"There is no end which can be fixed to the pursuit of wisdom," As long as life lasts these three objects must occupy us: "to obtain sound wisdom, to give right expression to it, and to put it into sound action."
Last night my wife and I watched the movie, "Two Popes" about the relationship between Popes Benedict and Francis. The former was classically trained to the point that he was more comfortable speaking in Latin, while the other was made learned by the streets in his native country of Argentina. The two had divergent views of life: One practical based on experience and the other theoretical based perhaps on a a lack of experience. It is a good movie, but also a view of why Juan Luis Vives must be regarded as an important contributor of the progressive education movement. Not only did he insist on the importance of education in the vernacular, but "to obtain sound wisdom, to give right expression of it, and to put it into sound action." That last part is where education as it is practiced in too many schools comes up far short. Action, and developing a predisposition to act with knowledge must be a primary goal of all schooling, not to isolate students from real life but to immerse them in it. Allowing kids to be of service to family and community must accompany what happens in class.
With my students at the Clear Spring School, I'm still working to establish an understanding of the necessity of things being measured and cut square. I'm also planning to introduce tape measures to their tool boxes in preparation for them to be able to work at home.
Make, fix and create. Assist others in learning likewise
Using things straight and square makes life easier (if not more boring). Natural world is not square and straight (neither is boat building).
ReplyDeleteIsn't it contrived? Just kidding.
Using the techniques shown by Paul Sellers has helped me to get good results:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iQ1-kuQ1qY and:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7J6WpwQ5Rs
For the math reference: two intersecting straight lines define a (mathematical) plane. Two intersecting straight lines perpendicular to a third one (the arris) define a plane perpendicular to that line/arris (plane to be followed by the saw blade).
As you know, if the other arris are not parallel to the reference arris, the cut will be only square to the face and the edge forming the reference arris. It might be interesting to demonstrate this to the kids with a clearly tapered block making different cuts using different arris as reference.
Measuring precisely according to a standard is necessary in many areas and learning it is a legitimate academic goal and here woodworking is first and foremost a way to educate. Otherwise, precise dimensions are not always required for a finished woodworking project as long as the pieces fit together.
Will you give them metric tapes?
I want the kids to simply understand square at this point, and get them to measure and mark square gives them a line to follow so use of the saw will be focused and their attention in assembly also. So many things in art classes don't matter so much as it's just OK to be OK with whatever you get. But in woodworking things have to fit if they are to be used and useful. Poor joints don't hold up. And it's inwardly rewarding to do things you know are right.
ReplyDeleteI do not plan to give them metrics tapes. Inch and foot are measures that come from their bodies and so are less abstract. And the fractional measures used in woodworking work. You can tell by seeing that a half is half and a quarter is a half of a quarter. My point is not to train them for international industrial standards of measurement, but I do want them to cut things to fit.
Pick any standard or make your own one with the kids:
ReplyDeleteHave a look at this video from about 19'15" to 26'20" in lecture 1:
https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1981/from-magna-carta-to-microchip
Then "Inch and foot are measures that come from their bodies" will be true.
The intercept theorem then provide a method to divide the kids-foot in twelve.
Although I wouldn't use that because those little feet would be remembered instead of a customary one and later they would not evaluate length correctly.
Illustrating math is of course to be in phase with the age/math cursus; not for kindergarten.