ACC Instructor Chris Foster
writes with a student.
Middle School Computers and
Technology Education Pathways
As part of our robotics,
computers, and technology education
programs, Enfield worked with ACC
to update our curriculum at JFK this
y e a r f o r 6th g r a d e C o m p u t e r
Education and 7th and 8th grade
Technical Education. Sixth graders
are now introduced to SCRATCH
programming, which ties to
mathematics concepts and computer
logic. The students are highly
engaged this animation-design
programming with teacher Barry
Scott at JFK, and are being well
prepared for more advanced classes in
future years.
Even bigger changes have been
made in the 7th and 8th grade Tech Ed
classes. Two teachers from ACC,
Chris Foster and Dan Coffin, come to
JFK two days a week to teach
Computer Aided Drawing with
SolidWorks and advanced additive
manufacturing. They are working in
close partnership with Tech Ed
teachers Adam Mitchell, Steve Fix,
John Chaves, and department chair
John Dague to integrate the ACC
curriculum with our traditional
materials design curriculum at JFK.
An entirely new computer lab
has been set up for the computer
design work. Their instruction with 3D printers extends and enhances the
already exciting and challenging
curriculum delivered by our JFK
teachers.
Bringing ACC staff into our
Enfield classrooms introduces our
students to more career options, realworld applications, and college-level
interest in the manufacturing and
engineering fields. This coming
summer, we’ll once again revise our
curriculum to add even more
challenging computer-aided design
and three-dimensional scanning for
next year’s 8th graders.
One of the Enfield
School District goals
is to increase the
number of graduates
attending college.
Future Extension into High
School: ACC 5th Year Associate
Degree
In the fall of 2016, with the
opening of the renovated Enfield
High School and its new Enrico
Fermi STEAM Wing, Enfield will
extend our ACC partnership to high
school. We will offer ACC partnert a u g h t c l a s s e s i n Te c h n o l o g y
Education in 9th grade, and, the
following year, in 10th grade. These
more intensive classes will provide
detailed skill development in design,
robotics, metals, engineering, and
manufacturing. Students selecting
this learning path will be able to take
Steve Fix assists a student
with 3-D design.
courses at ACC in their junior and
senior years on more advanced
manufacturing equipment, earning
college credits as they do so.
To further offer opportunities to
students, 42v