tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post8630606426223645109..comments2024-03-26T07:00:11.620-05:00Comments on Wisdom of the Hands: teaching as discovery...Doug Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-66191583297781880622013-06-25T07:38:24.679-05:002013-06-25T07:38:24.679-05:00Mario, it is interesting to teach in a discovery p...Mario, it is interesting to teach in a discovery process because the teacher often feels unprepared and can only assess student learning by asking for student response. So I ask, "Do you get something? Have we discovered something together? Do you find something surprising here?"<br /><br />Doug Stowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-48637041079681721432013-06-25T05:03:48.061-05:002013-06-25T05:03:48.061-05:00Teaching was always a high wire act, and when it w...Teaching was always a high wire act, and when it worked well for me it was the feedback from students that made it work. Whether discussions or hands-on work, students want to do more than just listen or watch.<br /><br />Mario<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01862581793109521180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-20888243093666961222013-06-22T10:51:01.579-05:002013-06-22T10:51:01.579-05:00Doug,
I'm glad to hear that you keep trying n...Doug,<br /><br />I'm glad to hear that you keep trying new things to grow. I taught myself woodworking by trying everything that I could and gaining experience and confidence along the way. I didn't really have anybody to teach me anything more than the simplest woodworking techniques so I had to learn myself.<br /><br />ChrisChrisHasFlairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01789176232191404489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-65099325094979190402013-06-21T10:22:31.280-05:002013-06-21T10:22:31.280-05:00Chris, I never have anything nailed down as I'...Chris, I never have anything nailed down as I'm always pushing my own limits and exploring new ideas. Life does not belong to the stagnant.<br /><br />So always pushing my own limits has made me rather comfortable in doing experimental things in demonstration. For instance this last week I made two new sleds at MASW. I knew exactly how they would work and that they would work based on my past experience. And that experience builds a platform for further experimentation. Jerome Bruner called it "scaffolding."Doug Stowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-75444480579222666872013-06-21T09:47:38.223-05:002013-06-21T09:47:38.223-05:00Doug,
I agree.
In the perfect world, everything ...Doug,<br /><br />I agree.<br /><br />In the perfect world, everything goes as planned. I think that the majority of woodworkers never make a single item enough that they can anticipate every problem they will face during the build. Do you still face new challenges when building your boxes, or have you got them nailed down, so to speak?<br /><br />I want my students to know that even practiced professionals are faced with challenges and what makes a good woodworker is the ability to not get overwhelmed by the situation and find a solution.<br /><br />ChrisChrisHasFlairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01789176232191404489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-15710417677463321102013-06-21T09:13:20.185-05:002013-06-21T09:13:20.185-05:00Chris, Heuristics is one of the ways of teaching t...Chris, Heuristics is one of the ways of teaching that drives administrators crazy... for a teacher to come to class apparently unprepared drives them nuts. And yet it is one of the ways that lead students to cross over a line into self-directed learning.<br /><br />I've been trying to teach my box making students to use effective surprise as an objective in good design... It should make the observer cross over the line from disengagement to direct connection through the hands.<br /><br />Effective surprise, not surprisingly, is a term also from Jerome Bruner, educational psychologist. I tend to think of both affective and effective surprise. It is best when learning touches the emotions, as well as engaging the learner in processes that encourage them to take risks rather than to sit complaisantly at the sidelines.<br /><br />So when a teacher is allowed to flub and fail in a demonstration and takes the experience with equanimity, he or she demonstrates important principles of learning, and the kids will remember that day as no other.Doug Stowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13003845322415622289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34011427.post-68782095217541294132013-06-21T08:55:13.428-05:002013-06-21T08:55:13.428-05:00Doug,
This is one of the ways I teach. My studen...Doug,<br /><br />This is one of the ways I teach. My students have told me that they appreciate to see how I problem solve on the fly to help them overcome unexpected challenges.<br /><br />ChrisChrisHasFlairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01789176232191404489noreply@blogger.com