Bringing educators together to recharge and get inspired for the upcoming school year
In early August, SolidProfessor held a Virtual Education Summit for nearly 500 educators and industry professionals in engineering, architecture, and manufacturing. After a stressful second half of the school year, we knew we wanted to host a (virtual) event to help inspire and recharge the educators in our engineering, architecture, and manufacturing community. Thus, the first-ever SolidProfessor Virtual Education Summit came to be!
Educators are constantly being asked to do more with less — it’s like being asked to make one plus one somehow equal three. But after being told to start teaching remotely in the middle of a health pandemic and economic crisis, they were now expected to make one plus one equal four.
And like they always do, teachers rose to the occasion.
We saw teachers turn their kitchens into lecture halls, scramble to get their students access to CAD, CAM, and BIM software from home, and even turn their empty classrooms into 3D printing labs to help produce PPE for frontline healthcare workers.
Educators had to rethink technology’s role in enhancing their new, distance learning classrooms.
At SolidProfessor, we were impressed with the creativity of teachers at our member schools. When an instructor or CTE director reached out for help as they transitioned to remote learning, we found ourselves connecting them with other teachers so they could swap ideas.
SolidProfessor co-founder and president Pedro Santana summarized it in the opening keynote session at the summit:
“You found yourselves with the challenge of figuring out how to conduct class for your students. […] Many of you were coming up with really innovative ways to overcome these challenges. We thought, OK, what can we do to propagate that and let others participate in that as well?”
So the Virtual Education Summit became a forum where educators could learn about new CAD, CAM, and BIM tools, discover online courses, share remote teaching ideas, and swap projects to keep students engaged — no matter where their learning is taking place.
Anthony Salcito, VP of Worldwide Education at Microsoft, closed out the SolidProfessor Virtual Education Summit general session with his keynote about the future of technology in education.
The engineering, architecture, and manufacturing community came together for a full day with 18 engaging sessions
From instructors at universities, community colleges, and high schools to industry leaders at Microsoft, SOLIDWORKS, and Project Lead the Way (PLTW), we all came together to support educators as they prepare the next generation for careers this school year.
A special thank you to our Gold Sponsors: SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk, Onshape, PLTW, and our Silver Sponsor: CAMWorks for helping make our first virtual summit possible.
Explore the list of keynotes, breakout sessions, and closing session topics and speakers.
General Session Opening Keynotes
How to Keep Your Engineering Students Engaged in the Classroom and Beyond
> Marie Planchard, Senior Director of Early Engagement & Education | SOLIDWORKS
The Future of Technology in Education and the Impacts It Will Have on Educators and Their Students
> Anthony Salcito, VP of Worldwide Education | Microsoft
WATCH: View both of the general session keynotes for free in the SolidProfessor Library.
Breakout Sessions
How to Transition a College Drafting Program from Face-to-Face to Fully Remote
> Chipper Moore, Department Chair and Professor, Architecture and Construction Technologies | Doña Ana Community College
Panel Discussion: How to Create the Most Effective and Comprehensive CTE Program at Your School
> Tony Glockler, CEO and Co-founder | SolidProfessor
> Tricia Anderson, Director of Career & Technical Education | Kennewick School District
> Chad Downie, CTE Cluster Manager for Architecture, Construction, Manufacturing, Pre-Engineering, Transportation | Chicago Public Schools
> Dr. Charlie Hurd, Coordinator, Engineering and Technology Education | Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Building Employability Skills through the Skills to Succeed Academy
> Thomas Flake, Skills to Succeed Academy Relationship Manager | Accenture
Fueling the Future in a Traditional System
> Carmen Garvis, Engineering Lead Teacher | Sanger Unified School District
Analyzing CAD Usage Data to Determine Student Engagement in the Era of Remote Learning
> Dr. Alison Olechowski, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering | University of Toronto
> Mark Cheli, Senior Manager, Academic Customer Experience | PTC/Onshape
Teaching Cutting-Edge CAD/CAM Technologies to Students
> Marc Bissel, Senior Applications Specialist | HCL America
Where to Find Funding — and How to Win It — for Your School’s CTE and Career-Readiness Programs
> Will Krebs, Vice President, Policy and Government Relations | Project Lead The Way
Develop Career-ready Graduates Through Project-based Learning Experiences
> Dr. Rudy Ottway, Associate Professor | Murray State University
> Dr. Rustin Webster, Assistant Professor | Purdue University
“I Can’t Miss This Lecture”: Integrating Essential Employability and Professional Skills in Every Lecture
> Tanveer Sayed, Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering | Georgian College
College vs. Career Readiness: What’s the Difference? Lessons from an Industry Pro Turned Instructor
> Steve Schickling, CTE Engineering Teacher | Orange Unified School District
Will a Certification Help Your Students Land Their First Job? Here’s Why the Answer is a Resounding “YES!”
> Mike Puckett, Senior Manager, Worldwide SOLIDWORKS Technical Certification Program | SOLIDWORKS
Don’t Let Them Fall Behind: How to Prep Your Students for Careers While Teaching from a Distance
> Cristopher Algarra, Associate Professor of Engineering | Middlesex Community College
Online Teaching & Learning with Onshape + Zoom to Enable Real-time Feedback and Assessment
> Dr. Peter A. Zink, Director, Academic Enablement | PTC/Onshape
Meeting Learners Where They Are and Preparing Them for Real Work
> John Dahlgren, Drafting Instructor | Butte College
Preparing for the CSWA Using xDesign
> Pedro Santana, President and Co-founder | SolidProfessor
5 Steps to Creating a Classroom Environment That Gives Your Students the Hands-on Experience the Industry Requires
> Phillip Ureno, Engineering Instructor | Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Integrating OERs and Project-based Learning to Promote Students’ Career Interests and Get Them Career-ready
> Dr. Wei Wu, Associate Professor | California State University, Fresno
WATCH: SolidProfessor members can access all of the Virtual Education Summit’s sessions in our library at any time.
