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Introduction
Earlier in life you would want to plan out what you want to do. I'm going to take you right back to year 10. I have chosen to become a mechanical engineer for my future job. The reason why I have chosen this job is that I love to do hands-on work instead of sitting behind a computer and typing. I have learned how to mig weld once before and I enjoyed it apart from getting burnt from the metal sparks.
Job description
What does a mechanical engineer do while they are at work? Well, they design power-producing machines, such as electric generators, and internal combustion engines, and build trailers, engines, machines and structures. Then I ask my expert what is the most interesting thing you had to fix at work. He said “hard to choose one. Logging ship repairs, heavy machinery repairs, changing a motor so big it needed a crane. Every day is a different thing to fix or repair.
Great things about the job
The great thing about a mechanical engineer is that you get a challenge every day and you learn heaps of things on the way even when you have had 20 years of experience you will always find something new.
Challenges
What challenges I think would be hard being a mechanical engineer is doing the math for all the cuts and designs that I will have to weld together but I was wrong because I asked my expert what challenges him most while at work and his answer was “Understanding and interpreting what customers want when they don't have drawings or engineering knowledge”.
Qualifications needed
What qualifications do I need to be a successful mechanical engineer? Well, I asked my expert If I didn't get a bachelor's degree in engineering can I still become a mechanical engineer? And he said, “Yup a bachelor's degree is more for office work type mechanical engineering, doing an apprenticeship will get you a certificate in mechanical engineering which is a more hands-on kind of work (welding, repairs, machining)”. You can get a bachelor's degree in engineering by going to Canterbury, Auckland, Wellington and Waikato University. However, if you want to get a certificate in mechanical engineering you can go to Toi Ohomai or get a part-time job in a mechanical engineering place and do an apprenticeship.
Pay
A mechanical engineer gets paid 69 thousand dollars a year but that's not as near as the rest of the engineering industry as shown in the graph below. A mechanical engineer gets paid less than other engineers because the other engineers have a more significant responsibility and accountability to their jobs. For example, if a geotechnical engineer is doing his job and miscalculated what he was doing, a building or a train tunnel he was working on can collapse on people or damage other buildings or streets. If you have been a mechanical engineer for a considerable amount of time you can manage other mechanical engineers that have just joined and you will get paid 150 thousand dollars a year just to manage them.
Other benefits
The benefits of being a mechanical engineer outside of work are great because if your car breaks down on you while on a family vacation or a road trip to the beach. You will know exactly what to do and how to fix it when you find the problem. Then you will be able to go back on the road in no time or if your wife complains that her spade broke when gardening you can do a simple weld and then grind the lump it was left over.
Qualities required
The qualities you need to become a mechanical engineer are passion and commitment. The reason why I and my expert think these are the best for mechanical engineering are you always need passion in everything you love to do because how can you enjoy not your job when you are just there for the money? Commitment also falls into the category since you have to work hard and get the job done as fast as possible.
Describe quality 1
What is passion? Passion is one of the most important things to have when you're doing your job. People just get a job for the money but if you are passionate about the job that you're doing you both get the money and you get the fun you want while you are doing your job. For example, If I loved to wake up every morning just to go to my job and weld just two pieces of metal together and I would be the happiest man alive. Unlike someone who just works for the money, they will wake up every morning and hate what they're doing for the inter-day.
Describe quality 2
How can I commit? Well, to be committed at your workplace you will have to dive head first (not literally) into a challenge or problem and you don't turn back or give up. You will have to finish what you started no matter how hard it is. It's like how Mr Corney says “Do the Mahi get the treats” and he has proven it many times to everyone in the class so that is how and why you have to be committed to your job.
Competencies required
The competencies need for a mechanical are critical thinking and communication. The reason why we think these are the best fit for mechanical engineers is that if your weld breaks on you then you have to problem-solve why it broke and how you can make it better than it was. The communication you will have to talk to the people who come in with their broken things and tell them how you are going to fix them and how long it will be.
Describe competency 1
Why do you need Critical thinking in and out of school? Well, critical thinking is a great thing to have in life because you can come up with lots of different ways to do/make things. For example, if you needed to pack your camping things for two weeks then your space in your car is valuable because you need to find ways how your tent can fit in with all your food, towels, beach stuff, and clothes. Or if you're in school you will need it for all your exams, tests and assignments because you never know what way to solve the question.
