techdirections May 2010 : Page 43bright ideas for teachers Keep Track of Nails and Screws When working on a project, you often need to set aside special screws or nails. You can make sure you don’t lose or mislay them if you follow this practice: Lay out the screws or nails on a length of transparent tape, each one separate, making sure you have a space of clear tape between each screw or nail. Now, cover with an equal length of tape. When you need a nail or screw, simply tear or cut off the piece of tape that encases it.— B. Beck, New York, NY. ‘Wild’ Shop Coats Have you ever had a student splatter your shirt with paint and thinner or watched oil drip on your pant leg from a “clean” gas engine a student wanted you to check? These things have happened to me, too. Each time, I could kick my- self for not wearing a shop coat. But, until recent- ly, I have despised shop coats because they make a well-dressed teacher look like a teacher from l953 or the service manager at a local shop. While neither of these is necessarily bad, we teach young, progressive people in a modern setting for a career in the future. I finally solved the problem by having my own shop coats made. I use a shirt pattern with 6" added to the length, add some pockets, and keep the sleeves three quarters length for simplicity. 1 have the coats made of the wildest, fadiest material I can find. I use camo cloth during the hunting season (they still find me though!) and the Super Bowl brings out the coat made of NFL emblems. I also have one with hotrods on it and another that is wild blues and white. These shirts will keep your clothes clean, give you a modern look, and make the kids smile.—Dan Moppin, Robidoux Middle School, St. Joseph, MO. We’ve often said that our readers are among the most creative and resourceful people in education. Well, now’s the time for you to prove it. Email your classroom and lab tips, hints, and ideas to matt@ techdirections.com with the words “bright ideas” in the subject line. Help pass along valuable ideas to your colleagues. Identifying Auto Shop Liquids Many times, the pools of liquid found under a car provide the key to repairs and maintenance. To let auto mechanics students fully use their senses of touch, Recycling Measuring Tape When the end of a measuring tape breaks off, I cut the remaining portion into 1' and 2' units to use as rules. Make cuts with any metalworking tool. Punch a hole in the end with an old paper punch for hanging. These rules flex to measure cylinders and other irregular surfaces.—Geof- frey C. Gould, Crooksville, OH. www.techdirections.com smell, sight, and hearing, I place small amounts of all liquids found in and around the automobile in capped jars. I use clear jars with their caps numbered for later identification. Using the jars, students can see the color of the liquid in question and can uncap the jar to smell it, feel it, or hear the pressure discharge. You might place in the jars such liquids as auto- matic transmission fluid, cleaning solvents, 30- to 90- weight oils, water, antifreeze, brake fluid, and freon. I leave a numbered but otherwise blank sheet of paper next to the jars. Students are not told to do any- thing—this is a self-starting challenge and I provide no answer sheet. The class discusses at which end of the car a given liquid was or might be found, the implication of finding a large amount of the liquid under a car, ways to verify evidence or a complaint, and the steps necessary to correct the problem.—Craig K. Anderson, T& I Teach- er Education, Oklahoma Slate University, Stillwater. BRIGHT IDEAS 43 Bright Ideas For TeachersKeep Track of Nails and Screws When working on a project, you often need to set aside special screws or nails. Publication List |
