Catching up with the Engineering Course
The sound of gears grinding, saws buzzing and metal cling-clanging. These are the sounds that you hear in the Engineering course. The sounds of hard work. As well as James Fieberg saying to his students at the start of their class to “get to work!”
The Engineering course started eight years ago; and since the beginning, countless students have graduated with skills and knowledge that they didn’t have before. The four years of this course consist of Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Computer Science Principles and Engineering Design and Development.
The full four-year course gets you prepared and ready for an Engineering career. The program has a variety of paths that you can take for your career of choice.
Mr. Fieberg instructing sophomore students in his Principles of Engineering class. Telling them the “do’s and don’ts” on constructing their project.
“I think the engineering program has only gotten better,” Fieberg emphasized.
He’s been with us since the second year of Sage Creek. Every year the teachers refine and better their projects, the experience is key. Being able to understand which project is fun, which one is hard, which one is too easy can really help the teachers get a better idea of what to do for the following years.
This refining is all possible because the teachers are able to come up with their own creative lesson plans. Luckily the school district board is kind enough to offer us this freedom.
“I also like that we as teachers are given the freedom to try new lessons, activities, projects with students,” Fieberg said, “Students can always expect something new every year when they take this course.”
The average day usually consists of reviewing homework, bonding with group partners and project work.
“Generally speaking students are trying to solve a problem with some kind of solution that they come up with on their own devices,” Mr. Fieberg stated.
PBL (Project Based Learning) is a new and upcoming way to incorporate real-life scenarios in school.
Although don’t be fooled by Project Lead The Way, it’s fun and games until senior year. You can expect love and stress from the Engineering Design and Development class because there are certain aspects that Fieberg looks out to better the experience for his students.
Sophomore Luke McLellan and Mr. Fieberg both enjoying their time operating the saw machine. But this time it’s Mr. Fiebergs’ turn to show the students how it’s done – properly and safely.
“My one big thing that first comes to mind is that I would love more time for the fourth year Engineering Design and Development students to have to work on their projects. Twenty-four weeks is a very short amount of time to develop an innovated solution to a well-defined problem,” Fieberg says, “Regardless of the 24 weeks, the graduated students still defied and conquered this issue.”
Now a student in Principles of Engineering, sophomore Luke McLellan has enjoyed the real-life experience of what’s like being an Engineer.
“It’s super educational because like it’s hands-on,” McLellan added, “you’re not just there to learn.”
It also helps everyone prepare for life and the challenges that will appear later.
In the end, the teachers only want you all to succeed and put their 100 percent into making sure you have fun and can stay involved.
“Engineering is the best course, prove me wrong,” Fieberg said.