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Guidonian hand

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
A friend sent me an interesting link to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guidonian_handΒ on the Guidonian Hand. Used inΒ Medieval music, the Guidonian hand was a mnemonic device used to assist singers in learning to sight-sing. From Wikipedia: "Some form of the device may have been used by Guido of Arezzo, a medieval music theorist who wrote a number of treatises, including one instructing singers in sightreading. The hand occurs in some manuscripts before Guido's time as a tool to find the semitone; it does not have the depicted form until the 12th century." Most of us have heard of the idea of tying a string around a finger to help us to remember something we might forget. The Guidonian Hand suggests the potential for our hands ...
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what are we willing to fix?

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
We know what's wrong with education in America, but what are we willing to fix? The answer, of course, is "Not much." β€œThe division into subjects and periods encourages a segmented rather than an integrated view of knowledge. Consequently, what students are asked to relate to in schooling becomes increasingly artificial, cut off from the human experiences subject matter is supposed to reflect.” (John Goodlad, A Place Called School, McGraw-Hill, 1984, p.266) It should Β be noted that kids are not as dumb as typical schooling assumes they might be. They are not empty vessels ready to fill with whatever beliefs and facts we can pour into them. Instead, because they are smart, they realize the differences between what we try to cram in a...
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OzarksWatch

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday I had an interview with Ozark Public Broadcasting for their program OzarksWatch. It was great to be able to share our wonderful Eureka Springs School of the Arts as the location for the broadcast which will air in February or March. Shown in the photo are host Dr. Jim Baker, and producers Jason Ferber and Brent Slane. Either Jason or Brent will return in December to take video of my box making class in action. I hope this increases awareness of our great school. ESSA-art.org Make, fix and create...
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Studio open house

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I invite you to join us on Saturday November 6 for a Open House at the glass and iron studio of Suzanne Reed. I'll be selling books and boxes. The address is 1242 CR 102 and the time from 1 to 4 PM. Make, fix and create...
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Rex Nelson

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Rex Nelson is one of Arkansas most highly respected journalists. There is a great editorial in today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, resulting from the day Rex and I spent in Eureka Springs, with me having the honor of serving as his guide to the Clear Spring School and our Eureka Springs School of the Arts. The article can be found here:Β  https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/nov/07/city-of-the-arts/ Next week's paper will likely have a column about the Clear Spring School. Watch for it. Make, fix and create...
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slow making

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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work with kids...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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new sawhorse bench...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
One of the important things about children in the wood shop is overcoming the inclination to hold work in one hand and saw in the other. An effective means of holding the wood is required for student One of the important things about children in the wood shop is overcoming the inclination to hold work in one hand and saw in the other. An effective means of holding the wood is required for student
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A+ Fellows

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Last night I was asked to introduce myself at a meeting of A+ Schools Fellows. I had been invited to their meeting to learn more about them and to consider ways I might help. What a fine group of enthusiastic teachers! Last night we began learning to use dance as a means of active classroom learning. Just as woodworking is potentially connected to all of life, dance too can be a means to bridge the gap between the artificialized classroom environment and students' needs to be engaged in real life. Dance also has the advantages of not requiring tools, being safe, and allowing the students to move beyond desktop learning. The real point is simple. Make learning real. Woodworking can be one means to do that. Laboratory science another. And ... Last night I was asked to introduce myself at a meeting of A+ Schools Fellows. I had been invited to their meeting to learn more about them and to consider ways I might help. What a fine group of enthusiastic teachers! Last night we began learning to use dance as a means of active classroom learning. Just as woodworking is potentially connected to all of life, dance too can be a means to bridge the gap between the artificialized classroom environment and students' needs to be engaged in real life. Dance also has the advantages of not requiring tools, being safe, and allowing the students to move beyond desktop learning. The real point is simple. Make learning real. Woodworking can be one means to do that. Laboratory science another. And ...
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changing the culture of schooling.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I spent several hours yesterday and the evening before with A+ Schools Fellows. These are the teachers and trainers that serve schools in implementing an arts first strategy. It is currently supported by Thea Foundation and others, with the idea of turning around schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and other states. I was invited to sit in with Arkansas Fellows so that I could learn what they do, how they do it, and so that I would consider either joining or helping in some way to add woodworking to their collection of available arts. As we watched in a video on Friday night, everything starts with the question, why. Why is the word that contains a world of motivation,  and without the question why, teachers, schools and students a... I spent several hours yesterday and the evening before with A+ Schools Fellows. These are the teachers and trainers that serve schools in implementing an arts first strategy. It is currently supported by Thea Foundation and others, with the idea of turning around schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and other states. I was invited to sit in with Arkansas Fellows so that I could learn what they do, how they do it, and so that I would consider either joining or helping in some way to add woodworking to their collection of available arts. As we watched in a video on Friday night, everything starts with the question, why. Why is the word that contains a world of motivation,  and without the question why, teachers, schools and students a...
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hammers and hammering... part one.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Six ways in which segments can be rotated for use as tools and weapons. The stippled areas represent adhesive. A hammer seems such a simple thing. I'll offer more about them in the next days, but we need to start way back. As you watch a child grip a hammer for the first time, you will notice that he or she will grab the hammer as close to the head as possible. This is in part because of being unaccustomed to its weight, but also, I believe, it reenacts the process of human development. The full use of the handle to extend the range and power of the hand came quite late in human development with our species having existed millions of years without it. It was thought until recently that man began use of the handle to extend the power and ... Six ways in which segments can be rotated for use as tools and weapons. The stippled areas represent adhesive. A hammer seems such a simple thing. I'll offer more about them in the next days, but we need to start way back. As you watch a child grip a hammer for the first time, you will notice that he or she will grab the hammer as close to the head as possible. This is in part because of being unaccustomed to its weight, but also, I believe, it reenacts the process of human development. The full use of the handle to extend the range and power of the hand came quite late in human development with our species having existed millions of years without it. It was thought until recently that man began use of the handle to extend the power and ...
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table delivered

