Business of Speed

Class Introduction

Welcome to Business of Speed. This course is designed to help students combine, or develop, an interest in the area of mechanical systems and automotive understandings along with the costs of operations and financial side of building and maintaining items on their own.

The Business of Speed course is one which will allow students to explore their own interests relative to mechanical systems and motorsports industries while developing lifelong skills in problem-solving and tool selection/usage.

Students will learn to use a variety of tools and equipment to assist them in exploring the inner workings of engines, drivetrains, and other pieces that help mechanical equipment operate. Other areas of exploration will include motorsports, machine/vehicle maintenance, and basic repair techniques.

People enrolling in this course are encouraged, and expected, to find mechanical-related projects of their own to work on during this course whether it be their own vehicle, a family lawn-mower, an engine for their boat, their own computer, or some other piece that peaks their interest and can involve the use of tools/equipment for disassembly, reassembly, repair, or any other related processes..

More information about the course is provided below and in the Course Syllabus. However, if you have specific questions, you can contact Mr. Taylor directly at ctaylor@mdirss.org.

Specific Areas of Focus

While the areas of study for this course become individually determined by each particular student's interests, there are some general overall areas of focus that will be addressed throughout the class. Areas of focus and concern in this class will include:

General shop, tool, and equipment usage and safety.
Specialty shop, tool, and equipment usage and safety.
Understanding the proper terminology for describing tools and processes.
Motorsports and high-performance vehicles
Mechanical systems
Basic mechanical/automotive math.
Financial costs associated with tasks performed.
Develop disassembly and re-assembly skills.
Reference materials and document usage.
Basic communication skills on mechanical/automotive topics.
Being able to work cooperatively with others in a workplace environment.

Learning Map

The Learning Map is designed to show a small roadmap of what students will do in the course and the processes they will follow to complete the tasks in class.

Each task will require slight variations of this map, but the general process will be the same for each. In general, students will answer the following questions as they progress from one step to the next in the Learning Map:

What am I going to do?
How am I going to do it?
What are the steps I need to take?
What do I need for tools to complete the task?
What safety measures do I need to consider while going through this process?
Am I starting and completing the task?
How did everything turn out?
What could I have done differently to make things more efficient in the future?
What am I going to do next?
.......and then the process begins again with the next task they choose.

Grading/Scoring

With the primary focus of this course being on learning workplace environment skills, the general scoring of students for grading purposes will be based upon shop activity by the individual. The standards being scored in this course are the same as others in the Technology Department and they include: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking.

Grading for the class will be based on a couple of different areas. We will work on knowledge development and workplace productivity.

As we learn about the workings of automotive/mechanical items, students will occasionally be tested on their abilities and knowledge through activities/projects. Sometimes those "tests" will come in the form of daily encounters during the class time in which they have to recall information. In other instances students will be given more traditional "tests" to look at their comprehension and retention of certain topics.

Students will be scored on a daily basis in regards to their activity in the shop workspace which will in turn create a weekly assessment grade of their "Weekly Performance Evaluation" each Friday. They are expected to be active and productive during class time while making appropriate use of the space, tools, and equipment available. It is expected that students treat the work area, all equipment, and other members of the class with respect and courtesy. A willingness to work with others cooperatively during class, while maintaining a productive attitude will lead to a meeting of the standards being scored.

Students showing an exceeding of the standards of assessment will display such manners as (but not limited to):

-Putting in extra time/effort outside of regular class time on class-related projects.

-Extensive willingness to assist others in their learning processes.

-An overall professionalism that would equate to a successful employee in the workplace.

-Interest in learning that goes above and beyond basic general skills.

-A consistent want to improve on current abilities and gain further knowledge to assist them in the future.

Class Atmosphere

This class revolves primarily around the use of the shop space in the Technology wing of the high school. Due to the nature of the work that normally goes on in this environment, there is a lot of "dirty" work and situations where students may come into situations where they themselves, or their clothing, could get dirty. Students should bring/wear clothing that is appropriate and they are not worried about getting dirty. Students should be advised that if they don't want to be involved with these such situations, they may want to pursue other options.

Business of Speed is designed as a class where students are expected to be active and involved during class time. With the amount of equipment and tools available in our facility to students there are always opportunities to learn. As stated earlier, students are encouraged to bring projects of their own to work on, but if they have difficulty coming up with things, there will be items provided or it will be suggested that they choose a piece of equipment or tool to learn to use properly. Students enrolled in this course should not expect to simply "stand on the sidelines" and watch others work on a regular basis. Observation is a key component to learning, but getting involved and learning new skills for themselves is what is expected of students in this course.

Also, there are other inherent aspects of the atmosphere in this form of learning environment that people choosing this class should be aware of. Things such as loud noises, banging, odors/chemical smells, dirt, dust, and grease are all situations that students can, and probably will, encounter at some point as part of being enrolled in this course.

Students will be provided with safety glasses (required) and gloves (optional) as part of being in the shop. Anyone wishing to bring "work" clothes for class to use on a daily basis may leave those clothes in their toolbox and will be given time to change before and after class should it be necessary.

Safety in the Workspace

Safety is of the utmost concern when working in the shop areas of the Technology Department at MDIHS. Students enrolling in this course will be given and instructed on the contents of a Safety Contract to read and sign prior to being allowed to enter with shop area for this class. The safety guidelines are very explicit about the expectations of behavior within the shop at all times.

Anyone entering the shop area at any time is expected to wear eye protection at all times. Failure to comply with this, or any of the rules for working in the shop space, on a repeated basis will be cause for the student to be dismissed from the class until further notice. Students are also expected to abide by other safety measures in the shop/classroom area at all times. Those other items include, but are not limited to:

-Proper and appropriate use of tools/equipment.

-Wearing of all PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for the tasks being performed. This will include items such as face shields, safety jackets, shields, guards on machines, etc.

-Maintaining a clean/organized work area when performing tasks.

-Properly cleaning the work space when done.

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