school of instructors at vcc

https://www.facebook.com/VCCSchoolOfInstructorEducation/

http://www.vcc.ca/be-an-instructor/

Today I like to introduce you to SIE at VCC.Please visit their web and Facebook site using the above links to learn about their contribution to the development of teachers and instructors of tomorrow.

The School of Instructor Education at Vancouver Community College offers two programs, over 20 courses and develops personalized and specialized workshops to those interested in becoming professional adult educators and trainers. Graduates of its programs instruct in colleges, government, industry and in both non-profit and private sector organizations.

Courses are scheduled year round at many locations in British Columbia, Alberta and online as well. The School of Instructor Education also offers training to companies and organizations at their place of work upon request. In addition, the School of Instructor Education provides instructor training programs to international clientele both in Canada as well as abroad and has conducted sessions in China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Chile, Poland, Russia and the United States.

Vehicle safety systems 50 years apart.

Which car you rather be in during a crash? The heavy steel 1959 Bel Air or the lighter and newer 2009 Malibu?

This test was performed for the insurance institute of highway safety’s 50th anniversary.They performed the crash using the above-mentioned vehicles to show how much safer the newer cars packed with all sorts of safety features are compared to the older vehicles. I used this Youtube video on a number of occasions, just prior to starting a lecture or lesson on Automotive safety.This would always generate a lot of discussions and increase their curiosity about the subject.

 

Do schools kill creativity?

This is the most viewed TED talk of all times.The message is an important one and masterfully delivered with that layer of British humour.

There are many debates and opinions on the subject. what is yours? Do you really believe without the tools that traditional schools offer to the students, creative sides of the learners could grow wings and take off?

how do you motivate your students

Some things that I  do to motivate them at the beginning of the course are:

• Talk to them about the money they can earn. The automotive business can be a lucrative business.  Repair shop owners can make a lot of money, but so can the technicians who perform the daily repairs.  By letting the students know about the end financial result, I feel they will be more motivated to perform in the classroom.  While money is not usually the highest motivating factor for most people, I feel based on the age range of my students, it is for them.
• Let them know about the pride you can gain from repairing a vehicle. Prior to teaching, I worked for 20 years as a service technician at a local dealership.  This allowed me to work exclusively on one brand of vehicle.  I enjoy telling people that if you see that brand of vehicle driving around the North Shore, I’ve likely worked on it.  By telling my students this, I am sharing my pride with them.  Hopefully, they will also want to gain that same sense of pride.

 

Some things that I can do during the course include the following:

• Take the class on field trips. Being new to the automotive trade, many students really have no idea what goes on behind the scenes.  By organising trips to repair shops, trade shows, dealerships and even tool stores, I can keep them motivated be giving them new insight; the opportunity to say “Yes, that’s what I want to be doing”.  Additionally, a planned field trip gives them something to look forward too.

Bringing in guest speakers.  Having a new voice to listen to can provide a brief change of pace, something new and refreshing to refocus the students.  The guest speaker can then provide their own reasons for entering the automotive field and let the students know what motivated them.  Perhaps the speaker can address why they have pride in what they do.  This in turn might give the students new intrinsic motivation

Tips for driving on snow and ice

• Stay home if at all possible,stay an extra day if travelling.Remember getting there late is better than not getting there at all.
• It is all about your tires. good snow tires on all wheels are the best choice, never mix all seasons and snow tires on the same vehicle.
• don’t accelerate and decelerate too quickly.
• if your vehicle is not equipped with ABS, try to pump the brake peddles when slowing down.
• If possible don’t come to a full stop when travelling uphill.
• AWD may be great for moving forward and climbing hills in poor conditions but when it comes to stopping it isn’t and better than your average family sedan.
• If you live in a regions with harsh driving conditions, make sure you take appropriate driving lessons.If you get into a spin, short of being an expert nothing can help you.

synthetic or conventional oil

 

The next time you walk in to your local shop to get your oil changed and the service attendant asks you synthetic or regular? You just might have to think twice before you answer…for the sake of your wallet, and yes, the environment too!

Always refer to your owners manual first,a lot of vehicles on the market these days only will use synthetic oil and you may risk voiding your vehicles warranty if you do not comply.But if you do have a choice between the two types of oil, here are somethings to consider.

advantages of synthetic oil :

•  last longer (up to 3 times)
• lower volatility and therefore not vaporize out the exhaust as quickly.
• less resistance in the engine and therefore offer overall efficiency
• Boiling point is very high and will not breakdown as easily.
• It flows very well in extreme cold weather and provides immediate protection to moving components upon startup.
• Greener for the environment.(less oil changes = less used oil )

The only disadvantage of using synthetic oil is its cost, It could cost 2-3 times the conventional oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pidp2340 2017

As you can tell from the title I have created this site for the purpose of my current PID course.This is the fist time that I am posting on a blog ever and funny enough I am a little bit anxious about it.Once I get this first post out of the way I hope to hear from you guys for any advice on how to improve it .

why winter tires?

All-season tires reflect a compromise between long tread life, ride quality, fuel economy and traction. But tires that grip the road in summer heat don’t offer the same traction when the weather turns cold. In fact, the tread compound used in all-season tires offers little cold weather traction and becomes hard, losing pliability and traction in freezing temperatures. Winter (snow) tires, however, are designed to help deliver safety and control in snow, slush, rain, ice and cold weather. A good analogy of the difference between all-season and winter tires is to compare athletic shoes to snow boots. While it’s possible to walk down a slick, snow-covered sidewalk wearing athletic shoes, it’s generally easier and safer to do so with snow boots. Winter Tire Technology Winter tires have a soft rubber compound that remains flexible as temperatures drop to better conform to the road for more controlled handling. They also have unique tread patterns with wider grooves to enhance traction on snow and ice by providing channels to drain water and expel snow. Typically, they have deep sipes, which are small slits in the tread that help cut through water and slush, avoiding hydroplaning and improving grip. Grip is critical, not just to avoid getting stuck, but to help ensure that the car can stop and steer. The superior traction that winter tires deliver, as much as a 25 to 50 percent more than all-season tires, can very well be the safety margin needed to stop in time or turn to avoid trouble