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Posted here because info from another Mag.

Posted here because info from another Mag. (post #153052)

WillGeorge on Thu, 06/10/2010 - 09:29 (updated 06/10/10 - 06:40)

Woodworker's Cafe

I just received a e-letter from WOOD magazine. Yes, I get all sorts of woordworing mags'.

The link is about saving industrial arts classes (wood shop!) in our schools.

The Link: http://www.woodmagazine.com/blogs/woodworking-blog/2010/05/19/unstoppable-shop-classes/?sssdmh=dm17.452407&esrc=nwwood&email=1241024294

My main reason I am posting is because here in Chicago area (Illinois which is bankrupt by billions of dollers). The schools are dropping everything. Sports (not a sports fan), music, art, all of the shop classes etc. Not even sure if they even teach Reading, Writing or Arithmetic.

As an example: I hated school as a child. Not sure why I was like that. I still go to college classes I like and I'm 67? I forget...

Anyway, I would have never passed anything taught to me in the Reading, Writing or Arithmetic classes if not for my shop teachers. I LOVED shop! All the shop teachers ganged up on me and said... NO SHOP for YOU if you do not have at least a C+ average. What a shock.. No Shop?.. I fooled them and got a B average...

I was never (still not that good at advanced mathametics, and still cannot do Mental calculations). Why I have a calculator in my shop at all times. I'm not stupid (OK, sometimes) but math is not my best subject.

I learned more Math in Metal and Wood shop than I ever could learn in the so called' higher learing classes' (like the common math classes ). I even had reinforcement in math from my sewing class. Yes, I was the one boy in a all girl sewing class. What fun!... We used math all the time but I never realized that I was doing it. Cutting cloth to different shapes gives your brain skills on proportion and even with 'probability'. As in what is the probability that the girls will laugh at my work...

I just gave away some woodworking tools. Not junk.. Just a Jointer and Dust Collector and some other stuff that I never use.

I called all the local schools and the person answering the phone had no idea what a 'shop class' was... Geeeeee.....

Have a great day.. Life is wonderful even if you are having a bad day!

Shop class (post #153052, reply #1 of 2)

by swenson in reply to WillGeorge [original] on Sun, 06/20/2010 - 05:24

My mom was a teacher in the 20s and 30s. She used to tell a story about a student that today we would recognise as having a severe learning disability. He couldn't do a lot of the schoolwork but every time the class needed something built, a table or a prop for a play for instance, mom would have him do it. He could handle that and was good at it. Years passed, and one day he came back for a visit. He had a good job building stage sets for Broadway plays, in northern New Jersey I think it was. He was happy and making five times the pay my mom was making. She was so proud of the small part she played in his life.