Using STEM in Agriculture Mechanics

It’s one of the newest hot topics if you are in education. Many professional development sessions lately have been devoted to it… but what is it exactly? And furthermore, how does it relate to agricultural education and how do we get on board with it? It’s really quite simple. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is a major movement to get these topics taught on some scale in each and every classroom, be it an English class or a small engines class. The idea of STEM, however, is not a new idea to most agricultural educators. It’s something we have been doing for a long time and without a major nationwide initiative.As a tenured teacher, STEM topics have been part of my curriculum since I began teaching at Jackson County High School in 2004. My major focus has always been on the mechanical side of things, so the engineering aspect comes naturally to most of my class material. Anyone who has ever taken a welding class, small engines, construction, ag power, or structures class knows how big a part engineering plays in these classes. However, it may not be as apparent how the rest fits in. I do many projects with my students throughout the year and these topics come up frequently in class. Let’s take it letter by letter and you can see for yourself how STEM fits in the agricultural classroom and see some examples of how this agricultural educator incorporates these principles:”S” stands for science in this acronym. In the realm of agriculture, science plays a major role. It is obvious for many classes how this fits. An animal science class spends much time on anatomy and physiology of how animals bodies work; a direct correlation with biology. Many times I have students say to me, “We just talked about this in science class, but not quite this in depth!” However it may not be as apparent in a mechanical sense. In my small engines class for example, we spend time talking about fuels and how they work. The students must find chemical formulas for the different fuels, gasoline, diesel, methanol, ethanol, kerosene, etc. Once they do, they then discuss the process of how an engine uses this fuel, what is burned off, and what is left behind. We also spend a great deal of time discussing propane as an alternative fuel, and have even converted several engines to operate on propane.”T” means technology. This one is almost too obvious. Technology is constantly changing in every aspect of our lives. We no sooner get the newest gadget and then a month later the next version is available. We try to stay on top of technology in agricultural education. We want our students to be able to go out into their field of study after graduation and be on top of the game. My classes get full-on instruction in the latest updates in technology as it relates to that particular class. We use computer programs to make landscaping easier, calculate feed rations, and even take care of our greenhouse operations. However, in the field of agriculture mechanics, we still use technology to a great extent. The newest tools and equipment that are being used in the field, new testing equipment for engines, even computer-based certification testing is now available and being utilized. Just this year, the state of Kentucky has accepted a certification program through agriculture mechanics as a “career ready” mark for agriculture students. This particular certification is through the Engine and Equipment Training Council or EETC is not computer-based, however it has encouraged some of my students to further pursue certification with Briggs and Stratton, which is computer based. This year, so far, I have had 4 students passed certifications in my classes, two through EETC, and two have begun testing with Briggs and Stratton. It is also my understanding that several other schools are beginning this testing process as well. Studies and surveys have shown that technicians are in short supply and demand will continue to increase.