Just a question

[within a thou]

I took a job as an instructor teaching mastercam I am not worried about my background or teaching them I a wondering how to go about teaching the class after I introdeuce myself. SO anyone who has taught or been in this situation I would appreciate your feedback

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

My very first class after my introduction, I gave a VERY general introduction about Mastercam, how it works, configuration, etc...

 

In my classes after the first night I spent the first part of the class doing lecture. Introducing software features, going over the things that the students need to know to complete the lesson(s).

 

Not to be critical or anything but... don't you think you should have had a plan BEFORE you agreed to be an instructor? After I was a machinist and had taken classes I knew that if I ever got a chance to teach, I knew EXACTLY how I was going to do things.

 

JM2C

[within a thou]

This is a private college there is a structure of what is to be taught. The tricky thing about this is the class isn't run on a normal semester when a student signs up they start so everyone in the class is at different levels and different spots in the ciriculum. I am gonna introduce myself my background and what I have done in the trade then have the students continue on in the last lesson they were working on until I can take a pad and paper get around to each student and find out where they are in the course what they know and what they want to get from the class and use that to take it from there. The thing I am worried about is teaching a class when the students are all at different areas in the outline.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

---

...The tricky thing about this is the class isn't run on a normal semester when a student signs up they start so everyone in the class is at different levels and different spots in the ciriculum...

---

 

I was lucky, class started and cladd ended, everyone was pretty close to being at the same point. Obviously you have people that are more skilled than others but you give the really fast, good guys more challenging projects to keep them motivated and keep them learning. One other thing that I was fortunate in was that I could deviate from the curriculum if I needed to. I never deviated from the course outline but because people are always at different experience levels, there's never a really a one size fits all solution for training.

 

The key is be flexible.

quote:

---

...I can take a pad and paper get around to each student and find out where they are in the course what they know and what they want to get from the class and use that to take it from there.

---

That's a great approach. One thing I did (that may be a little more challenging for you because of how the class is structured); in the first class, I handed out a survey to each student. I asked them what they expected out of the class, what things in specific they wanted to learn or learn more about. This was very helpful for me.

 

quote:

---

...The thing I am worried about is teaching a class when the students are all at different areas in the outline.

---

That makes lectures interesting to say the least.

 

Whan you do lecture, make sure they have their computers off or the monitors turned off because students will have a tendency to pay more attention to what they are doing and not to what you are teaching and then you'll have to repeat yourself more than necessary. I actually had one guy that never paid attention to lecture. I just started telling him that he needed to focus on the lecture and NOT what he had going on with his computer.

 

Looks liek you have your work cut out for you. I miss being in the classrom. I'll probably go back when I retire... if my knowledge is still relevant. I love teaching.

 

HTH

[Zoober]

quote:

---

The key is be flexible.

---

+1000!

As an AE, I taught programming and operation classes - manual, not cad/cam - for new machine purchases. Generally, most that came to the class were noobs, but sometimes there was a real mix of experience.

One class, we were discussing setting offsets using indicators, probes, edge finders, wigglers, seats, etc... A hand in the back shot up, and this guy asks "What's an edge finder?" I kinda felt sorry for him, as he took a pretty good ribbing from the class.

 

Come to find out, this kid was a financial planner, getting ready to take over his dad's (manual - this was their first CNC) shop. 3 years and many machines later, he had one of the nicest CNC shops in the Ca. bay area.

 

Sometimes, you will just have to be flexible with varying levels of experience, as there is no other way.

[Thee Starry™]

One of the potentially nicer things about the class structure you are going into is the opportunity to use some of the more advanced peoples skills to help you with the less advanced.

When I went to get my degree, I already had 10 years experience. The instructors that I had were great about recognizing that and using my skills to help others less skilled. Which in turn frees up the instructor to help others.

It also gave me the chance to hone some people skills and often learn more about the process, since new people with little to no experience tend to have really good probing questions that I would need to help answer.

[within a thou]

Sorry it took so long to reply but thank you for all the information. Its goin better then I hoped the class s small and students are really only at 2 different levels noobs and guys who know the interface and most of there 2D geometry creation. Havent had an actual in shop class yet so the real fun starts tomorrow.

[specprogrammer]

I started my MC class after about 15 years in manufacturing and there were others in my class who had no experience. So your audience is going to be pretty wide spread. That being said, My instructor spent waaayyy to much time on geometry creation and never once went over how to bring a pre existing model in assign it an orgin. I think that is what most of us do on a daily basis. I would at least start with existing models. At the end of the class I could apply a 2-D path to a part but for the others in the class they had no guidance on how to figure out speeds and feeds, lead in and out, or even order of operations. The instructor also never covered any clamping, fixturing or workholding of any sort. The instructor relied soley on study guides. That may be alright for introducing a feature but any one who can read can hunt and peck and input that info. My thinking is... expect your student to know nothing of manufacturing and by the end of the class you should be willing to turn over YOUR shop to them with no guidance.

