Wood Projects in the Classroom 1: Students' Storage during COVID

The Problem: Individual Storage

One of the many problems I had with COVID was storage.  Because we didn't know what was going to transfer the virus, I had students keep a minimum of supplies with them, but because some students were in desks and some were at tables, this meant that each student had to have individual, self-contained storage.  

At first, this was not a problem because I had enough white sliding bins so each student could have their pencil boxes, a duotang, a writing folder, a couple of notebooks, a whiteboard, and some individual supplies. Unfortunately, because these bins were flat, shallow, and horizontal, they easily overflowed or spill materials when students would try to dig out their whiteboards which they kept on the bottom.  Also, the white bins took up a lot of space, especially when students put them on the floor to give them more table space.  With the bins and scattered debris, it was like an obstacle course.

The Prototype

Using some materials I had left over from a kitchen remodel, I designed a prototype for a better bin.  These new bins were great because:

• they took up a third of the foot print of the white plastic ones.
• they were heavy on the bottom and slightly deep so they could be stood on end. Similarly, the students' materials could be stood on end so they were easy to find, instead of digging to the bottom.  
• they were rugged and could stand up to the day to day wear and tear. 
• the glossy white materials could be used as a dry-erase surface which students used to draw a picture or write a message to personalize their bins.
• they looked okay.
• they were cheap and easy to make.

I made a few prototypes and tried them out with a few students.  Like when I first introduced the risers, only trying them with a few students built a lot of cache with these new projects, and eventually every student was begging me for one.  

But I also was able to see how students used them and what I would change for the "production model".  One part I deleted was the hook for hanging the bin off the side of the desk or table.  I got the idea from this collapsible hook my mom would bring to restaurants so she would not have to place her purse on the floor.  "The Hook" was great in theory and allowed for more available space on the floor and on the work surface, but the test students kept knocking the hooks off the top or they would kick the bins unconsciously like a swinging pendulum.  Each time the bin would fall, their would be a big bang, so the hook got the hook.  

Production

When the design was finalized, some students helped assemble a few of the new bins.

Then every student went outside and sanded down their own bin to bond with their bin and to make sure there were no rough edges.  

Result

These new bins are vast improvement over what we were using them before.  They accomplished what they were meant for: creating accessible, safe, tidy storage.  They are so good, I can see using them post COVID.  Even if I don't, using re-purposed materials is better for the environment, (and freed up some space in my cramped garage).   Though I did the designing, I shared the process with the students, and it was good for them to see me work through the process of trying to solve the storage/obstacle course/safety problem, prototype, test, adjust, evaluate, and build.

Total cost: less than $10 for screws, glue, and sandpaper (for a set of 22).