Construction Module

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.















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Copper and Galvanized Pipe

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.













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Acrylic Frame, Chess Piece, Electonics

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

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

Korner Kone for Cross Country!

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




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Advisory in the Afternoon

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.

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Day Two: CNC Mill

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

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
















































































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First Day 2009

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:


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Education and Process

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

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First Day of School 2001

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.

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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.

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

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The Boys are Back

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

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