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
 I delivered the walnut and white oak dining table yesterday to its new home in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was the first piece of furniture delivered to a newly built home of friends. Today, in addition to my classes at Clear Spring School, I'll write a synopsis of lessons learned building this table to submit to Fine Woodworking as a proposal for an article. Sawing horse back view I also finished my prototype saw horse that we will test today at school. The twin challenges of safely holding wood as students work, and keeping tools and equipment relatively inexpensive can be met. We must arrange it so that schools have no excuses for depriving children of the opportunities they most need and that their engagement depends on. Make, fix, c...  I delivered the walnut and white oak dining table yesterday to its new home in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was the first piece of furniture delivered to a newly built home of friends. Today, in addition to my classes at Clear Spring School, I'll write a synopsis of lessons learned building this table to submit to Fine Woodworking as a proposal for an article. Sawing horse back view I also finished my prototype saw horse that we will test today at school. The twin challenges of safely holding wood as students work, and keeping tools and equipment relatively inexpensive can be met. We must arrange it so that schools have no excuses for depriving children of the opportunities they most need and that their engagement depends on. Make, fix, c...
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Testing a new multipurpose saw horse

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
1. My students tested my new student saw horse/bench and we made some refinements. One was the addition of a removable wooden hand screw that is reversible to hold irregularly shaped stock or can be used for assembly and planing. The other was that I needed to make a relief cut to allow ripping of stock to take place from the back side. As you rip with a Japanese pull saw, the blade pulls toward you, and a hand braced on the sawhorse at the back stabilizes the whole operation. This relief cut can be observed by comparing photo 5. with photo 2. The numbered photos show the following: Use the hand screw outboard to hold angled stock for sawing.  Use the hand screw mounted inboard for planing or assembly Use the right side and ledger strip... 1. My students tested my new student saw horse/bench and we made some refinements. One was the addition of a removable wooden hand screw that is reversible to hold irregularly shaped stock or can be used for assembly and planing. The other was that I needed to make a relief cut to allow ripping of stock to take place from the back side. As you rip with a Japanese pull saw, the blade pulls toward you, and a hand braced on the sawhorse at the back stabilizes the whole operation. This relief cut can be observed by comparing photo 5. with photo 2. The numbered photos show the following: Use the hand screw outboard to hold angled stock for sawing.  Use the hand screw mounted inboard for planing or assembly Use the right side and ledger strip...
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additional adjustments.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I added a small plastic plate (as shown) to my new children's saw horse so that the end will be protected as square cuts are made. It can be replaced when it gets worn without taking the whole thing apart. In addition, after a reminder from René of the importance of pliers in a school's woodworking tool kit, I went on eBay and bought the pliers shown in the photo below.  Please add these to the necessary tools for a school wood shop. They cost $5.95 each postage paid and a school shop would benefit from having one pair for every 3 or 4 kids. These nippers differ from regular pliers in that they bite flush with the stock, making it relatively easy to grab a bent nail, and the curved jaws roll along the surface of the material, lifting a... I added a small plastic plate (as shown) to my new children's saw horse so that the end will be protected as square cuts are made. It can be replaced when it gets worn without taking the whole thing apart. In addition, after a reminder from René of the importance of pliers in a school's woodworking tool kit, I went on eBay and bought the pliers shown in the photo below.  Please add these to the necessary tools for a school wood shop. They cost $5.95 each postage paid and a school shop would benefit from having one pair for every 3 or 4 kids. These nippers differ from regular pliers in that they bite flush with the stock, making it relatively easy to grab a bent nail, and the curved jaws roll along the surface of the material, lifting a...
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last guitars

