whittling again...

Yesterday in wood shop at the Clear Spring School, students whittled. This was practice for safe whittling while they go on the fall camping trip next week. We discussed the rules. We made lots of sharpened sticks. Students colored them with markers, and no band aids were needed.

Note the small block of wood held in the vise. The block gives extra support to the wood as it is carved. It also directs the child's energy and attention into a single spot and keeps the child from wandering around the wood shop with a knife.

Today I will be getting ready for 24 A+ Fellows to visit the wood shop at ESSA on Saturday to learn to teach woodworking to kids. ESSA is hosting the A+ Fall Fellows Retreat which begins on Friday and will wrap up on Sunday morning.

Much of what I share will be based on the theory of Educational Sloyd. The principles are: Start with the interests of the child. Move in increments from the easy to more difficult, from the known to the unknown, from the simple to the complex and from the concrete to the abstract.

Educational Sloyd also carries the recognition that "class" teaching is of little lasting effect. To really learn requires both hands-on experience and individualized instruction. Most administrators don't want to know about that last part. They want to cheap out.

Make, fix, create, and assist others in learning likewise.