A quick video of our last major math project in my co-taught Math/Sci course. I will take no credit, Ms. J took the project out of my clumsy claws and completely rocked it! We nicknamed this the spirograph project and you can tell from the wikipedia link that we are WRONG! It should probably be describedContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Pendulum Art (Swinging From the Rafters)”
Tag Archives: teach
This Week in the Classroom: Art Car
For the past three spring semesters (way back to my work at Citizen Schools) I have led a team of students in the design and construction of an Art Car. An Art Car, if you don’t know, is an embellished vehicle of some sort. Last year, I ran a sharkcar, the year before, a gatortruck.Continue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Art Car”
Perplextion
Perplexity is the goal of engagement. We can go ten rounds debating eggs, broccoli, or candy bars. What matters most is the question, “Is the student perplexed?” Our goal is to induce in the student a perplexed, curious state, a question in her head that math can help answer. via dy/dan » Blog Archive » TenContinue reading “Perplextion”
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.
Art Car 2012 is coming…
…soon. For those you in the Houston area, join us at the Art Car Parade on May 12th. More info at http://www.orangeshow.org. Make it safe & keep the rubber side down this weekend.
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”
This Week In the Classroom: The Simple Bench
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve let y’all into the woodshop at work. We’ve been building the “simple bench”. If you’ve been reading this blog long, you know I love building benches – butterfly benches, green benches, small benches and long benches. My boys have been working off this pattern: And I give themContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: The Simple Bench”
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”
Technology in Education: The Digital STEM Fair
You’ve been to a science fair, right? Tri-fold boards, volcanoes and blue ribbons. This month, my colleagues and I shepherded the “STEM Fair” into existence. The STEM Fair is a showcase for any Science, Technology, Engineering or Math project our students produced over the course of a month. My school produced forty to fifty blogContinue reading “Technology in Education: The Digital STEM Fair”
WSC Designs 