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Manufacturing
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T TEACHINGEACHING ™ ™ In this issue of Teaching Today MN
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New Course Connects Students to the Flying a Plane Before Driving a Car:
PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Renee Feight World of Technology ......................... Page 4 EPHS Students Build Career Skills
EDITOR: Andria Reinke Building the Future: Hands on Innovation in Aeronautics Classes ...................... Page 16
PAGE COMPOSITION: Andrew Clausen in Wayzata High School’s Manufacturing Spudnik Students Engineer Confidence
WEBMASTER: Scott Bayerl & Technology Programs ...................... Page 6 for a 1st Grader ............................ Page 17
SPECIAL ASSISTANT: Allie Zacharias
Please direct articles, advertising, Career Pathways Take Center Stage at High School Forensic Scientists Engage
questions or comments to: Manufacturing, Engineering and Robotics in Hands-On Evidence Collection .............. Page 17
Teaching Today MN™ Open House ................................ Page 8 From Curiosity to Creation: Ian Lange’s
PO Box 1704
Eau Claire,WI 54702 Mark Gravelle’s 25 Years Building Futures Engineering Journey ....................... Page 18
Phone/Fax 715-839-7074 at Northland .............................. Page 10 MESPA Names Mary Holmberg as 2026
www.teachingtodaymn.com Labor and Industry Announces 2026 Youth S National Distinguished Principal .............. Page 20
Please direct all inquiries to: kills Training Grant Recipients ................ Page 10
renee@teachingtodaymn.com The Gilder Lehrman Institute Selects
Teaching Today MN™ is an independent Head of the Class ............................ Page 11 SFMS’s Ted Gehring as 2026 State
publication for educators. From Classroom to Company: Montevideo History Teacher of the Year .................. Page 21
The opinions expressed in Teaching Today MN™ High School Students Launch “HawkBuilt” Career Academy’s Strand-Rysgaard and
are not necessarily the opinions of Teaching Today Manufacturing ............................ Page 12 Johnson Earn Annual CTE Honors ............. Page 21
MN™. We reserve the right to edit any and all
materials submitted due to grammar, content and Hands-On Learning Drives Faribault’s Minnesota Association of Secondary
space allowances. Articles, photos and artwork Automotive Program ....................... Page 14 School Principals (MASSP), Principals
submitted to Teaching Today MN™ are assumed to of the Year 2026 ........................... Page 22
be released by the submitter for publication. Partnership With a Local Dealership Connects
Teaching Today WI™ Students to What Happens in a Real Shop ...... Page 14 Brooklyn Middle STEAM School’s Kayla
Teaching Today MN™ Schilling named Minnesota Social Worker
Transportation Today WI™ From Classroom to Indianapolis: OHS Students of the Year ................................ Page 22
Manufacturing Today WI™ Shine in Global Engineering Competition ....... Page 15

New Course Connects Students to the World of Technology

experience other aspects of the sector - includ- Using Scratch, students are learning con-
ing the physical world of machines and the cepts such as sequencing and commands while
systems that connect and protect technology. trying to get a digital robot through a maze.
“We identified that we needed more struc- The purpose of the activity is to allow students
ture and sequence inside of the TED Pathway,” to build foundational coding knowledge while
says Martin Lohman, course co-instructor. “We also seeing how direct communication with
landed on machine and technology to be able machines works.
to synthesize connections between coding, the “I like learning about how robots think,”
physical world - like mechatronics - and then says 11th grader Radwan. “They are very
also cybersecurity and building projects for direct and much different than humans - they
kids to do that weave between them.” just do what you tell them to do.”
The course allows students the opportunity The next unit covers mechatronics - the
to build foundational skills and knowledge in physical world of machines. Students will
each area while also exploring their connections. learn measurement, drilling, tapping and how
“We wanted a course that would lay the to identify different tools.
foundation for students to get an introduction The final unit is the study of cybersecu-
to these areas and explore to see if there is a rity and networking. The goal is to learn how
career path within for them,” says Karen. these technologies communicate and connect.
Zac Humphrey, course co-instructor, Ultimately, the three areas will come
Spring Lake Park Schools thought process needed to code the action is understands students may not have a clear together for a final project where students will
not. Coding is just one small piece of what career path or technical skill set when enter- be challenged to use the skills they’ve learned
What’s happening when you tell a students will learn in the new, trimester-long ing the classroom. For him, giving students to complete a number of tasks with a robot and
robot to move from Point A to Point B? elective for grades 9–12. the opportunity to try, explore and follow their robotic arm.
“The coding is all of the software side,”
Students in Spring Lake Park High “This course is kind of the intersection interests is at the heart of the class. Martin explains. “Mechatronics is building.
School’s new Machine & Technology Essen- between software and hardware,” says Karen A Little Bit of Everything – With a But a lot of those machines run on software.
tials class are finding out. While working in Kutz, Innovative and Personalized Learning Purpose So being able to understand how we code also
Scratch, a beginner’s coding software, stu- Specialist. helps us understand how machines run and
dents are learning how to give a machine While coding has been an important part The course begins with the study of how we better support them.”
instructions to help the robot make its way of Spring Lake Park High School’s Technology, coding
through a maze. Engineering and Design (TED) Pathway, edu- “Right now, students are essentially
The task is simple enough, but the cators wanted students to have opportunities to learning the ABCs of coding,” says Zac. Continued on Page 8