riverheights Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 Hi there - Hope this is the right forum to post! I am the clay tech at a public studio, and we want to have a 16-18 Wheel class. However, there are concerns from the Executive Director of the community centre regarding bone development. He says there is a bone in the had that is not fully developed until age 18, and that it can be damaged by wheel throwing. I have never heard of such a thing. Any thoughts? Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 Almost sounds like your Exec Director doesn't want to deal with minors. The problem goes away when they're 18... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Sweet Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 Sounds as if the executive director doesn’t want to fund the program, and is using “scare-mongering” techniques to gain support for his agenda. Don’t believe that any bone that wasn’t fully developed by 18 would have survived the childhood of most adults born before computer games became the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnolia Mud Research Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 15 minutes ago, riverheights said: there is a bone in the had that is not fully developed until age 18, and that it can be damaged by wheel throwing. Run this by a reliable Physical Therapy Doctor before reaching a conclusion. LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverheights Posted March 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 8 minutes ago, Fred Sweet said: Sounds as if the executive director doesn’t want to fund the program, and is using “scare-mongering” techniques to gain support for his agenda. Don’t believe that any bone that wasn’t fully developed by 18 would have survived the childhood of most adults born before computer games became the norm. I don’t think it’s lack of funding - classes fund a lot of our studio op and we have classes for 16-18 in a bunch of other disciplines! The video game thing is a great point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 The director makes an interesting point but I would have to ask which sport and work activities need to be avoided until age eighteen as well? This appears to be something that deserves some honest research to determine if it is valid. Having said that, even if not entirely based in fact, this director seems pretty dead set against the idea. It would make me wonder. lots and lots of high school ceramics programs out there, I wonder what age group they serve? Just sayin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 do you plan to chain these young people to the wheel and make them work for 20 hours at a time? i wonder what else the director worries about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 Seems silly, I was introduced to the wheel in third grade, still have all my bones and they're fairly developed at 35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 17, 2019 Report Share Posted March 17, 2019 Taught High School for over 36 yrs. Taught Ceramics 2 students wheel throwing, 50 minute classes 5 times a week. Never any problems with throwing or with handbuilding that required wedging. In the long run I tend to believe that people believe what they want to believe, especially when they have other reasons that they are supporting with their nefarious beliefs. Now how you will find out what the other reasons are is quite difficult. I believe that this could only be done with continuous discourse until he reveals his true reasons for believing that the hand bones will be damaged. Wonder what his beliefs are about little league, pee wee leagues and other child sports leagues. best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted March 18, 2019 Report Share Posted March 18, 2019 14 hours ago, oldlady said: do you plan to chain these young people to the wheel and make them work for 20 hours at a time? i wonder what else the director worries about. How else are you supposed to get them to work and produce?! 14 hours ago, liambesaw said: Seems silly, I was introduced to the wheel in third grade, still have all my bones and they're fairly developed at 35. Yes, but can you definitively say, that said bone, didn't maybe *not* develop at all, or perhaps fuse with another bone, due to all that clay work?! When need a study. First off, obviously, we need twins. (Clones would also be acceptable, but that's too much ethical debate, and red tape). Then, we have one twin start an extensive clay throwing regimen starting at a young age. The other, will not. We will then check in, once they are adults, and compare the results. Any wrist/ arm issues, that occur, are obviously due to the clay work. Even any issues with the other twin, who did not work with clay, are because of the clay, because obviously the twins have that special connection, where pain and injuries are transferred. Seriously though, the most taxing part of wheel throwing, and clay work is wedging, which the students wouldn't even have to do, at least not in the quantities, that it would cause an issue. Centering can be pretty taxing, but for kids, they do have "Quick Center" systems for wheels, that would make that even a non-issue. I would present that, to the Director, and if they still have an issue, it might be more of a "Them" thing, than something related to the kid's potential risk of injury. Also, I think the only risk of wrist injury is for life-long potters, like Mark C., who as legend says, now has a wrist that is a combination of cybernetics and "Frankenstein Science"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 18, 2019 Report Share Posted March 18, 2019 Bone fully developed at 18 yrs, hmm, not specific enough, imo, as (generally) the boys/men at 18 don't catch up to same age girls/women for a year or two or three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted March 18, 2019 Report Share Posted March 18, 2019 Gender specific pottery class? This is getting complicated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 18, 2019 Report Share Posted March 18, 2019 "Girls usually continue to grow until a bone age of about 14 years, and boys stop growing after a bone age of 16 years..." ...besides the variance of maturity at eighteen - from reached adult "size" a few years ago to a few growth spurts (years) still to go; no throwin' 'til eighteen sounds arbitrary to ludicrous t'me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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