Mr. Wiemers' Shop

Vases and Flowers for Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T10:32:00.009-06:00

Many of the sixth graders are finishing their oak lathe projects just in time for Valentine's Day. Last week they applied three coats of polyurethane and today the vases were waxed and buffed before the flowers are added. Tonight they will be a pleasant Valentine's gift for their mothers.

Mr. Wiemers

mrwiemersshop.com

Smores in Advisory with a Torch

2012-02-13T10:27:00.001-06:00

Mr. Wiemers

www.mrwiemersshop.com

22 Stations for Intro to Shop for Sixth Grade

2012-01-17T17:15:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow the sixth graders will rotate through these 22 stations. We have spent the first two weeks learning shop safety and classroom expectations. The students will each spend between 1-2 minutes at each of these stations as they try their hand at using these tools and machines.

Mr. Wiemers

http://mrwiemersshop.com

Pyramid - Sanded and Stained

2012-01-13T15:51:00.004-06:00

This is the pyramid after being sanded and stained the color of Egyptian sand...

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Pyramid

2012-01-12T17:02:00.003-06:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Cutting Boards

2011-12-16T13:43:00.005-06:00

Mr. Wiemers

http://www.mrwiemersshop.com

1,500 Eighth Grade End Tables in Eleven Years

2011-10-27T11:38:00.002-05:00

This fall the eighth graders built a project that has become a standard achievement for right of passage through the DCG Middle School. About 130 students built a mission style oak end table in a 45 day period. With the completion of these 130 tables this fall the total number of mission style tables made by DCG eighth graders since the fall of 2001 has been 1,500. The completion rate for an eighth grader finishing this project in a nine week class since 2007 has been 100%.

During the last eleven years there have been two end tables produced for every 45 minute class period that the eighth graders have been in the shop. The table includes a drawer and a bottom shelf. The retail price for one of these tables ranges from $100 up $595 (as seen at the 2010 State Fair) which means the DCG eighth graders have potentially produced a total of $150,000-$892,500 in market value during the first decade of the twenty-first century. The students each select their own stain and drawer handle.

Since there have been 1,500 end tables produced in the DCG MS shop the odds are very high that you have seen one in a home of a DCG student or alumnus. You may even have one of these tables in your own home. If not, you may have an end table coming to your home in the near future.

Mr. Wiemers
www.mrwiemersshop.com

Student/Parent/Teacher Conference Video

2011-08-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

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Mr. Wiemers

http://mrwiemersshop.com

Opening 2011-12

2011-08-16T09:36:00.001-05:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Opening 2011-12

Mr. Wiemershttp://mrwiemersshop.com

Routering Table Tops

2011-05-04T15:27:00.001-05:00

As the final quarter comes to a close we have started routering and attaching the tops to our eighth grade end tables.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Marshmallow Launchers

2011-05-04T15:23:00.004-05:00

Today in Advisory we took a supply of PVC pipe and constructed a system of tubes we could use to propel a small marshmallow by exhaling through the pipe...

(Click on images for a larger image)
Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

New Cutting Board Design for Online Store

2011-04-25T12:45:00.002-05:00

This is an image of the new cutting board design that will appear in our new Middle School shop online store in the fall of 2012. There will be other items available for purchase also including the wooden tops.

Mr. Wiemers

http://mrwiemersshop.com

Nick's Scale Model House

2011-01-14T17:36:00.001-06:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Wooden Tops are Finished

2010-12-20T15:22:00.005-06:00

Today we finished our wooden tops that we made on the wood lathe during Advisory. Each project included a top, a handle and a pull with a leather string attached to it. Here are some photos:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Residential Construction

2010-12-16T12:32:00.003-06:00

Seventh grade shop construction project:
Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Don't Feed the Teacher!

2010-12-16T09:41:00.003-06:00

First period seventh grade students thought that feeding Mr. Wiemers sour candy would be a good idea and make a great video. This is the video they produced promoting Zots sour candy:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Tops, Cutting Boards and Cribbage Gifts

2010-12-15T11:46:00.004-06:00

Each of the 16 advisory students made a wooden top with a handle, a cutting board and a cribbage board to take home as gifts.

Mr. Wiemers

http://mrwiemersshop.com

Module #22 and the Carnival Model

2010-11-23T08:12:00.008-06:00

We have 21 different modules for the seventh graders to work through in nine weeks (45 days). The classroom is set up in what I refer to as the Carnival Model. This style of teaching is referred to as the Carnival Model because the students in the classroom look like kids at a carnival or kids in the midway of a county fair. All the modules include activities and are self-directed. The students choose which module they want to do. They follow the directions and finish the assigned project. When they are finished they rush off to find another open module to work on. It takes about 3 days to complete each module. So, mathematically it will take the students 63 days to correctly finish the modules, which means they will never actually finish every one of the modules.

Of course, about this time each quarter we begin to loose momentum in the Carnival Model. The seventh graders have done what they personally consider the "fun" modules. They begin to ask if they can do some of the "fun" modules a second time. They also begin to tell me they have finished "all" of the modules. Some students begin to move through 2-3 modules a single day, but really don't produce any working or successful projects. This means they have lost focus. The students have actually bought into a corrupted concept of the Carnival Model and begin to believe school is suppose to be "fun" and nothing more.

To refocus the students I have created what is known as "Module 22." When a student says they have finished all the "fun" modules I take them to Module 22. At Module 22 the student will read the chapters in an old industrial tech book and answer the questions found at the end of each chapter on a sheet of paper. With out exception each student that is introduced to Module 22 quickly remembers several modules that they have not finished. No one ever really does Module 22. Module 22 is designed to reactivate the Carnival Model describe above.

(The 21 modules used in the Carnival Model for the DCG MS shop can be seen HERE.)

Mr. Wiemers

http://mrwiemersshop.com

Anna's Acrylic Chess Set

2010-11-22T15:38:00.005-06:00

Anna made a complete set of black and white chess pieces on the CNC lathe in the DCG Middle School shop.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Sonya's Earthquake Simulator for Social Studies

2010-11-17T13:10:00.001-06:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Advisory: Play-Doh Charades

2010-11-04T13:54:00.007-05:00

Two advisory classes combined for some competition in Play-Doh Charades. Students were divided into groups of four and one of them was chosen to be the molder. All the molders met the teacher who showed them a card with a description of what the molders would be quickly creating in their play-doh. Some of the items were a bicycle, palm tree, umbrella, tractor, birthday cake, etc. The first group to shout out the name of the item was the winner. This activity included competition, team building, group work, communication through art, visualization, and, the ultimate goal, fun.

New Ultimate Frisbee Highlight Film

2010-10-20T22:32:00.003-05:00

New favorite ultimate Frisbee highlight film. Competition day tomorrow in advisory - the game of Ultimate is on for tomorrow:

Mr. Wiemershttp://mrwiemersshop.com

Teaching Ultimate Frisbee in Advisory!!

2010-10-18T15:51:00.002-05:00

Here are some promotional videos:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Saying "Good-bye" and "Good Job"

2010-10-12T14:04:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning up the polyurethane and brushes at the end of the last class of the day as the bell rang to end class. A student came up to me as the bell rang and said, "Good-bye, Mr. Wiemers." This is not unusual since this has happened every day for two years. This same student never leaves my class with out making eye contact with me and saying to me directly, "Good-bye, Mr. Wiemers." Every time I respond, but I never act like I was expecting it. I always try to respond with no noticeable "tone" in my voice, other than to give the impression I was glad the student was addressing me and I was having a good day.

Today, for some reason, I recalled doing something similar when I was in elementary school and junior high. Every year on the morning of the last day of school my mom would tell me,

"Now, before you come home tell your teacher you had a good year and that you thought they were a great teacher."

Every year I did. It wasn't easy. In fact, I would almost get sick to my stomach. I would spend the last day of school worried about that moment at the end of the day (the last day of the school year) when I would have to move against the stream of kids running home for the summer. I would have to go against the current and walk back into the class room, walk up the the teacher, look them in the eye and initiate a conversation. The conversation would be focused on my evaluation of the teacher. I was going to have to compliment my teacher. This time the student would not ask a question, nor ask for help. I had done that all year long. In this case the subordinate would address their superior by paying them a compliment. Even a positive compliment indicated that the inferior student had made an evaluation of the teacher and had come to a decision:

"You were a good teacher and I had a great year. Thank you."

This was so hard to do. In the early years my voice was timid and shook with fear. But, I also remember that the teacher's face lit up every time. They seemed to actually take my compliment seriously. It was as if my words, my opinion, my judgment was heard and had left a mark. My words seemed to have made a difference.

After the last day of school I would always have to walk home alone since by the time I got my nerve up to actually enter the room, speak with the teacher and leave, the other students were long gone. I still remember the feeling, the emotional high, as I walked home. I did not understand everything, but I knew I, a mere student, had made an impact on my teacher. The teacher felt good about themselves because I said something to them about themselves. This was indeed strange territory for a young student to be treading on. It was like drinking from a cup in another dimension or speaking into a parallel universe.

Eventually my voice did not quiver and I knew, before I spoke, I was about to say something that would leave a lasting impression.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Eighth Grade Adventures in Staining

2010-10-08T10:31:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wiemershttp://mrwiemersshop.com

Ugg Boots

2010-10-08T09:25:00.004-05:00

Today's blog deals with my keen sense for fall fashion. This week the temperatures were slightly cool, but still in the 70's. These temperatures sent a fashion signal through out our middle school causing a large number of 8th grade girls to simultaneously break out their Ugg boots on Tuesday this week. I noticed the first pair of Uggs in the shop during first period. More Uggs appeared in second period and by third period I knew the 8th grade girls had begun a mass movement into their winter apparel which is now being worn in early fall.

After having said all this, I do want to note that by Wednesday the Ugg season seemed to have gone into a stall. From my perspective, as somewhat of a fashion expert, this retreat from the wearing of Uggs in early fall may have been caused by the uncomfortable over heating of the feet by the time the students were dismissed from school into the warm fall afternoon. I anticipate a second wave of Ugg appearances will occur when the first cloudy sky produces a snow flake.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Epidemic of Spilled Stain

2010-10-07T09:23:00.003-05:00

We have built and stained 100-160 mission style oak tables with eighth graders every year for 10 years. During the first nine years we spilled 2 cans of stain, total. This year (or, yesterday and today) we have spilled 3. Three cans in less than two days, compared to 2 cans in nine years. So, in 10 years we have spilled 5 cans of stain. 3 of those 5 were spilled during the last 24 hours!! Why? How can this happen? It is a continuous focus of my instruction that is accompanied with advice concerning how to avoid this huge mess, this huge waste of time and the destruction of the clothing of the students near ground-zero. Notable changes that may have led to this epidemic could be:

the character of this 8th grade class??
the scheduling of this class earlier in the year (1st quarter) instead of later in the year when the students are older???
larger class size which crowds the tiny shop????
the presence of 130 other end tables crowded in the shop to dry instead of being in the hallway?????
the fact that I purchased the stain for the students this year instead of having them pick out their own stain with their parents assistance and their own money??????
the failure of the school district to cover this issue during a teacher inservice???????
my failure to write "don't spill the stain" as a learning target or as an ICDP????????
the Tea party movement or the Obama administration?????????
my fear of spilled stain and my abnormal focus on not spilling stain which draws unnecessary student attention to open cans of stain??????????
stuff like this happens...it is what it is...clean it up and get another can of stain!

Mr. Wiemershttp://mrwiemersshop.com

Antler Drawer Pulls

2010-10-05T11:52:00.002-05:00

A couple of eighth graders cut up an antler to create their drawer handle on the mission style oak table.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Advisory Group Photos Jumping

2010-09-14T23:59:00.004-05:00

Mr. Wiemershttp://mrwiemersshop.com

Advosory 2010 Slideshow A

2010-09-13T00:22:00.003-05:00

2010-11 Advisory

2010-09-12T23:34:00.004-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

DCG MS Track Meet

2010-04-23T07:12:00.000-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Mikala's Lathe Project

2010-04-22T13:28:00.000-05:00

Mikala made a pop bottle out of walnut and birch in sixth grade shop class today.
Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Wooden Truck Project

2010-04-20T17:41:00.004-05:00

This will be our advisory project for the next six weeks. It will be a challenge, but it will keep the 8th graders occupied for their final days in our middle school. If all goes well each of the 16 students will gain some experience and they will each get to take home a pretty cool looking antique truck made from walnut, oak and birch wood. We may even see it displayed at their graduation party in about four years! (Click photo for a larger image. We will be using the larger image to see the details as we build this 16 inch long truck.)

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

"Sweet Ramp"

2010-04-09T14:07:00.002-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Today's Sixth Grade Lathe Demonstration

2010-03-30T16:00:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Advisory

2010-03-30T15:53:00.003-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Chess Board Production (part four)

2009-12-01T15:30:00.002-06:00

Here are two bases, one walnut and one zebra wood. The chess boards are not yet attached since I am still considering how well the wood in the bases match the chess boards. I have also made some birch bases. There will be five total chess boards. The drawers need to be built, a bottom designed and some joints and trim inserted into the base for decorative purposes.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

. . . Just Work Hard

2009-11-23T14:36:00.002-06:00

Teaching a class of students requires the ability to communicate and convey thoughts, ideas and information. But, if you have ever had a class succeed you will look back and realize that it also took a lot of work, sometimes a lot of physical effort, to get the job done. Yes, education involves innovative ideas, techniques and methodology (whatever that is?), but you will never escape the physical work and sheer time it takes to teach a class. In the end, after all the strategies and interventions, a good teacher will still have to go into the classroom alone and just work hard.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Students Can Use Cell Phones in Class to Respond

2009-11-23T10:52:00.002-06:00

Teachers can create questions or polls on this site for the students to respond to by sending a text message with their response. The results instantly appear on the computer screen.

http://textthemob.com/

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Chess Board Production (part three)

2009-11-20T11:03:00.002-06:00

The birch and walnut chess board trimmed on the outside with Purple Heart which surrounds the Paduak and Yellow Heart. This gives the kids an inside look at the rain forest (literally, an inside look) and a different perspective. More of an industrial view than environmental view. As always, both are important and must be maintained. There is $$$ Green, and then, there is the other green. The two greens are never really separated. Both greens need each other to be the green they want to be. Try being green with the Green. Economically weak countries are always over run by an aggressor. Or, as many cultures in the past have found out, try being Green with out considering the green. These cultures have become extinct. Well, I wasn't planning on talking about "green," but instead wanted to point out the beautiful colors of the woods from around the globe. So, what about globalism?

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Triangulation of Education in Cartoon Form

2009-11-19T20:04:00.002-06:00

Some people would say the burden of education is on the teacher.
Others say the burden of learning is on the student.
Obviously, both the teacher and the student must put forth effort.

But, in this debate that surfaces every few years with new lingo and a new list of experts, we often forget that in the dynamics of learning there are three corners of triangular education. In one of these corners is the potential to learn. Some great teachers are great simply because they have found the right audience.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Triangulation Educational Model

2009-11-19T19:22:00.002-06:00

I am currently in the process of identifying and structuring the triangulation model of education. Key words and concepts are:

1. Teach (done by teacher)
2. Learn (done by student)
3. Potential (set by limits of realty)

(I will call it the TLP Triangulation Education Model. It can be referred to as TLP-TEM in professional journals. Now, if I can just find that perfect balance of complicating the obvious and over emphasizing the tangents then TLP-TEM might just sweep through the educational world. Wait, I need to get a job at a university and find some research money . . .)

Here is my article:

Any learning environment has unexplored growth potential that is never fully activated, but at the same time it is confined by the student's shadowy limitations set by reality. The three corners of the learning triangle are all powerful contributors to the extent of the educational process. They are:

teacher and the instructional process,
the student and their freewill (desire, motivation, interest, etc.), and
the natural biological and psychological ability of the student.

To ignore this triangular alignment (or, one of it's corners) is to entertain a vain educational view that strains the other corners beyond the point of logical expectations. For examples:

To ignore the importance of the instructional quality will eventually flatten out the student's corner and demand the student do the illogical and teach themselves.
To ignore the importance of the student's responsibility will eventually bring pressure on the teacher's corner which burdens it with an endless series of demands, expectations, strategies and staff inservices that can never replace the student's need to care about their own education.
To ignore the natural ability of the student means the student and teacher will be thrust into an imaginary world that in theory (and, before qualifying statements are unleashed) claims that all students can learn everything.

In the correctly balanced model all three corners must be acknowledged and responsibility assigned and expected. An equilateral triangle must be maintained. Foolish educational theories laced with post-modern values will not only be frustrating for the student, the teacher, the school and the community, but they will prove to be educationally fatal.

