Innovation and an Engineering School in Karviná

BUSINESS Učebna CNC strojů Innovation and an Engineering School in Karviná It is standard practice to prepare students for modern society but the principal task is to prepare them for the future. We understand that in such rapidly changing times and with such rapidly developing technologies, schools must keep pace, therefore we continue looking for innovative teaching styles. Our instruction involves state-of-the-art knowledge in technology; we develop a creative style of work, support efficient learning, and respond to what actual enterprise demands. Students in any field at the Secondary Engineering School in Karviná (Střední průmyslová škola Karviná) improve their skills in 3D modelling, CNC programming and the programming of collaborative robots in classrooms equipped with the latest technology. We have worked with 3D printing for almost ten years and produce our own 3D printers. We use 3D scanners to do CAD modelling of complicated machinery parts. There is more innovation going on at our school: we are one of the schools in the Moravian-Silesian Region whose projects have been granted funding so that we are able to equip our classrooms with virtual reality. The classroom provides a range of functions: within the pilot project, students create and share their virtual objects. It is a great opportunity for those interested in 3D object programming as they can share their experiences with others. Our modern mechatronics laboratory has also won its own fan club. It is a place where the members of both the Cybernetic Club and Young Developers meet on a regular basis. It is open to our students as well as to fans of technologies from local elementary schools. It is no surprise that the club, organized by VŠB-TU Ostrava, is led by graduates from our school. Nowadays, we cannot separate individual fields of studies in technology; we need to interconnect various disciplines. Long-term student projects (school-term studies, Maturita theses and competition papers) demonstrate the ideal connection of knowledge and theory with the practical skills of students from various engineering fields. As part of these projects, our students renewed our old 3D printer and produced working models of various machinery. They also design and create various forms and parts for our collaborative and Lego robots, special caging for electrotechnical equipment and spare parts for school maintenance. Education and instruction improve through intense cooperation with enterprises in our region and with universities. This cooperation takes on many forms, from field trips, lectures, expert competitions, and professional experts supervising long-term projects to the introduction to the operations of a company and rehearsing for job interviews. We support and develop our students’ potential and emphasize their soft skills, communication in Czech and English, and teach them how to implement theory in the real world. These are the main areas of preparation of students of the Secondary Engineering School in Karviná for their future studies and professional careers. Text: Ing. Česlava Lukaštíková Foto: Petr Sznapka www.sps-karvina.cz POSITIV 4/2019 ǀ 27