E. E. ERICSON, "The Use of Books in Shop Teaching"
Industrial Education Magazine 30 October 1928, pages 140-141

(Ericson taught at State Teachers College, Santa Barbara, California)

THERE are teachers of shopwork who make little or no use of books in connection with their teaching. Such teachers are gradually exhausting their own resources, fine as they once might have been, and are depriving themselves of the opportunity of enriching their teaching thru assistance which they could get from books and other publications of various kinds.

There are several types of printed material available within the field. The following classification is made in order to point out some specific uses of this material rather than to furnish a scientific analysis of the available publications.

1. Textbooks.

These books are of the type that furnish a definite amount of basic information and instruction regarding the subject to be taught. The mission of books of this kind is not to furnish outlines for courses, or give drawings or directions for finished projects, but rather to treat the principles involved, and furnish directions for attaining skill and knowledge that are useful in making any project within the range of subject matter covered. They are intended for individual use of students.

2. Project books.

Under this heading come a variety of publications showing specific projects that can be made, or drawings, specifications, and so on, for such projects. This type of material often leaves out all directions for constructing the articles, and also all reference to the "how" in tool operations necessary for the general mechanical skill that the maker must possess. Such printed material makes no pretense at anything but to furnish ideas and designs to be worked out by teacher and pupils. As such they serve to take away the staleness of the shop in which the same projects are used this year as last year, and as the ten years before that. These books are not often bought for individual student use.

3. Shop manuals.

A shop manual as here classified is the kind of printed help that mainly furnishes specific directions in steps of procedure for work to be done, and usually makes these directions apply directly to specific, prescribed projects or processes, including such bills of material, drawings, statement of tools to be used, and the like, as are needed for the proper completion of such projects or processes. Under this classification would come a large number of the job sheets on the market and books of bound instruction data, in many respects similar to the well-known chemistry and physics manuals used in our high schools. These may or may not be furnished for individual use, depending upon class organization.

4. Students' reference books.

This is a class of books, very helpful in the shop or library, the contents of which do not fall under any of the classes mentioned so far. These are especially valuable for obtaining auxiliary information more or less closely related to the actual shopwork, or information of the encyclopedia type, similar to that found in the architects' or engineers' handbooks.

5. Teachers' books.

As a last group may be mentioned the rapidly growing supply of books that deal with the work of the teacher from the teacher's own viewpoint. Without being a rather habitual buyer of these as they are published, the instructor cannot hope to be considered modern in his outlook upon the field or in the methods of his teaching.

It will be found that many of the books mentioned combine two or more of the characteristics referred to, but in the main each book emphasizes one of the functions listed in the previous paragraphs.

Several reasons can be given why some teachers have made themselves immune to the effects of books and other published materials, and some of these reasons are not complimentary to those that entertain them whether secretly or publicly.

1. As reason number one probably comes the argument by teachers that they do not want to tie to "stereotyped" programs, or follow instructions laid out for students in some other locality. While there is validity in this argument, if properly considered, the main fact probably is that teachers who voice most definitely this view, are those who do not believe in practicing any definite procedure and do not want to be bound by such suggestions as to regular teaching procedure as a book would tend to encourage.

2. Some teachers have so much respect for their own methods and practices, which they have acquired by practical experience or otherwise, that they cannot see any profit to the student from getting such auxiliary information as would come from textbooks. Besides, in such cases, the tendency is to feel that damage will be done, because the writer of the text was perhaps inferior in his methods and practices.

3. Teachers hesitate about the expense. The feeling is that leaving out books will make the course less expensive to the student (where texts are furnished by students) and that a larger enrolment will result. This theory should stand a thorn test before too much belief is placed in it, since very few students go to any class because it is cheap. Teachers who figure this way, probably also figure that they themselves will be farther ahead economically in ten or fifteen years by failing to purchase professional literature. A survey of all the shop teachers who have progressed most in the past decade would furnish interesting information here.

4.Some teachers began to teach when there was lit-de or no printed material within this field, and by some miracle they have never become accustomed to draw upon the experience of others thru this source. In such cases all the profession can do, perhaps, is to be tolerant and wait for the following generation.

5. Would it be unkind, I wonder, to say that there are teachers who do not wish to have the work of their students measured by standards indicated in books and magazines? It is too disturbing. It upsets the present status of things. It may imply that changes should be made, and changes are not popular with some teachers.

And this matter of measuring may also apply to the teacher. He does not want his methods, his projects, his organization, or lack of it, interfered with by the introduction of texts, or by students who have read about so-called better methods for doing the work. Finally, and more affirmatively, what are the reasons for using textbooks and other books in the shop? Nell, here are a few for a starter, and the reader can take a sheet of paper and write down some of those that lack of space granted by the editor forbids me to list.

1. Books encourage the covering of a definite scope of work.

2. They offer a check upon the instructor, because he must measure his efficiency in relation to the contents of the text.

3. Books serve to create and develop the ability on the part of the student to read and interpret technical material, and to follow out printed directions. This training is of inestimable value to most nun in later lift.

4. Books usually specify standards in processes of work, in design and construction, and in use of materials and tools. There is too much tendency on the part of teachers to be local in practices and narrow in vision.

5. Books are a help in teaching. They enable the teacher to cover more details and to do more actual instruction by relieving him of the responsibility of imparting routine information. A book costing a dollar or two will save time for the teacher to the actual value of many times that sum.

6. Books in shop teaching are an economical investment to the state or the board of education for the reason stated in the previous paragraph. If the teacher is worth hiring, his time is worth saving for that type of work which will give the largest educational returns.