Educational film magazine; (19-)

to each teacher a week in advance so that she may prepare the students in her class by giving them the necessary background for the picture. In many cases a list of queslioiis on the picture is furnished the teacher so that the students will have somelhing definite to look for in the picture. In order to prepare ihese the writer has reviewed most of the pictures shown in the schools. The difficulty of course arises where we are showing a picture on Africa when not all the stu- dents are studying ihat topic at that time. We find, however, that they retain the picture in their minds Snd profit by it nevertheless. Of course the ideal scheme would be lo show each class its pic- tures to correspond wiih the topic being covered by the class at the time. The cost of rental of film is too high at present to permit this. The time will eventually come, fiowever. when a board of education will buy outright a film course in the different subjects as it now buys its textbooks and then each class will be able to use its own films in the ideal way. as a means of raising money for its athletic team, but this has nothing lo do wilh the film education program. When we first began our educational projirams we proposed cooperation to the Y. M. C. A. For about six months we worked our programs together but finally gave it up. This is due to the fact tha; the \ desires primarily eiiteiiaininj; programs, whereas the public schools desire lo use only programs for instructional purposes, tor the past two years the public schools have been doing this work wiihoul any assistance from the Y. M. C. A. The question uppermost in the minds of all educators is nat- urally that of the educational value of this new instrument of learning. A\ e, in Bayonne, have been using the motion picture for three years and have found it a great aid. The time is coming, however, when the picture will prove to be the greatest essential. Coming — Educational Films By Educators There are but few really educational pictures available. Most ^I^ A UDITORIUM -^*of Washington School. Bayonne. New .1 e r s e y , equipped with fireproof operat- ing h<K>th and modern motion picture projectors. Note the wide aisles and large gl.iss sliyiights. Trained Opkrator in Each School The question of operating the machines furnished quite a prob- lem at first. To solve this we selected one man in each school, either the janitor, his assistant, or a male teacher, and had him trained to operate the machine. We now have a trained operator in each school whom we do not have to pay. We obtained our pictures from many sources. At first we made use of the Community Motion Picture Bureau almost entirely. Gradually as we became more familiar with the motion picture field we began "shopping around" in the different exchanges and made use of the many free pictures available. At the present time nearly all the motion picture companies have established "non-theatrical departments" to cater to schools, etc., and the prospective user of films has but to notify them of his desire for information on films and all they can offer are at his disposal. Entertainment Programs Also We charge no admission to the motion picture shows being given under the auspices of the Bayonne schools. An individual school will frequently use an entertaining motion picture show of them are commercial pictures produced for theatrical use or advertising purposes and then, rehashed and retitled, are widely advertised as new educational pictures. The time is soon to be at hand when pictures will be produced and edited by educators for educational purposes only. These pictures will have all the content to be transmitted and will also have enough of the interest element in them to attract and hold the child. Each classroom will be equipped with a small motor-driven projector operated by the teacher from a point near the board so that she can oper- ate the machine and use a pointer at the same time. These pro- jectors should be equipped with such lights that by stopping the motor the teacher will be able to get a still picture and spend a few minutes in driving some point home. Pictures will have to be produced so cheaply that a board of education will be able to buy outright complete courses in different subjects for use in the classrooms. Then only will the picture be used effectively. The educator is going to find the motion picture a great aid in his work and the educational field is a large and fertile field of enterprise for the picture producing industry.