[crazy^millman]

specprogrammer that is not only asking a lot that is darn near impossible. I can appreciate you thoughts on it, but your 15 years when you took the class is different than some green person who has never seen much in the way of manufacturing. I have seen maybe 10 different people who think they understand the manufacturing engineering side of the business to only fall flat on their face. Making toolpaths is one thing, designing good workable fixtures that take holding, egronomics, order of operations and how each set-up effect the others takes years and hands on experience. It is good to expose people to these asspects of the what to expect, but to think someone is going to take a Mastercam class and be ready to be set lose in a shop is way off. Sorry to say that, but I took 3 years of Vocational School, and many night classes and the school of hard knocks has been my best teacher, by far. I have worked in over 20 different shops maybe close to 30 and taken and given something back in everyone of them. You work in a place where you are only make 4 to 5 different parts and different configurations of the same shop then yes it might be possible, but this to me is the death of a good machinist/programmer. Get out there see what others are doing, go to other shops and work part time, change jobs to gain experience and make more money in the process because you have gained different experience.

 

Sorry to go on, but to many people coming out of classes now a day think they have all the answers and know it all. I thought I was pretty knowledgeable coming out of school. Was not a scratch in the surface for what I know now and I took 3 years of classes.

[mkd]

+1000 Ron

 

I have heard a manager say if an applicant (for pgrmr position) comes in and talks big about the MC class he/she just completed, this is where the mnger finds something else for the candidate to do.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I ALWAYS (much to management's chagrin) told my students that after they took my class that it DID NOT mean they were "Programmers" and DID NOT automatically qualify them to apply for Programmer positions. That would be dictated my their overall manufacturing knowledge, knowledge of setups, workholding, tooling, tool holders, materials, etc... ad infinitum. It pissed a few people off when I said that but my point was this... what shop owner is going to give you "the keys" to the millions of dollars in capital equipment in his shop if the only experience you have is a couple years pushing a button and a shiny new Mastercam Certificate?

 

I explained to them my road to becoming a programmer, which was admittedly accelerated, and how much time they can expect to put in ON THEIR OWN FREE TIME to become proficient programmers. If I did my job correctly(IMO), some of my former students will become full time programmers, some will become good setup guys with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of Mastercam and continue to learn until they feel comfortabel making that step and still others will never go near another programming workstation again. The good thing about teaching is they THEY get to decide for themselves which camp they belong in.

 

JM2C

[within a thou]

Yourr points I can not agree with more not just as a teacher but what I have been sayin for years and it comes down to engineering. Point blank hand a kid a drawing all the tech knowledge in the world wont make a part unless they understand how to effectively remove material. This is where my students are lovin me my class is small I have 8 students there is a class outline of what you will learn from the course but there is no lesson plan. I have th mastercam guides wich are what tey are using and no offense to the people who wrote it they did a great job but there is more then one way to get from point A to B and I am running my lessons almost in a pyramid scheme whic starts with basics then lesson 2 repeats lesson 1 to get it done and lesson 3 repeats 1 & 2 but in a different order so kids cant memorize keystrokes and have to learn why what they are doin. Cause its no different then when you work with engineers at work as a programmer or a macinist. Ya thats a prety part but good luck machining that pocket with a 1/8 rad 6 inches deep when the insert has 3" of clearance all the way around

[specprogrammer]

You guys honestly don't think thats a reasonable expectation? To be able to bring in a model, assign an origin, calculate speeds and feeds, and apply simple 2D contour, face and drill toolpaths? After a whole semester?

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

That's absolutely a realistic expectation. The unrealistic expecation is that they are "Programmers" after that Semester in class. I don;t know about "withinathou"'s class but where I was teaching, I had some students that had less than a year of exposure to CNC manufacturing/machining TOTAL. Many of these were expevting to be Programmers at the end o fthe class. That's the unrealistic expectation.

 

For others, the ones that had a good foundation from which to build a promising career programming on (a fair amount of time setting up, operating, etc...), for them, Programming was just completing the puzzle. It would be fair to say they could make that jump.

[within a thou]

Well just an update on how things have been goin with cnc apps guy and thats why I tore the course outline up and am spending the first half (if not longer) to introduce machining basics. Give someone all the formulas in the world but if they dont have machining background they will never get anywhere. A few of my senior students who have already completed half there class hours have asked for extensions realising that only getting the formulas and not a machining background they feel they have wasted all there time.

[MultiAxGod]

quote:

---

A few of my senior students who have already completed half there class hours have asked for extensions realising that only getting the formulas and not a machining background they feel they have wasted all there time.

---

That is a very true statement. It is absolutely a waste of time for all parties concerned for someone to be in a programming class with no practical machining experience. It should be the pre req's for any CAD/CAM class.

It sounds like you have a good method to follow, now that you've thrown out the outline and do it the right way.

Good Luck!

 

Just a simple man with a simple plan!

 

Mcam X2-MR2-SP1

Mill Level 3

Lathe Level 1

Solids

5 Axis