"It doesn't matter what you make, and it doesn't matter why. The importance is that you are making SOMETHING."

 

Love this.  Wife and I were talking about something the other day that made me remember this post I had started a long time ago.  We like to think we've done okay for ourselves.  Our conversation basically boiled down to the wondering why we were relatively "stable" in our lives.  What we decided is that because we know how to "make", create, build, DO- we've been able to save ourselves a LOT of money.  I was looking at a diagram the other day that showed what basic repairs on an average vehicle would cost.  This isn't the same diagram but you get the idea:

FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE DOLLARS!?!?!  For an ALTERNATOR?!  Holy cow.  The alternator all by itself is usually less than a hundred bucks, and unless you're working on a foreign car they aren't that hard to change.   I just replaced the starter in Mrs. Punches car.  Took maybe an hour, and the starter itself cost something like $65.  Not to mention we purchased the car for under $1,000 in need of some work, with low miles, fixed it, and have put almost 70k miles on it in the last 5 years. 

Moral of the story- everyone, man-woman-or child- should now how to weld and sew, and everything in between.

2015 School Year!

So at the end of last year a fellow / former student (I think) came in and spent a day shooting random little clips. This is what he put together. Freaking AWESOME!

There are a few clips from my shop and some of my students projects and even my ugly mug in there for a second or two.

Ready or not, here they come.  The 2015 school year is here!



Students show up tomorrow. Think I'm ready, but it seems like there's always SOMETHING that didn't get done on time.



The entire shop in panorama:



And mega kudo's to our tech guys for updating / expending my "computer lab". Sweet!




On your marks, get set, GO!

Thoughts on bein' a teacher.

Well, here we go again. Starting year 7. First item of business at the faculty meeting: Anyone wanna take an early retirement package or do we have to lay off 4 teachers? It seems that our brilliant former superintendent overestimated the demand for this year. Not that he's around to have to clean up the mess.

Long story short, we start the year in the hole, again. Hoping I still have any type of budget to play with but we'll just have to see how it goes. At least I still have a job for the time being.

On the positive end. Its going to be a busy full year (thats a GOOD thing, right?!). Going to try a few new things, hoping to be able to get lots done with my (very large) new classes.  Several new teachers to meet and get to know.  Lots of old timers back at it still and I'll enjoy working with them for as long as possible.  We've got a PHENOMENAL administration/support team and great faculty. Onward and upward! Students arriving in 5, 4...

Valentines.

Yes, March is nearly over and I'm posting about Valentines day...  Made this for Mrs. Punch.







Doesn't really show well in the pics but I managed to get some neat color patters in it with the torch.  A student of mine wanted to try making something a little different.  She got on Instructables and found a copper rose, but we didn't have any copper.  We experimented with some 22g sheet metal and her's turned out so good I had to make one of my own for my wife.  Must have turned out okay, because she was impressed with it.

I used to always think that my dream "job" would be to be "retired" and be able to just putter around in a shop all day and make whatever I wanted.  I've been thinking about that a lot lately.  I really think that teaching has pushed me to try a lot of new things that I would never have wanted to or even known about had it not been for students asking some silly question or wanting to try something new. 

Its pretty amazing, the things that you learn when you teach.

Why teach?

I was recently asked why I was a teacher.  Here is my response:

I kind of fell into teaching-  The classes I was taking in college were not leading the direction I wanted them to go.  A lot of the classes I took were in a building shared with part of the education department, and I noticed THEY got to do all the things I was hoping I would get to do.  I had visited with my adviser once about it, then gone back in a second time with some follow up questions.  She was working on something while we talked, and at the end of our conversation she said something along the lines of "You're all set!"- she had already transferred me and changed my major. 

That was the moment I became a teacher.  While it may sound like the decision was made for me, I already knew that was what I wanted to do and here's why.  All too often I see and hear people say things like "you will never be happy with your job, just pick something you can stomach that pays good money and do it".  From what I had seen and later experienced this did not seem to be the case with this bunch of educators.  They (we) truly loved what we were doing.  Suddenly homework was FUN.  Class was FUN.  I was learning all kinds of things and really enjoying it.  Then came student teaching, and while I may not have left from that every day from school with a smile, I was always excited the next morning to be back at it. 