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I have been making bridges and nuts and stringing the last of my box guitars to get them ready to send to my publisher. The last one, a six string, will be completed today. I have done over a dozen box guitars and two ukuleles in the course of writing and photographing this book (tentatively entitled The Boxmaker's Guitar Book ), and still have parts for some that can be assembled if the inclination comes back. By tomorrow, the guitar making will be complete and I'll be ready for serious clean up and whatever writing chores come next. I submitted my new student saw horse to Fine Woodworking as a possible article and they asked that I submit what I've written about it in the blog as a word document they could pass around for consideration... I have been making bridges and nuts and stringing the last of my box guitars to get them ready to send to my publisher. The last one, a six string, will be completed today. I have done over a dozen box guitars and two ukuleles in the course of writing and photographing this book (tentatively entitled The Boxmaker's Guitar Book ), and still have parts for some that can be assembled if the inclination comes back. By tomorrow, the guitar making will be complete and I'll be ready for serious clean up and whatever writing chores come next. I submitted my new student saw horse to Fine Woodworking as a possible article and they asked that I submit what I've written about it in the blog as a word document they could pass around for consideration...
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how to bend a nail.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Readers, particularly those interested in starting woodworking programs in school and coaching kids in the process of making things may enjoy an earlier post on the subject of hammers and hammering before I move on. How to bend a nail.  The post explains why nails bend, and I can assure you, it's not through some malicious will of their own. Nail bending is due to operator error and inattention. Cultivating the powers of attention and observation are of extreme importance in school and in life, and there should be little distinction between the two. I have learned that while my blog posts are being posted for facebook readers on my facebook business page, pictures come through there in a restricted manner, with only one image making it ... Readers, particularly those interested in starting woodworking programs in school and coaching kids in the process of making things may enjoy an earlier post on the subject of hammers and hammering before I move on. How to bend a nail.  The post explains why nails bend, and I can assure you, it's not through some malicious will of their own. Nail bending is due to operator error and inattention. Cultivating the powers of attention and observation are of extreme importance in school and in life, and there should be little distinction between the two. I have learned that while my blog posts are being posted for facebook readers on my facebook business page, pictures come through there in a restricted manner, with only one image making it ...
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urban forests...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I have been reading Jill Jonnes's book Urban Forests and it describes the lengthy relationship between trees and human beings living in cities. Some Republican legislators have urged that the EPA be abolished, and the book makes me wonder what they could have in mind. For some, the EPA is synonymous with regulation, and regulation is synonymous with impediment to free reign of corporate intent, and they fail to see that corporations can go deeply astray in their quest for short term gain. The underlying purpose of incorporation is to shield investors from liability, so when corporations do really bad things, as they have so many times in the past, the poor, the environment, and the tax payer are left holding the bag. In contrast, when a ... I have been reading Jill Jonnes's book Urban Forests and it describes the lengthy relationship between trees and human beings living in cities. Some Republican legislators have urged that the EPA be abolished, and the book makes me wonder what they could have in mind. For some, the EPA is synonymous with regulation, and regulation is synonymous with impediment to free reign of corporate intent, and they fail to see that corporations can go deeply astray in their quest for short term gain. The underlying purpose of incorporation is to shield investors from liability, so when corporations do really bad things, as they have so many times in the past, the poor, the environment, and the tax payer are left holding the bag. In contrast, when a ...
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bending more nails.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday I sent a very large box of box guitars to my editor in Nashville, so pictures can be taken for the cover and for the beginning of each chapter. I also began making almost a dozen boxes, some of which will be used to demonstrate and test the Infinity Dovetail Spline system for a review in Fine Woodworking. Today in the wood shop at the Clear Spring School, my upper and lower elementary school students will be working on a variety of projects, and because they are all at different levels of skill and understanding, it makes sense for me to allow them to work at their own pace, and on projects drawn from their own longings. I received new pliers in the mail yesterday that will be helpful whenever my students need to pull nails. To... Yesterday I sent a very large box of box guitars to my editor in Nashville, so pictures can be taken for the cover and for the beginning of each chapter. I also began making almost a dozen boxes, some of which will be used to demonstrate and test the Infinity Dovetail Spline system for a review in Fine Woodworking. Today in the wood shop at the Clear Spring School, my upper and lower elementary school students will be working on a variety of projects, and because they are all at different levels of skill and understanding, it makes sense for me to allow them to work at their own pace, and on projects drawn from their own longings. I received new pliers in the mail yesterday that will be helpful whenever my students need to pull nails. To...
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on schedule, on budget...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
The new wood shop at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts is on schedule and on budget, and I marvel at how some contractors and construction workers are able to gather such a large project into such a manageable view that they can pull such things off.  Experience in the real world helps. I plan to visit the site later in the day, and with the roof deck boards in place, I'll be able to get a sense of how the building will look as equipment is moved into place. Then, in order to complete the installation of wiring, I'll have to describe where each major tool will fit, and what its power requirements are. I was awake part of the night knowing that the process of acquiring equipment and finalizing workbench designs must begin soon, and t... The new wood shop at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts is on schedule and on budget, and I marvel at how some contractors and construction workers are able to gather such a large project into such a manageable view that they can pull such things off.  Experience in the real world helps. I plan to visit the site later in the day, and with the roof deck boards in place, I'll be able to get a sense of how the building will look as equipment is moved into place. Then, in order to complete the installation of wiring, I'll have to describe where each major tool will fit, and what its power requirements are. I was awake part of the night knowing that the process of acquiring equipment and finalizing workbench designs must begin soon, and t...
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building a garden

