Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

"Never again can we he satisfied to teach page by page when the world is chock-full of 'aids' just waiting for our ingenuity to recognize and use them" WE TOOK M k\ COURSE by LUCILE HATCH LAST SUMMER I was one of fortyeight teachers who entered the old high school gymnasium to begin a course in Education 435, Audio-Visual Aids to Instruction, University of Oregon. The class met daily from 10 until 12 noon for one month. As a school librarian, I had become increasingly aware of the growing importance of audio-visual materials in teaching and was glad for the opportunity to learn more about the variety of instructional materials now available to teachers. It is said that we "learn by doing." This certainly was a "doing" course. We learned to operate movie projectors, run filmstrip, opaque, slide and overhead projectors, handle recording equipment; we tried our hand at making clisplays for the felt board, enjoyed excursions and discussion groups, took part in skits, and even manufactured paper from pulp. Principals "trained" to improve their roles by serving as laboratory assistants and consultants with the various small groups throughout the course. The librarian acted as librarian for films and filmstrips, something new to her since most school libraries do not yet have "centers" housing all materials. Teachers taught, demonstrated, and explained. Each was called upon to operate a projector, tape recorder, or use some other aid at one time or another. Best of all, each gained a new insight into this wonderful and fascinating area of instructional materials. This course proved a real challenge. Never again can we be satisfied to teach page by page when the world is chock-full of "aids" just waiting for our ingenuity to recognize and use them. With all these wonderful new ideas, teaching can be and will be "fun" . . . but let's start from the beginning. Miss Hatch is librarian at the Sharpies Junior High School in Seattle, Washington. Presentation of Scope Our instructor, D. L. Kruzner, Deputy Superintendent, King County Schools, from Seattle, Washington, launched immediately into a visualized general overview of the course and the whole field of audio-visual instructional materials. Having titillated our interest by a quick peek into the next four weeks, Mr. Kruzner closed the first session by asking a series of questions: "What do you want to get out of the course? Where do you teach? What is your teaching assignment level or subject area? What are your hobbies? What is your definition of teaching?" We learned later that this information was recorded and freipiently used as a guide in meeting individual needs and interests. Each member of the class received an outline of the entire course, with a bibliography of reference material being held in reserve for class members. Tliis met the needs for library reference work and further helped in clarifying the scope of the course. In addition to this outline and bibliography, a daily "working agenda" was posted which listed resource people and the activities and materials scheduled for each session. Grouping Arrangements The class consisted of nine teachers at the primary level, six teachers from grades four through six, seven at the junior high school level, eighteen at the high school level and eight principals. The class decided to organize into small groups by interest, with the high school teacher group being further subdivided into groups whose main functions were in the areas of social studies, speech, English and drama, physical education, and music and art. The principals formed a unit, with each principal also being assigned to one of the other groups as an administrative counsellor. By holding the class in the gymnasium, there was sufficient space to set up one-half of the area with chairs. projection facilities, and a demonstration table to accommodate sessions involving the entire group. The other half, referred to as the laboratory section, was divided into eight separate stations with tables and chairs for small group sessions. Such an arrangement made it possible to shift, with a minimum of lost time, from the large all-inclusive group to small work units where homogeneous grouping further facilitated the reaction and discussion pha.se of the course. Emphasis on Equipment The instructional materials center of the University supplied projection equipment of all kinds for the laboratory portion of the course. Numerous electrical outlets were provided so that any or all of the equipment could be in use at the same time. Most of the teachers expressed a desire to learn how to operate the equipment currently available in their own schools. In view of this, each member learned to operate every type of audio-visual equipment available. To facilitate this gigantic assignment, the eight principals acted as laboratory assistants. At least one principal remained on duty during each hour of the day from 8 A.M. until 4 P.M. to assist anyone who wished instruction. When the principal on duty was sure a teacher had mastered the operation of a piece of equipment, he initialed the appropriate square after the teacher's name on the master equipment chart. In addition to acting as a checkoff list on individual class member progress, this chart provided the instructor with the names of "operators" who were ready and able to perform whenever equipment was used during regidar classroom sessions. Preview Library of Films and Filmstrips A preview library of films and filmstrips was made available to teachers once they had become proficient in running motion picture and filmstrip 142 Educational Screen