AHS Engineering

AHS Engineering Program

The engineering program is part of the Career and Technology Education Department at Asheville High School. The program consists of three classes starting with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Introduction to Engineering Design as the first level class. This is followed by Project Lead the Way Principles of Engineering. The 3rd level class is Manufacturing Robotics Honors. PLTW is a nationally recognized program that provides students transformative learning experiences. All classes are designed to be hands-on experiences for students to learn how to take their scientific understanding of the natural world (math, physics, and chemistry) and apply it to create and build new innovations to solve problems and achieve practical goals for society. Students learn key engineering skills like Computer Aided Design and the basic principles of engineering that prepare them to successfully pursue a career in the technical and engineering fields whether they choose a 2 year or 4 year higher-education institution. As part of the program students learn important interpersonal skills that employers are looking for like teamwork, critical thinking, time management, documentation, and communications. Students are challenged to think outside-of-the-box and that failure is a learning experience. My motto is that we as engineers 'fail forward'. We don't want the fear of failing inhibit our thinking or creativity. The AHS Engineering program is an exciting hands-on learning experience for any student that is interested in a career in engineering, the sciences, or technology.

Teaching Philosophy:

My classes are technical, hands-on experiences for students to learn and apply engineering tools and principles to foster new ideas and innovation. I view my job as a facilitator of learning not just a teacher. We work in a team oriented environment where every team member contributes, learns from others, and works for the success of the whole team. Our focus is on 'thinking out of the box' and to embrace the concept that we learn from our failures. There is no such thing as a bad idea in my classes. I want students to feel comfortable to explore new ideas and challenge themselves. Projects are designed to allow students to pursue their own ideas and designs. I want students to learn how to communicate their ideas in a safe environment and how to give constructive feedback to each other. I know virtual learning poses a lot of challenges for all of us. I am committed to making the student's experience in my engineering classes exciting and will work with each one to make sure they are successful. My goal in teaching engineering is share my knowledge and 30 plus years experience as an engineer to motivate students to pursue an exciting career in engineering, science, or technology. Most importantly I want them to see that being an engineer or scientist can be fun and creative, a rewarding career, and help shape the future of our earth.