Educational film magazine; (19-)

child in tiie wealthy home, not merely of the child of the slums. Luckily, the normal child can shake off tlie de- pressing effects of such experiences more readily than we may think. Yet, there is much unhealthy influence and emotional strain. The child needs, therefore, dramatic ex- periences which lift him up into a clearer, less surcharged atmosphere. Here, the comic picture comes in. Of course, any kind of human drama on the screen which can give relief to the longings of the child mind for con- structive and wholesome excitement is welcome. The film drama will open up to the child a great field of human possibilities which he will wish to explore. The stage, like the film, or vice-versa, offers to him what a great educator has called "vicarious experience"—^he learns from the hap- penings in other lives what may happen to him. The motion picture, in taking the place of the spoken drama, fills an important place; it is more than a visual presentation—not merely an object lesson. As it absorbs the child's interest and attention, it makes him, as it were, a participant in the events he witnesses, and thus means a real experience, much more vivid than a story he reads or is told. But ihese are all generalities. The real problem comes in when we wish to apply these facts to the individual child. ■The present school education ignores not only the great need of the child to deal, first, with the actualities of objects apd experiences, so that, as stated in the beginning, the movement for visual education is really a subversion of the 'scholastic methods of today (a heritage from the middle .ages), but it also treats children too much en masse, neglect- ing the needs of the individual. Careful Selection and Production Needed This individualization of visual education can here only ^e touched upon in passing, for we have as yet too little knowJedge of the effect which the movies have upon the individual child. Hardly any studies have been made in this direction. • But we may certainly point to various other needs in this connection. There is the sexual difference. Boys and girls are certainly differently affected, but we have made no [effort to meet this fact. Again, it is a matter of age groups. In schools, the instructive film material is roughly traded in accordance with the curriculum of the school T-not always very wisely, but there is at least the attempt. The school grade is supposed to correspond to the age, jr at least to the maturity of the child. But our theatrical liid non-theatrical motion picture shows make no effort o" discriminate between what the baby in his mother's arms, >r- the pre-school period child, or the primary pupil, may ||Ueed and care for, and what the child of pre-adolescent or ,idolescent age should have presented to him or to her. The question of selecting the right kind of films, or of iroducing a new type of films, for use in the visual educa- ion of the child, requires many answers. The study of the jfiiiroblem is in its infancy, just as is the study of educational i'.iroblems in general. The psychologic attitude towards lese questions is but slowly developing. But unless we ,,; pproach them in this spirit, the movement will be a I,! jilure. OKLAHOMA HIGH SCHOOL CONFERENCE Many Instructional Films Screened and Comprehensive Ex- hibit of Visual Instruction Equipment—Statewide Visual EUlucation Association Planned VISUAL education came in for a large share of the program at the Oklahoma High School Conference held at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla- homa, on November 4, 5 and 6. On the evening of No- vember 4 there was a showing of films; the next afternoon Prof. J. W. Shepherd, Director of Visual Education of the University of Oklahoma, spoke on "Can the Motion Picture Educate?" and there was an address by Dr. H. B. Lemon of the University of Chicago. The subject of "Visual Methods in Oklahoma Schools" was covered in a general report and discussion by J. R. Barton, superin- tendent, Sapulpa, Okla.; Floyd E. Miller, superintendent, Jenks, Okla.; C. H. Woodruff, principal, Ardmore, Okla.; and Dr. J. W. Scroggs, of Oklahoma University. On the evening of November 5 motion pictures were again shown. At the round table on the afternoon of November 5 discussion of the subject "Where and How Can We Get Satisfactory Films?" was led by Prof. Shepherd. The outcome of this conference was a plan for statewide organ- ization of a visual education association. The motion picture program for Thursday night, No- vember 4, was as follows: The Why of a Volcano —Educational Films Corporation. Why We Breathe and Ho^: —Picture Service Bureau. Hello Mars and Cartoon: Out of the Inkwell —Bray Pictures Corporation, Magic Clay —in colors—Prizma, Inc. Tunneling Under the Eatt River —Community Motion Picture Bureau. A Nurse Among the Teepees —Carlyle Ellis. The motion picture program for Friday night, Novem- ber 5, was as follows: Study of Glaciers —Society for Visual Education. Through Life's Windows —Worcester Film Corporation. Delco-Light Plant (Gasoline Engine)—Picture Service Bureau. A Day with John Burroughs —Prizma, Inc. French Exploration —Society for Visual Education. Snow Crystals —Bray Pictures Corporation. Aesthetic Dancing (Slow Motion)—Patli^ Exchange. Magic Clay (Repeated by request)—Prizma, Inc. Circulation of the Blood —Scientific Film Company. A unique feature of these evening programs was the fact that these films were shown from machines operated on a platform in the middle of the auditorium, in plain view of the audience. Most of the films were run through the Simplex and Powers machines, one each being run through the De Vry and Zenith. In the display room of the library there was an exhibit of stereopticons, portable motion picture machines, reflectoscopes, stereographs, ste- reoscopes, lantern slides, pictures and art prints. CLASSROOJVLFILMS IN DUBUQUE SCHOOLS "IT'OUR sets Oi...4^Ps on United States history, geography, civics, and health and sanitation, produced by the Society for Visual Education, Chicago, are in use at the Lincoln and Irving Schools in Dubuque, Iowa, and in two Other local schools. The pictures were first shown to the entire body of teachers of the city and later to the pupils in the classrooms. The history film presents in ani- mated diagrams £md photographs the story of French explorations in North America, and the geography film depicts the formation, movements, and effects of glaciers. The pictures are said to be correlated to some textbooks and the method of using them carefully worked out.