Guest Speaker - Be One

Author: Jim Burnham (with some Idea, Topic, & Lab help from AI)  - TopClown@STEAMClown.org. License: Distributed as Open Source. I'm a huge supporter of Open Source and Creative Commons resources.  This is another way of saying Free, Equitable and Accessible resources...  📽️ 🎧 📰 📖 📝🛠️ 🖼️ - Want to Support Me on this endeavor?

Let's get started... Its going to be a wild, fun, awesome ride...

Web Site: WWW.STEAMCLOWN.ORG | Contact: TopClown@STEAMClown.org | LinkedIn: Jim Burnham | You Tube: jimTheSTEAMClown | TikTok: STEAM Clown

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How To Be A Guest Speaker

Come Be A Guest Speaker In My Mechatronics Engineering Class

Hey... You made it to my Mechatronics Engineering Guest Speaker  page... that means that you clicked on some other link to find out what this SVCTE Mechatronics Engineering Guest Speaker is all about...  And maybe you would like to come and talk to my class...   At the bottom of this page, you will be able to get more information and access links about how to setup a visit to  my class. Great... Lets jump right in.

Send me an email here if you want to talk about being a guest speaker: jburnham@metroed.net or TopClown@STEAMClown.org 

Let me Introduce Myself

First, let me introduce myself. I recently became an instructor at Silicon Valley Career Technical Education. (SVCTE).  I have always loved teaching, and teaching High School has always been noodling around in my head… So, in August of 2016, after spending 25+ years at Xilinx as a Digital Design Engineer and Technical Marketing Engineer, I made the jump.  The first year here I started and taught a Cybersecurity class, and then the next year started and now teach a Mechatronics Engineering  class... so, "Fire Breathing Robots"... It's super fun.

Silicon Valley CTE is a high school targeting sophomores, juniors and seniors from 6 local school districts, including 40+ High schools.  SVCTE offers state-of-the art programs which immerse students in rigorous, real-world academics and skills development designed to support their success through college and/or in their future careers.

How Much Time Will You Need To Invest?

Maybe two 1 hour sessions.  My Classes  are every weekday from 7:30-10:30 PST and 12:45-3:45 PST.  Guest Speaker can be Live or call in on on Skype or some other conferencing platform.  Live is always better...  

I teach 2 sections of my Mechatronics Engineering class  These classes are Monday - Friday.  The AM class is 3 hours every day and starts at 7:30 PST and goes until 10:30 PST.  The PM section is 3 hours every day and starts at 12:45 PST and goes till 3:45 PST.  Typically I like to have guest speakers on Thursdays, but with planning most any day will work.  Also, typically a guest speaker would speak for an hour, including demos and questions... but if you wanted more time I happy to make that work too. 

So, for example if you talk to my AM class, you could show up (or dial in)  at 9:15 PST, and Speak and Demo from 9:20 PST to 10:20 PST, then, if you are live in my class, we could chat after 10:30, when class ends... We could even go get an early lunch (typically called "brunch")... then you could come back at 12:45 and Speak and Demo from  about 12:50 to 1:50...  

Do I Need To Talk To Both Classes?

I know time is precious, so if you are not local to me in San Jose, or the greater Bay area, and can’t come and be live in my class, Google Video, Zoom, Skype always works.  It’s always best to engage with both of my classes, but I also know that presenting in both my AM and PM class can be a big time commitment… so coming to one or the other class is also still awesome. 

"What Would I Say?  I don't think I'm that interesting" 

First, You are AWESOME.  Second, You have an Awesome story that got you from High School to there you are now.  These are High School students, they eat up interesting stories.  I like to help my students realize they can do anything!!!  I like to have folks come speak to my class who can tell them a story of getting from point A to point B.  If you can talk about Technology and Engineering, so much the better.  Bringing a Robot or prototype of some product you are working on is also great.  Third, You are Awesome, and the kids will love your story.

Reasons You Should Be A Guest Speaker / Mentor

I feel that having industry professionals interact with my students is a great way to engage them to learn about cutting edge technology.   It would be great, if you or a colleague could come talk to my class and do a product demo and technical presentation.  If you are local it could be live in my class, or over a conference call like SKYPE.    I would love to see if we could arrange a time to see an online or live demo in my classroom.  

Also, at some point my Students will be entering the workforce.  They will remember the projects and projects they worked on in class.  If you were to come and teach my students about your companies products or programs, you might just get an evangelist out of them when they start working.  

How To Get More Information On Being a Guest Speaker

If you would like more information, visit my class, be a guest speaker, be a mentor check out this Mechatronics Resources Page 

If you can't be a Guest Speaker right now,  I would still appreciate you filling out this Mechatronics Engineering Feedback Form.  It should not take more than 5-10 min if you skip the first part about my Educational Advisory Board (EAB)... otherwise it might take 15 min to do some quick reading.

Sincerely 

Jim Burnham

Send me an email here if you want to talk about being a guest speaker: jburnham@metroed.net or TopClown@STEAMClown.org 

Office:  408-723-6477    Cell:  408-603-0925

2026-2027 Guest Speaker & Field Trip Planning
SVCTE Calendar - These Are Days to Avoid:

Aug 2026

• Aug 6 First day of School - SVCTE)

• Aug 26 - Modified Day - SVCTE No PM Session

Sept 2026

• Sept 7,  Labor Day / Legal Holiday - No Classes - SVCTE

• Sept 23,  Modified Day - SVCTE No AM Session

• Sept 28-30,  Fall Break - No Classes - SVCTE

Oct 2026

• Oct 1-2,  Fall Break - No Classes - SVCTE

• Oct 28,  Modified Day - SVCTE No PM Session

Nov 2026

• Nov 11,  Veteran's Day / Legal Holiday - No Classes - SVCTE

• Nov 18,   Modified Day - SVCTE No PM Session 

• Nov 23-27,  Thanksgiving / Legal Holiday - No Classes - SVCTE

Dec 2026

• Dec 17,  Fall Semester Ends - SVCTE 

• Dec 18,  In-service Day - SVCTE 

• Dec 21-31, Shutdown - No Classes - SVCTE

Jan 2027

• Jan 1-4, Shutdown - No Classes - SVCTE

• Jan 18 - MLK holiday / Legal Holiday - No Classes - SVCTE

• Jan 27 - Modified Day - SVCTE No AM Session

• Jan 29 - College & Career Fair (SVCTE On-Site Event)

Feb 2027

• Feb 15-19 - Winter break - Shutdown - No Classes - SVCTE

• Feb 26 - Wellness Fair @ SVCTE (SVCTE On-Site Event)

March 2027

• Mar 26 - Modified Day - SVCTE No PM Session (Friday)

• March 29 - Farm Workers Day - No Classes - SVCTE

April 2027

• April 5-9 - Spring break- Shutdown - No Classes - SVCTE

• April 22 - Meet Your Teacher Night 5:00-7:00 pm

• Apr 27 - Modified Day - SVCTE No AM Session (Tuesday)

May 2027

• May 12 - Modified Day - SVCTE No PM Session

• May 25 - SVCTE Awards Ceremony 

• May 31 - Memorial Day / Legal Holiday - No Classes - SVCTE

June 2027

• June 2 - Last day of Class - SVCTE

Reference, Attribution & Resources: