teaching in a 60 course

[cadcam]

Do you feel that you can teach enough about mill from 2d to 3d and say touch solids in a 60 hr courses? This includes a little machining to show them how it transfers to the cnc.

 

Also do you have control over the curriculum?

Or do you follow what the school or collage gives you.

 

One last thought how many of you are using the in-house books for your stundents

[Michael Reynolds]

Hi Jay!

 

I think the answer to your question depends on your audiance. For example, if you're teaching a class full of experianced machinists and/or programmers, I think it's possible. BUT, if you're class is diverse, in that you have a mix of the above and people who are novices to programming, I think you'd have a hard time of it.

 

I teach a 3 credit hour class (2 lec, 3 lab hours/pweek, 15 weeks) that pretty much covers ALL 2D/3D constructions and toolpaths (excluding surfacing & solids) that is about right. BUT during the last 5 weeks, we cut the parts out.

 

IF your group is transitioning from another cam program, I think you'd have a shot at it, otherwise, I think it would be week education (absolutely no offense intended).

 

BTW, had a hard week. Watched my step dad die of cancer. Bad week.

 

Thanks and I hope this helps!

 

Mike R.

[cadcam]

Thanks mike, I will probably know Monday if I have to try and pull this off or not.

 

One of the things I have told the collage that I would be doing this for is that the students must of either have completed the CNC training course or are working in a CNC shop as an operator.

 

I am sure if I have more questions, I will be back here with a few them.

Or just call James.

 

And extremely sorry about your lose sir.

 

[ 02-23-2002, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: cadcam ]

[cadmonster66]

Jay I'd like to chime in here,

Being a teacher at our community college for Mechanical desktop I think you are heading in the right direction with the having previous experience thing.I was told here's the class run with it. The one problem was first class I had to teach was an advanced class,I'd say 4 out of 20 didn't even know how to turn on a computer.You ask what this has to do with a mastercam class,Well those 4 students ate up alot of class time so the other 16 students had to wait for me to help the other 4. You really start to feel bad for those 16 because all the know how you want to pass on to them never gets there.The class was 2 nites a week 3 hrs. a nite for almost the whole semester.I would wind up staying like 1 1/2 hours extra a nite to teach the 16 what we didn't get to cover form the course outline i made for that nite. Got lucky had a bunch of good guys that were willing to stay extra,so i could help them. I also know how those students felt because when i took my 3d classes for mastercam, I felt ripped off because 3 of us knew how to draw and we sat there waiting and waiting for the rest of the class to catch up.The waiting got old real quick.So in closing please think of maybe having the students having some kind of drawing with cad or mastercam before your 3d class. Teaching how to draw can eat up alot of class time, so if you care what comes out of your class please make that a requirement to class. Even though almost everything you are taught how to draw in cad about parametrics doesn't really aply to mastercam.Except you basic commands for surface and solids. You will have a better time with having that under your belt.

 

Also sorry Michael I know you pain lost my father to cancer last year. You'll be ok hang in there pal keep the faith.

thank you

john

[cadmonster66]

Sorry one last thing,

I have to get this off my chest,I don't know how every-one else feels but being able to generate toolpaths is only knowing about 1/3 of mastercam. I don't deal with our engineer at work for drawing revisions(and we get alot working in a mold shop)I have the pleasure of just having the big boss come to me with changes being made and i make them my self to what ever mold. And that's the way it should be. I cann't stress being able to draw enough. That is the way men or women should leave our classes. Being able to do almost eveything themselves.

As CROSBY,STILLS AND NASH SAY

TEACH TEACH OUR CHILDREN WELL.

please remember that because they really are our future of the way the world will be shaped for the future

thank you

john

[cadcam]

Cadmonster66, You have great thoughts thank you for your input.

 

On the drawing thought I am with you.

I put it this way ,if you can't draw then what ever you program will be wrong.

 

thanks john

 

[ 02-24-2002, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: cadcam ]

[Charles Davis]

Jay,

 

I will be at WESTEC all next week. Sorry I missed you at the Pacific Design show.

 

Hopefully I'll see you there. I have a lot of experience teaching at the Community College level, and our own advanced Mastercam classes.

[cadcam]

Hi Charles, I will be for sure seeing this time then.

 

I had a talk with Mike this morning .I will be talking with you some more.

 

thank you for your time jay

[Reece L Gibson]

You might try the certified 80 Hr min Intro course

from CNC Software. I have used it on 3 different classes and I use it to help the students pass the certification test for level 1.

Things are already laid for you as a basic structure and you can add to it if you would like.

The students are hungry for Level 2 (surface's)after the class is completed.

Sessions and hour's are all laid out for the instructor.

[cadcam]

Hi Millturn,I m going to be looking into this.

Or I should say I am all ready looking into talking with Mike and the collage all ready.

[Reece L Gibson]

I have had no complaints

[Charles Davis]

FYI: The 3D student book (Mastercam Handbook Vol 2) for certification is completed and available from CNC Software.

 

Since Vol 2 was completed so close to the release of V9, we decided to not produce a Vol 2 Instructor Guide for V8, but spend our effort on the V9 stuff.

 

We just finished Vol 1 Student Guide for Version 9 Mastercam. The Instructor Guide will be finished in a few weeks.

 

We are schedule to have everything (Student and Instructor Guides, Version 9, Vol 1 & 2) completed by June. Of course, there will be some delay for production and distribution, but it looks like both courses will be available by Jun-Jul.

 

IMHO if you liked the V8 stuff, you will LOVE the V9 stuff. We beefed up any weak areas and have implemented hundreds of enhancements and changes, new graphics and more (thanks to instructors for your input!).

 

In short, this is a magnitude better than the V8 materials. I think you'll really like it.

 

[ 03-13-2002, 03:01 PM: Message edited by: Charles Davis from San Diego CADCAM ]

[cadcam]

Charles, will you be brining any copy's to westec so I may take a view?

 

thanks jay

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Jay,

 

Sorry I did not reply sooner, been in Marysville, Washington at one of our sister Facilities.

 

Any way, 60 hours is nothing! Our Beginning Mastercam class is 144 hours and it does not even cover solids. I'd suggest breaking it up into 2D/3D Drawing, T/C Planes, 2D and Wireframe toolpaths. That right there will pretty much burn 60 hours if you cover things thoroughly. They will want to jump ahead and do surfacing and/or solid modeling, but stick to the above then save surfacing, surface toolpaths, and solids for the next class. Good wireframe building habits are crucial in being a successful programmer, so strength in this area is paramount. Walk before you run!

 

One thing about solids TEACH IT LAST!!!!!!!! if you don't, they'll never want to learn surfacing and it is still extremely important to know how to surface model because there are just some things that will not solid model.

 

JMHO

[cadcam]

quote:

---

Charles, will you be brining any copy's to westec so I may take a view?

---

I did not get with you Charles to view the book you brought.

 

Well we will work it out.