concrete vs. abstract

A good example of the relationship between the concrete and abstract comes from people's understanding of Educational Sloyd. If, in the early days of manual arts in schools, you were to mention Educational Sloyd, people assumed you were talking about a series of useful models to be made by students. That error is made today as well. What Otto Salomon had in mind, however, was not a series of models, but rather a series of exercises that represented the development of skill and character. The models were simply the means of delivery for those exercises. The various model series were arranged based on those deeper abstract concepts. 

The same goes for my  books. The idea is not to make stuff, (though that may be the idea that readers have in mind) but to develop skill and creativity that allow for personal expression. I'll repeat the basic precepts of Educational Sloyd for two reasons. First, there may be new readers and secondly, the principles of Educational Sloyd ought to inform every educational enterprise. 

Start with the interest of the child (whether actual child or adult learning like one).

Build from the known to the unknown.

Build also from the easy to the more difficult.

From the simple to the complex, 

And from the concrete to the abstract.

In the wood shop today, I've been making small stubby tenoned parts. I could make these parts on the lathe, but you can see in the video how quickly and accurately they can be made using a Veritas tenor mounted in the drill press along with a pen drilling vise to hold the stock accurately in position. These short parts, tenoned on both ends, will support and connect the tops of tables to torsion bases. At some point I'll have photos to share.

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