Alternative Fuel Education

If you are on this web site, than you are a truth seeker and on the path of discovery to find practical alternatives to using gasoline.  Welcome to the journey.  It is widely known that there are many alternative fuels however education is the missing link that will connect people to the solutions.  Over the last 3 years I have been teaching Alternative Fuel Education to high school students.  During my research to find industry experts, car parts, and training, I have collected a wealth of knowledge that I will share with you on this web site.  It’s good to have on board.  So check back as I update this web site.

You can also visit my school web site to see what we are building currently

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Monday, April 12, 2010

 I never had a shop class in high school

I am a huge fan of the Discovery Channel as are most curious people.  Personally Discovery changed my life.  I was just a dreaming car designer in 2001 when I graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.  I was forced to work in product design due to what 9/11 did to the economy the car companies were hiring very few.  In 2002 Monster Garage aired on Discovery channel.  This changed everything.  Instead of drawing the cars I wanted built, I was inspired to pick up a welder and build the cars myself.  In a fury of learning, I begged a railing shop to teach me how to weld.  Next I rented a welder from Home Depot then with a day of practice I bought the welder I could afford.  It was also the cheapest welder, a Clarke for 100 bucks.  I welded everything I could.  Now that I was playing with tools and fire I turned my attention to the old motorcycle I bought a few years prior.  It didn’t run and I had no license.  I worked every night from 7 when I got home till after 12 for a month.  I got it running, got my license, and got on the road to my educational recovery.  I say recovery as I never had a shop class in high school as there was no class at my school.

 

 

Jesse James, the host of Monster Garage, inspired me to take my education by force.  Now that I was repairing dead motorbikes and melting metal, I could turn my attention back to car design and with my new confidence I could see the limitations of my career in product design.  You see in product design you draw, brainstorm, and then rush to make the prototype the sales team wants.   But the sales team has no idea what the public wants as they are not designers.  Proof is there are only a few really good products out there to buy, the rest are throwaways.  So about this time I started looking for a new career and job.  I needed a job that let me be me.  I want to melt metal, design cars, and inspire others the way Jesse James did.  Teaching technology education would be my destiny.  I never thought of that job as I never saw a teach-ed class growing up.  I found teach-ed threw a round about way.  I was an industrial design major in college so I have hands on skills and art skills.  By now I had heard of Tech Ed classes but had never seen one.  After sitting in on some high School art classes, I got the idea that if I could teach art then I may be able to teach car design.  Even better I could teach car building.  This all lead to me investigating Tech Ed classes.  I then joined the NJ Tech Ed Association and the rest is history.  No more just drawing cars, I am building cars and inspiring many.  And what better way to inspire people than with the truthful pursuit of Alternative Fuels.

 

 

I have been on the intense roller coaster ride that is high school technology education for 5 years.  All the climbs are hard and all the thrills are worth the climbs.  I had no idea it would be this intense.  Most interesting is that as I have gotten my education back by building cars with students.  As it turns out I am not alone on getting the educational shaft.  Most have no idea how products are built, which products are efficient and most important how to build products in harmony with the earth.  My story is a microcosm of what is really going on.  I find that the biggest educational holes are in science and Tech Ed.

 

 

Educated consumers is what I thought capitalism was all about but that is not possible when technology education, were a person learns about product design, is just an elective.  Plus tech-ed is closed in most schools.  For example most adults and students have no idea when the first electric car was built or that electric cars are even an option.

 

 

If your still reading this than you want to know more.  Here are a few links to help out.

 

 

First is the NJTEA… That is the New Jersey Technology Education Association

http://www.njtea.org/

 

Oh you’re not reading this to be inspired to teach?  Ok than you may be here to learn about car design.  Check out the full season DVD’s of Monster Garage for inspiration.  Or check out Motorcycle Mania.

 

 

Still not for you?  Ok than you are here to learn more about Green car conversions.  Ok I have something for you.  Let’s start with a video about electric car conversions.

http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2009/04/west_new_york_students_convert.html

 
Mon, April 12, 2010 | link

Thursday, April 8, 2010

 A hand full of dirt

I happen to pick up a magazine off the rack that I have never seen before.  It was late I was passing through 42nd street port authority waiting for a bus.  At the top shelf of a magazine and convenience store was an interesting cover.  I mean really this magazine was out of reach.  I am 6 feet tall and had to stretch to get it.  Plus I already had picked out a Mountain biking magazine to buy.  On the cover is a very pretty middle 30’s woman holding a hand full of dirt.  The main article is about the environment and top soil erosion.  I only picked it up because she is pretty but inside the magazine are some great articles that took me by surprise.    Have you ever read the book the Alchemist?  It is a great book about the journey of life.  Well there is an article about how hard writing is by the author Paulo Coelho.  I had no idea it was written by him till I saw his name at the bottom of the page.  It really gave credibility back to the article and the magazine as a hole.  So I bought the magazine and read on.  The feature article about dirt is very important.  Top Soil erosion is as important as having clean air or water.  Due to our modern way of throwing out food as oppose to recycling or composting we are throwing out the nutrients that replenish top soil.  The same day I read this article happen to be the same day that the school building facilitator investigated adding a green house to my Alternative Fuel program at the High School I teach.  So it must an important coincidence.  Anyway if you’re interested the magazine is named Ode.  http://www.odemagazine.com/  Check it out.  It’s good.

Thu, April 8, 2010 | link

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

 This Post is for the Science Teachers

I will start by saying NSTA…  That is the National Science Teachers Association convention in Philadelphia.  You might be think to yourself, “What is an Alternative Fuel HS Auto Shop teacher doing at the science teachers convention.  But that is exactly where all the auto shop teachers should be.  Auto Shop is just applied science by converting chemical energy into mechanical energy in a car.  Plus 3 car manufactures were there to promote their “Go Green” products.  GM, Toyota, and Subaru.

webassets/VoltatNSTA3.jpgAs an auto shop teacher I was a fish out of water.  I walked into the Mecca of science conventions.  There were over 10,000 attendees from data collected by NTSA.  I was the only auto shop teacher but I think any auto shop teacher would greatly benefit from crossing over to look at science specific lessons for inspiration.



Here are some NSTA highlights.  First off GM was on hand to represent the mighty Volt.  They rolled out a Volt chassis with all the guts.  It was like a frog dissection out for all the science teachers to see.  Mel Fox, a GM engineer, was there to explain the parts.  Mel was a great inspiration me and my students.  She explained the car and how she made her way into a green career at GM.



Another NSTA highlight was the hydrogen education booths.  Dane Urry of Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies had a remote control car powered by a little hydrogen cell.  Being the kid that I am, I encouraged Dane to charge it up and take it out for a spin.  There we are running over feet and under tables with a clean burning remote control car like kids with a new toy.  Green technology is fun.  I even strapped a small video camera to the front of the car to share the fun with my students when I got back to the classroom.  Showing that science and alternative fuels are fun is great inspiration for them.  You can see it on YouTube.  Look up H-Cell 2.0 hydrogen fuel cell remote control car - fast!



Now that the science teacher convention is over I can bring all that energy and enthusiasm to the classroom.  I must thank GM for inviting me.  Specifically Eden Litt and Laurie Mayers of the Teach Green Blog.  Spreading the word of Teaching Green is essential to America’s advancement.



My next blog will be about converting a diesel car to run on Vegetable oil.


Tue, April 6, 2010 | link
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