When I checked the stats a week or so back to see who, where and how many were checking out Shop Teacher Bob, I noticed quite a few hits were for oxy-acetylene posts. I just finished a weeks worth of oxy-acetylene cutting instruction with my beginning classes. This is always somewhat traumatic. I try
to instill in them a serious respect for the equipment and the potential for danger without scaring them into running like sissies every time the torch pops.
Part of the instruction process is a written and a performance quiz. For an "A" on the performance quiz, they have four minutes to turn on the tanks, light the torch, cut a piece of 1/4"x2" flat bar, then turn off the tanks and bleed everything down. One guy finally threw in the towel after 7-1/2 minutes without being able to light the torch at all. A couple of the guys in one class are pretty competitive with each other and after the grading wanted to try a little friendly show down. The one guy choked and the other guy did a 2:30. So like in the Cincinnati Kid - "You're good kid, real good, but as long as I'm around ....."- I took on the winner and posted a time of 59 seconds without breaking a sweat. 40 years of experience has to count for something.
Next year we're supposed to have a video production class of some kind going. I'm going to try and see about taping some of the instructional things I do. I'd like to write a "textbook" of sorts as well. Have short video clips or written instructions available for them for things like the torch. Just something short and sweet that hits the safety concerns and how to light the torch and make a cut. Have the same thing for setting up the MIG, TIG, Plasma, track torch, etc. There are commercial things available, of course, but I'm looking for something they could refer to at a later date or if a kid is absent, he could get the short version of what he missed. I put together some instructional booklets like this a few years ago but I could do a lot better with the advances in technology. Maybe put together a CD with most of the units on it and the kid could take it with him when he goes.
Wonder if she'd be interested in helping with the project?
4 comments:
I'm not sure I want to utter this word on your blog but I did something similar with . . . Moodle. I would record sample problems either while we did them in class, or, if I was going to be absent, ahead of time. I'd then put them on the class website. Those students who were absent could watch, those that were at home doing their homework could review, or if I was absent, they could watch as a class and were expected to do the homework. Of course, my plan was to do this for one year and then the videos would be up indefinitely so I'd only have to do it once. Unfortunately, I started doing it late last spring so I didn't get a full year in. I kept it all though. You never know.
This is exactly why Tim Adams and I are against any sort of forced tech plan. If you make people do it, they will hate it. If you offer a voluntary "come and see", people are much more likely to find a use for something rather than loathe it. Of course, clearly Tim and I must have been speaking gibberish and thus the administration could not understand. That was the point at which Auker made numerous comments about just making it a directive and Tim fired back, in a raised voice, "That just pisses us off!" It was great. But, as the lesson plans show, common sense lost. At least Tim got a jab in along the way.
I'd be much happier doing all of this if we prioritized what we need to fix first. Of course if they want me to put all this on the computer, maybe give me the time to do it. And just maybe give me some technology to actually use it with my students. Grandma Marylin needs to move down the road and be replaced by someone who has a grasp on the reality of the situation. The fact that I mentioned doing some of the things he wants done in this post would indicate I'm not totally opposed to doing it. I've always admired Tim for being an excellent teacher and being a voice of reason, by the way. Wait 'til they drive drive his kind away from the profession and see what they end up with.
PS. By the way, Auker came in to Open Shop right after I wrote the previous response and wanted to know if I could fix some broken desks. He said they have about 20 of them. The whole corporation is a one way street.
You are dead right about everything you said. Grandma Marilyn needs to go, that place is a cluster, and it's always a one way street. You scratch my back and well, I'll ask you to scratch it again later.
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