Mechanical Arts: A New Old Way

When we consider schooling, at any level, we often default to thinking about cognitive growth, making students smarter. Consequentially, the success of schools, over the past forty years, has been measured with test scores. If students are smarter (as indicated on standardized tests of math and reading), then schools are successful. True, standardized testing is a relatively easy, common assessment, but it represents a tragically limited view of education. 

While imparting knowledge will always be a part of education, a broader view is needed to educate the whole child. Wholistic education focuses on much more than the traditional school subjects or even the seven liberal arts. The Hebraic model of education, found in the Old Testament, was a wholistic life  education that trained up a child in the way he/she should go (Proverbs 22:6). While the Greeks focused more on the intellect than the Hebrews, they did promote "paideia" emphasizing wisdom and character.  As Comenius, the father of modern education and a Christian educator, stated in The Great Didactic (1657), education should teach "all things to all people." 

For years, schools have taught "life" on the periphery, often as electives, or for students who were not "smart." Programs such as industrial arts, shop class, career and technical education (CTE), home economics, life skills, career academies ... I even took a class called "cooking for guys." Thanks to the Greystone Institute, I have recently discovered The Mechanical Arts, an old concept from the 12th Century that identified seven "life skills" (textiles, weaponry, agriculture, commerce, hunting, medicine, and theatrics). During the middle ages, these mechanical arts were viewed as common or vulgar, below the status of an educated person, and that perspective, unfortunately, has continued today with the educated professional looking down on the "dumb" day-laborers.

Times are changing. College is not the path for everyone, AI-proof trades are being seen as more valuable, "homesteading" is becoming more popular, and "life skills" are again viewed as essential skills. Recognizing that a fully educated person is more than intellectual knowledge, the seven mechanical arts complements the seven liberal arts well. It truly is a great addition to those schools who value the liberal arts and measure their success in ways beyond test scores.

What I love about the Mechanical Arts is that they are anchored to the historic Liberal Arts and to Christianity, valuing these as a beautiful way for students to bear God's image. Additionally, these mechanical arts demonstrate God's "every square inch" sovereignty ... and there are way more than seven of them. Each school's mechanical arts program can look a little different based on the interest of students, their community, and knowledge/experience of the teachers/parents. 

Here are a few mechanical arts programs to consider adding to your liberal arts curriculum.

1. Entrepreneurship/Business -- Students need to think with an entrepreneurial mindset, learn basic business concepts, and ethical business practices. An intro to business class can cover these things, and many schools have student-run businesses for students to apply what they've learned. 
2. Agricultural -- Obviously rural schools with vibrant 4H programs are doing this already, but urban and suburban schools should look for ways to teach these skills. As homesteading, urban farming, and sustainable living are becoming more popular, schools should have greenhouses and rooftop gardens for students to learn about small-scale agriculture.
3. Culinary Arts -- Learning to cook and bake is an essential skill that will serve students for their entire life. Many schools have students helping prepare meals and serve lunch, but adding a food safety course certification and additional culinary skills will prepare them for the home and even the workplace. 
4. Medical Training -- Providing students with medical knowledge and skills, of course, will benefit students for their life. Partnering with local medical educational trainers to provide  certifications (CPR/First Aid, LVN, etc) may help students gain employment or acceptance to further training in medical careers. 
5. 
   gome Improvement / Remodeling -- The DIY home improvement industry is booming. I'm sure that local contractors or businesses would love to teach students basic skills of painting, home repair, simple electrical or plumbing, drywall, and flooring. In addition to giving back, construction companies are looking for future employees and many will have apprenticeships available.
6. Hunting/Fishing -- Depending on the community, some schools may offer hunter safety and licensing courses or teaching students to fly fish (and tie flies). These courses, if designed well, can teach environmental science and conservation from a Christian perspective.
7. Car Care -- Providing students with basic auto mechanics, preventive maintenance, and car care is an important life skill. To be honest, I feel the dumbest when an auto mechanic explains what is wrong with my car. This knowledge will save them a ton of money in the future, but it also provides an opportunity to serve their neighbor, e.g., helping to change a tire, jump a dead car battery.  

These are seven important mechanical arts that come to mind, but the topics are truly unlimited ... as broad as life itself.

