FIRST...

[jhohman]

Ironically, when I was in high school, 1994 grad, we had a couple of computers and a pen plotter set up in the corner but that was all they did, sit there. I was able to convince the drafting teacher to let me play around on the software (my first time dealing with CAD!) which was Data CAD 7 at that time, after a couple of weeks, I was able to get around in the software pretty well, although the teacher would not let me do any drawings on the computer, manual drafting only. I thought it was pretty funny that the school had the technology, but since nobody knew how to use it, nobody used it. After a couple months the teacher allowed me to show and teach some of the aspects of CAD to other students. I think schools should offer manual drafting and CAD a well, but they should make sure that the draftsman know manual drafting before touching a computer at all. I'm interested to know what they do in my old drafting class nowadays. I think the industry could definitely benefit from programs like the one listed in the first post, unfortunately I also think most money for "education" ends up only providing new shiny uniforms for the football team and etc.

[Globey]

I graduated HS in 1989, and our football team was State Champs in 1988. All the different teams had nice uniforms and were well taken care of, and our Industrial arts just had a new building put in knocking down the old one. For Technical Drafting, Mechanical, and Architectural, we had about 10 stations using Autocad Rel 11 at the time. So I think its more a matter of how much your state decides to spend on education, and what that school does with the money. In my town, my High School was considered the less appealing of the two HS's in town ( I went to Stratford HS the other HS was Bunnell) due to the curriculum in place, violence in the HS..etc....but compared to what you mentioned, I guess we had it pretty lucky!

[sid.fontenot550]

I took my first and only semester of drafting my jr year of high school. Board drafting only. There were no computers in the industrial arts lab in 1982. I passed the class with a "D" because I really did not enjoy it. Glad to know things have changed

[mom of 3]

I'm with Bill..........to a point. I also graduated '89, but we didn't have CAD yet. some of the schools in Omaha had it (less than 5, if I recall) & I think 1 Lincoln school had it. I took board drafting classes my jr & sr years, because I already knew what I wanted to do & I'm really not a "girlie-girl". yes, I did design my dream home my senior year for my final project & I still plan on building it........with some minor changes here & there. anyway, at that time, CAD wasn't even a thought, BUT.........I went back to visit a teacher the following year & WALA! they had completely redone the drafting/mechanical area to teach it in CAD!!!!!!!!!! ooooooooo, I was hot! nice of them to find the funds for it AFTER I'd graduated!!!!!!!!
when I went back to college for the 2nd time, I had to learn CAD..............oooooooo, I struggled with it & I'll be the 1st to admit it! in a way, I'm now glad I know both ways of using it, but yes, I think I would understand it a lot more had I had the opportunity to learn it in HS..........
as for females in there..........between both years I took it in HS, there were 3 of us. when I went back to college, I was the only 1 in the class for quite a few of them........it was ok, though. I really would have liked to know about minority & technical scholarships, it does need to be more well knows........maybe if I knew at that point about those opportunities, I'd be done with my degree by now!

ok, back at this mess for me...........

[CADKitty]

as for females in there..........between both years I took it in HS, there were 3 of us. when I went back to college, I was the only 1 in the class for quite a few of them........

Whoa, that many??

I was alone my freshman through junior years in h.s., and senior year there were - brace yourselves - TWO of us in one of my classes, but I was still by myself in the rest! College, there were two of us who, naturally, became fast friends...birds of a feather and all that...

The way my h.s. used to have it set up (yes, I am still, and forever will be, bitter that they got rid of the majority of the program) you took half a year of Tech. I (board drafting) with half a year Arch. I (board again). From there you could get into Tech. II and III and Arch. II and III if you wished, CAD I, II, and III, and CAM. Tech. II and III is where the stuff we designed we actually went and made afterwards in the metal shop next door (never any fees, though) with the lathe, band saw, etc. Wound up with my famous paperweight, a porch light fixture, a smaller paperweight that I turned into a keychain, and, erm, something I can't remember....

Melanie, c'mon up and show me self-defense, and I'll teach you how to use a miter saw and a band saw!

[Wanderer]

Whoa, that many??

I was alone my freshman through junior years in h.s., and senior year there were - brace yourselves - TWO of us in one of my classes, but I was still by myself in the rest! College, there were two of us who, naturally, became fast friends...birds of a feather and all that...

The way my h.s. used to have it set up (yes, I am still, and forever will be, bitter that they got rid of the majority of the program) you took half a year of Tech. I (board drafting) with half a year Arch. I (board again). From there you could get into Tech. II and III and Arch. II and III if you wished, CAD I, II, and III, and CAM. Tech. II and III is where the stuff we designed we actually went and made afterwards in the metal shop next door (never any fees, though) with the lathe, band saw, etc. Wound up with my famous paperweight, a porch light fixture, a smaller paperweight that I turned into a keychain, and, erm, something I can't remember....

Melanie, c'mon up and show me self-defense, and I'll teach you how to use a miter saw and a band saw!

lol! Here I come, and tell the men to stay out of our ways afterwards, we'll be unstoppable!!!

[CADKitty]

lol! Here I come, and tell the men to stay out of our ways afterwards, we'll be unstoppable!!!

Of course we're the fairer sex.....we're just harmless little females....armed with karate chops and miter saws! Bwahahahahaha!!

[Wanderer]

Whoa, that many??

I was alone my freshman through junior years in h.s., and senior year there were - brace yourselves - TWO of us in one of my classes, but I was still by myself in the rest! College, there were two of us who, naturally, became fast friends...birds of a feather and all that...

The way my h.s. used to have it set up (yes, I am still, and forever will be, bitter that they got rid of the majority of the program) you took half a year of Tech. I (board drafting) with half a year Arch. I (board again). From there you could get into Tech. II and III and Arch. II and III if you wished, CAD I, II, and III, and CAM. Tech. II and III is where the stuff we designed we actually went and made afterwards in

oh yeah, curriculum... we had 1/2 year basic drafting (mostly hand), then drafting 1 and drafting 2. We also had 'design technology' or something. I don't remember much about that class, making posters, doing webpages... I mostly played with 3ds max, we only had it on one pc, and since I was the class pest (I can't use the drafting machines! They're made for right-handed people!!!), myself and another girl used it most of the class. I think we also made hot air balloons from tissue paper, it was cool...

shoot, you used to have a better drafting program than the college I went to..

[CADKitty]

shoot, you used to have a better drafting program than the college I went to..

That's just the problem, it USED to be that good! Now it's, well, pretty bleepy. All that's left is Tech. I, Arch. I, and CAD I. That's it. No CAM, no possibility of continuing the program, nothing! It just angers me so much when I think of all of the benefits that I got from that curriculum, and they simply did away with it...bleep!

[mom of 3]

Whoa, that many??

remember that I'm a little older than you are & you have to include me in that 3...........I think Freak has a few more females going to school with her now (she graduates with her master's in May) though............