Historical overview Sloyd

1 historical overview

1.1 background
1.2 sloyd in sweden
1.3 sloyd in america

historical overview
background

the word sloyd derived swedish word slöjd, translates crafts, handicraft, or handiwork. refers woodwork paper-folding , sewing, embroidery, knitting , crochet.

otto salomon, financial support of uncle, started school teachers in nääs (now part of swedish municipality of lerum) in 1870s. school attracted students throughout world , active until around 1960.

educational sloyd s purpose formative in thought benefits of handicrafts in general education built character of child, encouraging moral behavior, greater intelligence, , industriousness. sloyd had noted impact on development of manual training, manual arts, industrial education , technical education.

sloyd in sweden

sloyd (slöjd) has been swedish school subject since 1870s , compulsory since 1955. in present national curriculum swedish elementary schools, students have classes in slöjd every semester, between ages of 9 , fifteen.

in schools, course still divided traditionally in 2 parts: soft materials (textiles) , hard materials (woodwork , metalwork). each semester, students switch between 2 different classrooms. differences in kind of tasks selected, , how subject-specific content handled, depend on teacher s training.

the present aims of slöjd curriculum in sweden are:

developing ability create , design self-made products in different materials
managing handtools , materials
expressing cultural , aesthetic values.

sloyd aims develop student s practical knowledge, , ability solve practical problems through knowledge of different working processes, how evaluate results of own work during production process trying out different ways handle specific tools or materials or choosing alternative tools , materials.

sloyd in america

the major points of sloyd introduction in united states gustaf larsson s sloyd teacher training school, housed on fourth floor of north bennet street industrial school (now north bennet street school) in boston, , @ baron de hirsch trade school in nyc.

of sloyd system, north bennet street industrial school s annual report school year 1908-1909 had following say:

the north bennet street industrial school came being in 1880 answer question stated in first annual report: might not train these unskilled masses, , create demand them , labor? throughout history, school has had single aim—social betterment means of such education shall increase efficiency , respect labor.... indeed, largely due work started here , developed through sloyd training school manual training has become inheritance of children on our entire country.

that same annual report goes on sloyd training school, many years occupying fourth floor, given new building on harcourt street, growth , demands upon school having increased such extent made old quarters entirely inadequate. implication teachings further absorbed boston educational system.

gustaf larsson wrote number of books sloyd , sloyd education, , b.b. hoffmann, principal of baron de hirsch trade school, published important text. ednah anne rich, graduate of gustaf larsson s school in boston , of sloyd training school @ nääs started sloyd teacher training in santa barbara. in few years, sloyd being taught in hundreds of schools throughout us.