This year, I’ve been working closely with another colleague to create, a project-based CAD course. When I was presented with the challenge, I dove in head first. This week I have been presenting various perspective/drawing challenges to my students in an effort to assess their current capabilities. I’ve been enjoying a curriculum challenge, and afterContinue reading “The Google Sketch Up Lab”
Author Archives: woodshopcowboy
New School Year: Boxes, Trays and Benches
This week, I’m proposing and planning projects for the 2011-2012 school year. According to the Mayans, it should be a killer. I’m attached to the Math/Sci crew as a “Technology Resource” – meaning I’m running a CAD workshop, an Electronics course and probably some sort of Lego Mindstorms-based course. In my traditional role as aContinue reading “New School Year: Boxes, Trays and Benches”
The New Tools in the Shop
I’ve spent the last three weeks (since mid-July) avoiding the woodshop both at work and home. At work, a series of major structural changes has kept me away from the wood – which will turn into a good thing. Exciting times ahead my friends. At home, I finished a refurbishing an old office chair. TheContinue reading “The New Tools in the Shop”
Dovetails Redux
First of my second set of dovetail joints. Thanks for the encouragement, everyone!
This Week in the Shop: Don’t Touch My Blue Suede Chair
A quick sawdust update: I’ve been working finishing up a personal project this week and doing a little legwork for my next piece. In May, two friends of mine became married to each other. I got to see them meet, watch them fall in love and stand up and give a hell yeah! at theContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Don’t Touch My Blue Suede Chair”
This Week in the Shop: Nothin’s Perfect the First Time Through
Results of my first try at cutting a dovetail.
This Week in the Shop: End of Summer Program
The summer program wraps up today. Our summer program acts as an experimental zone, a transitional buffer and a slice of consistency for both teachers and students. Personally, I love summer programs – no grades, no pressure, just the chance to provide as fun and therapeutic educational experience as possible. Anyways, this summer saw the returnContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: End of Summer Program”
(Re-)Planting Salt Marsh Grass: Galveston Bay Foundation
In Feburary, fifteen of my students ripped up some two-hundred salt marsh grass stalks. After a few months of careful husbandry, we re-planted the stalks in the middle of Trinity Bay. I’ll let the Galveston Bay Foundation take it from here… We got muddy and wet and smiles on our faces. Replanting the salt grassContinue reading “(Re-)Planting Salt Marsh Grass: Galveston Bay Foundation”
Community Watch: Top Down Beehives & Transistion Houston
Teachers can’t teach in a vacuum. Students need their subjects, from math to reading to science to civics to history to art to woodshop, placed into context, so the subject matter becomes revelant and interesting. In order to put my woodshop in context, I try to poke my head around the Houston community and findContinue reading “Community Watch: Top Down Beehives & Transistion Houston”
Current Projects: The Butterfly Chair
One of my woodshop classes have ended for the week, so I took the opportunity to document the progress: And this is what happens when a student ticks me off! (ok, ok, I was pulling a big nail with a small hammer…)
WSC Designs 