Today we began installing hinges, cutting lids from bases of boxes, installing miter keys and more. I made wooden hinges, demonstrated using a hidden spline mitered joint, and I helped students with design questions. We are making great progress. Our strategy for this class is learning through play. Just as children learn best through play, adults do too. There are times when we get in over our heads. In our excitement for learning, we make minor mistakes.
I designed this class to minimize the amount of time students spend standing in line. I want it to be like the indoor playground at St. Mary's school. If there is a line on the slide, head for the monkey bars. If there is a line there, too, head for the merry-go-round. If the table saw for cutting miter joints is busy, make box joints. If both are busy, cut up and prepare materials for your next box. This strategy is working and you can see it in action. At any given time, nearly all the tools in the shop are in use, while other students are planning their next moves at their workbenches in the next room. At each work bench you'll find boxes in various stages of assembly.
Students from other classes are telling me, I want to take your class next year.
I am also learning about how to express and share information so it is most easily understood. And so, I keep becoming a better teacher as I share what I learn.
Make, fix and create...
No comments:
Post a Comment