Each of the corners has ability to improve its contribution to the educational process. Teacher's can always improve. Always. They can find new strategies, become more acquainted with their subject matter, use different mediums to communicate, bring alongside themselves specialist in techniques or knowledge, ect. Students can find motivation or desire by realizing the importance of education, the satisfaction of education, or simply, the expectation of education. Although, potential, in this theory is a set variable, the opportunity of expansion (therapy, interaction, etc.) up to that set variable from the current available potential is possible.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Rejected Delivery: Not Everyone Gets an A+ in Shop

2009-11-19T09:30:00.004-06:00

We have been receiving lumber (Appalachian Oak #1 Common surfaced to 25/64 straight line ripped one side) for nine years. We receive about 2,000 board feet each year and have turned it into over 1,000 tables among many other projects. Today a delivery of 700 board feet came and the students started to carry it in like students have done for years. And I, like always, began to stack the wood and evaluate the quality of my purchase. The first two boards were less than acceptable, but there is a truck load more being carried in. But, by the fifth and sixth boards I began to wonder about the entire load. I had the students stop bringing in the lumber and went to talk to the driver. After looking through a good part of the load on the truck I finally did what I had threatened to do for years. I sent the entire load of oak back as unacceptable and called my rep at the company. I apologized but the rep agreed we had been getting the same order for nine years and this load was not the quality that we needed.

It was a real life experience for the students to see their teacher reject the work of a delivery man and the lumber company. I guess after all is said and done, not everyone gets an A+ in shop.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Chess Board Production (part two)

2009-11-18T10:52:00.004-06:00

The walnut/birch chess board with initial trim of Yellow Heart from Brazil and Paduak from West Africa.

The chess board clamping in clamps attaching the Paduak wood trim.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Chess Board Production

2009-11-16T12:52:00.010-06:00

Two inch strips of walnut and birch.

Glue together.

Cut across grain. Flip every other one over.

Glue and clamp to make the chess board.

Chess pieces turned on a CNC lathe in the shop.

Trimming the chess board with 18" strips of Yellow Heart wood from Brazil

Cutting strips of Paduak from West Africa to trim the chess board

2009-10-29T11:22:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Madison Wins State CC Championship

2009-10-19T07:55:00.000-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Ten Tips for Writing a Blog

2009-10-15T10:12:00.003-05:00

These tips taken from Mr. McClung's post at this link. I found this very useful for a variety of reasons. Mr. McClung is doing this as a class project. I will use this for my own students who are blogging, but also personally and at school.

1. Make your opinion known
People like blogs, they like blogs because they are written by people and not corporations. People want to know what people think, crazy as it sounds they want to know what you think. Tell them exactly what you think using the least amount of words possible.

2. Link like crazy.
Support your post with links to other web pages that are contextual to your post.

3. Write Less
Give the maximum amount of information with the least amount of words. Time is finite and people are infinitely busy. Blast your knowledge into the reader at the speed of sound.

4. 250 is enough
A long post is easier to forget and harder to get into. A short post is the opposite.

5. Make Headlines snappy
Contain your whole argument in your headline. Check out National newspapers to see how they do it.

6. Include bullet point lists
We all love lists, it structures the info in an easily digestible format.

7. Make your posts easy to scan
Every few paragraphs insert a sub heading. Make sentences and headlines short and to the point.

8. Be consistent with your style
People like to know what to expect, once you have settled on a style for your audience stick to it.

9. Litter the post with Keywords.
Think about what keywords people would use to search for your post and include them in the body text and headers. make sure the keyword placement is natural and does not seem out of place.

10. Edit your post
Good writing is in the editing. Before you hit the submit button, re-read your post and cut out the stuff that you don’t need.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Mr. Wiemers' Mad BB Skills

2009-10-14T10:55:00.001-05:00

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Luke's Half-Pipe

2009-10-13T14:10:00.003-05:00

When Luke came into the shop as a sixth grader he asked several times if he could ever build a small half-pipe for his tech-decks. Today Luke and I put one together quick for him before his seventh grade year comes to a close this week.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

7th Grade Shop Video

2009-10-13T14:08:00.003-05:00

These are some of the twenty modules we have set up for the seventh graders. In this video you will see them working and producing projects in the DCG MS shop.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

First Quarter of Seventh Grade Shop

2009-10-12T12:23:00.002-05:00

During the first quarter the seventh grade middle school students had the opportunity to work on twenty various modules, or stations, in the middle school shop. Mr. Wiemers has set up these three-day modules over the last few years. Each module includes the production of a project and involves skills that have connections to a career field. The modules include assembly of a lawn mower engine, assembly of an electric motor, project design and cutting on a CNC mill, forming acrylic plastic, residential wiring, design and production of a wooden race car, bending and riveting metal to form a hook, soldering copper pipe, cutting and threading galvanized pipe, soldering components on a functioning circuit board, plastic injection molding, vacuum forming plastic, assembly of a small model residential wall, house design with CAD, video production and upload, podcast production and upload, design and cut an acrylic chess piece with CNC lathe, measuring with a variety of instruments, writing and uploading a blog and small wooden projects. These areas of introduction to technology and industry are followed up in the high school shop program. Each year the class size grows and more projects, modules and opportunities are added. The students develop skills that can be incorporated into other class projects and have an opportunity to apply their reading, writing and math skills in a shop environment. Students are also being introduced to principles of science and math that will be developed in other classes.

We are putting together a video of these modules and will post it later.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

"Pop-the-Balloon-on-the-Pin-in-the-Hat" Game

2009-10-09T15:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday in Advisory we played the pop the balloon game. It was fun, it built teamwork, and we made a lot of noise. The balloon is popped on a straight pin taped onto the bill of a baseball hat. Watch and enjoy this video:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Links to 1st Qt. 7th Grade Shop

2009-10-08T11:34:00.007-05:00

Here are some links to some of the seventh grader's videos, blogs and podcasts from the first quarter. Some of these links provide an insight into the 20 seventh grade modules that we have set up for them.

Seventh Grade Student Videos processed and uploaded to schooltube from the first quarter:
http://www.schooltube.com/videosearch.php?q=dcgms7

Seventh Grade Student Blogs from the first quarter:
http://7thshop.blogspot.com/

Seventh Grade Student Podcasts from the first quarter:
http://web.mac.com/wiemers/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

Here are some videos that I have posted on schooltube:
http://www.schooltube.com/videosearch.php?q=wiemers

Mrs. Phillips' Principal Blog "Life in the Middle":
http://lphillipsdcg.blogspot.com/

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

A Leader

2009-08-30T19:06:00.003-05:00

Here is a poem written this weekend by my 16 year old son concerning the road to becoming a leader:

A Leader

There are life lessons
that you really need.
Things you must know
in order to lead.

Learn to listen
so that others will listen to you.

Learn to speak
so that others might speak to you.

Learn to love
so that someone might love you.

Learn to die
so others will die along side you.

Learn to forgive
so others will forgive you.

Learn to please
so others will try to please you.

Learn to follow
so boys will follow you.

Learn to be teachable
so you will be able to teach.

Learn to laugh
so people will laugh with you.

Learn to work
so they will work for you.

Learn to live
so people can live with you.

You can't show what you can't do.
You can't teach what you don't know.
So learn to learn
so these men can learn from you.

- Zac Wiemers, Junior, age 16

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

"Education Week"

2009-08-29T16:48:00.004-05:00

Occasionally I will read something in "Education Week" that strikes a harmonic cord with me philosophically. This week (August 26, 2009) Daniel Wolff made some comments and included some quotes that quickened the spirit of education for me in his article "The President's Laugh Line." While addressing the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce the President suggested that we "rethink the school day to incorporate more time." Wolff goes on to quote or summarize comments by Franklin, Lincoln, Ford, and Kennedy to redirect the conversation from "longer school days" to "better use of schools." Wolff writes:

Ben Franklin, writing as Poor Richard, declared: 'A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one.' His Autobiography basically argued that he had become a great American, scientist, and political thinker by spending less time in school, not more.

Abraham Lincoln read Franklin, and when he ran for office made sure to portray himself as a largely uneducated backwoodsman. Henry Ford believed too much schooling could ruin a mind. And John F. Kennedy, for all his presidential rhetoric about the importance of education, thought his time in prep schools and then Harvard mostly silly: The socializing was fun, the learning of little to no consequence."

Wolff then comments what would be lost if our students were forced to spend longer days in school: time with parents working two jobs, responsibility and money from after school jobs, time spent supervising siblings, relaxation, time to do homework. I could add many things more that would be lost with a longer school day. I would suggest reducing the things we try to cram into a school day before we make the school day longer. But, that was not the point of this article.

