Arkadelphia School District engages students in math, science via engineering courses

Five years from now, people may find themselves repairing their household appliances with the help of a computer printer. All they would have to do is find the part on the Internet, download it and print out a three-dimensional replica of the part before fixing the appliance. At Arkadelphia High School, students are learning how to use one of these printers in order to pursue a career in engineering.

Bud McMillion, pre-engineering instructor at Arkadelphia High School, teaches all five courses offered by the district in a pre-engineering curriculum. The program, Project Lead the Way, gives students the opportunity to sample engineering through applying mathematics, science and language to create a product for someone else’s use.

One piece of machinery the pre-engineering students try out is a rapid prototyping machine — a printer that literally prints out three-dimensional models. The district has had the printer for a year. Using this machinery is one of the benefits of being a pre-engineering student, as it gives them hands-on experience with “"the best technology that exists,” McMillion said. “It exposes them to this technology so that when they get into the workforce they’ll know how to use it.”

Students first create a design or model, then input the information into computer software that is compatible with the rapid prototyping machine (the 3-D printer). The machine then prints the design into a model made of ABS plastic, which is fed into a print head that heats up and melts the plastic. The ABS comes in rolls that resemble weed-eater twine, and is a common material found in anything from chairs to televisions.

McMillion compares this process to using a hot glue gun, as the print head moves around and extrudes the molten plastic into the shape of the bottom of the part. Then the print tray moves down, allowing the print head to print the next layer — until the object is complete from bottom to top.

The district worked with Dawson Cooperative to get a grant for the $16,000 piece of machinery. McMillion said that only five years ago it would have cost $200,000.

The Arkadelphia School District is one of only seven in the state that offers the curriculum. “A district can’t just offer the program,” said McMillion, who trained for five summers to make the program possible in Arkadelphia. There are about 2,000 schools in the nation with the program. Project Lead the Way performed an inspection at the school in November and certified the district to award students college credit for the courses. In each course, AHS students receive credit for Arkansas Tech in Russellville or the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

McMillion said there are two sides to engineering: technology and engineering. “I try to educate my students on both sides.”

The first course, Introduction to Engineering Design, teaches students how to design successful products and three-dimensional modeling on computer software.

Computer-integrated Manufacturing teaches students the techniques of manufacturing products with computers.

Principles of Engineering shows the physics behind engineering, giving students the opportunity to design and build bridges, catapults and even rockets.

Digital Electronics teaches students the ins and outs of digital devices.

Finally, students take the last course in the curriculum: Engineering Design and Development. In this class, each student spends an entire school year developing an original product, finding a patent and giving a presentation on his or her product.

McMillion said this program is important for the nation — especially Clark County. According to a 2004 study, there are 600,000 engineers in China as opposed to the 75,000 engineers in the US. “The United States produces fewer and fewer products each year, while production in countries like China and India is up,” he said. “The reason behind that is because our students don’t like math. Also, many engineers are retiring, creating a high demand for engineers.”

Project Lead the Way teaches students the skills in math, science and language that are “important skills to have in the workforce,” he said. “Everybody realizes that Arkansas has trouble attracting technology-based jobs ... In Clark County, it is important to get a base of people who are technology savvy, because in 10 years they will be the people making the decisions on what industry comes to the county.”

About 120 AHS students are enrolled in the program each year, and McMillion said, of those, between five and 10 seniors will go on to pursue engineering in college. “It helps students become mentally prepared for college,” he said. It also helps students learn problem-solving skills by “looking at a big problem, breaking it into small parts and solving it.”

Project Lead the Way “draws kids into areas they wouldn’t go otherwise,” he said. “Some kids just don’t think math is fun. This makes kids want to go to college. I’m a big believer in it.

“A lot of kids who take these courses begin to see applications of math. You can’t do 3-D modeling without an understanding of geometry.”

One example of applying math to life is a project that is underway — a chess game in which each student has to design a chess piece. After the design is finished, the student will use the rapid prototyping machine to print out the piece.

When all the pieces are finished, McMillion will treat them to a game of chess. The stipulation: “They’ll have to design pieces that are all uniform,” he said.

McMillion said pre-engineering students have to be ready to take calculus early on in their high school career, and that they are counseled to make them ready to take calculus in order to move forward with the curriculum.

The program also “makes them feel successful,” he said, “and any time you make them feel successful they will be more likely to pursue that area.”