In preparation for a walkin’ cane project, I built a dirty looking 2×4 shaving horse. It ain’t named Trigger, though I might name it Jimmy Stewart. Whenever I think of the description “long face”, I think of Jimmy Stewart. I’ll walk you through my build after the jump…
Category Archives: Education
Teacher Resources: TEDTalks on Education
The TED Talks started in the 1980’s as a Silicon-Valley conference focused on software, technology and design. Now, it’s the destination for smart hipsters and brilliant researchers, visionaries and experimenters to express their passions and become the circus attraction. I’ve been watching a few of these talks on and off for a year or so. Continue reading “Teacher Resources: TEDTalks on Education”
This Week in the Shop: Refurbish A Children’s Bike
The 16″ childrens’ bike project has cleared my outbox. I’m busy in reflection mode with the students, examining all the different parts of our work for ways to improve the product, teaching and quality next time. I thought the bike itself came out well: If you’ve followed the blog over the past two months, thenContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Refurbish A Children’s Bike”
This Week In the Classroom: Quadracycle In Progress & DIY Wood Bongo Drums
It’s that time of week again – I’ve had some personal living arrangements wetness and have been living out of a dufflebag and a smile. Reminds me of college, but at that time I didn’t have two in diapers… At the home workshop, I’ve been banging away. So, in one project, my segmented tube experimentsContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Quadracycle In Progress & DIY Wood Bongo Drums”
This Week In the Classroom: The Garden & Experiments in Wood
It’s been quite a week here on the range. My sawing post made Make Magazine’s Blog. Traffic soared. My father finally subscribed to my blog, which is intensely gratifying. He taught me most of what I’m passing along. At work, we had some great stuff happen. The kids worked very hard and made great stridesContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: The Garden & Experiments in Wood”
How To: Teach Sawing to a Young Student
I have a perfect record in the woodshop. No fatalities. I have had two injuries though this year (I average about one a quarter or semester). Both happened due to good sawing habits gone bad. This picture shows my basic hand-saw set up when I cut a board to size. I’m right-handed and for south-pawed students,Continue reading “How To: Teach Sawing to a Young Student”
This Week In the Classroom: Computers Ain’t Everything
Took over our conference room to work through some design challenges today. My students used Google SketchUp to start creating jewelry boxes, art car vehicles and bookshelves. During the Art Car class, I led the group building a 3D model on the big (like 50-60″ screen) TV. Computers+big screen TV+3d modeling software+we are building aContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Computers Ain’t Everything”
This Week In the Shop: Internet as a “Presentation”
An Idea: have students present projects to the internet in a controlled, safe way with my school’s brand on it. I’m unsure the success or necessity of this particular brand of teacher-activism because it’s mainly driven by my need to go HOW COOL IS THAT! If I could spend half my day yelling “how coolContinue reading “This Week In the Shop: Internet as a “Presentation””
This Week in the Classroom: Quality from a Student
Finished only one true project this week in the shop. Instead of trying to complete projects with the students, I slowed down and tried to focus on the journey, and focus on quality. What does it look like in my shop, and do I facilitate it, or do my students discover it for themselves? WhatContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Quality from a Student”
This Week In the Classroom: New Tools and Old Tools In the Shop (It’s Not What You Think)
Just got the best new, free tool in the woodshop today. It looks like this: It’s a printed out (thank god the paper-waster nazi wasn’t around) version of the ENTIRE trilogy of Mission Furniture and How to Make It published by Project Gutenberg via Popular Mechanics from 1910. The students flip through it and findContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: New Tools and Old Tools In the Shop (It’s Not What You Think)”
WSC Designs 