Wolff ends with suggesting a more flexible, alternative solution. A school building, he says, is a major community resource with computers, cafeterias, libraries and sport facilities. "Why not institute a program that transforms our public schools into community centers?" They could be a place for students to do their evening research and homework. I would ask, why are school libraries and school computer labs shut down after school? Why aren't night classes added to assist students who need more help. I say we should reduce the socialistic load placed on schools during the day, restore the vision of education and, instead of lengthening the school day, simply extend the hours the school is opened and equip with man power to teach and assist in the learning process. Men like Franklin, Ford, Lincoln and Kennedy realized that school does not have a monopoly on education. If schools continue to think they have a monopoly on education and that they control the educational process they will continue to deteriorate as an educational institution.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

New Blog for 7th Grade Students

2009-08-29T16:40:00.004-05:00

Check out our second addition of the week to the seventh grade shop modules: the Seventh Grade Student Shop Blog. Visit and bookmark this site at

http://7thshop.blogspot.com/

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

i-Movie and Schooltube Video Demonstration

2009-08-28T09:47:00.005-05:00

The last couple of days we have been setting up and demonstrating how to take video, process video and upload video. This is one of our new seventh grade modules. Our shop program continues to expand and the school continues to grow. Below is one of the videos we made, edited and uploaded during second period today. There are also a few photos the students took.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Construction Module

2009-08-26T09:44:00.005-05:00

Each seventh grader will be given the pieces for a small residential wall (plates, studs, headers, jack studs, cripple studs and a sill). They will then lay out and assemble this wall using small wire nails. It is a three day project and is included in our 18 station module class set. Today I introduced and demonstrated this module. The students gain insight that can lead to involvement in a high school class or in a career. If nothing else students have an opportunity to see what is behind the sheetrock in their walls at home and understand why sometimes the nail holds in the wall and why other times it does not.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Copper and Galvanized Pipe

2009-08-25T10:19:00.003-05:00

Today we are introducing the process of attaching fittings to copper tubing and galvanized pipe. We solder copper fittings and then cut the copper tube. The galvanized pipe is threaded for a fitting and then cut with a pipe cutters. We finish the period introducing the students to Garage Band on the computer and prepare them for creating their own podcast. The podcast will be made available online and can be downloaded to their ipods.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Acrylic Frame, Chess Piece, Electonics

2009-08-24T10:02:00.008-05:00

We introduced three more modules to the seventh graders on Friday and Monday:

Acrylic Frame - Prepare and bend acrylic plastic into a frame.
CNC Lathe - Design, set up and cut a Chess Pieces
Electronics - Soldier Components into circuit board.

Korner Kone for Cross Country!

2009-08-21T07:53:00.005-05:00

Each year the cross country team takes advantage of the Koner Kone ice cream shop. This year we had 26 runners eat 26 cones.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Advisory in the Afternoon

2009-08-21T00:06:00.004-05:00

I set up a back drop for an afternoon talk show for an advisory activity designed to help the students get to know each other. I had the "stage" set up when they walked in the door. The students quickly filled out an index card with their first name and some things they liked or liked to do. I selected Ann to host the show and read the cards to her as the students were forming a line to appear on stage. Then I gave Ann the cards (even Letterman has cards, plus cue cards. Ann did not have cue cards. We didn't take time to make any.) I quickly reviewed the process of what we were about to do showing the students how to enter and exit the stage and telling them they each had about 30-45 seconds of air time. We have 16 students in our advisory, which means Ann had 15 guests to interview. We did this in one take, straight through with out shutting off the camera. I only cut out about 45 seconds of the film to make it short enough for SchoolTube. We finished our 25 minute advisory period with about 4 extra minutes to watch part of the video with the video camera.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Day Two: CNC Mill

2009-08-20T10:10:00.006-05:00

Today we have seven classes of seventh graders learning how to use the CNC mill. We design a pattern, logo or lettering on the computer to be transferred to the mill. The mill then cuts the image into the plastic. Each of the 150+ seventh graders will get a chance to design and cut their own project. Here are some action photos from second period today.

Residential Wiring

2009-08-19T10:00:00.006-05:00

Today I introduced residential wiring to the seventh grade. They will be doing a wiring module during their 9 weeks in the shop.

.
http://mrwiemersshop.com

First Day 2009

2009-08-18T12:12:00.004-05:00

Here is the traditional first day of school photo. I took my first son with me to his first day of school in 1988. Now this morning, 21 years and 6 sons later, I have taken my 8th grade son with me to the first day of school for the last time. Next year he goes to high school and I stay at the middle school.

Here is today's character counts shuffle with 450 middle school students:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Education and Process

2009-08-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

Education is in the process. Process is the goal. Process, when repeated often enough, leads to understanding, insight and mastery. Process is not artificial.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

First Day of School 2001

2009-07-25T22:20:00.004-05:00

Since school is getting closer to starting again, I thought this was interesting. I came across this family photo of the first day of school from 2001. Jacob, the youngest, was on his way to kindergarten. He is in eighth grade this fall. Justin, our oldest, was a senior. He is broadcasting for the US Marines in Japan now. Paul, the barefoot one, is a snowboard instructor and life guard in Colorado. Benjamin, number three, was a distinguished graduate and earned the Iron Man Award at the US Air Force's basic training this summer. Hawkeye, number four, is going to college this fall and jumped out a plane for the first time this summer. Zac, number five, will be a high school junior and one of Valley's top distance runners again this year.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

2009-07-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

Here is a video of one of the grandfathers of our middle school students. You will be amazed, impressed and inspired by this man's wood turnings produced on his wood lathe. I really enjoyed seeing his work.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

2009-07-08T23:08:00.003-05:00

Check out this site which contains all the "Educational Favorite" websites:
http://edu.allmyfaves.com/

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

The Boys are Back

2009-06-02T23:05:00.007-05:00

Jacob, Zac, Ben, Galyn, Justin, Hawkeye, Paul

My boys were all back for Hawkeye's graduation. Justin came back from Ft. Mead before he leaves for 2 years in Japan with the Marines. Paul was back from Colorado after his third winter as a snow board coach. He works at Steamboat. Ben was back from college and his Air Force training in computer engineering before he leaves for training in North Carolina. Hawkeye graduated from Valley High School and is headed to UNI with a Jazz trumpet scholarship to major in economics and real estate. He was voted best dancer in a class of 550 seniors. (Shawn Johnson, gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars winner, is a junior at the same Valley High School so she was not included in the voting.) Zac is just finishing his sophomore year and Jacob has finished seventh grade. It was a lot of fun to have them home and a great honor to be able to tell them each how proud I am of them.

The boys all stopped in to see their mom (my beautiful wife, Toni) on one of her last days at Indian Hills Junior High in West Des Moines. They surprised her when they came walking into the front office to bring her lunch. She said it looked like the Beatles on the cover of Abbey Road when they filed past her window on the way in.

Justin, Paul, Zac, Toni, Ben, Jacob, Hawk

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Mr. Orlyn Wiemers, Supt.

2009-05-21T17:38:00.004-05:00

As another school years comes to a end I would like to share these photos of my Dad, Mr. Orlyn Wiemers. These photos represent the 44 plus years my Dad spent in education. He taught vocational agriculture in the shop from 1957-1963. From 1963-1968 he was a principal. Then in 1968, at the age of 32, he became a superintendent. My Dad spent the next 33 years as a superintendent until he retired in 2001. Even then, he served as an itinerant superintendent when he was needed for the next couple of years. Today he is retired and spends most of his time maintaining the farm that he grew up on and doing woodworking. I frequently meet and talk to teachers that tell me how much they appreciate what my Dad did for them. He helped many of them get started in teaching and many more describe the stability his leadership and management brought to their school districts. I will be spending time this summer with him on his farm roofing a few of the buildings that we have not yet had time to get done.

My Dad, Shop Teacher and Superintendent

2009-05-21T17:07:00.003-05:00

Sixth Grade Lathe Demo

2009-03-23T22:34:00.006-05:00

Today I demonstrated the lathe to the sixth graders. There are six classes of sixth graders so we made a vase in each class. After we cut and sanded each vase, we drilled a hole and applied polyurethane. Above you can see the six vases we made today as demonstrations in each of the classes. Below is a slide show of pictures from class today.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Spring Break Photos: Thursday

2009-03-19T22:23:00.006-05:00

Last night after class Toni and I went out to eat and then finally saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire at a very late show. Today, I finally got off the couch and got some work done. Toni and I ran five miles, raked the yard with the boys, got two maple trees planted, and then about 4:30 this afternoon, Zac, Jacob and I started to put a new, but temporary, fix on the deck. I plan to remove the whole deck this summer and turn the double level deck into four levels with twice the space.

