Students deciding what to do after high school have many choices but a limited time to explore their options. A new OCSB initiative is making it easy for them to try out a wide variety of technologies quickly. Every career sector in the trades incorporates sophisticated tools and technology. The OCSB Tech on Wheels trailer delivers a taste of these tech tools to grade 10 high school students throughout the Board.
The Tech on Wheels program’s primary mission is to increase awareness of the variety of skilled trades available and to encourage students to consider taking tech courses and participating in their schools’ Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) and OYAP programs. The goal is to show students that programs offered by their schools are linked to future technologies.
The Tech on Wheels trailer transports all the equipment required to set up five stations at each school it visits. Each station demonstrates technologies in different career sectors and features hands-on activities for the students. Grade 10 classes visit the stations, and SHSM students in the school help out at the stations and act as ambassadors for their respective programs.
- At the Smart Living Station, students learn about Smart connected devices that are remotely controlled and monitored by Bluetooth and Wifi while having the opportunity to wire a small light and change its colour.
- With the Smart Design Station, students familiarize themselves with different tools used in car repairs using virtual reality and the oculus quest headsets. They explore the world of welding with a Chromebook app that allows them to practice basic skills.
- The Smart Transportation Station introduces students to autonomous vehicles as they code a K8 Robot Car to drive at different speeds and change directions.
- At the Smart Manufacturing Station, students learn about prototyping using a 3D printer and designing small items that get cut using laser technology.
- The Smart Health Station exposes students to various technologies in several sectors, including hospitality, emergency services, and the environment. Students learn about the process of tempering chocolate; they test blood pressure monitors, oximeters, and touchless thermometers and take part in soil testing while learning about hydroponics technology.
Supply chain issues delayed the trailer’s arrival until the spring, but we were able to schedule three school visits before the end of the school year. Student feedback was very positive. When surveyed, 60% of the students who attended wanted to learn more about their school’s SHSM programs. Visits to the remaining high schools are scheduled for the 2022-2023 school year.