STEM

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I would like to thank Mount Vernon for the opportunity to discuss and promote period chair construction to teachers across the country through their STEM's program.


 
Jeff,


This is awesome!!!! Great job..... The younger generation and SAPFM appreciates all your efforts in keeping the craft alive.  Please see if there is any interest from individuals who don't have salt and pepper hair, for the society can really use them.

Thanks,

Freddy
 
Jeff,

As you already know most of our members have salt and pepper hair, and sadly even I am going my own.  This is when we all as a society need to go out and recruit the next generation.  For we need to plan where are we going to be as a society in 10 years. In 10 years I will be 42 years old, but what about the majority of our members, 50's, 60's, 70's?  The society is in a crucial state, and we as members need to find a way to show others that the society is a place to unite, and a place share our knowledge, and experiences.  It will be tough at first, but I feel we can succeed.

FR
 
I had a great time at the summer conference once again but as I looked around the room, with the exception of Steve's students, I was the youngest guy in the room at 41! This truly is a big issue. I don't want to see a time where Freddy and I are the only members left!
 
STEM or STEAM
STEM
Science
Technology
Engineering
Mathmatics
Or
STEAM
Science
Technology
Engineering
Art
Mathmatics
You don't need an industrial arts program in your school to promote these topics.
Inspire teachers which in return will inspire students.
Science:
   Material
            Wood
            Metal
            Textile
   
Technology:
            History
            Wood species
            Tools
            Material

Engineering:
            Joinery
            Wood species and movement
            Adhesion
            Tool design and production
            Layout

Art:
           Design
           Proportions
           Wood species
           Embellishment
           Geometry

Mathmatics:
            Measurements
            Design
            Proportions
            Geomotry
            Algebra
            US/Imperial conversion


These are just a few ideas to present to today's inspireing minds

 
Joinery! How wood U relate period joinery with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics to inspire today's youth? I am not beating a dead horse! America's horse has left the stable but is not going in the right direction. She only needs a knuge in the right direction. Lets all help to build a better future.
 
Period design! How wood U relate period design with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathmatics to inspire today's youth. Let's not forget about STEAM! Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, and Mathmatics. My question is how can you do one with out the other?
 
Well, my hair has been all salt and no pepper for quite a while.  It seems to me that the greatest challenge that we as a nation face is how to nurture innovation.  I agree with Jeff that the arts should be considered as an important component of education.  The arts encourage innovative thinking without being judgmental of its results.  Many scientists and engineers are very good musicians as well.  I am not an educator, so I have no experience in teaching creative thinking.  I do know, however, that those areas in the United States that have encouraged new, innovative, businesses have recovered faster from the recession than those that have not.  I am not just writing about the tech giants, like Microsoft and Apple, but also Tesla(a favorite of mine) and even smaller.  Another example that I like to offer as a demonstration of what I mean is Kramer Knives of Olympia, Washington.  A very successful mix of old and new.    PSP
 
I've help mentor a local robotics team the last few years.  I help the students build their practice field elements using their school's wood shop (it's one of only 3 schools in a very large public school system that still has a wood shop).

The first year I started with the team, about half the students didn't know how to read a tape measure. They'd simply never had a chance to learn…too busy taking AP courses to make time for wood shop and nobody at home used a tape measure (or if they did, they weren't making time to teach about it).

They've always been eager to learn and quickly picked up on basic shop skills.  But, cutting a straight line by hand, even with a jigsaw or circular saw takes practice….same as it would with a classic Disston. 

Given their homework loads, extracurricular load (robotics, sports, etc), it's unlikely a non-trivial number of them will put in the practice to get good at the basic shop skills in a reasonable amount of time.

Today's 20-somethings and 30-somethings grew up in a world that discouraged wood shop, looked down on tool users, and often simply never had an opportunity to learn basic shop skills….the same basic situation I see in the students on the local robotics team.

This year, the team convinced a local makerspace to sponsor them which gave the students access to CNC machinery (they already had access to a well-equipped wood shop at school). 

Getting straight cuts on odd shapes for play field elements is much easier when they can draw what they need on a computer (a tool they've already put in the time to be proficient with).

I see it as a hook to get them interested in creating especially since it builds on skills they already have or are building (this high school teaches CAD…combining that with CNC is an easy learning curve).

I expect it should be fairly simple to follow that up by showing how those same CNC machines can do basic carvings, build cabinets, etc.  That gives an opening to discuss traditional furniture (which was frequently carved and used more sophisticated joinery) vs. modern (which is stripped of most ornamentation in the interest of shaving a few cents off the manufacturing cost).

The fancier joinery should naturally tug at their budding engineering interests…another hook...

Speak a language they already know.  Use tools they're interested in.  Build on what they're learning within the existing STE(A)M programs.

As they gain skills in the shop, they'll be much more open to learning how it used to be done (especially since traditional tools still have a solid place in the "modern" shop).

Tim S.
 
Lets help today's youth with:
Science ( material, wood and seasonal movement, metal, adhesive, and finish)
Technology ( Wood joinery)
Engineering ( Geometry)
Math ( Measurement)
Each are intertwined
Trying to inspire a 6th generation
 

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