The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

farch, 193 6 Proceedings of the Department of Visual Instruction Meeting Page 75 iriences" alone, when in reality it includes all sensory ex- leriences. Educators are waiting for an individual who can coin a more inclusive and appropriate term to fit this iought than the term visual education. For several years, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania IS recognized these larger implications of educational de- Jopment through sensory experience. In response to the iphasis placed upon visual-sensory aids as invaluable in e teaching process, courses in visual education were orga- nized in all state teachers colleges and in many colleges and universities devoted in part to teacher education. The re- sponse to these courses and the favorable recognition given to the outcome of this newer emphasis prompted the State Council of Education of Pennsylvania to require the com- pletion of a course in visual education of all persons to whom shall be issued a permanent college certificate after September, 1935. Teachers may complete this required course either as a part of their pre-service education, or as a part of the six semester hours required to be com- pleted subsequent to the issue of the provisional college certificate, in order to make this certificate permanent. In response, then, to this action of the State Council of Education, a course in visual education was organized and offered at the University of Pittsburgh during the 1935 summer session on an undergraduate basis. Forty-five teachers in service were enrolled in this class. It was given in the Frick Training School adjoining the University under conditions which were all that could be desired. Both class and laboratory work were included. The class met on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for an hour each morning in a regular classroom, and on Wednesday after- noons for two hours in a large adjoining art room with appropriate tables and other equipment for laboratory pur- poses. Two semester hours credit were given for the six weeks course. During the first semester of 1935-36, the course in visual education was given to juniors and seniors of the School of Education on a similar basis. Each of two sections, approximately thirty-five in each section, met for two one-hour periods weekly for class purposes and seven two-hour afternoon periods for laboratory work for a semester. These two opportunities have enabled the writer to study the problem and adaptation of this course both to teachers in service as well as prospective teachers. A previously prepared syllabus and study outline based in part upon the suggested outline prepared by the State Department of Public Instruction constituted the work of the course. A brief introduction to the psychological im- plications of visual education and visual-sensory aids was given by a member of the staff in psychology. The follow- ing units of work were taken up in turn: I. Psychological Aspects of Visual-Sensory .Mds II. Types of Visual-Sensory Aids—(A) A. The Blackboard B. Pictorial and Graphic Aids 1. Pictorial Materials of all types 2. Representative Materials (including drawings, sketches, charts, graphs, diagrams, posters, car- toons, maps, and globes) 3. Photography—The Camera 4. Classroom procedures C. The Stereograph—The Third Dimension D. Aids for Presenting, Displaying, and Preserving Pictorial Materials and Graphic Aids 1. The Stereoscope 2. The Bulletin Board 3. The Booklet—Album 4. The Opaque Projector 5. Duplicating Devices 6. Filing Systems III. Some Stimulus Response Conditions Which Affect the Efficiency of Visual-Sensory Aids IV. Types of Visual-Sensory Aids—(B) A. The Object—Specimen—Model B. The Exhibit C. The Sand Table—Projects in miniature D. Floor and Room Representations — Projects of Larger Scope E. The Museum V. Types of Visual-Sensory .'\ids—(C) A. The School Journey—Excursion—Field Trip VI. Types of Visual-Sensory .'Mds—(D)—Dramatizations A. Simple Dramatizations—Dramatic Interpretations B. The Puppet—Marionette C. The Pageant VII. Types of Visual-Sensory .Mds—(E)—Still Picture Projection A. The Lantern Slide—Making Lantern Slides B. Types of Projection—Mechanics and Application 1. The Stereopticon 2. The Balopticon or Opaque Projector 3. The Still Film Slide and Strip 4. Stereopticon .Attachment for Projecting Micro- scopic Slides VIII. Types ,of Visual-Sensory Aids—(F)—Motion Picture Projection A. Development of the Motion Picture B. The Mechanics of the Motion Picture C. The Motion Picture as an Extra-school Education- al Institution D. The Motion Picture in the Public School E. Using the Motion Picture in the Classroom IX. Radio and Sound Equipment A. Development of the Radio B. The Radio in the Clasroom—Radio Programs C. Other Sound Equipment as Victrola, Public Ad- dress Systems, Recording Systems X. Television A. Development and Principles of Television B. Television as a Possible Future Classroom Educa- tional Aid XI. Research A. Contributions in the Field of Visual Education and Significance to Teachers XII. Organization of a Visual Education Department A. Nature of Organization for Towns and Cities of Different Sizes B. Personnel C. Services D. Sources of Materials Available to Teachers The principles and applications of each of the several types of visual-sensory aids as outlined above were pre- sented and discussed in the morning class period. The af- ternoon laboratory periods were given over to demonstra- tion and further application to classroom situations. Com- mittees were organized to whom were assigned the problem of preparing class presentations of each type of visual-sen- sory aid, constructing or developing the necessary material and applying it to given classroom situations, both on the elementary as well as the secondary levels of instruction. From two to four persons constituted a committee. The cartoon committee drew cartoons or collected them from newspapers and n-agazines and demonstrated their values and use as teaching aids. The puppet committee constructed all types of puppets and marionettes, wrote a play or dram- atized a lesson showing their possibilities as teaching aids. The object-specimen-model-committee made and collected an exhibit of each of these types. The photography com- mittee took pictures and demonstrated the use of the cam-