Inventor and Middle Schoolers

[fillet mignon]

As a fairly experienced CAD user I must admit teaching Inventor to middle schoolers (8th grade) is a challenge beyond any I have ever fathomed.

It doesn't help much that I am fairly new to the program - although I am picking it up quickly.

Anyone else want to sympathize or offer suggestions? :geek:

[ReMark]

J.D. Mather may have some valuable insights to share. Stick around, I'm sure he'll find you. Visit his website too. I think this is the link to it:

http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/content/DSG322/inventor_surface_tutorials.htm

[MaxwellEdison]

Have your students had any preliminary courses on Drafting/orthographic projection, descriptive geometry, or materials and fabrication techniques? I'd say they need at least a passing familiarity with some of these topics before learning Inventor...or indeed any CAD software would be beneficial.

[ReMark]

One other suggestion. Visit the AutoDesk Educational website.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=10913960&lid=HP+Quick+Links+Ed

Look on the left hand side. You want Instructor Resources.

[NLClause]

Have your students had any preliminary courses on Drafting/orthographic projection, descriptive geometry, or materials and fabrication techniques? I'd say they need at least a passing familiarity with some of these topics before learning Inventor...or indeed any CAD software would be beneficial.

I agree inventor isnt something you should teach them with out having taught basic drafting and AutoCAD knowledge. I wish my middle school would of taught inventor though that would have been awsome.

[JD Mather]

I agree inventor isnt something you should teach them with out having taught basic drafting and AutoCAD knowledge.

Nonsense. Absolute nonsense. Anybody who cannot teach exactly the same competencies with the current technology simply needs more training.

[shift1313]

in 9th grade i took an intro engineer class. they sat us at computers and let us loose on acad and 3ds. no instruction and no task really. I think the newer softwares are a little more user friendly to these computer savy kids and with the right instruction should pick it up fairly quickly. Yesterday at work i was trying to introduce/help a fellow employee through inventor and he asked me several questions that really made no sense to me(hes coming from graphic design and has never used any cad software). Things like if you add a dimension to the side of a box will it always extend the bottom and right side. Threw me for a loop:) I kept noticing odd things he would do like drawing circles in corners because i didnt mention fillet and the way he was navigating etc.

Make sure your kids know what the tools are available to them and what each of them does.

[Cad64]

:o Lucky 8th graders. These programs didn't even exist when I was in middle school. I don't even think my school had computers yet, back then. :lol: But they did have shop classes, manual board drafting classes and art classes which were all invaluable to me. In many ways I think I'm better off for learning the old school way of doing everything by hand though. I think it has made me a better designer. In fact, I still sketch everything out by hand before I ever get on the computer. :wink:

[MaxwellEdison]

This was my point. If the students are focused mostly on learning Inventor, they may not follow understand the reasons you are doing the things you're doing. I'd explaining the reasoning behind amy method or command you are showing your students, so that they're not just kids that can use CAD software but kids that use the CAD software for a reason.

[Rob123]

:o Lucky 8th graders. These programs didn't even exist when I was in middle school. I don't even think my school had computers yet, back then. :lol: But they did have shop classes, manual board drafting classes and art classes which were all invaluable to me. In many ways I think I'm better off for learning the old school way of doing everything by hand though. I think it has made me a better designer. In fact, I still sketch everything out by hand before I ever get on the computer. :wink:

it must take you ages to get anything done :D o:)

[Cad64]

On the contrary. By planning everything out on paper, in advance, I am able to move much faster once I get on the computer. A good hand drawn concept is the key to efficiency and accuracy, in my opinion. You ever heard of storyboards or concept art? These are still used today in motion pictures, animation and gaming studios. Everything is done by hand before any computer work ever begins.