How I spend my summer vacation: Gateways to Technology Specialization Training-Week 1

Do diodes mean anything to you? What about DC motors? Electromagnets? How about airfoils?

Do you know how to use a drill press?

I am not an engineer, electrician—nor do I work in the field of aerospace.

These topics are what I have been learning week at Project Lead the Way—Gateways to Technology Specialization training.

I have already learned a ton. I would say in four days, we went through about 20 weeks of material that we would teach in our classrooms.

Oh, and I learned how to use a drill press. Yep, I was scared at first--even one of the shop teachers in my class complimented me on how I "drill like a professional."

Our training goes from 8-5 everyday. Today at about 4pm, my brain was DONE. I absolutely could not think about any more circuits.

Thankfully, it has been so much easier than last year’s training--Gateways to Technology Foundations training was brutal. (The hardest part was learning 3D modeling. My brain simply did not work that way. It required a lot of patience for me to learn Autodesk Inventor.)

I have not had a ton of homework. (We have been warned that Monday will not be fun.) But, I will say, I have actually been in bed most nights by 11. My pregnant body is thankful for that.

I am adding some pictures of projects we have made this week.