Mr. Wiemers
http://www.mrwiemersshop.com

Cutting a Circular Top on a Band Saw

2009-03-19T09:38:00.007-05:00

A high school shop teacher from California sent the following in an email:

I found your great videos on Teacher Tube. I really like the one titled "Using a Jig on a Band Saw. I was wondering how the Jig is set up. It shows the ease and precision of use, but does not show how the Jig was created or works. Could you send me more info on that?

First of all thanks for the email asking about the circle cutting jig on the band saw. Here is a brief description of the jig and process with some photos. I will embed the schooltube video later.

The jig is simply a piece of plywood that sets on the table of the band saw. The plywood has a 3/8" bolt in the middle inserted and counter sunk from the bottom side. The bolt extends about 3/8" above the surface and will be inserted into a 3/8" hole drilled into the bottom of the project piece that you want to cut circular. The plywood jig is clamped to the band saw table with the distance between the bolt and the blade equal to the radius of your circle you want to cut. Then you will need to free hand cut into your project piece until the hole on the bottom of the project piece can be dropped onto the bolt. Once the hole in the project piece is sitting firmly on the bolt you simply rotate the project piece into the band saw until the circle is cut out.

The Jig

The 3/8" hole in the bottom

Fitting bolt into hole

Turn and cut

A happy, safe student

The top on the doll table

The tables are great for the American Girl dolls.

I will embed the video of this process later today on this blog. There are more and better videos available on schooltube.com at http://www.schooltube.com/videosearch.php?q=wiemers

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

The Convenience of Confusion

2009-03-14T08:56:00.007-05:00

(The following is an excerpt from "Hope for America's Last Generation" written by Galyn Wiemers in 2007)
I AM A teacher, and I coach the boys’ track team at our school. Track practice takes place every weekday after school throughout the season. It’s always been that way, and probably always will be. One week I learned that a school dance was scheduled for Friday afternoon right after class ended. Because the dance was going to go well into the night, I told the boys we’d have track practice after school like usual, and they could head over to the dance when they were finished. I told them I was well aware of the dance, but practice was still on. I thought I’d made everything clear as the boys headed to their locker room after Thursday’s track practice.

On Friday, about five minutes before the last bell rang, I noticed a DJ setting up his sound equipment for the dance in the school gym. Since our track team practices right outside the gym, I knew the boys were going to be frustrated when they heard the music and saw fellow classmates dancing. I wondered if some boys might still be tempted to skip practice, so, for good measure, I decided to make one final announcement over the intercom as a reminder. The announcement was, “There will be track practice as usual immediately after school today for the entire boys track team.”

Right as the announcement ended, eight boys from the track team walked into my classroom dizzy with confusion. One boy conjured up his best look of bewilderment and asked, “Coach, do we have practice tonight? We were wondering because nobody really knows.” When I again confirmed that we did, another boy quickly asked, “What happens if we don’t come?” My reply was simple: “You’ll be punished.”

Confusion was not limited to this group of boys. Many members of the track team lingered in the hallway debating about whether or not there was track practice. One boy approached a team manager to inquire about it. The manager supposedly told him, “I think there’s practice…but it might be optional.” That was all that the boy needed. Now armed with words straight from the mouth of the team manager, he could claim ignorance to later justify the reason he followed his desires and went to the dance. As I left my classroom to head to the track, another boy stopped me to ask about practice. I looked right at him and said, “Yes, we have practice.” He went to the dance. The track boys who chose to go to the dance could actually see their teammates running warm up laps on the track outside as they walked into the gym. Yet these boys remained “confused” as to whether or not there was track practice.

When all seventy track boys showed up on Monday, I asked why twelve of them had missed Friday’s practice. The excuses varied but all came back to the same claim: they were in a state of ignorance due to so much confusion. Some insisted that I hadn’t made it clear. One blamed the manager for saying practice was optional. Others swore they forgot. And all the boys who went to the dance confirmed each other’s confusion by contending that there was just no way of knowing whether or not we had practice. Their strategy involved insisting on confusion. They figured if enough people said they were confused, I would have to accept it as a legitimate excuse. But I didn’t. The confused boys lost the privilege of
running in our first track meet.

As I stood there on Monday surrounded by the track team it became clear to me that, in life, people choose to be confused. I couldn’t have done anything more to get them to track practice short of picking them up and carrying them from the school to the track. (Even then some of the boys probably would have slipped away to the dance while I wasn’t looking.) After all my effort to communicate obvious truth, still almost 20% of the boys I spoke with chose to remain confused.

Today the people of the United States of America have become just like those junior high boys. It’s a growing cultural pandemic to be confused about what’s right, true, and moral. It’s hip to claim ignorance and say, “I don’t think we can ever really know for sure about things we can’t see.” In fact, claiming ignorance is the quickest way to avoid any kind of personal responsibility to know and understand the certain areas of life. But just because there so are many conflicting beliefs in this world doesn’t mean we can claim to be “confused” about what’s right without facing serious consequences. And just because certain areas of thought may baffle us doesn’t give us a free pass to skip over them. Just because some issues are hotly debated doesn’t mean we aren’t accountable for examining the evidence ourselves. We can’t hide behind our claims of confusion any longer. We must stop making excuses and admit that things can be known for certain. It’s time for us to quit being lazy and get busy gaining the understanding we lack. Like the track boys, the excuse of, “I just wasn’t sure which way was right,” is not going to cut it in the end.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com/

What We Needed To Know in 1902

2009-03-13T18:02:00.002-05:00

The 1902 "Busy Man's Friend"

2009-03-13T15:06:00.019-05:00

In 1902 J. L. Nichols & Co. published a book by Professor J. L. Nichols called The Busy Man's Friend or Guide to Success by Facts and Figures. Originally written in 1896, this book begins with a quote from Gibbon, the author of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

Every person has two educations, one which he receives from others, and one more important which he gives to himself.

This book fills 250 pages with the best advice, guidelines, formulas and information needed to be successful and efficient in 1902. The book includes information concerning receipts, notes, bills, banks, power of attorney, law, legal forms, corporations, counterfeit money, swindling schemes, facts from the census of 1900 and computations. Below is some of the material from the section on computations that were used in the day. Remember vocational education would not be added to the public schools with federal support until the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917.

On page 223 we find "A Complete Set of Carpenter's Rules" including information on how to use a carpenter's square. I learned how to use a carpenter's square from an old carpenter many years ago when he taught me how to figure the length of rafters and layout a set of stair stringers. This section also includes the following information and more:

How to find the number of shingles for a roof
How to find the number of laths for a room (laths were nailed to the studs and covered with plaster before sheet rock was developed)
How to find the area of a gable
How to find the number of feet of stock boards to cover a house or barn

Other useful information provided for a man in 1902 included:

How to find the size of a barrel.

How to find the number of common bricks in a wall.

How to calculate the weight of coal in a box.

How to find the distance traveled in ploughing.

How to figure the capacity of a wagon box.

How to measure ear corn in a crib.

How to measure hay in the mow or stack.

How to figure the advantage of an evener on a neck yoke for horses or oxen.

This book also explains how to secure a signature from a person who cannot write:

In the section of this book that addresses mortgages the author entitles the section: The Mortgage Grip Crushing the American People. The book then states the following facts to prove that "if the farmer does not lift his mortgage, it will lift him":

In 1890 there were 4,777,698 mortgages in force in the United States,
amounting to $6,019,679,985. The annual interest charged on these is
$397,442,792.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com/

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) "Called Inappropriate"

2009-03-12T10:41:00.005-05:00

The March 4, 2009 Education Week has an article entitled PISA Called Inappropriate for U.S. Benchmarking. PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) is described as "flawed" and may not be "appropriate for judging American schools."

The website for Program for Internation Students Assessment provides the following overview of what PISA actually is:

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a system of international assessments that focus on 15-year-olds' capabilities in reading literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy. PISA also includes measures of general or cross-curricular competencies such as learning strategies. PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of mandatory schooling. PISA is organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries. Begun in 2000, PISA is administered every 3 years. Each administration includes assessments of all three subjects, but assesses one of the subjects in depth. The most recent administration was in 2006 and focused on science literacy. Results are now available.

PISA 2009 data collection will take place from September to November 2009 and will focus on reading literacy. The PISA 2009 National Report will be released in December 2010. The national contractors for PISA 2009 are Windwalker Corporation, Westat Inc. and Pearson.

