LURAY, Va. ― At the beginning of this school year, Automotive Technology Instructor, Paul Strassner, donated a rusted-out, old Chevrolet truck bed to the Page County Technical Center in hopes that something special could be created from a piece that had seen better days.
We wrote a story back in November highlighting the Welding 1 and 2 program at PCTC and how the students worked together to create a custom bench from the truck bed that “Mr. S.” had donated. The welding students used their skills to cut and shape the bed, and transformed it into a functional piece of furniture.
After that part of the project was complete, it was time for “Mr. S’s” students to embark on their own challenge. As an instructor that always looks for creative ways to teach concepts that aren’t easily grasped, during the Automotive Electrical part of the course this is always found in resistance, current draw, amperage, and voltage. The challenge was presented to the class, and a competition ensued. Two young men in the class “out electricaled” the rest of the class and were allowed to work on a special project, “The Bench–Part II.”
The Auto Technology I students used their electrical knowledge to wire the bench that the welding class had made from the old truck bed earlier in the year. The students replaced 12v sockets in the OE tail lights with 120v LED bulbs. The lenses then shine the correct light in the front of the taillights without overheating the automotive-grade lenses.
Mr. Strassner (Automotive Instructor) and Mr. Morris (Welding Instructor) used this opportunity to take on a crossover project with their classes that encouraged teamwork, collaboration, patience and creativity. Page County Technical Center prides itself on making their students’ time there a memorable and educational experience.
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