Describe competency 2
Why is Communication so important? Every job requires talking to someone engineers, truck drivers and drifters. They have to talk to people every time they are working just to check if they had the right stuff delivered or even just to ask someone if they have a tire pump. The main reasons why you need to have communication in a job are to have great people skills and to understand what/how they feel.
Career plan (insert into the report)
Career
Year 12 & 13
Year 11
Year 10
Mechanical Engineering
In Class
Out of class
In Class
Out of class
In Class
Out of class
Qualifications
(e.g Bachelor of Education)
14 credits in Level 3 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration,
14 credits in Level 3 chemistry
14 credits in Level 3 physics
14 credits in Level 2 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration,
14 credits in Level 2 chemistry
14 credits in Level 2 physics
Full drivers licence
Forklift licence
14 credits in Level 1 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration,
14 credits in Level 1 chemistry
14 credits in Level 1 physics
Driver licence
Carry on with a part-time job or find another part-time job.
Level 5 in all subjects
Try to make or fix lots of things
Get a part-time job
Qualities
Choose two qualities that you think will be important for your chosen career that you can develop both in and out of class. Choose from the TBC Qualities (Respectful, Generous, Loyal, Resilient, Committed, Honest) or choose your own (e.g. Leadership, Grit, Integrity, Hard work)
(e.g Respectful)
Passion
You have to show that you want to learn as much as possible while you are in class.
One year you will work on a car that is done for and then you turn it into a drift car.
You have to show that you want to learn as much as possible while you are in class.
One year you will work on a ride-on lawn mower and turn it into a go-kart
You have to show that you want to learn as much as possible while you are in class.
Take your time to finish a project you are doing at home and show the passion that you are putting into it.
(e.g Grit)
Committed
Show up to school and classes on time. Spending a few hours working on school work to get ahead of most people in your class
Study in your own time how to fix this or to be better at that.
Show up to school and classes on time. Spending a few hours working on school work to get ahead of most people in your class
Going around looking for a job or an opinion to learn more about engineering. You have a job and you
Show up to school and classes on time. Ask teachers if you can do anything more have to get ahead of the class or to understand the subject you are learning
Go around looking for a job or an opinion to learn more about engineering.
Competencies
Choose two competencies that you think will be important for your chosen career that you can develop both in and out of class. Choose from the TBC Competencies: Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, Cultural Understanding or choose your own (Adaptability, Curiosity etc)
(e.g Communication)
Critical thinking
Help the school fix their problems
Test yourself by making something or answering a challenging question.
Help the school fix their problems
Test yourself by making something challenging.
Do extra work in class.
Make or come up with ways to make a simple design more useful or better design.
(e.g Collaboration)
Communication
Asking the year 9s if they need help with school work
to Keep doing cadets or join the military and keep doing sports.
Do a sport and try something new
Get a job and talk to the people you work with,
Join a sports team
and do cadets.
Going around the hood and greet your neighbours
What deliberate acts do I need to do in Y10
What deliberate acts can I do in year 10? Well in my spare time after school, I can find a little ride on the lawn mower and teach myself how things work and how to fix them if they break. If I tried hard enough and put a lot of passion into it I could turn it into a go-kart or even a trike. First I would need to plan out what is needed and could be done to enhance my learning to fix or make. Also, I can do extra homework for all my subjects so I can get a better understanding so when it comes to my end-of-year exams I can do better than I did last year in year 9.
Qualifications
What qualifications do I need in year 10 to become a mechanical engineer? Well, I need to have an average score in the year a CL5 in all my subjects and outside of school I could try to find a job in a workshop or at a supermart. My expert before he was a mechanical engineer he delivered papers, worked at an internet cafe, kiwifruit, restored vintage cars, and built trailers.
Qualities
Passion and commitment are so important qualifications in life you even need them in school. Just showing up to every class with an, I want to learn attitude and teachers will know that you have the passion to learn. Even in class, you have to commit to your work to understand or improve your knowledge. Outside of school, you can go around to different workshops and ask if you can do something to help them while they are working or find a part-time job. Or when the teacher assigns the class a task to do you do it at home to improve your grade.
