The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

September, 1923 National Academy of Visual Instruction 335 The Training of Teachers for Service and During Service in The Use of Objective and Other Visual Material* Anna V. Dorris Director of Visual Instruction, San Francisco State Teachers' College and Berkeley Public Schools T HROUGHOUT the programs of this conference we shall be concerned with disI ""■ cussing ways and means of bringing more concreteness and greater reality in the teaching process. To this end it is important to have our schools and class rooms equipped with as many worthwhile types of objective and other visual materials as is possible in order that keener interest, more economy and greater efficiency may be brought to our teaching. It is also necessary to set up ways and means of eliminating, as rapidly as possible, all hindrances and handicaps to the easy and effective use of all concrete materials in regular class room procedure. The total effectiveness of the use of such concrete materials, as a means of enriching and improving our teaching depends very largely upon the personality and training of the teacher. To secure the best results from any educational tool or device the teacher must first feel its need wholeheartedly and enthusiastically, and then know how to use it judiciously and effectively. No industrial or commercial institution would think of introducing new equipment into its plant without thoroughly training its employees how to use it to the best advantage. Yet in our schools we very frequently forget the need of training the teacher in the use of new techniques of working. To me has been assigned the task of discussing the need of training teachers to make appropriate use of objective and other visual materials in teaching. That I may deal concretely with the problem, I shall present, (first) the results of a survey showing the provisions now being made in the United States for training teachers in the values and uses of the various types of visual material, (second) some results of my own efforts to train teachers in the San Francisco State Teachers' College and (third) the progress made in the city schools of Berkeley in helping the teaching staff to make larger use of concrete materials in their work. To gather the facts in reference to the defi nite facilities providing for the training of teachers in visual instruction in the United States an inquiry or circular letter was sent to 171 normal schools and teachers' colleges and to 114 colleges and universities. Request was made for the announcement of any courses given with the object of training teachers to use visual materials as a means of definite instruction. A total of 30 returns were received from normal schools and teachers' colleges and 37 were received from colleges and universities. A tabulation of these returns revealed the following facts: But four normal schools and teachers' colleges offered regular full credit courses and two offered summer session courses. Michigan reported that each of her four normal schools offers to seniors a five months non-credit course. One institution offers a three credit course in graphs and their uses in teaching. For years The Kirksville Teachers' College has offered a course in photography and slide making. But two colleges and universities offer regular courses for credit and two others offer summer courses only. Colleges and universities have given more attention to the developing of centers for the distribution of visual aids, particularly slides and films; seventeen of the thirty-seven institutions reporting maintain such centers, two such centers are self-supporting and two circulate material free to schools and community centers. Only four normal schools and teachers' colleges report the operation of distributing centers to help schools. The main object thus far in operating distributing cenj:ers seems to be to provide clean wholesome materials for entertainment rather than class room instruction. The evidence gathered points rather clearly to the fact that thus far the main use made of slides and films is for entertainment purposes. From the foregoing, it is seen that -of the thirty normal schools and teachers' colleges reporting, but eleven are attempting to provide ♦Address given at Visual Instruction Conference, National Education Association, Oakland, California, July 3, 1923.