The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

¥ June, 193 S AMONG THE AND BOOKS Page 189 MAGAZINES Conducted bv Nelson L. Greene Education (April) A numljer of educational maga- zines follow the practice of devoting one issue a year entirely to visual education. In "Education" for the present year it is the recent April issue. The eleven articles bv well known writers therein are the fol- lowing : Will the Film and School Join Handsf (5pp), by F. Dean McCIuslo-. after sketching \^rious fiascos and blind alleys of our chaotic past, concludes that the solution will be "educator brains, plus technicians, implemented by capital"—which has been the convic- tion of many for some twenty-years past. The Liter- ature in Visual Education: Its Strengths and Weak- nesses. (6pp) by Fannie \\. Dunn and Etta Schneider, emphasizes the great extent of the literature, its uneven qualit}-. and the need for sounder and more critical treatment of practically even.- aspect of the field. Seek- ing Nc7C Objectives through Use of FUms. (7pp) by Edgar Dale, comments on the paucity, inadequacy and limitations of educational film material, the fact that our present stock offers merely concrete topical films, and asserts the vital need for films to "explore the whole human scene from childhood to old age," to give social perspective by interrelating and humanizing factual knowledge. The Sociological Approach to Mo- tion Pictures in Relation to Education, (6pp) by Frederic M. Thrasher, is concerned chiefly with the- atrical mo\nes. and educational by-products derivable from them. And Still They Gas'd... (5pp) by Charles F. Hoban. Jr.. is a forceful discussion of past edu- cational films, the misuse of sound, and the specific sort of film to ensure learning of the right kind. A Critical Efoluation of Teaching Films, (5pp) by F. L. Lemler, summarizes results from over 8000 teacher judgments on nearly 400 films, gathered over a four year period. The evaluation form used is included. Administratizc Techniques for Effective School Use of I'isual Materials (4pp). by Lloyd L. Ramseyer. urges deeper and wider cooperation between visual aids administrators and teachers, with illustrative sug- gestions for many phases of the work. In-Service Training in Visual Instruction. (5pp) by Paul C. Reed, points out strongly the inadequao- of present special courses available and emphasizes the importance of in-serAice training by a continuing program, wide in scope. I'isual Instruction in Adult Education (5pp). In- Hazel L. Gibbony, sur\'eys the present achieve- ments of film in this field and shows the great future values obtainable from sound films for adults. A Teaching E.rpcriment zi-ith Visual Aids, (3pp) by Joe Park and Ruth Stephenson, presents succinctly an ex- periment with two balanced groups of 15 students each, in teaching a specific topic with and without visual aids. Hozv To Make Lantern Slides, (7pp) by W. T. R. Price, is a ven,- complete expose of the chief procedures in making slides of all kinds for many educational purposes. Michigan Ekiucation Journal (X\' :460-61. ilay, 1938) "Teachers as Movie Makers," by J. Harry Adams. How the Bay City. Michigan, teachers produced a feature film to show the community the way the schools of their city function, is described crisph- by Mr. Adams, Principal of Central High School. Sound ef- fects were achieved by reading the accompan\-ing script, using microphone and amplifiers. The cost of the pro- duction ($1,000) w-as more than defrayed by the ad- mission prices, as the film was seen b}- thousands of local citizens. The Journal of Geography (XXXVH: 202-205, May. 1938) "A Picture Libran,- and Its Use." by Xora Riley, Xorthwest Junior High School. Kansas City. Here is presented a practical plan for geography teachers who may not know what to do with the wealth of illustrative material which accumulates after their temporary' use in class. Have the children mount the pictures in a scrapbook which can then be cut up and the pictures sorted by countries, units, or topics. Select about thirty good pictures for each unit, number each picture, and formulate an objective test to be answered from the pictures and the printed legends. The test is put on a card and placed in a manila envelope with the pictures. Such a library can be kept in active cir- culation throughout the year. The Journal of Education (121: 53-54. February '38) "A Camera Club for the Small High School," by Stephen A. Griffin, Principal. Camera clubs have been part of the campus life of many colleges and universities, but not many high schools have inaugurated this splendid school activity. It is pleasing, therefore, to come across this brief report of a two-year-old camera club at Liver- more Falls High School, Maine. The outline g^ven of the club's program will doubtless prove stimulat- ing to other schools contemplating this extra-curric- ular activity. Hygeia (16: 109-112, Feb. '38) "X-Rays a Way to Bet- ter Health through Photography." by Walter E. Burton. This is the fourth article on a most interesting de- velopment in medical circles. In the laboratories of the University- of Rochester, was recently produced the first colored motion picture of blood circulation, in this case that of the intestinal membrane of a rabbit. The blood cells, pictorially projected, were approxi- mately 100 million times their actual size. Natural color photography is being used widely in recording troubles invohnng color changes in the human body. Infra-red photography has been re- cently improved as to speed, and sensitivity into the invisible red region of the spectrum. These heat rays penetrate the skin and show details ordinarily in- v-isible. In bacteriology', photo-micrographs aid in research concerning microbe actors. Stereoscopic X ray pictures aid in many hospitals in seeing conditions in the third dimension. Tiny cameras are sw-allowed by the patient for recording stomach appearances.