So there's the why: because I truly love what I get to do for "work" every day.  Why do I love what I get to do for work every day?  Easy- its awesome to see students working at developing a new skill- to see the failures and the successes, and to be a part of something that will hopefully be useful for the rest of their lives.


ON THE OTHER HAND... I did NOT become a teacher to listen to the lady in front of me at the checkout whine about having to buy pencils and papers for her students.  "Isn't the TEACHER supposed to supply this stuff?!" REALLY!?  Must've touched a nerve because I had to say something.  I'm pretty reserved and as my wife says avoid confrontation at all costs, but I couldn't let it slide.  I very politely struck up a conversation with her, during the course of which I was able to let her know how much money has come out of my own personal pocket (and much, much more out of my wifes pockets) on things that I'll never be able to get refunded for. 

Thats part of teaching, it seems.  Sad that it has to be that way, but it is.  The tax deduction doesn't even begin to cover the out of pocket expenses I think most teachers incur the first couple of years of teaching.  I get the feeling that the "pendelum" is starting to swing back, that there is hope on the horizon.  Things are going to get better.  Its going to take a few years, but if I've made it this far through the worst of it, I can make it a few more, right?

Here's to a new year, starting on Tuesday.  Hoping it will be a great year, excited for new things, sad for losses from last year, but ready to get busy and do my thing!

Where do I go from here?

So I wrote this a while ago not really to anyone specific.  More of a chance to get all my questions and ideas about a masters degree that might suit me down in one place.  While writing it kind of morphed into a letter to Mike Rowe- I've been kinda hooked on his profoundly disconnected website.  Absolutely *love* the S.W.E.A.T pledge- but more on that some other time.  

I truly am open to suggestions as to what I could do for a masters degree.  Our band teacher is working on a masters and I love the way it works-  He spends 3 weeks at a university in the summer.  They do a bunch of stuff there, and then he has all kinds of assignments to do during the school year with his class.  Ideally that is what I'd like to find- a school I could go to for a couple of weeks in the summer to get the hands on experience, and then do the "online" portion during the school year using my students as "lab rats".  :)  

I'm still looking...

I sent the letter to the address provided on the website.  Didn't really expect a response, and didn't get one so here it is for all y'all's reading enjoyment.

 

 

Dear Mike (or whoevers reading his mail today)...

I'm looking for a little advice.

I've been teaching at a middle school for almost 5 years.  Its a hoot.  I *love* my job.  I get to spend all day with a buncha kids and basically goof off in a fairly well equipped shop- we do sheet metal, welding, small engine repair, bicycle repair, leather working, and a whole slew of tech and design related things- 3D printing and CAD, robotics, flight, catapults, and gobs of other things.  

Here's my problem.  I've managed to teach myself a ton of new things over the last 5 years.  I've also realized there are several more tons of things I want to know more about.  I'd like to get a Masters degree for a couple of reasons- one, to make me a better teacher, two, to help me understand my students better, three, to learn new skills (metalworking, blacksmithing, and more tech type jobs are high on the list), and four, to increase my salary.  

I've done a cursory search and talked with a few of my old professors and some other friends I've found along the way.  I haven't really found anything yet that fits me.  See, there are a few more problems.  First and foremost, most non-education masters degrees are going to require me to quit my job (and possibly leave my family for a while) and devote all my time to the program.  For me, that's not an option.  Quitting my current job to get a better education, then hoping to find a similar job where I get to play in the shop and get all greasy, and then the same day go over to the computer lab and run projects off on the 3D printer?  Jobs like this don't come along very often.  

Wait, you might say.  Non-education masters?  Why not get a masters in an education related field?  Well, that is an option.  It would even get me 2 or 3 of my 4 reasons fulfilled, but I really, REALLY want to learn more about the science behind the vocational type stuff AND get some actual shop time to build a little skill in those areas.  

Sure, I could (and would love to) take some night classes at a local community college.  Heck, I'd even be able to get credits that way that may or, depending on who's doing the review, may NOT count as credits to help increase my salary.  Problem is, the difference between the top of the payscale with a masters and the top with a bachelors is fairly substantial, especially if you get your masters degree early on in your career.  