To move these programs from the periphery into the core will take administrators and teachers flexible enough to build a schedule and give up instructional time. Mechanical Arts is also something that schools can move slowly to adopt ... start a student-run business that sells food at breaks and games, offer a CPR/First Aid certification course after school, set aside one Friday afternoon a month for MA enrichment courses, etc. You will see students come alive as they learn about life.

Schools need to be more than "college prep" today and adding a mechanical arts program may provide an innovative and unique program that will increase enrollment, boost student engagement, and enhance parent/community involvement. More importantly, it will align with whole child education and a school that values more than just test scores.

Teaching Students to Know Goodness (and Be Good)

Truth, Beauty, and Goodness are three essential elements, first emphasized by Plato, for a virtuous life and a flourishing society. The first two articles in this series focus on Truth and Beauty in schools; however, Goodness in schools is more challenging as it incorporates teaching students to know goodness and to be good. 

Knowing What is Good

The academic disciplines that examine the essence of goodness are theology and ethics. Clearly, schools, colleges, and universities that are not religious do not teach theology, and ethics is rarely taught at any school. Unfortunately, most students are not formally taught what is good (at least at school). That is troubling in itself. This is why teaching goodness is going to be more challenging than teaching truth and beauty; it will involve incorporating new lessons, units, courses into the curriculum. 

If we are to teach students to know goodness, we must start with a rigorous study of theology and ethics.

Christian schools have the advantage in teaching students to know what is good. as most have Bible classes, along with classes taught from a biblical perspective. However, not all teachers in Christian schools believe that the Bible is the ultimate standard for goodness or have the training to know how to teach from a biblical perspective. Christian school leaders must hire well and provide ongoing professional development in both Bible knowledge and subject/grade specific pedagogy from a Christian perspective. Keeping this as an institutional priority is key to teaching students what is good.

Ethics or moral philosophy should also be taught, with age-appropriate curricula, so students understand how to view everything from an ethical framework. Thankfully, ethics curriculum is being developed as whole courses and as lessons inserted into units, so students can learn how to evaluate and make good decisions, including topics such as ... 

• Utilitarian and deontological ethics, ethical dilemmas, and fallacies
• Ethical decisions, values-based decisions, just cause, and moral choices 
• Personal ethics, professional workplace ethics, and public ethics

Each of these instructional topics will help to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate skills essential in our world today.  And ... those are sure needed today. 

Living in a break-neck, technological age, the primary question is not, can we do something? (we can) but rather, should we do it? or Is it good to do something? These are their own set of modern ethical questions ... should we clone animals/people? should we use AI to write our papers for us? should we have relationships with humanoids? should we freeze embryos? should we genetically alter pre-born babies? 

Everyday brings a new set of these ethical questions. Answers to these questions take biblical and ethical wisdom, and humanity is (currently) woefully under-trained in these areas. I do believe that educators (especially Christian educators) have an amazing opportunity to fill this gap by teaching goodness.

Knowing goodness should lead to being good, and schools should help develop that, too.

Being Good

I spent 8 years as a dean of students at the college level and 13 years as a high school principal; both of these roles involved establishing a set of rules and then enforcing those rules. Because of these roles in educational leadership, I've spent over 20 years thinking about orthopraxy (or right-actions) in schools. One of the responsibilities of a school is to teach students to be virtuous (good) citizens.

Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer and educational philosopher, used the term pietas literata, emphasizing that schools should not only produce smart students but also pious ones. Luther was a strong proponent of universal education to teach all students to read the Bible (priesthood of all believers) and to encourage right actions aligned with God's word. 

Most Christian educators and Christian schools agree with Martin Luther's concept of pietas literata, with a goal of educated and godly graduates. They are training students to be good, and good is defined by the Bible. 

Unfortunately, the majority of American educators and schools do not believe that the Bible is the moral standard. The prevalent worldview in classrooms is individualism, where morality is defined by the individual person, essentially, whatever makes you happy is "good." Consequentially, they are training students to be individuals pursuing individual happiness. Not surprisingly, examples of this mentality are ubiquitous in our narcissistic and ego-centric society.

The best way to learn about goodness and even to be good is to emulate others who make good, ethical decisions and live pious lives. Knowing that adult exemplars are rare today, spotlighting those individuals who are living the "good life" is really important. Teaching students how to know goodness and be good is definitely needed in our society today, and Christian educators, at all levels, should lead the way!