Course Welcome & Instructor Information

Welcome to Metal Fabrication!

Please use the menu on the left or the links on the Home page to navigate through the course. If you have any questions or issues please locate the "Questions or Issues" discussion under the Discussions link on the left. You can also click on the Canvas icon on the home page for video explanations on how to use the features in Canvas. Another option for help with Canvas is to use the Student: Getting Started from the menu on the left. This will take you to an external link with more help options on how to use Canvas.

One of the items I am still getting used to as we use Canvas is that the calendar is integrated into Canvas and can be found in the Navigation bar on the far left side of your screen or near the top left corner of the home screen in your course stream.

We will navigate through the course briefly as a class to help get you familiar with the course layout in order to help you visualize the navigation for later when you are working through things on your own. **Please note that not all of the links in the menu on the left or the module pages will work initially as we begin class, they will be unlocked as we progress.

Course Description

During this course we will cover four main sections: Machine and tool safety, Oxyfuel and Plasma cutting operations, SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding), & GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding). We will have regular assignments that will need to be completed in class our outside of class. These short assignments will allow us to maximize the time we spend in the lab.

Once you feel comfortable navigating around the class you should complete your first assignment called Getting to Know You! You can click on the link here or use the link in the menu on the left. Since you will be sharing some information about yourself let me share some information about myself.

Instructor Information

I am Mr. Rudy and I live in West Lawn, PA with my wife and two children. Kolby is my three year old son who thinks the world is his playground. Bristol is my one year old daughter who is ready to take her first steps. My wife is teaches Biology and Anatomy at Exeter HS. There aren't many slow moments in our family right now!

This will be my eighth year teaching in the Kutztown Area School District. There are so many interesting things in Technology & Engineering and I far from an expert in any of the many areas in this field. I am always working to figure new things out and learn new things. Questions about class or assignments will come up as we progress, please contact me with any questions in person, by email zrudy@kasd.org, or by using the districts phone system (I'll post the number & extension as soon as I have it). Please contact me via email prior to 8pm in the evenings if you are expecting a reply otherwise I will reply the next morning. Weekends are usually pretty busy and I'll do my best to check my email Saturday and Sunday evening so you can have that work finished for Monday morning.

I didn't grow up working with metal but quickly developed an interest as I was given the opportunity to try something new by a few people as I finished high school and started college. I enjoy having the capability to manipulate the materials build items from scratch, fix something, or just make something that I saw somewhere. This class will start from the beginning and teach you how to safely perform a variety of welding and cutting processes so that you can continue as a hobby, move into a welding trade, or just have a better understanding as you move into an engineering field. I look forward to working with you in class!

Mr. Rudy