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday my high school students and I worked on the school garden, adding a top rail to stabilize the fence so the gate we made in wood shop last year can be mounted. It was a lovely day, and all my students were glad to spend a bit of time outside. While some students did carpentry work under my direction, others did a general clean up, removing plant growth remaining from last year, and piles of leaves that had accumulated during the fall. I had a dream last night that I was attending an educational conference, and having gone through one convoluted and contrived lesson after another, I suggested that it would be far easier and effective to make education real, and to let children participate in real life. I doubt that my ideas were ... Yesterday my high school students and I worked on the school garden, adding a top rail to stabilize the fence so the gate we made in wood shop last year can be mounted. It was a lovely day, and all my students were glad to spend a bit of time outside. While some students did carpentry work under my direction, others did a general clean up, removing plant growth remaining from last year, and piles of leaves that had accumulated during the fall. I had a dream last night that I was attending an educational conference, and having gone through one convoluted and contrived lesson after another, I suggested that it would be far easier and effective to make education real, and to let children participate in real life. I doubt that my ideas were ...
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the dirt..

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday my 7th and 8th grade students helped in the garden, as we strengthen the garden fence, and filled the compost bin students and I had made last year. It had been neglected. In fact, the whole garden had been. Steel tomato cages had been thrown aside and trampled, so they will need to be replaced. And since I had given some of those cages to the school myself, I feel a bit irked. In the compost bin, we gathered wood chips and organic debris so it could be properly composted and turned into dirt for the garden beds. My upper elementary school students worked on the lathe while one, having been dissatisfied with his first attempt to make a pencil holder asked for help in making one where cuts were square and edges aligned. His seco... Yesterday my 7th and 8th grade students helped in the garden, as we strengthen the garden fence, and filled the compost bin students and I had made last year. It had been neglected. In fact, the whole garden had been. Steel tomato cages had been thrown aside and trampled, so they will need to be replaced. And since I had given some of those cages to the school myself, I feel a bit irked. In the compost bin, we gathered wood chips and organic debris so it could be properly composted and turned into dirt for the garden beds. My upper elementary school students worked on the lathe while one, having been dissatisfied with his first attempt to make a pencil holder asked for help in making one where cuts were square and edges aligned. His seco...
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just to see what comes out