In the March 4, 2009 article in Education Week concern for PISA testing and evaluation ability are presented because "questions asked on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) surveys of students' beliefs and attitudes about science reflect an ideological bias, which undermines the test's credibility." I find this interesting that a education system that has repeated suppressed certain ideologies in the spirit of freedom while promoting other ideologies in the name of education is actually offended by the same thing when it is done on an international level. This article leads me to believe there may be a strand of integrity and a hope for an honest pursuit of fairness yet within our system.

One of the examples used in this article to prove PISA political or ideological slant is that the student survey portion of the test "asks test-takers if they agree with certain statements, such as 'having laws that protect the habitats of endangered species.' " This is not a test of knowledge but a test of the students ideological or political views. No facts or statistics are provided in the question. It is just a simple statement concerning the student's position on an issue. It may be appropriate on the government section of the test (which does not exist) but it is certainly NOT a science question.

Maybe America is getting a glimpse of the way other countries test their students and use the educational system to brainwash and control their citizens. Controlling a countries population through education is not a new thing, in fact, historically, whenever a government has engaged in educating their subjects there is a natural tendency to advance the government's agenda. Fortunately in America we have a two party system (with a third party always ready to emerge) to keep a checks-and-balance on the government's propaganda machine. At least Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution in Washington and Sean Cavanagh of Education Week have took note of this trend in PISA.

Other issues mentioned in the article:

"OECD takes policy positions that it should not be doing if it collects and interprets score data."
PISA emphasizes student ability to apply knowledge outside of school but does not measure where students gained the knowledge which means it it difficult to evaluate schools with this information.
"the questions are vague, making it difficult for the scientifically literate to know how to answer."

See the 2008 Brown Center Report on American Education concerning how well American students are learning.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Oak Letter Bling-Bling

2009-03-11T12:46:00.005-05:00

Each year, on the day I introduce the band saw, I take the last few minutes of the class to demonstrate the band saw by cutting out some oak initials of a few of the students. We drill a hole in the top, tie a sting in it and call it "bling-bling". The only requirement is that they wear their new jewelry the rest of the day. By the end of the day the new fashion in the sixth grade pod is to have a piece of oak wood hanging from a string. The students will have the rest of the quarter to create their own wood projects on several of the machines. It is refreshing to see a kid with a cell phone and ipod in their pocket smile when you give them a piece of scrap wood on a string!

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Accident Free Sixth Grade Shop: 2 days

2009-03-11T10:52:00.005-05:00

Today we began our third day of the quarter and my third day with 151 sixth grade shop students. The first two days we go over shop expectations, general shop safety and general machine safety. I make several comparisons between a mistake in math, spelling or history class with a mistake in shop class. I explain that parents are usually happy when a student gets 9 out of 10 spelling words right or 9 out of 10 questions right on a quiz. In fact, 9 out of 10 is considered an A- or B+. But, in the shop a parent who has a student who ends the quarter with 9 out of 10 fingers is not satisfied with the performance of the teacher or the student. Parents expect 100% safety in the shop.

Because of this, when we take the safety test next week, any student who misses one question on the fill in the blank written test will fail the test and will repeat the entire written exam. They will take the test until they can score a 100%. Then during the operation of a machine there will always be a spotter watching them cut and holding a clip board to mark any violation of twelve basic safety rules. If there is a violation by the machine operator they will stop using the machine and retake a modified form of the written test.

So far, the students have just been sitting and listening to me review the rules, tell safety stories and give simple demonstrations.

We have another safety feature on the front door as they come into the shop. It is a flip chart of the number of days the sixth grade has gone without an accident. After two days we have reached "Accident Free For 2 Days." Of course, all they have done is sit and listen to me, but I am trying to build momentum. Yesterday I almost had to take the chart back to zero because while I was talking one student did tip over in their chair and came crashing down to the floor. I had never seen this occur before during a safety lecture. I hope it is not a bad omen. Some assume the student fell asleep as I rambled on and on about safety. The student was not hurt (except for their pride) so I did not count it as an injury.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

When Should We Stop?

2009-03-10T20:28:00.005-05:00

More about the information on this site later:
http://www.jamievollmer.com/burden.html

Is this random? Is it caused by an underlying philosophy? Is it the result of some unidentified plan? Is it necessary? Is it a good thing?

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

School Books from 1883-1904

2009-03-09T22:48:00.013-05:00

Four elementary school books that I have from 1883-1904 belonged to my Grandmother and her family. My Grandmother was born in 1897 and would have used these books during her elementary years 1902-1909. The name and school written in calligraphy with an ink pen on the inside cover of The Modern Spelling Book (copyright 1883) is Ella Sonius, Prairie Queen School, Spencer , Iowa, Summit Township, District 4, Clay County. The four books are:

Baldwin's Readers - Third Year, printed by American Book Company, New York, Cincinnati and Chicago (See Baldwin and access his books online here.)
The Jones Readers By Grades Book Six, by Ginn and Company, Boston, New York, Chicago, London, in 1903 (This book online; Read it here.)
Punctuation and Letter Writing, by Raub and Co., Philadelphia, in 1899. (See photos of pages and read 1887 edition online here)
The Modern Spelling Book: Lessons in the Orthography, Pronunciation, Derivation, Meaning and Use of Words, by Merican Book Company, New York, Cincinnatic, Chicago, in 1883.

From the sixth grade reader, The Jones Readers By Grades, Book Six, the preface begins by saying:

This reader is intended as a basal reader for the sixth school year. The selections are made with due reference to the need of a wide range of ideas and a rapidly growing vocabulary to keep pace with the rapid developoment of the work in other subjects in this grade. The reading book in every grade should at once prepare the way for other work and add zest to it by the use of interesting related matter.

At twelve years of age the child is entering upon a definite period of noble impulses and exalted ideals. HIs school reader more than any other book stimulates these impulses and assists these ideals.

I now quote a portion of a selection called "Character" by John Lubbock:

What is necessary for true success in life? But "one thing is needful. Money is not needful; power is not needful; cleverness is not needful; fame is not needful; liberty is not needful; even health is not the one thing needful; but character alone - a thoroughly cultivated will - is that which can truly save us." (quote by Blackie, a Scottish author)

Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it. We cannot all be poets or musicians, great artists or men of science, "but there are many other things of which thou canst not say, I am not formed from them by nature. Show those qualities, then, which are altogether in thy power, -sincerity, gravity, endurance of labor, aversion to luxury, benevolence, frankness, no love of superfluity, freedom from trifling, magnanimity." (quote by Marcus Aurelius, a famous Roman emperor and philosopher; you may remember him as the old Roman emperior in the movie "Gladiator" with Russell Crowe)

Never do anything of which you will have cause to be ashamed. There is one good opinion which is of the greatest importance to you, namely, your own. "An easy conscience," says Seneca, "is a continual feast" . . .

. . . No doubt, having regard to the realities of existence, the ordinary forms of ambition seem quite beneath our notice, and indeed our greatest men, Shakespeare and Milton, Newton and Darwin, have owed nothing to the honors or titles which governments can give.

There are several things worthy of comment or at least reflection in the above quote concerning philosophy, education and contemporary history from 1903. There are more quotes and other things I want to draw attention to in these books and other books like them in the next few weeks.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Championship Race at Lunch

2009-03-08T22:07:00.003-05:00

To end the seventh grade quarter in the shop we set up a tournament bracket for each class to determine the fastest car designed and manufactured during the students' three days at the Race Car Module. The top cars from each class advance to the "big dance", the championship race during the last lunch of the quarter. Each seventh grader has a chance to produce something at eighteen different modules or stations in the shop. Below is a video from lunch last Friday showing some of the details of the third quarter championship races during lunch:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Small Towns Win Big

2009-03-07T22:12:00.007-06:00

Friday night the IKM-Manning basketball team won the Iowa girls' state basketball championship for 2A. I find this note worthy since this is the first year for this school in its whole grade sharing program between the four towns of Irwin, Kirkman, Manilla and Manning. I coached the girls high school softball team in Manilla in 1980. Two of the teams on our schedule that year were Irwin-Kirkman and Manning. This year all four towns combined into one school. This should serve as a sign and a word of encouragement to small schools to take steps to make their schools more competitive both academically and in the area of activities.

The girls basketball team was not the only team to find success this year. Both the volleyball team and football teams this fall made a run for state championships. After Friday night's win in the girls' state finals this new school's sports record stands at a combined record of 98-6 since it began this last fall. The only two losses IKM-Manning's 2A girls' basketball team had this year were to Ballard, the 3A state champion (a one point loss), and Sioux City North, the 4A state champion. Simply put this is very impressive.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com/

TAG

2009-03-07T17:07:00.013-06:00

Yesterday in our teacher's meeting we talked about TAG (talented and gifted) funding.

