Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1915-02-12
TEACHING BOYS
In WOOD WORK
Manual Training in Relation to Edu-
cational Advancement.

superintendent L. d. Hawey has
said, Members Of society may be
roughly classed into four groups,
those who think without doing, those
who do without thinking, those who
neither think nor do; and those who
think and do because Of their thinking.
This fourth class comprise the pro-
ductive, constructive, organizing ele-
ment Of society. II is the function of
the public school to produce members
Of this fourth class. II must be evil
cent to all that for the production Of
a thinking and doing individual the
two forms Of activity should be car
ried on side by side; the doing grow
ing out Of the thinking, and the think
ing made clear and definite through
the doing"
It is not difficult to see in this state
ment the proper relation Of those two
essential elements that make manual
training valuable as a school subject
the thought element and the element
CT skill. Neither is it hard to under
stand why manual training has found
an important place among the sub
jects taught in the Cedar District
School. We wish our boys and girls
to be thinking doers," ready to take
their places, when they leave school,
among the active, moving citizens
eager and capable to give their mite
to help in the march Of progress.
1t would seem to some, that we had
already more subjects than the child
could master and he should be trained
along some special line end not given
a smattering Of so many. But is he
not interested in almost every voca-
ton Of life? Yes, and he is intensely
interested in some one Of these, or
should be and it is the part Of his
teacher to help him find out what that
n line of work is so that when he
is well enough advanced he nay spec
ialize intelligently and not have to
try this kind of work, that kind of
work and every kind Of work after he
has quit school as so many do. Even
If he eve becomes a cabinet maker
or a carpenter the boy who has had
some work in manual training can
save himself many a dollar at odd
times making and mending things
about his home.
The system used today in manual
training is ar outgrowth of the old
Russian system Of joint making and
the Swedish system of model making.
The former laid emphasis only on
the skill in making joints and herein
was weak because it lacked the ele-
ment, interest. The latter failed be-
cause it did not take into account the
power of self Initiative; it paid too
little attention to skill and accuracy.
The American pupil acquires skill in
making joints that is both interesting
and valuable.
In converting the wood-shed into a
manual training shop, our Sixth, Sew
enth, and Eighth Grade boys gained
a little experience in laying joints,
flooring, making Of windows, and the
hanging of doors. This work was es-
pecially interesting because 1t resulted
in a real shop for the District School
boys to work in and not merely a room
borrowed for the occasion. 1t re-
quired thought on the part of every
one engaged in the work, because each
individuals part had to be made to
mt into the part already done. Each
boy was a citizen working for the
public good. In making bread-boards
book racks and foot stools, etc.. they
learned to make other kinds of joints
and gained more skill in making the
known ones. The mechanical drawing
OF each article gives skill in making
accurate cuts and in a step towards
interpreting the builders and archi-
tect's plans.
the District School is the
place where only elementary work is
done here. Yet we are acquiring new
interests and broadening the old ones;
and we are placing ourselves upon
equal footing with the boys of other
public schools. In this way we are
preparing ourselves for the battle that
every one must take part in-the bat
tie OF life. The time has come when
we must not only know how to do, but
must be able to do our work as we'll
or better than the other fellow. In
other words, We must learn to think
and do because of our thinking.
JOHN A. BOOTH,
Teacher of Manual Training.