notes for later...

I have been at school making more and more wheels and round blanks for spinning tops, and also at work on the small walnut chest of drawers. As you can see in the photo above, the maple drawer sides and back have the bottom panels fitted in place, and next will come the addition of drawer fronts.

What follows are notes for later discussion later, saved from my comments to an edutopia discussion.

"An excellent plumber is infinitely more valuable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water."--John Gardner, Excellence, 1961

Educators are challenged in their efforts to implement a multiple intelligences approach by the fact that teachers are selected from among those who are college educated, having a demonstrated facility in language but often little else. Put a teacher in front of a classroom, and he will resort to the means of teaching most accessible in his proven repertoire. Talk, talk, test.

When we have high school science teachers who have also proven themselves in craftsmanship, music or dance and are given the latitude to use them in class, we'll know we are making progress in engaging all learners at a higher level of accomplishment.