for him personally. As a senior, I do have a good understanding of the automobile and how it works, but all the incoming freshmen it was saddening to hear that they werent going to get the full experience, he said.
Mountlake Terrace High School junior Matthew Lentz, who participated in the automotive program for the first time this year, said he found it somewhat frustrating at times attempting to learn and comprehend the material delivered by recorded video rather than through in-person classwork. But he appreciated the instruction and feedback received from Robbins during class meetings on Zoom. He also enjoyed the hands-on aspects provided by take-home projects which were, he said, fun just taking apart and putting back together a few times.
Robbins said the online lessons and video tutorials put together for this year will continue to provide supplemental teaching dividends to his classes in the future. But he also looks forward to when students will be allowed back in the auto shop again for instruction. There are currently 50 students in the programs two classes. Beginning March 29, groups of 10 individuals at a time will be able to go to the facility for in-person learning activities one day per week.
There will be a statewide virtual SkillsUSA competition in April pitting those who advance from the different regional contests against each other. This Januarys Puget Sound regional contest was the first one in the nation to be held online after many of last years events were cancelled due to the pandemic.
The automotive technology classes are open to all high school students in the Edmonds School District through its Career and Technical Education program.There is an inter-district bus available to bring students who take an auto shop class back and forth to the facilities at Meadowdale High School. Classes in the program last two periods a day for the full school year.
By Nathan Blackwell
Follow this link:
Edmonds School District automotive technology students continue their winning ways - My Edmonds News
- Report: Apple acquires French startup behind AI and computer vision technology - 9to5Mac - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- CACI Awarded $1.3 Billion Task Order to Provide Communications and Information Technology Expertise to U.S. ... - Business Wire - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- What is semi-automated offside technology and how does it work? - The Athletic - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Can technology save us from an ecological apocalypse? - interview - CyberNews.com - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Does LaLiga have goalline technology? What about other major leagues? - AS USA - April 22nd, 2024 [April 22nd, 2024]
- Driver Assistance Technologies: NHTSA Should Take Action to Enhance Consumer Understanding of Capabilities and ... - Government Accountability Office - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- OpenAI reveals Voice Engine, but won't yet publicly release the risky AI voice-cloning technology - The Associated Press - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Nexalin Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: US$0.63 loss per share (vs US$0.30 loss in FY 2022) - Yahoo Finance - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Battle for your brain': What the rise of brain-computer interface technology means for you - WBUR News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Firsthand Technology Value Fund (NASDAQ:SVVC) Research Coverage Started at StockNews.com - Defense World - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Suzhou Anjie Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Inside the shadowy global battle to tame the world's most dangerous technology - POLITICO Europe - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- The Technological Pivot Of History: Power In The Age Of Exponential Innovation Analysis - Eurasia Review - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- 'Women Behind the Wheel' explores the intersection of gender, culture and cars - NPR - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shanghai Weihong Electronic Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Lags - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- A Look At The Fair Value Of Powertech Technology Inc. (TWSE:6239) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Weaver Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS Beats Expectations, Revenues Lag - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- New York City will introduce controversial AI gun detection technology amid subway crime crisis - SiliconANGLE News - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Earnings Not Telling The Story For Beijing CTJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301153) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vontron Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.35 (vs CN0.34 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Huawei Revenue Rises as Technology Giant Commits to Growth - Technology Magazine - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Shenzhen Fortune Trend technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Beats Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- USPACE Technology Group Limited (HKG:1725) May Have Run Too Fast Too Soon With Recent 28% Price Plummet - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- NYC to test gun-detecting technology in subway system - SILive.com - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Cancer Treatment: 3D Printing and Scanning Technology - Surviving Mesothelioma - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Does Contel Technology (HKG:1912) Have A Healthy Balance Sheet? - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Oppo Find X7 series now supports 5G-Advanced technology with up to 10 Gbps downlink speed - The Indian Express - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- DCPS receives nearly $20k in grants for technology program advancements - The Owensboro Times - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Hangzhou Electronic Soul Network Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: Misses Expectations - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- International Business Digital Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.07 loss per share (vs CN0.019 loss in FY ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Analysts Are More Bearish On Guangzhou Tinci Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002709) Than They Used To Be - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Daheng New Epoch Technology Full Year 2023 Earnings: EPS: CN0.11 (vs CN0.16 in FY 2022) - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Tesla offers U.S. customers a month's trial of its driver-assist technology - Reuters - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Slam Dunk Technology: How AI Is Revolutionizing The Game Of Basketball - Forbes - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- China Environmental Technology and Bioenergy Holdings Full Year 2023 Earnings: CN0.03 loss per share (vs CN ... - Simply Wall St - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Vuma and Huawei team up to launch industry first 50G PON ... - Light Reading - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- See What Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner Look Like With Aging ... - E! NEWS - July 15th, 2023 [July 15th, 2023]
