The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 46 The Educational Screen Why d Department of Visual Education? By D. C. THORNTON Supervisor of Visual Education Public Schools, York, Neb. IT HAS recently come to my attention that an "au- thority"' on educational matters in a university has said, "Why have a department of Visual Education ? Why have it under a director? Isn't visual education just part of the general process of teaching carried on each day by the teacher herself in the classroom?" It is evident from these remarks that the professor of higher learning has failed to recognize the present day meaning of visual education and its importance. Of course many visual aids have been used extensively for a long time, but the use of these has been steadily growing for the last twenty or thirty years. Especially in the last three or four years has there been an in- crease in the number of kinds of visual aids and grow- ing appreciation of their value. No longer is the teacher using only the pictures in text books augmented by a few magazine covers. Pictures projected on a screen, by slides or film strips, the motion picture and the "sound" projector have come into ever increasing use. It seems that this professor is still in the dark as to the most recent developments in the use of the more modern visual aids and the organization necessary for their eflfective use. Surely, however, he is aware of the value of the proper i:se of visual devices and therefore it should suffice to remind him that in this state alone, Nebraska, there are over four hundred schools using; motion picture machines, silent and sound, the most recent of visual aids. Why is there need of a department and a super- visor? The purpose in having a supervisor of visual education is the same as that for any other department. That purpose is to make easier the learning process through improvement of the teaching procedures and perhaps in no department is a supervisor more needed for such a purpose. Very few institutions of higher learning offer courses of instruction in the effective use of visual aids. Only one state in the union (Pennsylvania) makes it comj)ulsory for every teacher to have a course in Visual Education, although the National Education Association has advised that states require such train- ing. The average teacher is still in the dark so far as visual aids are concerned and because of inertia, and a very human willingness to let well enough alone, is con- tent to remain still in the dark. In such a case visual education is a miserable failure. There probably is no other place where there can be such an abuse in the use of educational aids. We can expect little progress until teachers have be- come convinced of the value of these aids, have some knowledge of the best methods for their use and have some standards by which to measure their effectiveness. A supervisor may do much to bring this about. He can devote his time to studying the general and specific problems of the department; carry on research work- to measure effectiveness; organize materials; try out procedures or techniques; keep informed as to the subject matter being taught and suggest visual aids for that particular unit of work; and see that effec- tiveness is attained in their use. Many if not all teachers can be improved by an intelligent director of visual education. The director may aid in planning special programs for the entire school and work in harmony with the art department and other depart- ments throughout the system with the use of visual aids. He may also work with churches and clubs in using films for teaching character and health. The necessity for a central department is very ap- parent when we consider the organization of such a department. There nuist be a central source of visual materials. If it is necessary to rent still films, slides, and moving picture films, these must be ordered from a commercial house or University. It is practical that they be ordered for a year in advance. Teachers must have film catalogs from the library in which the order is to be placed. Their orders must be made up and dated to conform to the dates when they are studying the ])articular unit of work. The director must meet with these teachers, usually meeting in groups all teachers of the same grade or subject. These orders must be coordinated and integrated so that there are no unnecessary duplications. Finally the orders from all the teachers throughout the system must be arranged on one large order and again be coordinated for the en- tire system. If the school can afford to buy the films and slides there must be not only storage facilities but a special laboratory for filing, mending, and checking. Orders must be taken and records kept. The visual aids must be catalogued as well as the syllabi or teach- ers' aids that accompany them. High school boys must be trained in the operation and care of the machine, as better results will be obtained if the teacher is free to devote her attention to the class and the picture. Pic- tures should be evaluated and these evaluations filed so that pictures of little teaching value will not be re- ordered another term. The value derivable from an intelligent use of visual aids warrants the organization of such a department and the instruction with such aids will be greatly im- proved by a systematic organization, under a qualified supervisor who enlists and encourages the instructional staff in this old but newest venture.