"Wisdom of the Hands" Talk

Wisdom of the Hands:
Why We Still Need a Wood Shop
A Talk with Doug Stowe
Friday, July 6, 2012

Admission: Free
Co-sponsored with North Bennet Street School

Woodworker and educator Doug Stowe embraces hands–on learning and the links between craftsmanship, intelligence and the development of character. He pulls together aspects of the Arts and Crafts, Do-It-Yourself and Manual Training movements, and argues for why we still need all three to provide direction in education.

This is a talk for educators and those interested in education, for parents, for woodworkers and for others who work with their hands and believe in the value of hand–work for learning, ways of knowing the world, and overall experience of life.

In addition to his work as a fine woodworker and author, Doug Stowe is an impassioned educator and advocate for hands-on learning. In partnership with Clear Spring School in Eureka, Arkansas, Doug has built a nationally recognized woodworking program called Wisdom of the Hands.

Read more about Doug Stowe and peruse his blog, also called Wisdom of the Hands.

Doug has written:

• “For many years ‘shop’ and ‘industrial arts’ have been perceived as an alternate career track for those students for whom college is not an option. Yet our schools teach math without expecting our children to become mathematicians. It is understood that learning math involves developmental growth in the brain, enabling abstract thinking. Our premise is that ‘industrial arts’ involves developmental growth of the heart and mind that may be of tremendous benefit to confidence and creativity. We propose that working with one’s hands and connecting that work to other areas of learning are relevant to all students, regardless of their academic goals.”