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Teacher highlights hands-on electronics course to prep students for IBEW pre-apprenticeship
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Summary
A teacher described a hands-on electronics and automation class that aims to prepare students for IBEW pre-apprenticeships and careers in renewable energy and factory automation; students demonstrated Arduino projects and praised the class for practical, real-world learning.
A teacher described a hands-on electronics and automation class that seeks to prepare students for careers in the trades and renewable energy, including a pathway into the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) pre-apprenticeship.
The teacher said the course covers basic electrical concepts through residential wiring and emphasized three curricular areas: renewable energy (hydro, solar and wind), factory automation using programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and applied electronics. "We would love to get kids into, the IBEW union. So getting them a pre apprenticeship," the teacher said, describing the program goal of giving students "a leg up" for those career tracks.
Students described classroom work on an Arduino-based project to build a model remote-control tank, with one student saying, "Ethan's done most of the wiring inside the tank. I did the controller." The students explained they learned to wire controllers and components and to use an H-bridge—a circuit that allows reversing motor direction—which they said required learning several new parts and wiring techniques.
Students also praised the teacher's approach to help. One student said the instructor assists without giving answers: "He gives you enough help to where, like, you understand what you're doing, but, like, he doesn't do it for you." The teacher said a frequent moment of satisfaction is hearing students say, "oh, it works," after troubleshooting a project.
The class instructor noted an interest in renewable-energy topics and factory automation as a way to connect classroom skills to modern workplaces, citing sensors and automation used in large warehouses as an example of where those skills apply.
Students recommended the class to peers who enjoy hands-on challenge. "If you like a challenge and you like genuinely fun classes to be a part of, then you should take this class," one student said.
No formal motions, votes or policy decisions were recorded in the transcript. The remarks focus on classroom curriculum, student projects and the teacher's stated aim to prepare students for apprenticeships and careers.
