WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:03.050 [ROCK MUSIC] 00:01.050 --> 00:09.000 THOMAS SINGER: Laying out the frets – you can pick whatever number you would like to build the guitar, so they actually work. 00:09.000 --> 00:15.050 SINGER: Today’s students – today’s society – doesn’t encourage hands-on learning. 00:15.050 --> 00:19.000 The guitar is an instrument everybody recognizes... 00:19.000 --> 00:22.000 SINGER, TO CLASS: The two small holes are for the potentiometers, the large holes -- 00:22.000 --> 00:25.000 SINGER: …however, what they don’t realize is that there’s a lot of 00:25.000 --> 00:32.000 physics, chemistry, and traditional mathematics built into the guitar itself, so it’s a great learning tool. 00:32.000 --> 00:34.000 SCOT RABE, TO CLASS: You don’t want to put any pressure on it. 00:34.000 --> 00:41.000 RABE: Showing kids they can plan and can organize, they can use tools… 00:41.000 --> 00:44.000 SINGER, TO CLASS: So we had the heat, then we add the solder. 00:44.000 --> 00:51.000 SINGER: I’m not sure that we would have actually started this project without that seed funding that NSF ATE provided us. 00:51.000 --> 00:56.000 To be able to grow this into such a national learning environment… 00:56.000 --> 00:59.000 RABE, TO STUDENT: That’s pretty darn close. 00:59.000 --> 01:06.000 SINGER: …it gives them a reason to come to school, and a reason to succeed at school, to graduate. 01:06.000 --> 01:14.000 [ROCK MUSIC] 01:15.000 --> 01:20.000 SINGER: I’m Thomas Singer, a retired professor from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, 01:20.000 --> 01:25.000 where I taught for over 35 years in the area of mechanical engineering technology. 01:29.000 --> 01:32.000 SINGER: I’m here with my co-instructors here at Saddleback this week. 01:32.000 --> 01:40.000 The STEM Guitar project has been in existence for over 15 years. We have actually hit 48 states! 01:40.000 --> 01:46.000 This project began as a way to bring back hands-on learning into a traditional classroom. 01:46.000 --> 01:54.000 In the 1990’s, learning went all collegiate, and the only way to succeed was you had 01:54.000 --> 01:58.000 to have a baccalaureate, four-year degree. But in reality, that’s not true. 01:59.000 --> 02:03.000 RABE: Our initial goal for the students was to create an understanding of 02:03.000 --> 02:10.000 the tools and processes involved in basic mechanical work, woodworking, electronics. 02:10.000 --> 02:15.000 JERRY PALACIOS: Should I do it a little tighter, or is it-? RABE: No, that’s- for now, it’s perfect. 02:17.000 --> 02:21.000 PALACIOS: [laughing] I definitely have a newfound respect. It was harder than it-, than it looked like! 02:21.000 --> 02:26.000 SINGER: Initially, the ATE grant funding was used to train faculty. 02:26.000 --> 02:33.000 That grant helped fund us, so we could then take this on the road to any location in the United States. 02:39.000 --> 02:43.000 RABE: Without the support of ATE, there would be no way we could pull the whole thing together. 02:43.000 --> 02:47.000 SINGER: A little scary equation, but they’re all algebra equations, 02:47.000 --> 02:52.000 so if you can do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, you can solve these. 02:55.000 --> 03:02.000 SINGER: Typically, in mathematics class, everyone sits around going, “When am I ever going to need this? Why do I have to sit here and learn algebra?” 03:02.000 --> 03:09.000 It’s bringing in realistic objects that effect the students, that they can see how they impact their lives directly. 03:09.000 --> 03:14.000 PALACIOS: I used to really think math was very repetitive. Just a formula, nothing less nothing more. 03:14.000 --> 03:18.000 But now, I get to see like, what it really is and it’s definitely really cool. 03:18.000 --> 03:22.000 JULIA MCCLOSKEY: All the sudden, I’m being faced with tonality, intonation – 03:22.000 --> 03:27.000 calculating the degrees of one tone on one fret is calculated between another fret. 03:27.000 --> 03:30.000 That sort of surprised me - about how much mathematics is involved in music. 03:30.000 --> 03:35.000 SINGER: These skillsets we’re training them on will go with them for the rest of their lives. 03:35.000 --> 03:40.000 PALACIOS: Everything’s revolved around technology nowadays, so it’s really important for people to learn it. 03:40.000 --> 03:46.000 SINGER: The other half of this is that it builds a lot of confidence, not only with students, but also with the veterans 03:48.000 --> 03:53.000 TONY VILLEGAS, JR: We realized the power of music. Some of the veterans are going through severe PTSD. 03:53.000 --> 03:59.000 VETERAN 1: It’s super therapeutic. Especially- even today, I started working on this bad boy and it sure helped. 03:59.000 --> 04:03.000 SINGER: The veteran project started out as a supplemental idea. 04:03.000 --> 04:08.000 A veterans’ group that saw what we were doing thought that it would help in their healing process. 04:08.000 --> 04:13.000 VILLEGAS, JR: They will tell me, “I couldn’t think of anything but this guitar for the last three days.” 04:13.000 --> 04:17.000 STEPHANIE SANCHEZ: It started to feel like my house was a prison. 04:17.000 --> 04:22.000 I enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1989, after I had graduated high school. 04:22.000 --> 04:32.000 The STEM program reminded me that there were other Marines, Navy, Army, out there going through the same exact things. 04:32.000 --> 04:41.000 It’s helped heal wounds, and it’s created a safe environment for us to go back out into the world. 04:41.000 --> 04:44.000 VILLEGAS, JR: It brings that pride factor back to them. 04:44.000 --> 04:53.000 RABE: I’ve done several of these builds with veterans, and they are so appreciative, uh… [sighs] 04:53.000 --> 04:58.000 They’re so appreciative of everything that you do for them, 04:58.000 --> 05:04.000 and they recognize, um, they recognize that they’re getting something important and valuable. 05:05.000 --> 05:10.000 VILLEGAS, JR: It’s a simple program, but look how much you’ve done. Look at what it’s doing. 05:12.000 --> 05:15.000 SINGER: [inaudible] is correct. STUDENT: Is that good? 05:15.000 --> 05:17.000 RABE: That’s good. SINGER: It works! 05:17.000 --> 05:23.000 SINGER: Learning can be fun, and learning is something that is impactful to your life. 05:23.000 --> 05:28.000 MCCLOSKEY: Going through a week-long workshop, you don’t really expect to be as far as we are by the end of the week. 05:28.000 --> 05:33.000 So, just the amount of experience we’ve gotten over these short five days is something. 05:34.000 --> 05:38.000 RABE: There you go. [guitar twangs] Perfect. 05:38.000 --> 05:42.000 PALACIOS: This has changed my perspective on things just because I never even debated 05:42.000 --> 05:46.000 going into anything even revolving around technology, but now it’s definitely piqued my interest. 05:46.000 --> 05:50.000 RABE: Every day that you’re with the students, working side-by-side with them – 05:50.000 --> 05:53.000 the joy on their face at the end of the project is amazing. 05:53.000 --> 05:56.000 I can’t believe I get paid to do what I do, some days. 05:56.000 --> 06:00.000 SINGER: We’re making an impact. Their- their lives are going to change 06:00.000 --> 06:04.000 because of what we’re doing. And that’s the whole concept of teaching. 06:04.000 --> 06:07.000 [ROCK MUSIC]