Competencies
Critical thinking and communication are great competencies in life you will need them in and outside of school. Critical thinking in school is useful the reason why is because you have to figure out how to fix or solve a problem in all your subjects. Outside of school, you could be putting a car engine together and you found a bolt but you didn't know where it is meant to go. So you have to think about where you didn't put one important bolt.
What deliberate acts do I need to do in Senior School
What deliberate acts do I need to do in senior school? Well, I will have to study hard before I have any tests so I can get the best out of my credits in my class so I can reach 14 credits in Level 3 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration, 14 credits in Level 3 chemistry, 14 credits in Level 3 physics, 14 credits in Level 2 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration, 14 credits in Level 2 chemistry and 14 credits in Level 2 physics in year 11, 12 and 13.
Qualifications
What qualifications do I need in senior school to become a mechanical engineer? I would have to get a forklift licence, a full driver's licence, 14 credits in Level 3 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration, 14 credits in Level 3 chemistry, 14 credits in Level 3 physics, 14 credits in Level 2 maths or calculus including both differentiation and integration, 14 credits in Level 2 chemistry and 14 credits in Level 2 physics in year 11, 12 and 13.
Qualities
The two qualities I need in senior school are still passion and commitment. For passion, I will have to show that I want to learn as much as possible while I'm in classes. For commitment, I will have to show up to school and classes on time. Spending a few hours working on schoolwork at home to get ahead of most people in my class. For outside I will have to work on a car that is done for and then you turn it into a drift car. As well I have to study how to fix and make things in the car better so it will last longer.
Competencies
Critical thinking and communication in and outside of school. In school, I can ask if the school needs help with things or problems and I can ask all the year 9s if they need help with their homework or a problem outside of school. Outside of school I can keep doing cadets or join the military and keep doing sports. Also, make more problems and try to fix them like making your exhaust pipes come out of the side of my car.
Conclusion
Now to conclude I have answered my fertile question. Which is what deliberate acts should I do between now and the time that I start my chosen career in Mechanical Engineering to set me apart from other applicants? And I have shown you what I can do in years 10 up to year 13 and with the help of my expert, I can see what exactly I can do in and out of school.
Inquiry Rubric
Criteria
<CL4
CL4
CL5
CL6
Question
Not Yet
Research questions are sufficient to provide an opinion on the fertile question. A timeline and timesheet are present.
Research questions are succinct and detailed to provide an informed opinion on the fertile question.
A detailed timeline and timesheet are present.
Answers to research questions are supported with appropriate, detailed evidence.
A detailed timeline and timesheet using an innovative or personalised method.
Investigate
Not Yet
Evidence that notes were taken during research.
Detailed notes presented summarising sources and made in own words. Sources are referenced.
Detailed notes, evidence of own thinking (different colour text). Sources are referenced (statement, quote or image is cited in a footnote).
Not Yet
Evidence is provided showing that contact was made with experts in the appropriate field (sending an email is not enough).
Evidence is provided to show how the expert was located, then contacted and what meaningful questions were asked. You conducted a face-to-face interview.
Significant useful information was gained from an expert. Evidence of appropriate questioning to gain and clarify answers. You spent time in the workplace.
Not Yet
Numerical data (tables, surveys, experiments, other sources) has been generated wherever appropriate
Data has been analysed (e.g grouped in a table, graphed correctly, summary statistics calculated)
Data has been analysed (e.g grouped in a table, graphed correctly, summary statistics calculated). Inferences from the data are made.
Not Yet
Care has been shown to structure reports. A clear understanding of writing structure is demonstrated. CL4 criteria.
The report has been structured effectively and the writing style is consistent. Care has been taken to get the report to publication standard. CL5 criteria.
Report is structured effectively and the writing is convincing. The presentation is polished to publication standard. CL6 criteria.
Conclusion
Not Yet
A range of possible answers to the fertile question are offered..
A range of possible answers or points of view has been discussed and analysed to establish the best answer.
The discussion of alternative answers shows evidence of a deep understanding of the issues involved and substantial research from a wide range of resources.
Peer assessed
Peer assessed
Peer assessed
Peer assessed
Iterate
Not Yet
Reflection is present but lacks detail or is only descriptive in nature.
Regular detailed reflection is included. Some evidence that feedback from others has been used to improve the report or presentation.
Regular detailed reflection is included. Evidence that feedback from others has been incorporated. Evidence that feedback from previous inquiries has been used.
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