First, remember I am a shop teacher and only can process information at my ability level.
Second, I know from logic and from past experience I am not always right, but I do believe what I say.
Third, "controversy causes learning" which means debate helps us determine the best way. Fear mixed with collective thinking will suppress the potential of individuals and groups. Do not be afraid, especially concerning something you care about. Seriously, on the other hand, if you don't care, put up with anything because, in this case, "mediocrity is underrated" (This is one of my original quotes and a favorite around the supper table at home as I teach my boys how the world works and how to set priorities. As surely as you can excel in somethings, you must accept mediocrity in somethings.)

So, where am I heading? Below are two videos of two high school students from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. I am not comparing these two students but using them to prove a point. One student you should know. She is a national hero and a world wide celebrity who attends the same high school as my boys. In fact, one of my sons recently talked to her at a Valentine's dance a few weeks ago. The other video is of one of my high school sons performing today with his trumpet. He was featured in a song with his jazz band today and I put the video online. I am most certainly not comparing these two students. One is preparing to appear on the TV show "Dancing with the Stars". The other just left for work at the Italian restaurant (Bravo's) where he waits on tables. What I am going to talking about is the TAG program that neither of these people were involved in at their public schools to help them develop the areas of skill in these videos. They had good teachers, great teachers, but what they do in these videos comes from their own drive and their own parent's support, not from government funded TAG program. Remember what I said above. You have to set priorities. You can not individually, nor as an institution, be everything to everybody. Identify what you do and excel in it. My dad told me many years ago:

If you want to be a success, first, find out what you are good at and then do it all the time."

I think schools need to do this.

I am just a shop teacher with an idea that I want to present to help us find the best way. I have more to say concerning TAG including the concept that all kids are TAG, but many times schools can not identify the students area of strength because they do not teach to that area. Nor should they. Remember, focus on what your mission is and do not let someone else tell you what your mission is. Establish priorities and let the parents pick up in the areas we have chosen to accept mediocrity in. Here's the two videos of a junior and a senior at Valley High School in West Des Moines that are not in TAG.

Hawkeye, who plays the trumpet in the video above, fell in love with jazz music back when he was in the DCG middle school and took summer lessons from the legendary Mrs. Irwin. Valley High School has over 2,000 students. Hawkeye knew he wanted to be one of the best trumpet players there, so he sought out a private teacher on his own and then paid his own money to get private lessons from the trumpet professor at Drake University for the last couple of years. The public school provides a very, very good band program. I paid for the trumpet. The rest was up to Hawkeye. I do not think Hawkeye is TAG material in music, but I do know he is gifted at working hard and getting things done. My wife and I fall asleep (or, get awaken) most nights between 10:30 pm- 1:00 am to Hawkeye practicing his trumpet when he gets home from work which he goes to after track or cross country practice after school. If a kid is gifted (and, I think they all are) they should give something to society instead of demanding more from society.

As a shop teacher, I like this video of Shawn because there is a clip of her with safety glasses on at school:

Another Shawn Johnson video filmed at her home
Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

The Sixth Graders are Coming

2009-03-06T12:55:00.005-06:00

Today is the last day of the third quarter. Things will change drastically in Mr. Wiemers' Shop on Monday. Fourth quarter is six classes of sixth graders.

First Quarter was seven periods of 7th grade where we worked through the modules.
Second Quarter was seven periods of 8th grade where we built the oak end table.
Third Quarter was a combination of the 7th and 8th graders.
But, now, Fourth Quarter is all sixth graders.

This will be the first time in the shop for the six graders. For most of them it will be the first time they have used a power tool other than a hair dryer. For most of them the most dangerous experience they have had at school was sharpening a pencil to a sharp point in a pencil sharpener that could potentially grind the end of their finger. Then, of course, there is always the risk of falling on a fork at lunch.

Many things are important during the first two weeks of shop:

Establishment of Absolute Safety
Establishment of Absolute Shop Expectations
Establishment of the certain facts concerning what to expect from the shop teacher

This coming quarter is the toughest quarter of my year because I have so much information to cover, work expectations to demonstrate and attitudes to establish. They always love shop once I loosen up after the first two weeks. They do enjoy the safety stories I tell during the first two weeks.

I have been concerned about next Monday for the last two weeks. Ready or not, here come the sixth grade . . .

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Computers vs. Shop/Technology vs. Industry

2009-03-05T12:37:00.015-06:00

After teaching Industrial Arts for several years I began to be approached in the early 1990's with the "threat" that my shop program was no longer going to be relevant. Computers were changing everything. Salesman would stop by to talk to me about converting my "dirty shop" (meaning sawdust, grease, piles of supplies, etc.) to a "clean shop" (carpet, climate control, computers, roll around chairs, etc.) Computers were going to effect everything, I was told, including what we taught and the way we taught it in the shop.

My response was negative for two reasons. First, the obvious reason. I was negative towards the "clean shop" and the new computer lab concept because I did not know how to use a computer. I did not own a computer at home nor did I use a computer at school. At school I had a computer on my desk but I didn't know how to use it, maneuver the mouse or check email. There was no tech support, but if there was, I would have had to walk down to their office to get assistance turning my computer on. But, what would I do then? Walk back down to the tech office and ask where my email was? It was easier just to walk to the teacher work room and pick up the hard copy in my mail box.

This was during the transition period between paper copies and email copies. During this transition the school would put a hard copy in our teacher mail boxes, and also, send us a copy by email. Back in the old days every piece of information was copied on a piece of paper and put in our teacher's mail boxes. I occasionally got calls from the office to check my box because it was full and they had more very important stuff to put in my box. I usually checked my box on pay day, though. Today they say, "Didn't you read the email?" A few years ago when I was shutting down for the summer I noticed I had 800 unread emails. I had no idea what to do with them at that time. Another similarity between my paper mail box and my email box is they both have a "trash" can.

My second reason, and my only correct reason, for rejecting the salesmen's alarm cry of, "The computers are coming! The computers are coming!!" was very simple. Computers could not eliminate basic industrial needs. Computers could not creatively manipulate material because they are material themselves. Our society is based on industry, not on computers. Computers can assist industry, but computers can not replace industry. If we lose computers we will have to go back to paper copies, a slower process time, a slower life, etc. But, if we lose industry we will lose everything our society knows. Without industry we would come very close to becoming a third world country. Remember the United States became wealthy and powerful with industry long before industry produced the computer.

I made it clear in my response to salesmen, and the futuristic educators that soon followed, that industry and technology were not synonyms.

Nonetheless, they soon began to refer to my Industrial Arts class as "Technology Education" or, "Tech Ed". In response I began to call it "shop" to maintain a separate identity from computers and computer labs. When I refer to my class as "shop class" people want to correct me. They figure I missed the last school bus route to the future. They only correct me once, though, because I feel obligated to provide them with my insight that is based on these simple concepts:

Shop Vocabulary Lesson: Industry and Technology are not synonyms.
Shop Economics 101: Our economy and society are based on industry not computers.
Shop History Lesson: Industry produced the computer not vice verse.
Shop Educational Principle: Teaching someone to move a mouse on a computer is not the same thing as training an electrician, a carpenter, a brick mason, a stone mason, or someone who hangs sheetrock.
Shop Psychology Lesson: Educators are realizing the importance of hand on manipulation of material in the physical world. The visual observation of cyber space does not produce the same learning process.

So, today, in Mr. Wiemers' Shop we teach industrial skills, we manipulate material and we use technology and equipment which includes computers. But, we do not have a "clean shop". We do not have carpet. We do not confuse the "computer lab" with the "shop" or misuse the words "technology" and "industry."

Now, 20 years after the first warning that computers were going to change everything, we still live in houses, buy furniture, call the electrician or plumber, and build and sell many things including computers. One thing that has happened is the education systems has failed to avoid being sucked into the carpeted computer labs. Research is now sending us back into the traditional shop. We could have avoided this. We could have embraced technology with out flushing the shop program.

Today, I have embraced the computer at school and at home. We have computers running in this middle school shop (often covered in dust and grease!) for a mill, a lathe, podcasting, video production and CAD. We have plans to add a few more "industrial" related activities with computers next year. At home I have six computers running most of the time. Four are on my double desk in my office. Two of these are committed full time to running the two robotic CD burners/printers I use. Our house is wireless. When my boys come home with their laptops, and the girlfriends follow with their lap tops, we could easily have ten computers operating at a time. If someone can't get online with a computer we get out our ipod itouches.

