This week’s word: Prototypes. Brought to you by the letter C for cardboard. What a week! My students spent last week drawing and planning and designing and planning and planning. We got outside this week! My chair group is off to a fast start. Both “makers” have created cardboard prototypes for their chairs, while theContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Cardboard Prototypes”
Tag Archives: Education
This Week in the Shop: The Cajon Drum
This week, I prepped for this summer’s woodshop classes. The students will be building these benches, mending and designing chairs and constructing Cajon drums. I’ve secured enough lumber for the benches, pulling plywood chair designs from various sources and built this example project. Look to the above link for construction details. I finished the sidesContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: The Cajon Drum”
(School) Year in Review: Art Car 2011
As I gear up for summer program, I will be taking a little time to reflect on my past year. My bosses at work have kept me on as a teacher, although I smell the terrifying and exciting smell of change in the air. On May 22nd, my students (and I) participated in the 2011Continue reading “(School) Year in Review: Art Car 2011”
This Week In The Shop: Jewelry Box
One of my MasterClass students finished a jewelry box just in time for Mother’s Day. He’s been working for close to three months on it. We began with a design consultation, in which we researched various box designs on the web. I want to give a big thank-you to Andy, an extremely talented and generous woodworkerContinue reading “This Week In The Shop: Jewelry Box”
Bookshelf in Mission Style
This bookshelf recently left the workshop at school. The bookshelf started life as an illustration in The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mission Furniture, by H. H. Windsor, otherwise known as the good fellows at Popular Mechanics. Which the student modified to suit the schools current needs. The CAD mock-up looked like this: In the end,Continue reading “Bookshelf in Mission Style”
The Things they Carried (Cool Tools Everyday Carry Contest)
Kevin Kelly, editor of Wired magizine, runs an interesting blog on Cool Tools. He recently held a contest looking for tools which are carried everyday. This year, I’ve been refining my tool belt to carry the tools that make my job run. So let’s start, shall we? From right to left: Canvas Tool Pouch: It’sContinue reading “The Things they Carried (Cool Tools Everyday Carry Contest)”
Weather Stations, Web 2.0 Tools and John Merrow
This week, my colleague shanghaied one of my chalkboards for a weather station. While the chalkboard & wind unit may not seem like much, The hand-held reader really catches a teacher’s eye. This type of scientific information begs to be utilized in the classroom. Daily, nay, hourly temperatures can be recorded and used to findContinue reading “Weather Stations, Web 2.0 Tools and John Merrow”
Teacher Tip: Use Pilot Holes for Hammering!
When installing finishing brads and nails, I usually chuck the nail into the bit and punch a hole through the lumber. This results in a minimal hole (the length of the nail minus the depth of my drill’s chuck jaws) which prevents most splitting. I recently “discovered” a secret – the deeper the pilot holeContinue reading “Teacher Tip: Use Pilot Holes for Hammering!”
A Quick Reminder – Keep Safe Today
This article from Makezine.com hit my inbox recently. Woodshop, machine shop, handsaws and chisels can all cause injury and at times, death. Constant vigilance and evaluation of our skills is the only way to reduce the our chances, and our students chances, of injury. Take a moment today to evaluate your own practices and routinesContinue reading “A Quick Reminder – Keep Safe Today”
Why I Sometimes Read Business Books (The Teacher As a Manager)
By kindle recently bit the dust and as I reloaded the half-read novels into the new one’s memory, I came acroos a book for business managers. In many business books, I’ve found lots of semi-coherent and applicable advice (and soemtimes incoherant and inexplicable advice) for teachers. For example, in “The Truth About Managing People”, StephenContinue reading “Why I Sometimes Read Business Books (The Teacher As a Manager)”
WSC Designs 