The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

342 Visual Instruction Association of America The Educational Screen mental -activities begins and ends within the truncated gamut of this first half of the learning process. Now, it is equally certain, though not so readily recognizable, that as the child develops psychologically, he takes over successively in increasing degree the remaining stages or phases of the learning process. Memory yields to. indeed prompts, imagination; and imagination, which is memory in a genetic, constructive, creative mood, provides him with clear and satisfying concepts, built of the scattered percepts with which his brain has been stored. Now, if all this is true, clearly the first duty of the teacher is to be guided in his methods by a careful consideration of those mental processes, emotional states and efferent impulses that are characteristically dominant in the child's particular stage of psychological development. In other words, there is a time, or an age, at which to bombard the child with sensory impressions; there is a time or an age for bringing the motor impulses into play; there is a time to give free rein to the imagination. Even though any of these or other methods of approach may properly be resorted to at any stage, there is some particular stage of mental growth at which each is most appropriate. This is a vital point, and to none more vital than to the visual instructionist, whose whole methodology consists in the correct application of the direct sensory appeal. We shall require some maxims, from time to time, to serve as road-signs in any rapid mental survey of our progress. Let us erect such a sign-post right here and clinch the lesson of this article by a maxim that our elders taught most of us many years ago— namely, that There is a time for everything. Visual Instruction at the N. E. A, By Ilsley Boone FOR the first time in the history of the National Education Association, the theme of visual instruction was given something like its due recognition at the Oakland Convention of the N. E. A., held in the coast city, July 1 to 6. The simultaneous meeting of the World Conference on Education in the neighboring city of San Francisco and the large number of annual meetings of allied organizations, brought together what was probably the largest single gathering of educators from all over the world that has ever been held. In both the World Conference, and more notably in the N. .E. A., attentive consideration was given to the subject of visual instruction. President Owen had requested Dr. H. B. Wilson of Berkeley to organize two half-day programs dealing with this subject, and while it is a matter of regret that the participants in the programs presented almost entirely the methods, programs, and results of visual instruction in the west and middle west. to the exclusion of what had been accomplished in the east, nevertheless, the sessions were exceedingly suggestive and helpful throughout, and great credit is due to Dr. Wilson for the excellent programs which he arranged. The National Council of the N. E. A. de voted the best part of one of its afternoon sessions to a consideration of the subject. Papers were presented by Miss Olive Jones of New York, the newly elected president of the N. E .A.; Mrs. Susan B. Dorsey, superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, and Mr. Ernest L. Crandall, director of visual instruction in the New York city schools — all of whom are members of the Executive Board of the Visual Instruction Association of America. These discussions were all of a high order and were concerned with the practical application of motion pictures to the school work. A report of the N. E. A. Convention, with special reference to the subject of visual instruction, would scarcely be complete without some reference to the report of what is popularly known as the Judd Committee, a committee appointed by the N. E. A., with Dr. Charles H. Judd of the University of Chicago as chairman, for the purpose of investigating the materials and methods of visual instruction, w^ith particular regard to the applicability of the motion picture to class room work. The report of this committee in printed form was distributed during the closing days of the convention. It dealt only with the initial steps of the committee's investigations, and did little more than present a partial survey. It is to be