Sunday, September 13, 2015

educating for work through work...

The origins of Sloyd as described by Uno Cygnaeus:
"Then came Froebel, who urged that the child must not only practise intuition, and express the representation which he has thus received, but should also learn to carry out in play, and in smaller pieces of handwork, what he has grasped––should as a productive being be educated from the beginning to self-activity and productive energy––should thus be educated through work for work... In this way I was led to the thought that we must introduce into the school not only Froebel's gifts and the rest of the exercises in work recommended by him, but also establish for elder children such kinds of hand-work as have for their aim the training of the hand, the development of the sense of form and of the aesthetic feeling, and which shall be useful in every walk of life... But all these kinds of work must not be conducted like trades, but always with reference to the aim of general education and as a means of culture."
The idea that schooling is about what's put into the child's mind should be pushed aside to make room for the notion that what comes from the heart, mind and hands of each child serves as the foundation of human culture.

The photo above is of Froebel's gifts on display at the
Sverresborg Trøndelag Folkemuseum in Trondheim, Norway.

Make, fix, create and propose that all children be led to do likewise.

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