Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-30
the pepAeoeUes.
Continual from page 81

description by which the operations with
tools are developed and brought into def
mite form With the completion of a
drawing. the boy commences to make his
concrete work: this is. of course. eX-
planned beforehand. but only in such a
way that the boy must do most OF the
thinking and not have everything done
for him. The models which he makes are
ALI intended to be of some usefulness for
the home or boy They are not of fancy
design but rather of simple lines. Not
only are the resulting objects of use to
make the boy heater and more thought
full but each piece brings forth the use OF
a new tool or new tools. showing their
true and proper use. With the beginning.
when only knife and ruler are used,
the model or exercise must be simple. but
as the work progresses and more tools
have been explained and mastered. the
model can be made more complicated.
After tool has been first used 1t is the
intention to re-enforce the correct value
Of It by having that tool used in the
making of the next object In regard TO
the progress of the work. when one con-
sfders the disadvantages we have been
under. feel that a large majority of the
boys understand much more than they
did about using the few tools we have
up to this time taken up. and that the
Maine boy as exemplified In Lewiston
shows natural inclination to do careful,
accurate and satisfactory work with car
penter tools.
Next / will speak of the aims that are
guiding us and the way we are endeavor-
ing to incorporate them in the work. This
means, you see. the theoretical position.
When one endeavOrS to intrude upon the
theoretical value of any new reform, he
has always much to say. and indeed.
theory is never noted for its brevity. Con-
sidering all this. l will not take much
time since my time Is limited but l as
ftr,tr.
uai training are very few there is no end
to the good which may come from man
ual training or Sloyd. when in the hands
of competent and wise teacher As the
terms manual training and sloyd have
been used, some might not know the
significance of these. Manual training
and sloyd should mean the same thing.
Manual training is rather deceitful as 1t
implies on the surface only training the
manus or hand but since it has be-
come thoroughly rooted into the
nomenclature of schools. 1T is unWiSe to
endeavor to eradicate 1t. At first 1t was
necessary to have some form like the
early and purely manual training schools
because people We're not aware of the
educational value but now after long
test has been made. We can take up the
educational manual training or as you
may call that, sloyd. without much fear
of criticism. Manual training at. first
meant a halfway station between a
trade school and an educational sloyd
school. Sloyd being a Swedish word to
express the training of both mind and
hand has been anglicized and now we Of
ten hear of Swedish and American sloyd
which simply inferS the adaptation of the
slOyd principles to Sweden OF America
Sloyd does not deal in the abstract: its
purpose is to improve it's pupil aestheti-
cally as well mentally and physically
1t is based entirely on psychological
grounds. Notwithstanding the better apt
ness of the word sloyd to the present con-
dition of manual training, the old English
words manual training should be pre-
fefrcd though we must associate the
broader more comprehensive meaning.
Then after being satisfied that manual
training and sloyd at present mean the
same thing. we may explain Il few. and
! am afraid. Il very few of what man
ual training accompliSheS. First it tends
to stir up the boy in new undeveloped
sphere. Until within 20 years, the boys in
the farms. villages and small cities were
obliged to do much work about the farm
or house: at present. in the cities. the
boy who ever manipulateS any tools is
not normal. All agree that a boy to be
evenly developed must educate his hand
as well as his mind. To offset the grow
ing evil of only endulging in play and
amusement when outside of school walls.
manual training steps in and stirs the
boy. A boy will never accomplish much
unless he is awakened and forced. Do
that and he will accomplish much. When
he once commences his work. he begins
to realize he must think. This is con-
trary to the method of teaching used il
the past Some of you may have made
the experiment to find how much H2O
you could pump into Il kettle whose lid
or top had not been moved to one side.
Now much H2O passed into the kettle?
With good fortune. Il little might leak in
through the crack but how much simply
struck the lid. failed to enter and thus
became lost? Now. though it may be a
strange simile. the teacher with her stor-
age of knowledge may continually pump
out facts and facts. but will she succeed
in benefiting the pupil to the fullest eX-
tent unless she first removes the cover?
Remove this barrier. or in equivalent
terms. make the child reason and think.
satisfy that pupil. Then not only will
the teachers knowledge be unwasted.
but the pupil will be enriched. This is
the other aim. The boy is made to real
son and think why he does each thing
in this or that manner. He creates in the
mind. and then creates with his hands.
TO form with the hands. his brain must
be active. When the painter Reynolds
was asked how he obtained his beautiful
colors and what he mixed them with re-
piled Brains. sir. brains 1t takes
brains to intelligently create with the
hands. Some persons watching an opera
ton think II is not difficult to perform.
but when they strive to do that same
realize there is a great gulf between see
ing and doing. Manual training then
tends to span the difference between the
intelligent thinking and the successful
execution. Also. there is close tonhec-
ton with that which is taught in the
class room. Very often it is the case
that Il hoy realizes what his teacher has
explained when he is in her presence.
but as soon as he is out of that presence
it would be impossible for him to apply
it,. In other words. a boy should find
practical application of his book learn
ing. This. to a certain extent. is done
by manual training. The training school
j is the Grammar school laboratory. "A col
lcge laboratory is the most essential de-
partment of it's curriculum to graft with
the teachings of the lecture room so that
the student will appreciate the laws and
actions of this world. Thus when boy
leaves his school room for his period in
the manual training work, he goes to the
laborat tory. Tools are never theoretical
they are always practical and have "a
plain evident reason for being just as
q .y are. AT the same. the exercise. |
mean now the physical exercise. which
naturally arises from working is of muth
value to the boy. Growing boys are
naturally active Non-activfty exists In
the class room: activity must exist in
manual training: hence its value from
this standpoint. All work requires mus
cular action. Thus manual training de-
velops it's subject according to approved