Is it only about the money?  Well, I have to pay for a masters degree somehow...  and lets be honest.  My family income now is just barely above what I used to make in the private sector- by myself.  My wife is also currently teaching, and between the two of us we bring home just barely more than I could make myself.  'Course, everyone will automatically wonder why I'm a teacher instead of being out in the real world, making real money.  We'll save that can of worms for a different day.

Wow.  I'm really all over the map here.  Maybe you can sense some of my confusion.  I would love to make myself a better teacher through continuing education, and plan to.  Is a masters degree the solution?  If so, do I settle for a standard education related masters degree and hope I can pick up the vocational skills on the side?  Is there another way that I'm missing that can help me help my students succeed without costing me my sanity and my family their needs?

Anyways, there's a peek into the scrambled thoughts of a crazy middle school shop teacher.  I would love to hear any ideas, even if its just pointing me in the general direction.  I'm pretty good at picking up some pieces and building something useful out of it.

Thanks,

aka Mr. T.

p.s.- In the process of writing this letter I've discovered a few masters degree in "Career and Technical Education" that seem promising.  I'm definitely still open to other avenues if you know of anything else that may work for me!

And an obligatory picture because too many words is boring...

Mendelmax 2.0: Tech and Design's latest 3D printed cars.

Finished last trimester's Tech and Design car prints. Little over 50 of them, and there are 10 or 15 more that had some manifold issues so they wouldnt print properly. If the students come back in and fix them, we'll get them a print as well.

Works in progress. Gluing wheels.



3 classes worth.



1st hour's.



2nd hour's.



and 5th hour's.



Here's a few of the more interesting designs. This one was named the "Hippy Bus" by its owner.



Love the lightning pattern on the side of the one, and the truck on the far right I didn't think was going to print because he hollowed it out. Actually turned out pretty decent! May start letting them do that a bit more!



The convertible is pretty cool, the interior adds a lot of detail to the car.



In another month or so I should have some Tech 2 projects done- they usually are a little bigger and more detailed. Harder to get them to work the way the students envision, but thats part of the purpose of the printer- to let them create something and see if it actually WORKS!

Still impressed every time I see the designs these kids come up with. Most of them are only 12 years old, and these were the simplified versions of their designs. The full size models had waaayyyy more details. Some days (okay, most days), I really love my job.






On a related note, there was a great writeup in a neighboring cities paper about a rural library near me that recently also got a 3D printer.  Great to see these popping up close to me.  REALLY wish I could get some locals around here interested in doing some sort of a community class / makerspace... I'll keep trying.  Hoping to offer another class starting February, so if anyones interested, let me know!

How to survive a day in a middle school metal shop...

How to survive a day in a middle school metal shop:

Plug yer ears and put your angry eyes on.



Seriously though, Mr. Grumpypants the teacher isn't good for anyone.  Glad I work with people that understand that!  Wore these glasses in one class, and one of my students looked at me for about a minute with a goofy look on his face, and finally said, "Mr. T, I just can't take you serious with that look on your face."

Been a rough week, but lots of fun.  The trimester ends next week, so of course everything associated with that - grades, finals, new rosters, new units, new classes to teach, end of tri activities, etc.- is driving teachers and students buggy.  Throw into the mix 3 days worth of subs for my classes while I attended a PLC conference in SLC.  Ironic, eh?

The conference was GREAT.  I (we) learned so much stuff our heads hurt, but we came away with a ton of great ideas, and wishing that everyone in our school could have been there to see the big picture of what could be possible.  For those of you who don't know- PLC is an education acronym for "Professional Learning Communities" (sorry Dad, it doesn't mean programmable logic controller...).  Rick Dufour has written several books on the subject, as has his wife Becky and the rest of the folks who presented at this conference.

Pretty hard to condense 3 days worth of excellent presentations, but I think if you could simplify it all down to a main idea it would be something along the lines of:  Working together with other teachers as a TEAM is better for all involved- teachers and students, and you will get more done with less work and get better results.