- AFRL conducts swarm technology demonstration > ONE AFRL ... - afrl.af.mil - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Shell to use new AI technology in deep sea oil exploration - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Former Google CEO says AI at 'center' of technology competition between US and China - Fox News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Agriculture and technology combine to drive the industrys growth - Times of India - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Technology and the Skills Shortage - Financial Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New License Agreement Announced for Next-Generation Base ... - BioPharm International - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Orion Governance Licenses Technology from GE to Deliver Next Generation Data Governance Solution - Yahoo Finance - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- World needs to be 'vigilant' as AI technology improves and ... - KTVZ - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After Losing Son, Ridgefield Mother Pushes For Technology to Prevent Hot Car Deaths - NBC Connecticut - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- After last year's fan violence in Queretaro, has Fan ID technology ensured safety for Liga MX fans? - ESPN - ESPN - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Bleach: The Soul Reapers' Gigai Technology, Explained - CBR - Comic Book Resources - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Cogito Tech - Catalyzing Transformation in Global Healthcare ... - Business Standard - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Barriers to Use of Technology in Diabetes Management - Patient Care Online - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Blue technology startups presented at the inaugural Gulf Blue ... - The University of Southern Mississippi - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- CureVac files expanded patent lawsuit against Pfizer/BioNTech over ... - Reuters - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Harrison Ford defends use of de-ageing technology in new Indiana Jones film: I know that that is my face - Yahoo News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Sanwo-Olu: Nigeria needs technology to compete with likes of China - Guardian Nigeria - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Prejudice in technology, and the necessity of time: Books in brief - Nature.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- New technology uses ordinary sunlight to disinfect drinking water ... - Stanford University News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Incredible AI technology shows what UK cities will look like in 2050 - LADbible - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Your Firm and Your Tools - Top Technology Initiatives - CPAPracticeAdvisor.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Tom Hanks: I could appear in movies after death with AI technology - BBC - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Transform your career with Chief Technology Officer online course - Economic Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- e-Learning Jamaica Technology in Education Conference Slated for ... - Government of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Andrew Maynard | What's a Luddite? From Industrial Revolution to ... - TribDem.com - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- At Yale, Kaloyan Kolev used technology to create and to make ... - Yale News - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- This technology could alter the entire planet. These groups want every nation to have a say. - MIT Technology Review - April 17th, 2023 [April 17th, 2023]
- The secret lives of snakes and how Georgia College uses technology to study them - 13WMAZ.com - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Technology Innovation Institute to host 2nd 'Additive Manufacturing the Future' seminar in Abu Dhabi - Devdiscourse - April 8th, 2023 [April 8th, 2023]
- Can Array Technologies Inc (ARRY) Stock Rise to the Top of Technology Sector Thursday? - InvestorsObserver - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Here's Why We Think Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology (ETR:PFV) Might Deserve Your Attention Today - Simply Wall St - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Will WM Technology Inc (MAPS) Stay at the Top of the Technology Sector? - InvestorsObserver - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Ways in which technology can enhance the abilities of law enforcement agents to assist the community - Times of India - February 7th, 2023 [February 7th, 2023]
- Meet The Titans: Google And OpenView (Microsoft) Faceoff On Chat Technology Innovation - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:MTSI) Stock Has Been Sliding But Fundamentals Look Strong: Is The Market Wrong? - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- WVU Dept. of Ophthalmology acquires state-of-the-art technology for simulation lab - WV News - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Executive Vice President of Technology & Operations Alok Sethi Just Sold A Bunch Of Shares In Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) - Simply Wall St - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Is Now The Time To Put Amkor Technology (NASDAQ:AMKR) On Your Watchlist? - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- There Are Reasons To Feel Uneasy About New Oriental Education & Technology Group's (NYSE:EDU) Returns On Capital - Simply Wall St - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Technology has set us on a path toward one of two dystopian scenariosbut its not too late to save democracy - Fortune - January 17th, 2023 [January 17th, 2023]
- IonQ Acquires Entangled Networks And Locks In Quantum Networking Technology Critical To Its Future Success - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Industrialization 3.0 - How Technology, Wall Street, And The Government Can Help The US Win In A World Of Re-Industrialization - Forbes - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Connect with aspirational India through technology and work in interest of world: Anurag Thakur to NRIs - Economic Times - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]