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Some days I find I have almost nothing to say, so I start writing to see what comes out. When they cut down all the trees, they looked around and discovered something important was missing. In remediation, and redemption of their own souls, and seeking a renewed sense of beauty in their lives, they began planting trees. It is an age old pattern. Human beings seem to run hot and cold to the extremes. We did the same thing with the elimination of manual arts. First they made the colossal error of thinking that only a few children needed tactile engagement in the real world, making beautiful and useful things as others would be shuffled off to college. Then when a furor arose that some children were being singled out for abandonment in "the... Some days I find I have almost nothing to say, so I start writing to see what comes out. When they cut down all the trees, they looked around and discovered something important was missing. In remediation, and redemption of their own souls, and seeking a renewed sense of beauty in their lives, they began planting trees. It is an age old pattern. Human beings seem to run hot and cold to the extremes. We did the same thing with the elimination of manual arts. First they made the colossal error of thinking that only a few children needed tactile engagement in the real world, making beautiful and useful things as others would be shuffled off to college. Then when a furor arose that some children were being singled out for abandonment in "the...
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Wooden clocks and telling time.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday in the school wood shop I made wooden clocks with my first, second, and third grade students. They've been studying telling time, and had made paper clocks in class, but wooden clocks that you've made and decorated yourself, carry lasting lessons. One student did not need the lesson, as he was already good at reading the time from a normal clock. I suggested he make one for his younger sister. But he decided to stamp his name on his anyway, and he can still use it to help his sister learn to tell time. The students are proud of their work, and I hear from other teachers at all grade levels that wood shop is their favorite thing in school. In the photo note the happy face made of tiny nails on the new airplane. Would you not hav... Yesterday in the school wood shop I made wooden clocks with my first, second, and third grade students. They've been studying telling time, and had made paper clocks in class, but wooden clocks that you've made and decorated yourself, carry lasting lessons. One student did not need the lesson, as he was already good at reading the time from a normal clock. I suggested he make one for his younger sister. But he decided to stamp his name on his anyway, and he can still use it to help his sister learn to tell time. The students are proud of their work, and I hear from other teachers at all grade levels that wood shop is their favorite thing in school. In the photo note the happy face made of tiny nails on the new airplane. Would you not hav...
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testing infinity (system)

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Infinity is a long way off. But the infinity dovetail spline system is easy to use. I began my testing of it today by adding dovetail keys to a box. I used a 8 degree dovetail bit to rout the spaces for the keys to fit, then after installing walnut keys, I used a smaller bit to rout the space for contrasting cherry dovetail shaped keys. Testing this system was suggested by my assistant in my box making class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. I arranged with editors at Fine Woodworking magazine to do a review, and this box, when complete, will be sent to them for photography, unless I choose to do another like it. It would have been easy to understand how the jig operates, but it makes more sense and provides greater truth for me to te... Infinity is a long way off. But the infinity dovetail spline system is easy to use. I began my testing of it today by adding dovetail keys to a box. I used a 8 degree dovetail bit to rout the spaces for the keys to fit, then after installing walnut keys, I used a smaller bit to rout the space for contrasting cherry dovetail shaped keys. Testing this system was suggested by my assistant in my box making class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking. I arranged with editors at Fine Woodworking magazine to do a review, and this box, when complete, will be sent to them for photography, unless I choose to do another like it. It would have been easy to understand how the jig operates, but it makes more sense and provides greater truth for me to te...
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ethical culture society

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Ethical Culture Society, 5th Ave. NYC Yesterday my wife and daughter and I attended the #notmypresident day rally at Columbus Circle in New York City. We joined with thousands of others challenging the legitimacy of the 45 president. On the way, we walked past the Ethical Culture Society building on 5th Avenue. Some of my readers may recognize the name Felix Adler, founder of the Ethical Culture Society and the Working Man's School. Adler was a proponent of manual arts training for all children. He was also instrumental in bringing Kindergarten to New York City. If you use the search block at upper left and type in "Adler" you will find earlier posts complete with quotes from Adler's book The Moral Instruction of Children. He recognized ... Ethical Culture Society, 5th Ave. NYC Yesterday my wife and daughter and I attended the #notmypresident day rally at Columbus Circle in New York City. We joined with thousands of others challenging the legitimacy of the 45 president. On the way, we walked past the Ethical Culture Society building on 5th Avenue. Some of my readers may recognize the name Felix Adler, founder of the Ethical Culture Society and the Working Man's School. Adler was a proponent of manual arts training for all children. He was also instrumental in bringing Kindergarten to New York City. If you use the search block at upper left and type in "Adler" you will find earlier posts complete with quotes from Adler's book The Moral Instruction of Children. He recognized ...
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yesterday in New York

