Electronics

The impact of electronics continues to influence virtually every aspect of our everyday life and revolutionize the world in which we live. From generators to communication devices to computers and robotics, electronic equipment is omnipresent and those who learn to design, install, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain this equipment will have the potential for an exciting, secure career.

Pathfinder's Electronics/Robotics Technology Program is based on the exposure, comprehension, and application of engineering and technical principles fundamental to electronics technology in industry. Students are provided the opportunity and motivation to prepare for entry level employment and post-secondary education in the dynamic and challenging field of Electronics. Students will develop both theoretical and practical skills through a planned sequence of topics enhanced with cross-disciplinary experiences utilizing research and project opportunities.

Students work in a contemporary technical shop area/lab facility complete with powered work benches, computer work stations, and state-of-the art testing and measuring equipment. The curriculum being implemented is the Massachusetts Department of Education's Vocational-Technical Frameworks for Electronics. Safety standards and state of the art practices permeate each new topic being presented, and the related Algebra and Trigonometry skills, necessary for electronics, are an integral part of the curriculum.

In addition, students receive instruction in robotic principles, including, but not limited to the conceptualizing and application of gears, sensors, and programmable controllers. VEX robotic components are utilized to not only learn and apply these skills in the shop area, but students will also have the opportunity to enter a robot of their own design in Internationally recognized local and regional VEX competitions. Involvement in these competitions qualifies participating students in as many as two hundred or more scholarships, many of which involve prestigious colleges such as W.P.I. and M.I.T.

Computer-aided instruction (CAI) is also employed for individualized learning and reinforcement, and is also used to measure individual and group progress.

Upon graduation, students may enter the electronics industry in a wide variety of entry level positions in this rapidly growing, dynamic field. Students are encouraged to seek post-secondary education in areas of individual interest, such as biotechnical instrumentation, fiber optic and laser technology, automated fabrication, computer electronics and the like.

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