If only it were that simple!  Too often (and I'm super guilty of this) I think teachers prefer to do their own thing in their own room- or teach in isolation as the Dufours put it.  They have this whole idea of  "Loose and Tight", where there are strict and rigid guidelines put in place, but the teacher is left to determine the HOW.  This mean the teacher can still practice their "art" while STILL working as a team towards a common goal.

I came away with a much better understanding of a lot of basic principles of education- both on the WHY and the HOW.  Formative assessments, summative assessments, guaranteed curriculum, essential elements, when you see why it needs to be done and the knowledge / data that can come out of it, you see why it's so important.

The best part of all of this?!  It's LESS work for the teacher, and the students get MORE one on one time if it's needed.  The downside, of course, is that it only works if everyone is willing to do it.

I could go on but I've had all of this stuff bouncing around in my head for the last 4 days and I'd really like to change gears to something a little more... mechanical?  Time to unplug and enjoy the weekend, but here's a start for y'all:



This was on top of a post near the convention center.  It had maybe a 4 foot wingspan, the props spun in the wind, and it acted like a wind vane.  Would LOVE to build something like this, and I don't think it would be too super hard.  I'll add it to my list of stuff to do, right after surviving a school year, finishing Dan's chariot, building a sidecar for one of my bikes, figuring out what to do with the old Dodge's, and on, and on, and ....

You can find more info on the Dufours and PLC's at allthingsplc.info or http://www.solution-tree.com/

Newton's Laws.

We finished up our water rocket unit last week and it ended with a bang!  Built about 70 rockets.  The test launch a couple of weeks ago had a lot of failures- but thats why it was a test launch.  We had several rockets over 200 feet, and one even broke 300 feet!

Forgot to bring my camera for the first class, and had one embed itself about 4 inches into the ground. Lotsa fun watching the students scatter!

These are all from the other 2 classes.  Took dozens of pics, most of them were only of a stream of water because I couldn't time it right.

Hard to see, this one has a funnel for a nose cone.  It flew pretty well, but he had a little too much weight so it didn't go very high.  On the bright side-  when it came down the funnel stuck into the ground and the bottle broke off and bounced away. 



This one collapsed the launcher...  Are you sensing the duct tape theme!?



(students commence scattering...)   Not really.  Didn't have any close calls this time, although in the past I thought I was going to have to buy the resource officer a new windshield for his cop car.






And my all time favorite:



 Love this picture!  Sooo many things going on here.  I'll be using this one a lot in the future-  all 3 of Newtons's laws are going on there.

Here's what happened.  The rocket's nose cone was made out of flimsy butcher style paper.  We normally layer them so they are pretty strong- but this student layered it and the stretched it out.  It was really floppy.  Then he added a cup or two of gravel inside the very tip of the cone to move the Center of Gravity up.  When the rocket went off, the nose cone collapsed and the bottle went PAST the tip and cracked itself like a whip!

If you look close, you can see the tip of the nose cone STILL GOING in the right direction!!! (part of Newtons first law-  objects in motion will stay in motion in a straight line)

You will also notice the gravel spraying out of the nose cone, and just for fun, try following the path of the water.

Anyways, got the rockets launched in the nick of time-  its starting to get cold out.  Already started on the Lego Robotics and the rest of our activities we can do in the relative warmth (not really possible at our school because we're "trying to save money") of my classroom.

Onward and upward!

Leftover Printer Projects.

So I found a few pictures from my tech 2 class from last school year.  Thought I posted them already but apparently not, so here they are.

I gave them a pretty simple set of directions:  Design something in Sketchup with at least 3 different parts, one of which must "move".  I had several kids try and do cases for phones and ipods, but they proved a little to detail rich for most of them.  Here are a couple that I managed to take pics of before they left for the year.

Airplane.  Printed in several different pieces then assembled with glue.  The propeller spins!





Ipod charging stand.  No moving parts, but very functional!



 

Lego guy and a robot.The one on the right has moving arms.



Turntable.  Tried printing rollers for it but ended up using ball bearings.



f
And a couple of pics while on the printer.


 


 

There were several others, but I didn't get a chance to take pictures of them.  Had a couple of R/C winches and a really cool bicycle with spinning wheels and a working set of handlebars.  I'd like to reprint that one for my classroom sometime.