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
My wife, daughter and I went to the 911 museum yesterday and outside the museum grounds, I looked for the Callery Pear tree that had been rescued from the 911 site, broken, uprooted, and yet survived. It had been dug up, nurtured back to health, and has been replanted on the site. I was made aware of this tree by the book Urban Forests by Jill Jonnes. The tree became a symbol of hope, renewal, healing and survival during a major international crisis, the repercussions of which are ongoing around the world to this day. There is a seedling program that provides seedlings raised from this "survivor tree"to communities that have suffered tragic loss. The tag in the tree identifies it as one of the artifacts recovered from the 911 site. Make,... My wife, daughter and I went to the 911 museum yesterday and outside the museum grounds, I looked for the Callery Pear tree that had been rescued from the 911 site, broken, uprooted, and yet survived. It had been dug up, nurtured back to health, and has been replanted on the site. I was made aware of this tree by the book Urban Forests by Jill Jonnes. The tree became a symbol of hope, renewal, healing and survival during a major international crisis, the repercussions of which are ongoing around the world to this day. There is a seedling program that provides seedlings raised from this "survivor tree"to communities that have suffered tragic loss. The tag in the tree identifies it as one of the artifacts recovered from the 911 site. Make,...
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trees...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Jill Jonnes book Urban Forests describes the efforts of non-profit associations of the tree loving kind to set a monetary value on trees, measuring their beneficial economic effects on the environment. Today I am back in the forests of Northwest Arkansas, but yesterday as I walked toward Riverside Park from 95th and Broadway, I found the tree in the image, having captured construction debris directly from the air. I took that image as symbolic of the  important economic role that trees of all species play in cities. Much of what trees do, we cannot see. They remove particulates, and carbon dioxide, while returning oxygen to the air. They remove and limit the amount of urban runoff from storm water. Environmentalist have felt an urgency ... Jill Jonnes book Urban Forests describes the efforts of non-profit associations of the tree loving kind to set a monetary value on trees, measuring their beneficial economic effects on the environment. Today I am back in the forests of Northwest Arkansas, but yesterday as I walked toward Riverside Park from 95th and Broadway, I found the tree in the image, having captured construction debris directly from the air. I took that image as symbolic of the  important economic role that trees of all species play in cities. Much of what trees do, we cannot see. They remove particulates, and carbon dioxide, while returning oxygen to the air. They remove and limit the amount of urban runoff from storm water. Environmentalist have felt an urgency ...
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new bench design...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday I finished the Infinity Dovetail Spline demonstration box and got it packaged for shipping to Fine Woodworking. I also designed a new work bench for the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. The idea of this bench is that the metal tool cabinet provides both stability, and a place to keep necessary hand tools. This is not the final version of the design, as some changes will be made as the need becomes clear. Also, construction details need to be put in. The leg assembly technique is the same that I used on my own bench, with the joints formed through the use of overlapping stock. With the design being in Sketchup, I can make changes without having to start anew. Eleven benches will be required. It occurred to me that at some poin... Yesterday I finished the Infinity Dovetail Spline demonstration box and got it packaged for shipping to Fine Woodworking. I also designed a new work bench for the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. The idea of this bench is that the metal tool cabinet provides both stability, and a place to keep necessary hand tools. This is not the final version of the design, as some changes will be made as the need becomes clear. Also, construction details need to be put in. The leg assembly technique is the same that I used on my own bench, with the joints formed through the use of overlapping stock. With the design being in Sketchup, I can make changes without having to start anew. Eleven benches will be required. It occurred to me that at some poin...
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The point of a nail...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Nails seem to be one of the simple things we take for granted, and it may seem silly to write such a long post about them. Made of steel wire, they are used to join pieces of wood. They are easier to use in softwoods like white pine, spruce or fir, as harder woods like oak, cherry, walnut and yellow pine tend to bend them before they are driven fully home. You will have some luck nailing some of the softer hardwoods. For instance basswood is soft enough under most circumstances to be successfully nailed. You can also nail the harder hardwoods, but you must pre-drill the nail holes first, giving the nails a path to follow into the wood without splitting or bending. In old houses, you will sometimes find square forged nails holding togethe... Nails seem to be one of the simple things we take for granted, and it may seem silly to write such a long post about them. Made of steel wire, they are used to join pieces of wood. They are easier to use in softwoods like white pine, spruce or fir, as harder woods like oak, cherry, walnut and yellow pine tend to bend them before they are driven fully home. You will have some luck nailing some of the softer hardwoods. For instance basswood is soft enough under most circumstances to be successfully nailed. You can also nail the harder hardwoods, but you must pre-drill the nail holes first, giving the nails a path to follow into the wood without splitting or bending. In old houses, you will sometimes find square forged nails holding togethe...
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dark knowledge

