The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

330 The Educational Screen How to Use Pictures — An Illustration A. W. Abrams Visual Instruction Division, University of the State of New York AM'AN engaged in educational work recently remarked that he had once used lantern slides a good deal, but had given up doing, so because he found that the members of his classes were giving attention to the pictures rather than to what he said. This person had missed the essential feature of visual instruction. Had he confined his use of pictures to those occasions when he wished to present objective facts, which pictures are so well calculated to represent, and had aimed to lead his classes to observe and interpret, that is to read, the pictures, he would doubtless have secured better results. It must be obvious that the person who merely discusses or gives out information about a subject and at the same time throws upon the screen pictures which he does not lead his class or audience to observe and interpret, is dividing attention between seeing and hearing rather than co-ordinating these two avenues of approach to the mind. The following notes are furnished by a certain commercial concern to accompany a picture of a Swiss chalet: A Mountain Chalet, Grindelwald, Switzerland The word "chalet" (sha-la) means "cottage." The term is now used chiefly to mean Swiss cottages. These are built in one general style. The lower story is of stone. The upper story is of wood. The roof is made of shingles and projects far out over the house. Where the country is rough, and mountain floods are common, the roofs are weighted down with stones. Sometimes a torrent breaks over a mountain side and plunges into the valley. Then the houses need to be strong and the roofs solid. The view shows an ideal Swiss scene. Against the side of the cottage is stacked a pile of wood. This is to be used for fuel, perhaps for cooking. The pile will be much larger before winter comes; for huge fires are needed to drive out the cold in these mountains when the snow falls. In the little out-house are to be stored supplies of food. The narrow road winds up the valley past another farm house. It looks like a ribbon unwound among the foothills. The little field is strongly fenced. You would call it only a garden. Most Swiss fields are only gardens in size. Only a small part of the land is tillable, but it is carefully tended. Every village has its herdsman who drives the cattle each summer morning up the mountain side where the pastures are green. In the distance the picture shows the white cap of an Alpine peak. The snows on its top are everlasting. In the valley are trees that shed their leaves in thcj fall. Beyond and higher, to the right, yoi will observe the evergreens. Beyond these the trees are only shrubs. Then plant life disappears and the line of snow is reached. Generally speaking, wild animal life also stops with the line of vegetation. There are a few exceptions to this, however. These notes are well calculated to save the teacher and the pupil all effort except the. mechanical labor of reading them and repeating information verbally expressed by the writer. A DifJerent Conception of Notes For the meaning of chalet send both teacher and pupil to the dictionary. After observing the size and form of this chalet, have pupils search for pictures of others and then answer for themselves whether they are similar or varied in type. Why state that the lower story is of stone? Have the pupils never seen stone? Most pupils who are ready to study Switzerland know what shingles are. If they do not, give them the name after they have noted of what they are made and their size and shape. Tell the pupils to compare the amount of projection of the roof with that of the roofs of houses they have seen. Would it not . be better to ask pupils to give possible reasons for the stones having been placed upon the roof and not be in too great haste for a final answer? I am not sure what the writer means by "ideal." The word is commonly used as th<* opposite of real — fanciful, existing only in