Today I will enlist the help of a friend to turn the large table top over so I can sand and finish the underside. After gluing all the heavy pieces together, they are too much for one man to move or manage, and if I was to do this kind of work on a regular basis, I would want to have some kind of crane or hoist. There is, however, a social calling to work, and we should, as often as is possible, use it to bring us together in mutual encouragement of each other.
When the table top is turned upside down, I will have a full day to sand it and prepare it for mounting to the walnut trestle base.
I have been delving into David J. Whitakker's book, The Impact and Legacy of Educational Sloyd, and note that I have failed to give it as much attention as it deserves. There are some important points that it pulls together from a variety of sources that help to illuminate the history of Educational Sloyd. One is that Uno Cygnaeus' life story and his relationship with Otto Salomon are described in the book. Another is that he describes the role that Educational Sloyd played in the schools of the UK. Whittaker also did an extensive review of current thinking and antiquated philosophers to provide an overview of where Educational Sloyd fits and fit in educational development. It is much more a book for scholars and history buffs than for lay people, but for those interested in the hands, it offers a deep mine of wisdom in the form of quotes, like this one from Honore de Balzac: "A hand is not simply part of the body, but the expression and continuation of a thought which must be captured and conveyed."
Of course the amazing thing about human wisdom is how fully we can neglect and ignore that which we know to be true, particularly when it comes to designing education.
The photo above is from an early Sloyd class in the UK.
Make, fix, create, and put forth an understanding that we all learn best likewise.
No comments:
Post a Comment