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
There are some forms of knowledge that can be imparted verbally through instruction. And there are some forms that can be demonstrated. But here we will make no assumptions that what is seen is understood in the full sense of the word. Yesterday we had a new student visiting wood shop hoping to attend Clear Spring School for the balance of the year. But her family must move first. I asked my students what project they would recommend that could be done in a day, so that the new student would have something to take home. They all insisted that work on the lathe would do. One student volunteered to help her to get started. That was also a learning opportunity, for once you have done something, to watch others try the same thing makes what ... There are some forms of knowledge that can be imparted verbally through instruction. And there are some forms that can be demonstrated. But here we will make no assumptions that what is seen is understood in the full sense of the word. Yesterday we had a new student visiting wood shop hoping to attend Clear Spring School for the balance of the year. But her family must move first. I asked my students what project they would recommend that could be done in a day, so that the new student would have something to take home. They all insisted that work on the lathe would do. One student volunteered to help her to get started. That was also a learning opportunity, for once you have done something, to watch others try the same thing makes what ...
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Action and thought

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
I did this little sketch some time ago to illustrate the relationship between action and reflection. It makes sense to me to see action as a form of thought, whereas for some it would be considered a wholely inside the head trip. Which comes first, action or thought? It's like the chicken and the egg. Today in the Clear Spring School wood shop, my students in first, second and third grades will be working on a rain forest animal mobile and my students in grades 4-6 will work on the lathe. Yesterday, I worked through our ESSA wood shop tools acquisition budget, attempting to make some decisions on tools to be acquired before opening for first classes in June. I've also been cleaning the shop and finishing boxes. Make, fix, create, and res... I did this little sketch some time ago to illustrate the relationship between action and reflection. It makes sense to me to see action as a form of thought, whereas for some it would be considered a wholely inside the head trip. Which comes first, action or thought? It's like the chicken and the egg. Today in the Clear Spring School wood shop, my students in first, second and third grades will be working on a rain forest animal mobile and my students in grades 4-6 will work on the lathe. Yesterday, I worked through our ESSA wood shop tools acquisition budget, attempting to make some decisions on tools to be acquired before opening for first classes in June. I've also been cleaning the shop and finishing boxes. Make, fix, create, and res...
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the craftsman's method...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
If you want an explanation of the conservative interest in vouchers, school choice, and religion-based primary and secondary education, you need only look at the language used among some conservatives as they attempt to direct public money (legally or illegally) into parochial education. A couple days ago, an Arkansas legislator and a local college president received Federal indictments in a scandal in which the legislator had directed state funds into a small Christian college in return for a kickback. The case is described in an article in Arkansas Business Week. The article quotes a text message explaining the conservative "selling point" to be used in convincing the Arkansas legislature, largely dominated by conservative Republicans ... If you want an explanation of the conservative interest in vouchers, school choice, and religion-based primary and secondary education, you need only look at the language used among some conservatives as they attempt to direct public money (legally or illegally) into parochial education. A couple days ago, an Arkansas legislator and a local college president received Federal indictments in a scandal in which the legislator had directed state funds into a small Christian college in return for a kickback. The case is described in an article in Arkansas Business Week. The article quotes a text message explaining the conservative "selling point" to be used in convincing the Arkansas legislature, largely dominated by conservative Republicans ...
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blocks

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
We had a baby shower at our house on Saturday for one of my former students who is also the daughter of my good friend Greg and his wife Jackie. It was a lovely affair. Lucy's cradle was a center piece of the event as it will be on loan to the new mother and father and baby Henry. Greg had made wooden blocks to be decorated by guests using wood burners. It was fun. Some of the guests showed a distinct artistic flair as you can see. My own love is in the visual arrangement of blocks. They need not be quite so fancy and fine to offer pleasure in arrangement of patterns, whether in symmetry or not. Henry will get many hours of inventive play using these blocks. The blocks were made of western cedar, fir and basswood. Today in the wood shop ... We had a baby shower at our house on Saturday for one of my former students who is also the daughter of my good friend Greg and his wife Jackie. It was a lovely affair. Lucy's cradle was a center piece of the event as it will be on loan to the new mother and father and baby Henry. Greg had made wooden blocks to be decorated by guests using wood burners. It was fun. Some of the guests showed a distinct artistic flair as you can see. My own love is in the visual arrangement of blocks. They need not be quite so fancy and fine to offer pleasure in arrangement of patterns, whether in symmetry or not. Henry will get many hours of inventive play using these blocks. The blocks were made of western cedar, fir and basswood. Today in the wood shop ...
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how does this apply to me?

