21 Reasons Why School Wood Shops are Important in the 21st Century
A quality woodworking program provides experiences far more important than those typically associated with woodshop. Courses, like woodworking, where students use their hands build confidence, strength of character, and problem solving capabilities useful in all careers and in every educational experience. Furthermore, working with a natural material in a creative manner assists students in connecting the relevance of other subject material to their daily lives.
- Assists students in communicating and
understanding ideas non-verbally, through
sketches and technical drawings. - Enhances the skills of spatial visualization
required for geometry, trigonometry and algebra,
thereby helping students to prepare for careers
in engineering, architecture and science. - Provides students with take-home, physical
evidence of their mastery of skills. - Instills a pride of accomplishment and
self-esteem. - Gives the student the opportunity to execute
precise work and to produce useful products,
and become “self-assessors” using measuring
tools, squares, etc. and then the fit of things to
self-assess the quality of their work. - Trains the eye and hand to see accurately and
to feel the sense of beauty in form. - Inculcates the habits of attention, perseverance
and patience. - Offers opportunities for students to go where
their hearts demand by selecting designs and
projects that motivate them not only as a
woodworker but also as a student. - Provides opportunities for students to overcome
setbacks that occur when working on real
objects. - Provides relevancy of other subject matter to
their lives, thereby preparing them for a lifetime
of learning. - Provides non-academic areas for demonstration
of skills and pursuit of excellence. - Provides a non-contrived opportunity for
engagement of multiple intelligences. - Provides an opportunity to engage physically
and actively in learning exercises. - Provides an opportunity for engagement and
success even for those disinclined for academic
involvement. - Helps students gain confidence as real world
problem solvers. - Helps students gain confidence in tools use and
learn safety considerations required for a career,
lifetime of general home maintenance or a
life-long hobby. - Offers an appreciation for the values inherent
in physical labor and the work contributions of
others. - Connects students to thousands of years of
human creative endeavor. - Provides a much-needed break from oppressive
classroom routine. - Helps students to better understand the sources
and process of technological change, placing
human development in historical context. - Is a class that students enjoy!
Make, fix and create...
Great list.
ReplyDeleteI think I will print it out and give it to my sons woodworking teacher.
Brgds
Jonaspoutur
I have a pdf. of it that I can send to you if you like. Please make use of it. Woodworking teachers need to use materials like this to make sure parents and administrators know the value of their programs.
ReplyDeleteI would like a pdf of the list please.
ReplyDeleteI think my mail address is in the system?
For some reason my name in the first comment was followed by the anti robot letters :-)
Jonas