Saturday I went into Bridgetowne Hobbies & Games. My
mission was to buy my son Vic some sort of kit that he could put together in
his experimental science class that would help him figure out if he is
interested in a career as an electrician.
The spry store owner, Bill Daemke, graciously spent time
describing multiple options, but they weren't the sort of
get-your-hands-really-dirty-experience I was hoping to find. Then Bill started
describing his experimentation as a teenager repairing broken mechanical
objects and I got excited. Bill graciously offered to bring in a broken lawn
mower and give it to me at no charge for my son to repair or dismantle.
Since Vic had been anticipating something like a remote-controlled
helicopter I wasn't sure how he would react to the news that he was getting a
broken lawnmower instead. I was thrilled when he got really excited and started
describing ideas for using the lawnmower motor and wheels to make a mini-car.
He even sketched some ideas and did internet research over the weekend!
Sometimes students I work with think that learning opportunities
are confined to school and more traditional didactic methods. I encourage them
to pursue passions outside the class--learn to make pasta from scratch, try out geocaching, take apart a broken radio
and figure out how it works.
Whatever creation Vic makes with those lawnmower parts, I'll
deliver a picture of the end result to Bill, so he knows that his infectious
attitude about mechanical innovation is spreading!
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