Sunday, September 09, 2007

1. Saw off from board with rip saw a suitable piece of wood a little longer than the finished length. Remove this piece with the cross-cut saw.
2. Cut it in its entire length in the form of a square in cross section. Cut the corners, making a regular octagonal prism.
3. Round it to a regular cylinder. Taper the end as shown in drawing. Measure the length and cut off.
4. Round the end as shown in drawing.

Exercises.--Sawing off long cut, cross cut, convex cut with knife.

The instructions and image above are from the Fundamental series 1890, and provide the next step in the use of Sloyd in the classroom, immediately following Models No. I and No. II. What I found in last week's lesson with 3rd and 4th grade students is that it takes a great deal of concentration and continuous attention. There are many other ways for students to develop these skills. Computer games can call for similar attention and concentration, but in gaming when the mind wanders and the game is lost, nothing real has happened. In fact, win or lose, the time "spent" is of no real consequence except in view of its irretrievable loss. When the attention and concentration are closely controlled while a student is engaged in Sloyd, the results are real. If we are training our students for lives of fantasy, distraction and entertainment, computers and gaming might be just the education they need. If we are hoping their lives might encompass more, think about real tools, real wood and Educational Sloyd.

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