| Project by Woodshopteacher | posted 221 days ago | 785 views | 0 times favorited | 9 comments | ![]() |
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At the bottom of this panel is a video of Automata from our high school woodshop class. This project took several students about a week to complete. The blue fabric moves like water with the rocking of the boat. It runs off two simple cams being turned by the crank. The gears are there to slow it down and make it run more smoothly. Feel free to comment. While the video loads, being a woodshop teacher for the past 30 years has been a dream come true and while I could take retirement right now….what better job is there then this? My program gained attention because of a project we did for Make a Wish. We were featured in WOOD magazine. “American Woodworker ” and the CarveWright educational brochure. My program was also featured in a local publication called Prescott Woman magazine. I’d love to hear from some of the woodshop teachers.
-- tom.bockman




























9 comments so far
kiwi1969
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601 posts in 339 days
posted 221 days ago
that would make a great whirligig.
-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand
Bureaucrat
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7301 posts in 549 days
posted 221 days ago
Tom:
Thanks for posting. Your cat in a row boat is cute. You and your students have much to be proud of. Thank you for your commitment to technical education and to kids.
In my home town we had a printing instructor who did for printing what you have done for woodworking in Prescott. I believe that this man single handedly made the difference in my son’s life.
-- Gary, South Central Wisconsin. So much to learn, so little time!
Woodshopteacher
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11 posts in 222 days
posted 221 days ago
In a perfect world, every teacher would be able to make a difference for every child. I know I must be doing something right because I seem to be getting traction where others can”t. My enrollment has skyrocketed like you wouldn’t believe. I managed to recruit over 50 girls into my program last year. Our department of education has helped me purchase a lot of very expensive equipment. And shop programs all over the country are being closed down. Shameful.
-- tom.bockman
Les Hastings
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953 posts in 670 days
posted 221 days ago
That’s pretty neat, I bet they had fun making it! Thanks for teaching kids woodworking, shop class is where I started. Got hooked and have never stopped.
-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)
ND2ELK
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6215 posts in 671 days
posted 221 days ago
Hi Tom
Love the cat! I started out being an industrials teachers but then went to work for prison industries for 35 years. I set up and ran custom wood divisions in three different states. This is another career avenue your students might look into. Good pay, good retirerment and very rewarding.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
TopamaxSurvivor
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3040 posts in 573 days
posted 221 days ago
That is a great project. Looks like you are one heck of a teacher!! Congrats on your accomplishments. I worked on a couple of new high schools in the area that don’t have shop areas, the theory is everything is going hi-tech. My theory is it doesn’t matter how hi-tech things get, it is all based on simple mechanical principles. If you get a good education in basic theory and principles, you can figure anything out. If you get an education memorizing without the basics, you are limited by your memory.
-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.
jockmike2
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7328 posts in 1143 days
posted 220 days ago
What a great learning tool.
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
a1Jim
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16972 posts in 474 days
posted 220 days ago
That’s one cool cat
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
stefang
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1653 posts in 231 days
posted 199 days ago
Hope the kids enjoyed making it as much as I enjoyed watching it.
-- Mike, American in Norway