But, if I need to remodel the house, build a piece of furniture, fix the toilet or wire some can lighting in the ceiling, I go into my garage which has been converted to a shop (with no computers!) and get the job done.

Read the latest research that supports this kind of thinking:
http://www.sreb.org/publications/2008/08V12_State_Leaders_Forum_Newsletter.pdf

Below is one of our high school shop projects from the 1990's. We used no computers but drank a lot of Mt. Dew.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Waxing and Buffing the End Table

2009-03-05T12:36:00.002-06:00

Mr. Wiemers demonstrates to a shop class the final step in finishing the oak mission style end table. The four coats of polyurethane on the tables will be wet sanded with 400 sandpaper, dried with a towel, coated with wax and buffed to hand finished shine. At least 4 or 5 coats of wax should be applied to the table tops. The former class record was 28 coats of wax.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

CNC Lathe

2009-03-04T15:36:00.004-06:00

Students at the Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School demonstrate the CNC lathe. They will cut a chess piece out of acrylic plastic in Mr. Wiemers' Shop. Watch the video below (This video was updated the next day on Thursday to show more of the cutting action):

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Eric Voelker, MS SS Blog

2009-03-04T10:19:00.011-06:00

Here is one of the first teachers in our middle school to use a blog in the classroom for both instruction of students and interaction between students. The teacher, Eric Voelker (two time NCAA national wrestling champion for Iowa State University and Hall of Famer), is using this blog in his social studies class. He is also experimenting with video recording of students making comments and explaining their learning and playing the best back on the the "big screen." I can foresee an awards ceremony with Oscar awards for the best presentation, best supporting student, best research, and, of course, best online blog comments in this seventh grade social studies class. Mr. Voelker is on the point of the spear in technology at Dallas-Center Grimes!

Mr. Voelker's Social Studies Classroom Blog

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Unbelievable PE Teacher Video

2009-03-04T09:13:00.004-06:00

Click on this link to watch a PE teacher's amazing hand eye coordination and strategic use of angles combined with good luck and a whole lot of extra time:

http://www.snotr.com/embed/612

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Students Recording Teachers

2009-03-03T22:50:00.006-06:00

In response to a blog about a student recording a teacher's profanity laced classroom rant I posted a comment that is seen below. I obviously think a teacher can cross a line and even become dangerous with their words. I believe they should be held accountable. But, I also think this is a dangerous game I do not want to play. Here is the news paper article. Here is the blog. Here is the comment I posted:

If everything I said to students, or for that matter, everything I said in any setting where there were cell phones to record with, I would be in trouble with a lot of people including . . . well, pretty much everybody . . . but, I am probably unique. I am sure most everyone else would have no reason to be concerned.

Imagine if kids would record parents at home? or, if kids would record other kids at the lunch table or on the school bus and then turn that recording in for administrative justice? How about recording half time in the locker room? My favorite would be a recording of a conversation in the teacher's lounge played back at parent/teacher conferences. How about recording school board members as they talked after the Monday night board meeting? We could play that on the local talk radio station. We will all be jobless, friendless.

Question: If there is no teacher to hear the student cuss is it still considered profanity if captured on a cell phone?

Question: What would happen if I could hear everything you said to my own son? How about if I could hear everything you said about my son??

Question: How about if I record our next conversation?

Who wants to play this telephone game? Anyone? Anyone? Hello . . . aren't you going to say anything??

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

By the Numbers

2009-03-03T16:50:00.008-06:00

Check out the National Center for Education Statistics at http://nces.ed.gov/

What does this mean?

850,000 students ages 5-17 homeschooled in 1999
1,500,000 students ages 5-17 homeschooled in 2007
(see report here. Get pdf here.)

Parents tell why they homeschool at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/homeschool/parentsreasons.asp

Other numbers (below information found here):

Public school systems will employ about 3.3 million teachers in 2008-09, resulting in a pupil/teacher ratio of 15.3, which is lower than in 2000, when the ratio was 16.0. An additional 0.5 million teachers will be working in private schools this year, where the pupil/teacher ratio is estimated at 13.0.
There are about 14,200 public school districts containing about 97,000 public schools, including about 4,000 charter schools. There were about 35,000 private schools offering kindergarten or higher grades.
Current expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools will be about $519 billion for the 2008-09 school year. The national average current expenditure per student is around $10,418, up from $9,154 in 2005-06.
During the 2008-09 school year, 714,000 associate's degrees; 1,585,000 bachelor's degrees; 647,000 master's degrees; 91,000 first-professional degrees; and 55,800 doctor's degrees are expected to be awarded.

Select a letter to do a popular key word search on the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics website:

A B C D E F G H I K L M N P R S T V W

Access 3,390 tables and figures for K-12 HERE.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Test Tube Trays for Sixth Grade Science

2009-03-02T22:48:00.020-06:00

This morning during first period Mr. Gilroy, the sixth grade science teacher, came into the shop with an old wooden test tube holder. He wanted to put something together from some scrap wood to make a few more holders for his class by tomorrow. We looked around at the wood and talked about some options then we decided I would cut some of the scrap oak up, drill some holes and make him about twelve new test tube trays.

I enjoy this kind of project so during the day, as time allowed, I resawed some 3/4 inch oak, cut the tops and bottoms to length, marked out the holes and did some drilling. By lunch time I began to assemble the trays.

When my advisory class came in for their 25 minute class, I had them assemble the remaining trays, quickly sand them all and begin applying a coat of polyurethane. At the end of the day I put a second coat of polyurethane on. Tomorrow morning I will polish them up and then take twelve new test tube trays down to my friend and excellent teacher, Chad Gilroy.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com/

Link to Teacher Blogs

2009-03-02T22:42:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to a large list of active classroom teacher blogs and other educators:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

The Paper Route

2009-03-02T07:31:00.009-06:00

When I was in fourth grade, still back in the 1960's, my mom let me sign up for an afternoon paper route to deliver the Mason City Globe Gazette. This is when my paper route education began. (You can see my dad's 1963 Chevy in the background of this photo. I remember the day we got it. I helped wash the old 1955 Chevy one last time before dad traded it in. Dad was a vocational agriculture teacher and taught shop in the 1950's, but in 1963 he became a school administrator.)

Every weekday after school I would have to start my paper route. I learned many things right away. For example, a man who has worked all day will want his afternoon paper ready to read when he gets home at 5:00. The man does not care if the paper boy wanted to stop and play with friends or if the paper boy didn't get started on his route on time. The man wants his paper and he is not afraid to tell a fourth grader not to be late with the paper tomorrow.

Concerning dogs: When a dog begins to chase you, pedal your bike faster and lead the dog away from where the owners can see him. Then let the dog catch up to you, steady your bike and kick the dog in his head as hard as you can. The dog will still bark at you and he may still chase you, but he will not want to catch the paper boy again. If you fail to do this correctly your jeans will get ripped and you may have teeth marks in your leg. Also, if you get scared and do not control your kick you could crash your bike and the dog will end up on top of you. (This is the worst case scenario.)

Another thing the customers taught me is that wet papers are not readable. There is a big difference between getting the paper to the right house on time and getting it there dry. Customers want the whole package: right location, on time and dry.

Each Saturday I would have to visit each customer and collect 50 cents for the week. If they were not home or did not have the money I would have to return later in the day. Customers did not like to fall behind on their bill. They wanted to stay current and would be upset if I let their bill get up to $1 or $2.

I quickly figured out that the more papers I delivered the more money I would make with basically no extra effort. I walked by houses every day that did not get the paper. I started visiting these houses and explaining the benefits of getting the daily Mason City Globe Gazette. Within a month my paper route had doubled. The representative of the paper from Mason City showered me with gifts and prizes and I was hooked.

I delivered papers for years. I was the one who delivered the paper that told of the first moon landing. I remember the headlines when President Nixon resigned. The headlines were simply big block letters that said, "I QUIT." I also remember Hank Aaron chasing Babe Ruth's home run record, and finally, getting to deliver the big one: "715, Move Over Babe!"

I delivered the afternoon paper until I was in junior high. Then, because of sports I moved to a morning route and began to deliver the Des Moines Register.

My education would have been much, much different if I had not had that one last class each afternoon after school. The paper route class that included responsibility, speech, history, money, sales, and, of course, self-defense.

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com

Lawn Mower Engine Module

2009-03-02T07:10:00.003-06:00

A seventh grade student from Dallas Center-Grimes introduces the lawn mower engine module:

Mr. Wiemers
http://mrwiemersshop.com