Ok, this post is my two cents on the latest Fine Woodworking Shop Talk Live Podcast ‘The Perfect Storm of Stupidity’ because it’s talking about education.
But first I’m going to make a ‘corrections of stupidity’. The title of their podcast did not come from their discussion of online education even though the first 15 minutes sure seemed like that. It came from their later discussion of workbench mistakes. But expert journalist would know that it could easily be misconstrued since the first third of the podcast was them really putting down the online woodworking community. So I guess ya gotta ask…
There are things in this world that are by nature truly complicated. Surgery, atomic physics, pharmacology, and mathematics are what come to my mind. Woodworking is not one of these topics. Yes there are small corners of the hobby were expertise is truly needed but in general I believe if cavemen could invent the basic concepts used today then it isn’t an experts only field.
Case in point, Fine Woodworking feature article this month is building a Hayrake Table. It’s 7 pages long ¾ of which are pictures. In that small amount of space they manage to teach powertool techniques on the bandsaw, drill, and the table saw in addition to many hand tools. Do they do a good job? Yes. Do they attempt to show safe work? Yes. Could it be better? Yes. (hand being pushed towards the band saw blade?) Still, just how complicated is this subject matter if they cover all that in 7 picture filled pages.
Now think back to mathematics in school. Think of how thick those text books were. Think about how many of those thick books you were given from 3rd grade onward. And Fine Woodworking explained how to build a complicated table in 7 picture filled pages.
In the podcast the editors of Fine Woodworking basically went after the online community for creating educational content. That there was no ‘validator’ for a persons’ credibility before creating educational material. (evidentally they’ve never been flamed online.) That if you hadn’t put in the 10,000 hours then you really had no business educating others. The crux of their argument is that only experts should be educators. The thing is that argument has nothing to do with the communication medium.
Here is the biggest hole I see in such an argument. Many times experts make lousy educators because they became experts by enjoying the ‘doing’ side. Whereas someone who just learned a subject might be able to explain it better because they understand the learner better. I’m going to stereotype here to prove a point but do you really need a Mathematician with a Ph.D. from MIT to tutor a 2nd grader on multiplication tables? How about an older sibling? The mathematician has the 10,000 hours of math, the sibling might have only learned it the year before. In the end will the kid know how to multiply by 5?
Math is hard. We spend at least 12 years learning it if you graduate High School. Yet a sibling is more than capable of helping you learn the basics shortly after learning themselves. Woodworking ain’t that hard. Why must a person be validated that they are an expert, have produced hundreds of pieces and clocked 10,000 hours to instruct a friend on how to cut a straight line, use a saw or even cut a dovetail?
Fine Woodworking’s attitude is disappointing, disturbing and frankly destructive. I’m disappointed that as an average woodworker they think so little of me, their audience. I’m not qualified to teach ‘basic’s’ because I haven’t put in 10,000 hours? Seriously… is cutting to a line that complicated? Or are we as their target market just that incompetent?
It’s an attitude that demeans the grandparents, parents, siblings, friends and neighbors who might take a kid under a wing to help them build a birdhouse? Those memorable moments where you learn about predrilling holes, sawing to dimensions, holding the nail with pliers so you don’t smash your fingers. But having not build ‘200’ birdhouses before I’m sure none of them were qualified to pass along such information.
I believe that attitude is practically suicidal for their business. Who’s going to be the spark that ignites the next generation of woodworkers if not a grandparent, parent, sibling, friend, or… online content creator? Who’s going to reignite the fire in a retiree? Experts aren’t in the business of hooking newbies into our craft. The top down attitude that educators must be validated at Fine Woodworking places no value on the people who are bringing them their audience and doesn’t seem to show much confidence in their loyal audiences competence.
You want to know why woodworking is shrinking. It’s because of bass ackward attitudes like this. As a professional educator first, woodworker 22nd I couldn’t of been more belittled, insulted, and demeaned to say that I as a nonexpert am incapable of passing on basic knowledge. What a way to treat their audience/student.
I just came across Mr. Bois’s podcast on his recent chest of drawers build and was truly impressed. His style of woodworking is very much in line with mine which means I’m likely to learn a lot from his really well edited video’s. He seems to use a good balance of power and hand tools picking whatever is most appropriate for the task. Definitely someone to follow if only to learn from his example.
