Engineering for the future in Carbondale CARBONDALE - Several
groups of students gathered along the edge of the classroom,
some poring over equipment that simulated a magnetic-powered
transportation system. Students hardly noticed the door opening
in Brandon Dodson's classroom. A window on the opposite side of
the room provided a view of a 3-D printer in the process of
crafting a prototype. The printer and other machines in the
technology education rooms were all added to the department as
part of the recent upgrade and renovation project in the
Carbondale Area High School. Although there were already hand-
drafting and computer-drafting programs, about $241,000 worth of
new technology has upped the educational ante, according to
acting Superintendent David Cerra, who called the program one of
the most advanced in the area. "It's an extreme paradigm shift
from hobbyist level vocation skills to more of a focus on
science and math and engineering," Mr. Dodson said. In a
traditional shop or industrial arts progra