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday I gave my first second and third grade students the opportunity to make wooden snakes, and it became obvious that the steps were too hard for some. One third grader was able  to make one but the others retreated into things they knew how to do and surprised me.  For example, one asked me to make cuts for her using the scroll saw and made a surfer as a gift for her dad. While the scroll saw cuts required my help, the design was her own. Today my high school students will visit my wood shop for a tour and brief lecture on and discussion of micro economics. They have been studying economics, so I hope they can ask some good questions. One of the challenges involved in the study of an isolated and abstract field like economics is... Yesterday I gave my first second and third grade students the opportunity to make wooden snakes, and it became obvious that the steps were too hard for some. One third grader was able  to make one but the others retreated into things they knew how to do and surprised me.  For example, one asked me to make cuts for her using the scroll saw and made a surfer as a gift for her dad. While the scroll saw cuts required my help, the design was her own. Today my high school students will visit my wood shop for a tour and brief lecture on and discussion of micro economics. They have been studying economics, so I hope they can ask some good questions. One of the challenges involved in the study of an isolated and abstract field like economics is...
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international womens's day.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Pestalozzi wrote a book called Leonard and Gertrude in 1801, that had a profound impact on progressive education. Gertrude was the wife of Leonard and the book's major protagonist. Her teaching of her own children set a new example as to how children would be best taught. In this book, Pestalozzi recognized the importance of women in the role of teaching. He was a major influence on Friedrich Froebel in his invention of Kindergarten, and Froebel, like Pestalozzi recognized that women should be empowered to take a lead in all things having to do with the education of our kids. In fact, the Kindergarten's songs and finger play came from Froebel's observing young German mothers engaged in educational play with their children. I urge all men... Pestalozzi wrote a book called Leonard and Gertrude in 1801, that had a profound impact on progressive education. Gertrude was the wife of Leonard and the book's major protagonist. Her teaching of her own children set a new example as to how children would be best taught. In this book, Pestalozzi recognized the importance of women in the role of teaching. He was a major influence on Friedrich Froebel in his invention of Kindergarten, and Froebel, like Pestalozzi recognized that women should be empowered to take a lead in all things having to do with the education of our kids. In fact, the Kindergarten's songs and finger play came from Froebel's observing young German mothers engaged in educational play with their children. I urge all men...
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today in the css woodshop.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
Yesterday I went to Springfield, Missouri to the headquarters of Grizzly Tools to check out the work benches they have for woodworkers.  I'm exploring options to buy benches for the new wood studio at ESSA rather than making them ourselves. The one I had in mind is too large and has a tool storage system that one of the experts at Grizzly cautioned against. His advice was to go with the bench that has drawers rather than a tipping tool compartment because when loaded with tools or materials, the compartment becomes too heavy for some to operate safely. The cabinet/bench with lots of drawers would be impractical in a school setting, but they did have the oak benches shown with two drawers and steel legs.  As it is adjustable in height a... Yesterday I went to Springfield, Missouri to the headquarters of Grizzly Tools to check out the work benches they have for woodworkers.  I'm exploring options to buy benches for the new wood studio at ESSA rather than making them ourselves. The one I had in mind is too large and has a tool storage system that one of the experts at Grizzly cautioned against. His advice was to go with the bench that has drawers rather than a tipping tool compartment because when loaded with tools or materials, the compartment becomes too heavy for some to operate safely. The cabinet/bench with lots of drawers would be impractical in a school setting, but they did have the oak benches shown with two drawers and steel legs.  As it is adjustable in height a...
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spring fling...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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understanding 4 things.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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mixing up classes

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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yesterday

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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the impulse to create...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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The lift of real learning.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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the country boy...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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divided sphere part two

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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woodcarving

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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turned sphere part 3.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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divided sphere part 4

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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a welcoming address part 2:

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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a return to classes...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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community helpers

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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off to showcase...

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showcase...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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showcase day 2

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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totally turning...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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toy shop.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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tool crib...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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rules for safe use...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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travel journals...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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folding the circle...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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a texas boy's bed.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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continuing sagas.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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a maple bowl

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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travel journal...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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in the image of the creator

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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what works can also hurt.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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Loss of K...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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call to makers.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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Happy Earth Day...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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finished chest.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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action figures...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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batman and mom

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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Trump's budget and the arts.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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A successful event...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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story mapping...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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Swedish toys...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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ready for play....

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lathes today...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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Oneway and Robust...

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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stone age tool making....

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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machinery...

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Make, play and resist.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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an act of defiance.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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purposeful repetition

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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funny development.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
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ESSA volunteer work day.

By: WisdomOfHands β€”
❌