My school spends a lot of time, energy and financial resources on project-based learning. In my experience, teachers use project-based learning as a catch-all term for anything from make-it-take-it projects which last twenty minutes to inquiry-driven, rubric-graded, long-term explorations. Calling the former project-based learning is lazy and misdirection. Creating incredible experiences for students with theContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Pantographs”
Tag Archives: lesson planning
This Week in the Classroom: Rulers & Frames
Applied Math Made Easy, a hands-on, application-heavy curriculum designed by a pair of teachers from Wisconsin, has a number of great math labs and activities. Using worksheets to convey directions and learning, the curriculum utilizes a conversationalist tone and “interactive reading” (their term, not mine) to let students learn middle school to high school level mathematicsContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Rulers & Frames”
Community Watch: It’s Build a Box Day!
Today at TX/RX Labs, I’ll be leading a class in building a few of these tea boxes. I’m sending a box to one random contestant on WoodshopCowboy Facebook page, just in time for Christmas. Remember to like WoodshopCowboy on Facebook! And remember: Make it safe & keep the rubber side down this weekend.
This Week in the Classroom: Block Printing & Stamps
As my students have become more competent with tools in the past few years (and cripes, does it feel weird to say years…) I’ve gotten the chance to think: what would be really cool to do next? What would be just flat out awesome? Here’s my answer: wood & lino prints designed by the student, for the students work.Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Block Printing & Stamps”
This Week in the Classroom: Swingin’ Chalkboard Signs
Here’s a few shots of a project build I did a few months ago. The challenge was to build a recycling container from completely recycled materials. I picked up some nice crepe myrtle branches and immediately saw a V shaped stand with a small basket to collect recyclable goods. To bad we never did finishContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Swingin’ Chalkboard Signs”
Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)
This year was a big year in the STEaMworks (STEM focus, art driven, work/project centered: the STEaMworks), my self-styled Maker classroom. We (and the Math/Sci Team) built a lot of projects: rockets, rocket cars, derby cars, catapults, simple robots, box-making, bench-making, bridge-building, sail-testing, music making, spirographs, pendulums, 3D prototyping, CAD models, Arduino projects, Alice computerContinue reading “Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)”
This Week in the Classroom: Diddley Bows
Make: Projects has great instructions on how to build your own diddley bow. Make it safe & keep the rubber side down.
If I Had a Boat (Sailing Curriculum Unit)
In my middle school/junior high class, we’ve been exploring the relationship between sails, force, momentum, foam boats and area. I’ve used the unit to assess the graphing labs we conducted last quarter and introduce non-linear graphs. I began the unit by asking students to research old sailing boats and draw conclusions from the material theyContinue reading “If I Had a Boat (Sailing Curriculum Unit)”
On Kindles, iPads, SmartBoards, Prometheans and Apps in the Classroom
The textbook is now digital but students still encounter it as they always have: wisdom to be received, perhaps highlighted, annotated, and memorized, but not created, constructed, or made sense of. Teachers still interact with students as they always have. The platform doesn’t offer them any new insights into the ways their students think aboutContinue reading “On Kindles, iPads, SmartBoards, Prometheans and Apps in the Classroom”
Teacher Tip: Use Two Bench Hooks
Dadoes are much easier to cut when you use two bench hooks…. You can even chisel out the waste right there. My students are having such success using bench hooks, knee height workbenches and the tool chest I’m reconsidering my thoughts on bigger workbenches. I’d like a better assembly table, but it ain’t nothing ifContinue reading “Teacher Tip: Use Two Bench Hooks”
WSC Designs 