Re: Team 1717 retires
 

1678 managed to get the course we teach to grade via your choice of either A-F grades or Pass/No Pass.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Hi Devin- thanks for following this- it exposes a gap in the way we do education in California, and in many parts of the nation. Some would call the lack of this kind of education a national security issue.

We've all but eliminated technical and vocational education, a place where both the academy-bound and not could have success with hands-on practical skills, and immediately get a job out of high school, or be better prepared for the university engineering programs.

As is, we (teachers & administrators) cast about for new programs like "mechatronics" or PLTW to fill the gaps. The 1717 issue of pulling the foundation out from under the students is a local matter that was mismanaged by admin-- armchair critique, but they could have at least put the word out in January and got some feedback so as to promote the new program with a smiley face.

FRC is big, has boxcar-loads of cash invested in it by technologically oriented businesses, gets bushels of volunteers because of the way educators have over the last thirty years dismantled and thrown out this kind of education.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Yes, the AP system is perverting our education system. And the students who are taking those AP classes are most likely to go the high quality colleges where they would receive a better education on the subject matter than in a high school classroom. No student should ever be put in the position that getting an A is not a good enough grade. :ahh:

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

I know we downloaded 3d models of their robots, studied their swerve videos, searched CD for their posts and sought out their robot release videos. They were one of the top teams we emulated. They will be sadly missed.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

FYI - the non-honors GPA dilution (as being discussed in another thread) was not a contribution factor in the dissolution of team 1717 in favor of the mechatronics program. Here is an excerpt from the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy handbook:

Course Weighting and UC Requirements: Note that all DPEA courses (except Service Learning) are honors courses with weighted grades. These courses satisfy the University of California “a-g requirements” as follows:

● 9th Engineering Technology
● 10th Engineering Sculpture and Design
● 11th Engineering Physics

○ Together, the three 9th-11th grade courses count as three subject credits one each of: “d” (lab science), “f” (visual & performing arts), and “g” (elective). All three years must be completed to earn any of these subject credits.

● 12th Advanced Engineering Physics “d” (lab science)
● 12th Mechatronics 1 “d” (lab science)
● 12th Mechatronics 2 “d” (lab science)

The DPEA has worked very hard over many years to assemble a curriculum that aligns with UC requirements, fully at the honors level, and fits within the school district's high school class load & graduation requirements. Not an easy task. And aside from this FRC situation it is still an amazing program.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Where did you find models of their robots? I would love to see their swerve drive CAD.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Hi holazola-

You have made great efforts which should be commended. The curriculum posted to the State of CA website is one that can be immediately downloaded and implemented anywhere in the state, a resource for which we owe you all a great thanks. Kinda hard to qualify engineering education as Art credit and convincing the State cubicle jockeys it's legit. Even I'd be hard put to do it.

It remains, in the bigger picture, that A through G is limiting and hurting people who merely want to take classes of choice that will ultimately lead to a job directly out of high school.

Hoping for the best for team 1717. Any news would be appreciated to all of us who have been in the box with or opposite you.

Joe Petito
TorBots FRC 1197
petito.joseph@tusd.org

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Where is the curriculum posted? I (and probably others) would love to read it.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

I would like to second this request. Pitching something like this to the school districts could greatly help the teams in our area.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Joe, I agree with this sentiment. FRC has huge potential to train students for tech jobs without a college education, and we should push to unleash that in California.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

To carry on: Here's the surface course description from the state regarding how the curriculum meets A-G, but it's only the course list:

https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agc.../details/2181/

Here's the link to the State of CA curriculum description from 2013, but it no longer works- it appears to be behind a new access system for submitting new courses, requiring you to register your school:

https://doorways.ucop.edu/view/servl...ademicYrKey=17
Text copied directly from the portal in 2013:
Brief Course Description:
This is first course of a three-year series of
integrated curriculum that will collectively cover the content
contained in a standard laboratory science physics course, a
standard Visual and Performing Arts sculpture course, and an
engineering elective course.$@# These courses will be taught by
a team of teachers who are credentialed in physics, visual and
performing arts, and engineering technology.$@# Content will be
covered in a completely integrated, cross-curricular fashion. The
content covered for each discipline during the first year of the
course is as follows:
Engineering Technology:
Engineering design and product development, drafting conventions,
schematics, layouts, engineering drawings, CAD software, bill of
materials, computer programming basics using Excel and CAD, tools
of engineering technology, simple machines
Visual and Performing
Arts—Sculpture: Elements and principles of design (e.g.
line, shape, value, harmony, balance, and rhythm), basic techniques
(e.g. addition, subtraction, and manipulation), tools, historical
and cultural context, and how to critique artworks
Physics: Forces and
Newton’s Laws, vectors, speed, velocity, torque, energy,
electricity and magnetism

A-G Course Management Portal:
https://hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcmp/login#/

In thirty minutes worth of searching, I'm unable to find/access the original from my research in 2013 while writing Ditching Shop Class. Please put the word out to the people at DP that many of us would like the link to the actual course descriptions filed with the state, with the descriptions of what kinds of teaching credentials are needed to teach which classes. They put a lot of effort into it and have a fine program.

Joe.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

I will be disappointed to see this great team go.

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

+1

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Hi Richard-

We (educators) got rid of "tracking" years ago because of the reality and perception that it sidelined kids of color and the underclass; so out with tracking went the shop classes and most things related to vocational and technical education. We wanted every kid to go to college and pull up the underclass, but (my opinion) we've made it worse. More kids get to the university and eventually through it, having qualified for entrance by the AP/Honors coursework. But about half eventually drop out, or get the degree after five or six years, making their parents pull down a second mortgage. Or going into massive debt early in their lives.

The AP/Honors style of courses is merely tracking with a more acceptable image. Little has changed in the structure of public education, with the exception that we've eliminated the hands-on coursework that was serving a lot of kids. Opinion again, but this very thing is why FRC, FTC, VEX, BotBall, FLL, etc. have gotten so big over the last twenty years, and why so many people and organizations fund it. And the scholarships.

Joe

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

today is 1/17/17

:)

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Our team also noticed that kickoff was on 1/7/17!

Re: Team 1717 retires
 

Been 2 years, still sad. This thread makes me sad. I miss you 1717.

Re: Team 1717 retires