Page 9 - TTWinter2022-2023

Winter 2022–2023 Transportation Today Wisconsin™ | 9

Holmen Auto Service Providing Hands-On Learning

a slow leak. To find the leak, students have
Travis Judell, Communications Specialist to put their problem-solving skills to the test.
School District of Holmen "The most important thing I would like them
It's the start of another school day inside to take away is the problem-solving ability.
Holmen High School, and a few students of use the problem-solving process to simplify
ryan Ziegler's Auto Service 1 class are already the problem and quickly come up with a viable
hard at work helping a teacher whose tire is solution," says Ziegler as the students dip the
leaking while others spend time hunched tire in a dunk tank to locate the leak. Finding no
under the hood testing car batteries. visible leak, Mr. Ziegler uses this as a teaching
Technology Education teacher ryan moment for his class about snow tires and how
Ziegler is in his 21st year teaching, and he to communicate with customers. "Throughout
says this type of hands-on learning helps the course sequence, students will learn how
prepare students for the real world, "The stu- to communicate with customers and cowork-
dents love hands-on learning," said Ziegler. ers. Some of that communication is done by
"They can repeat the process until they can the use of industry software. Another way is
complete the task with little to no help from teaching the students how to listen to customer
the instructor. It is awesome to see the stu- concerns actively," says Ziegler.
dents complete a task they thought was Auto Service 1 is a semester course of 85
impossible on their own." minutes daily, mainly consisting of juniors and
As the weather turns colder, students in seniors. These high school students are learn-
the class are working on a battery testing lab. ing with professional tools on actual vehicles
The students are learning how to load test a with real problems. Auto Service is also a dual • Wheel systems and tires: mount and • Charging and starting system: measur-
battery, measure parasitic drain, remove cor- credit class and provides students with three balance tires, tire puncture repair, tire ing voltage drops and amperage outputs
rosion, and check physical connections to post-secondary credits. This allows our stu- rotation • Ignition system: replacing ignition
ensure a working battery. "The students walk dents to earn high school and technical college • Brakes and ABS system: replacing wires, coils, and plugs
away with a solid understanding of the basic credit simultaneously and receive their Auto brake pads, measuring thickness, bleed- • Cooling system: coolant flow, thermo-
automotive systems," says Ziegler. "All of Service Excellence (ASE) certification at the ing brake lines, diagnosing ABS sensors stat replacement, coolant flush
the students learn how to maintain their own completion of the course. • Preventative maintenance fluid: • Fuel system: fuel volume and pressure
vehicle." In this class, students get to learn about completing checklists, fluid flush, and tests, fuel filter replacement
Another group of students is helping out these systems by repairing and diagnosing exchanges, customer concerns
a Holmen High School teacher whose tire has issues: Continued on Page 14

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