My son was so pleased when we were given a 2-year subscription to the Thinking Like an Engineer course from Innovators Tribe to review. He is still praying about what he would like to study after high school and engineering is on his list of interests. I feel this program will help steer him in the right direction. This course will give him a good idea of what an engineer does and I hope it helps him make a decision.
Thinking Like an Engineer is an online course with hands-on activities that give students a look at the career of engineering. Engineers are associated with applied science, technology, and design. This course has so much to offer like:
- Self-paced Interactive Lessons
- Hands-on Activities
- Design Challenges
- Downloadable Exercise Journals
- Design Software
- Online Support
- Safety Measures
Thinking Like an Engineer is taught with 6 different units that include:
- Introduction to Engineering
- Introduction to 3D Computer Design and Solid Modeling
- Engineering Rollercoasters
- Engineering Bridges
- 3D Computer Design
- Nano-Engineering
During our review period, we have completed the first two units and can't wait to move onto the third this week. The entire course takes about 30 hours to complete.
Innovator's Tribe was developed to encourage young people to be creative, innovative and to discover new things. If you have a child that shows interest in technology, engineering, construction or hands-on activities, this may be a great fit for them. I was very impressed when I listened in on some of the classes. They are put together with the purpose to teach our children how to use their imagination along with creativity and ingenuity. They inspire our young people to use the gifts they have been given to better the world we live in.
I would like to share what my son had to say about the course so far. This is in his own words.
"I personally find the course to be fun and educational. So far we have learned what engineers do, 3-D design, and how it all works together. The teacher knows how to keep your attention and explains things very well. I have learned more about engineering during this short time than I ever have before. So far my favorite activity was creating a car tire rim in our 3-D design lesson. This program has encouraged me to use my mind to create and it has given me insight into what life would be like as an engineer."
I asked him if he will be continuing this course and quickly got a "YES!"
Let's take a look at some of the activities Ryan did during his lessons over the past month or so.
In photo #1 we see the Tower Challenge. During this challenge, they were allowed to use 4 sheets of paper and 1 foot of masking tape. They had to make a tower that stood on its own for 10 seconds or more. It was fun watching him build it and seeing it stand tall.
In photo #2, we are seeing the tire rim that was built using the 123D Design software that they provide links for in the course. This was Ryan's favorite project and he enjoyed spending time perfecting his rim. The software was easy to install. Ryan was instructed on how to use it in the lesson before the activity. He said it was an excellent tool for beginners.
Our final photo is the Furniture Design activity. This also used the 123D Design software. In this activity, you were to create a piece of furniture for your home or office. Ryan decided to design a shelf to use for books or other knick-knacks. He had a lot of fun using his imagination for this project.
I was happy to see our son enjoying this course. It isn't easy to find good online classes for him. He has to be amazed by what he is being taught or he gets bored very quickly. This course was well suited for him.
I encourage you to take a look at the Innovators Tribe website to check out this course and the others they have to offer like Thinking Like an Architect. You won't be disappointed. I know my son has been positively impacted by this course and will continue to use it throughout our school year.
If you would like to read more reviews of this course and others, come check out the Homeschool Review Crew site here
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