Just for fun, a few from today.  Making an "Occupied" sign for the handicapped bathrooms at school.  Cranked up the speed, man is that thing fast!




 
 

There you go.  I'm sure we'll have plenty of projects to post in the coming months!

IGSBEP- are you doing it?!

Well, I made it through day 1.  Its all downhill from here, although I can't decide if thats a good thing or a bad thing.



Helping my wife decorate her room got me to thinking, my room has tons of gadgets spewing forth from every corner, but it could use some more "artsy" informative decorating.  Spent some time and made the big IGSBEP banner and hung it up on the wall.

A year or two ago I had a bit of a breakthrough-  Seeing as how there are no specific state standards that really dictate what I'm supposed to teach, I figured I could do just about anything.  Probably shouldn't admit this because I'm sure some well intentioned fool will eventually find *something* that I am *required* to teach.  Not that I have a huge problem with that, but in my case it would have stifled a really good thing.  I sat down and thought about different overall themes I could teach about.  I settled on the Design Process.  It fit perfectly with the projects and tools I already had and is applicable everywhere.  Interestingly enough the design process is almost identical to the steps used to write a report in English or test something scientifically with the Scientific Method.

The best part:  You can use it to solve ANY problem.  For example, before ISATS I would sit my classes down and explain to them that during the test and in life in general- you will come across problems that you don't know the answer to.  Does that mean you just guess? NO.  Does that mean you just pick a random answer? NO.

Take a minute to IDENTIFY what specifically the problem is.  Once you have a good handle on exactly what you are being asked to do, GENERATE some ideas.  Sketches, different possible directions, whatever- just let your brain vomit (yeah, my students love my imagery) random related ideas out on the paper.  Once you've got a few, SELECT what you think is the best one.  Is it right? Who knows?!  Lets find out!  BUILD it.  Try it out.  Most important on this step- don't be afraid to fail.  If it doesn't work, try something else!  The next step is sometimes hard to seperate from building-  you EVALUATE.  Did it work, did it work well, if it didn't work why not?!  You might need to go back to generating new ideas to try more options.  Keep trying.  Once you have a viable option, PRESENT it.  Sometimes you might need to present it even if its not right- ask for help.

Whew.  Little long winded there but now you know what the IGSBEP is. My point is this:  students need the ability to SOLVE PROBLEMS, not just by rote spew facts out correctly.   There is a place for that too, don't get me wrong.

Hopefully, I can help my students be able to solve problems that come up not only in my classes, but in English, Math, Science, etc, and most importantly, life in general.

Hope all you teachers out there are having a great start to the new year, and remember, keep your stick on the ice!





p.s.- just for fun, the birds eye view of my room about 18 feet up when I was hanging the IGSBEP up.  Kinda messy, was still putting things away and my room was being used to build stuff for a parade float.





And one of the awesome morning views I get from my classroom.  *Love* my job.

One possible solution to Education's Issues.

 I stumbled on Shop Teacher Bob's blog a couple of years ago, right when I got back into teaching.  Tons of cool stuff there and many awesome educational insights and links.  He posted this last week and I thought it was a GREAT idea- had to repost it here to share with y'all!


From Shop Teacher Bob:
__________________________________________________________________________________
I was prowling through my blog list yesterday and came across some info on the Milwaukee MakerFest at Handverker. First of all it amazes me all the stuff that Frankie Flood and his students are into on that site -  motorcycles, bicycles, VW's, and hot rods just like I am - and then there is all the high tech machining, printing and extruding creating artistic and functional items of all stripes.  I know very little about this new high tech stuff but what I do know is that this is the future of manufacturing.

With Maker Faires and Maker Spaces popping up the world over, (there's one in Rome in October), and the cost of college skyrocketing, maybe it's time for a new look at the traditional college model. At the community college where I'm currently employed, as near as I can tell, other than some digital photography and printing, we don't make anything. That's right. We make nothing. Since there are other campus locations throughout the state, I'm sure somewhere they're making something but maybe not. In the lab where I spend a few hours every week in my role as lab logistics technician, there are trainers for a variety of disciplines - hydraulics, pneumatics, electricity, electronics, etc. - but it looks like the main focus here is to turn out technicians for the local power company rather than making anything. I suppose that certainly is in keeping with the mission of a community college but from my high school teaching experience, I know people want to make things and they learn more if they are allowed to do just that.

