Would You Like A Successful Electronics Technology Program?

Here’s how.

THE CLASSROOM
A successful electronics technology classroom needs the following:

• Hands-on self-paced Electronics Certification Program.
• Resource books, how-to and sample textbooks.
• Bench tools and hand tools
• Test equipment, scopes, meters, signal generators, frequency counters, etc.
• Computers
• Computer software programs.
• Good work tables and benches.
• Lots of electronic kits and devices to build and test.

THE INSTRUCTOR

• Introduces the students to new ideas and products.
• Demonstrates electronics devices and discusses their theory of operation.
• Lets the students pick the projects that they want to build.
• Helps them have a successful experience.
• Provides good quality soldering irons, test equipment and tools.
• Shows the students how to use tools and test equipment.
• Has a good self-paced electronics technology course.
• Has many ‘how-to’ books on repairing electronics devices.
• Helps the students pick devices to build and repair.

THE TRAINING PROGRAM

With the above in mind, the Gibson ‘Electronics Technology Certification Program’ (ETCERT) was created. It is a hands-on self-paced electronics course that helps the student gain the practical electronics knowledge and skills they will need. As the students follow this program and intersperse it with electronic projects that they choose to build, which are of special interest to them, they are preparing themselves for a fantastic career in technology.

After each student finishes the first lesson on the basic rules of safety as taught in the Gibson ETCERT program, the instructor can show them all the resources, tools and test equipment available in the classroom. When a student wants to use a certain piece of test equipment, let them know they must first take the training in the Gibson ETCERT program on how to use that piece of equipment. Let them know that there is a soldering video and test included in the Gibson ETCERT program that they much take before they assemble any solder kits.

Once the students have the basics, they are on their way to success. They will build all kinds of electronic devices. They will create robots, etc. Have them make presentations to the class on the projects they build, explaining the theory of operation, etc. You can ask them to write reports and do research about similar products and where they can be used. Encourage them to participate in the competitions that are going on all over. Use the Internet to find robotic competitions, etc.

Do not structure your electronics technology program too much. Let the students work at their own building as many kits and projects that they would like. This will keep their interest and your class will always be full.

Let’s work together to help students get the skills they want and need. Call me anytime for the specifics.

Gary Gibson
Gibson Tech Ed, Inc.
1-800-314-3843
http://www.gssteched.com/
Toll-Free Fax: 1-800-913-8310

Questions and Answers:

What causes electronics students to lose interest and drop out of a program?; too many lectures.
Sometimes we set out on too ambitious of a program trying to teach a subject in High School and expect our young students to learn very heavy subject matter by pushing it into their brains by lots of lectures and reading. In my experience, this does not work very well. The students has a tendency to rebel and abandon the program. After all, electronics is usually an elective and not a required subject. Most students are looking forward to the end of the day and getting out of school so they can resume their real life out of school.

What is an electronics student’s biggest thrill; making something work.
Electronics technology, for those of us who enjoy it, is very exciting when we are doing what we like to do. We like to create new electronic devices and above all, repair electronic devices. Some people specialize in radios, some in computers, some in automobile sound systems, some in transmitters, some in robotics, etc. A person who likes electronics gets the biggest thrill making something work again. This, I think, is the purpose of teaching electronics technology; to help those who like to repair electro-mechanical devices gain the skill and knowledge to do so.

What do electronics students love? take-home projects.
The purpose of this self-study course is to teach practical electronics technology so the students will be able to repair and maintain electronic equipment. School is a place for students to go to be introduced to many subjects so they can decide what interests them. In electronics, not everyone wants to build the same equipment. A student must be introduced to different devices and then let follow their interests Thus, the first step is to let the students pick the projects they would like to work on. This involves letting them build simple circuits first, on solderless circuit boards, and gradually let them assemble projects, which they can take home.

What an electronics technology program IS NOT; super expensive with lots of plug-inboards and wires.
There are programs ‘out there’ that will fill your classroom with expensive ‘trainers’ with tons of plug-in boards and wires. Some even look like the old switchboard operator boards. I call these programs ‘photo op labs’ because they make your classroom look great for a photograph for ‘wow, look what we have!’ but in reality the students become bored very quickly with these and abandon the program. I have seen them installed and the students drop out and the program disappears. This type of set up is to be avoided because of their high-cost and that their ‘turn-key’ approach does not really work. Most who have tried these ‘photo op labs’ have found out that they ruin their program.