The Slammer of SledgeWhammer

It's the first Action Project of our second class, Design and Engineering. This class is a math, science, and of course, design based course. The first of two Action Projects, as there are 2 units (as opposed to the regular amount, three), has us recreating/improving upon a tool that we already decided to analyze during an external investigation at Home Depot, seeing why the tools were made and how they help. My fellow blogger MF and I decided upon the sledgehammer as it wasn't that practical for gardening, so it stood out (unknowingly deciding the tool for this Action Project). During this time of research, it was worth noting the weight and material of different sledgehammers, as well as the variety ni handles. Some hammers were cushiony, some where just plain steel, others had wooden handles, it was all so different for being the same exact tool. Certain struggles and obstacles with the design were finding out its size and how it would differ from the competition. At first, the idea was making it repetitively slam onto a surface, but then the problem was finding out how that would work. Overall, I was proud of the concept and enjoyed figuring out how to work out the different mechanics, innovating on every aspect we could. Just below you can find the rest of the information about the concept, and I hope you enjoy.

The SledgeWhammer (Vectors included), VG & MF- 2015

Now people of all ages are the intended consumer as it should have universal usage. Despite physical differences, anybody should be able to pick up a nifty sledgehammer and buy it for some good old fashion demolition without worrying about buying multiple types or a unique version. A tool that relies heavily on the simple machines; a lever, pulleys, wheel & axle— should be able to be universally used (interchangeable weights/hammers). And speaking of the lever, as one side rises, the other side lowers, so utilizing a counterweight was truly taken advantage of as we could have the sides alternate going up and down for efficiency through repetitive hammering. So unlike the common sledgehammer, our SledgeWhammer can be used by anyone, even a senior citizen.

Based on the interviews my fellow students and I did, our consumers (or at least gardeners) want easy tools that are comfortable and efficient. And since we empathize those of you who aren't as physically able as the average adult, we made a design that suits everyone. Now with the SledgeWhammer, we have a detachable sledgehammer that rests on a fulcrum, equal distance from its also interchangeable liquid counterweight (to make repetitive smashing). This lightweight frame of 24 pounds is small enough to fit inside of a minivan, and the cases containing the multiple hammerheads and counterweights are neatly packed. The liquid counterweight is intended to create a mirrored ripple-like effect that will create the equal and opposite reaction for every action the head of the hammer does. The hammer itself is lifted by a double pulley system that's controlled by a crank.

Storyboard for Tool part 1, VG & MF-2015

The SledgeWhammer won't be a hassle, as it's operated by a ratchet pulley system that utilizes a crank to raise the hammer and a release/lock button to start the swing (which might I add is behind the tool, and on the back of it, there's a strong, thick layer of plexiglass so you can see what you're demolishing!), or stop it when necessary. The crank is to the side of the frame pulling on an extremely dexterous tether which is attached to one pulley that redirects the tether to the ratchet pulley, which raises the hammer. But what if you don't need or want to utilize the whole SledgeWhammer? That's why the sledgehammer part is detachable, no need to roll the frame with you everywhere you go. All the parts of the hammer come in cases (alongside counterweights) so it's easier to transport, however these cases can get hefty sometimes, so don't underestimate the weight. On the other hand, since I mentioned the frame, it's supported by 4 large wheels that are friction-based to ensure that when the brakes are applied, the tool stays in place. The frame also has gaps for cost-efficient design when being built, and it utilizes triangles in its frame design for a sturdier build.

Storyboard for Tool part 2, VG-2015

Lastly, the SledgeWhammer smashes the competition with its diversity in a single tool, as well as automated performance. And who even wants a regular sledgehammer when the SledgeWhammer is the coolest tool you'll ever own? It's like the best non-electric jackhammer anyone could ever ask for.

The Epidemic of Academics

Kicking off junior year here at GCE, and I'm in the class Rhetoric,  a class that revolves around several writing techniques, with unit 1 being about Rhetoric Appeals/Devices, like pathos, ethos, logos, and figurative forms of speech, such as metaphors. For this Action Project, our assignment was to create a short speech that effectively utilizes these appeals. One big challenge for me was how I'd approach the video recording, as I wasn't quite sure what kind of tone I wanted to evoke. Overall, it was a decent challenge to where I ended up being proud of what I came up with. That being said, you can find the transcript to the video just below it, including citations, and I hope you enjoy.

The Epidemic of Academics:

Tests. No one likes ‘em. No one enjoys having to study, taking up their free time, spending hours on end reading and re-reading notes and excerpts just to be sure you can memorize everything you may or may not even need to know for a test. Are tests really even the best way to evaluate a student?

Think of the successful icons of the United States who actually weren’t exemplary students. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Abraham Lincoln. Yes, you heard me, one of the heads on Mount Rushmore, who helped abolish slavery back in 1863, didn’t get a college degree. He was self-taught in trigonometry and read the book Blackstone to become a lawyer. (Top 100 Entrepreneurs Who Succeeded Without A College Degree, Paul Hudson, Elite Daily, March 13, 2013) Another well known entrepreneur is James Cameron, who dropped out of college, before becoming one of the most famous movie directors ever. And incidentally, even Walt Disney himself dropped out of high school at the age of 16, yet he went on to become, well–Walt Disney. Even in more contemporary times, people in America have successful lives without degrees, or even without graduating from high school. The founder of Tumblr, David Karp, has become as successful as he is after dropping out of highschool at the age 15, having never earned a college degree.

With these individuals in mind, how can we be sure that testing, and debatably the entire American school system, is an effective way to evaluate students for future success? I myself am a student, and my highschool is actually quite the unique one. Straying away from conventional teaching methods, GCE (Global Citizenship Experience) uses many alternate techniques for work submission and grading. Now speaking from personal experience, an example of this is when we reach the end of a unit and create a project to reflect upon what we’ve learned.

Testing provides stressful situations and anxiety, and Concordia Online points out plenty of other flaws with frequent testing, too. Frequent testing only multiplies the stress and anxiety I mentioned earlier, and many of those tests are multiple choice, which are critiqued for being too simplistic  [“the U.S. average mathematics score (481) was lower than the average for all OECD countries (494)”] (How does the achievement of American students compared to that of students in other countries? U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, 2015)]. And if every student is out there learning exactly they need to know for another lengthy test, then less time being spent on learning innovative techniques and answering open ended questions. But even when preparing for those thousands of equations and word problems, the U.S. average math scores are still lower than all the other OECD countries like Canada and Mexico (which are our neighbors, you know).

So, I repeat, as a student, and based on the facts; Are tests really the best way to determine academic skill? Are test actually effective? Are tests even worth doing? It’s like eating candy that you don’t even enjoy.

Sources
http://elitedaily.com/news/business/100-top-entrepreneurs-succeeded-college-degree/

http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/do-standardized-test-show-an-accurate-view-of-students-abilities/

https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=1