Let us suppose for a moment that Shop Teacher Bob opens his own college. We'll call it the Shop Teacher Bob Maker School and dedicate it solely to the making of cool @#$*- might even want to make that as the motto, in fact. Anyway, have a two year course of study culminating in a maker degree. Keep the curriculum loosey-goosey and like Hillsdale College, don't accept any federal funds so the focus can remain on what really matters, giving the students a custom tailored education that allows them to make things. All types of things. Beautiful things, practical things, wooden things, plastic things, metal things, Steampunky things. Incorporate some old school skills like blacksmithing/metalsmithing, maybe some woodworking with hand tools - a nice blend of folk arts and CNC.

Think about it. A nice Maker Space/Tech Shop with a big garden. Maybe follow the Putney School model or the college in Berea. Work for your supper/tuition rather than a big ass student loan that will be hanging around your neck like a dead albatross you spent 40 grand for. Focus on the things you want to work on along side other creative individuals doing the same. Isn't that what Bell Labs used to do? Lots of potential for cross pollination of ideas. A hands-on approach but so much more. Granted there wouldn't be a football team but I suppose we could set up a couple of heavy bags and have the students design and build a few bicycles so we all get a little exercise instead of just the gridiron squad.

If one of you decides to start just such a school, let me know if you need a lab tech. I know just the guy.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Wouldn't that be awesome?!  Able to focus on each student individually instead or ramming a square peg in a round hole.  Really worried about this year as my class sizes have gone way up.  I'm just not going to make it to all of the students that need help.  Still not sure how I'm going to handle that.  On the bright side, I think the year isn't going to be as rough as I originally feared.  Been able to get a fair bit done in preparation for students that are showing up on Wednesday.

This is EXACTLY the kind of school I'm looking for to get my Masters in.  Hmmm... A Masters in "Making".  I'll keep dreaming.  And searching- if anyone knows of anything like this that exists and would be possible for me to keep my teaching job while I got it, I would be VERY interested!

Printer prep. Got 300 kids that want to play with it this year!

Dug my MM 2.0 out of the closet and got it set up and running in anticipation of 300 new students that want to try it out this year...

'Course, had to do a test run...









Printer ran great, although my design needs some tweaking to prevent warpage.

Thought I needed to give the printer a workout, so I found a broken bit of plastic I needed repaired.

I've got Pelican cases on my KTM, and one of the latches lost some teeth. The release would still catch and sort of hold it on, but I didn't want my lunch flying out on the way to school.

Gettin the dang thing apart proved to be a chore... Had to drill a hole to get to the back side of the pin so I could punch it out.



Pin on its way out:



Viola! Latch removed. You can sort of see where the broken teeth are- the bottom piece where it sticks down is supposed to have a hook on it.



Sketchup to the rescue.



Took me about 5 attempts before I got one that fit nicely and pulled the door shut tight enough.

Gettin a print ready:



One of the early attempts:





Heres the one I'm currently "testing". It was printed with only 10% infill, so I don't think it will hold up long. We'll see. Already found a few minor changes I want to make, but here it is as printed:



Cut and ready to fit:



Assembled:



Installed.



So here is the before:



and the after:



Had some issues with the printer this time. Think I've had problems with my control board from day one (pretty sure its one of the first RUMBA boards- every now and then I get a random issue where after every move, it pauses for about a second.  Think I found a workaround today though). If I have any money left over in the school budget I might just spring for a new one to rule that out.

Also going to start experimenting with settings (jerk, in particular) to see if I can get better quality and higher speeds.

One other thing (okay, 2) that I want to learn more about is Bridging and "moving part" prints.  Both I can attempt with this model-  could do 2 bridges and have only 2 pieces printed instead of 3, and print them in place.  The harder one would be to print bridged, with pins in the holes so I didn't have to use metal.  Probably too weak for real life application, but it would be pretty neat to print the part, pull it off and have a moving part with out any other assembly!