The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 162 The Educational Screen 7. "Research Projects and Methods" A summary of current research projects in the field, including a study sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation under the direction of Leo C. Rosten with an illustrious group of educators and sociologists on the advisory board, to make a sociological study of Hollywood; a survey of audience studies; a survey of audio-visual education in Georgia, etc. Movies and Tolerance —Alice V. Keli- her— American Teacher, 24 :25, Janu- ary, 1940 Intolerance has one basic cause — fear. Intolerance of others for economic reasons grows apace and, often prejudices arise unconsciously. In thinking about the relation of the motion picture to tolerance we have to bear in mind that different individuals will carry away from a movie different feelings because of unique differences in their personalities and their emotional histories. No single movie will evoke a universally similar response. To those who already dis- approve of lynching and to those who are ignorant of its horrors, the film "Fury" becomes a powerful anti-lynching plea, but to those who hate some group or person furiously, the lynching scenes in that film may be met with approval. This does not mean that there are no effects that might be called 'majority attitudes' that arise from seeing a given picture. "Zola" will inspire many people with a new passion for justice, "Juarez" with a new understanding of democracy. There is an almost majority-minority problem in connection with the reactions to movies which deal with issues relating to our intolerances. The Payne studies revealed how certain films could affect children's attitudes one way or another. As an outlet for our emotions during times of stress, movies can help to reduce intolerant behavior by being an escape. For guiding persons with a deep-seated, stubborn intolerance the movie excerpts of the Commission on Human Relations have been found helpful. Expert leader- ship is necessary, however, for leading discussions based on these films and for helping students to apply situations in the film to similar situations in their own lives. Guidance is the key to the most significant use of the motion picture. It must be based on sensitivity on the part of the teacher to the needs of the student and the needs of the larger com- munity of which they are a part. A stenographic acount of student dis- cussion based on the film, "Bordertown" follows. A significant testimonial to the work of the Commission in promoting discussions based on films was made by a student, as follows: "After I have seen the movie and decided for myself what it means and then have the class discuss it, it stays with me a very long time. The analyzation of the pictures makes one more tolerant and understand- ing of events which are occurring every day. I am not so quick, to my way of thinking, to condemn a mistake or action for I immediately think there is some reason which caused the action." » Teacher-Training Seeing Is Believing: Visual Instruction —Colin G. Welles. Milwaukee Voca- tional School, Wis.—Division of In- struction and Research, 1939. minieo. 266p. This is one of the most practical teadher-training courses of sturiy yet publislied in the field of visual education. Photographs and specific illustrations to teaching situations are abundantly fur- nished. The objectives of the course in- clude the mastery of mechanical apti- tude in handling equipment, acquaintance with the literature in the field, ability to adapt materials to teaching situations. Units are based on a consideration of: the school journey, objects and models, educational films, still pictures, graphic aids; a coordination of all instructional materials ; sources, filing and distribution ; care and operation of projectors and ma- terials. The course was designed as an in- service course for teachers at the Mil- waukee Vocational School. Periodicals Building America — A Photographic Magazine of Modern Problems. Pub- lished by the Society for Curriculum Study, Inc. Editor, Frances M. Foster 425 West 123rd St., New York, N. Y.' If there remains a supervisor of visual instruction who has not added this photographic journal to the materials available for the use of teachers and sec- ondary school students, the last four is- sues should make this a "must." Now in its fifth year, the project has as its chief purpose to present, by means of photographs, charts, graphs, cartoons and authentic information some of the vital current problems involved in our coun- try. The pictorial material has been cleverly integrated into the text. Volume V, thus far includes: No. 1 Our Latin-American Neighbors, Much little-known information about South America, together with new and recent pictures and charts tell us: a) who are our Latin-American neighbors and what kind of lands do they live in; b) what is their history; c) what are some of the problems our neighbors face; d) what have been our government's relation with them; e) Have govern- ments and people been interested in them; and f) how can we face problems to- gether? No. 2 Community Planning. No. 3 Advertising, a valuable aid in any study of consumer education and propaganda techniques, for advertising is really a means of convincing people. No. 4 Arts and the American Crafts- man. A remarkable integration of native arts and crafts, bringing them from the earliest days of our country to the kind of arts and crafts which an industrialized civilization has created. This issue will find much favor in home economics, fine arts, social studies, and industrial arts classes. Source Materials Visual Aids—Compiled by Dr. Lili Heimers, New Jersey State Teachers College, Upper Montclair, N. J., 1940. 23 pp. mimeo. Available from State Teachers College Library, Montclair. SOc to teachers living outside of the state. This is a new and enlarKed alohabetical listing of free and inexpensive aids — exhibits, charts, graphs, maps and pictures —available from various agencies and useful in high school and collece teaching. Similar to the Bruce Miller listing of such aids, this compilation is arranged alphabetically by topic. Cross-references are included throughout. Additional information in anv of the subjects, with respect to films and slides and other materials not owned by the College, may be had free upon application as the College maintains a visual aids file much broader than the list nublished. A list of geographical visual aids is now in preparation. Motion Pictures and Other Visual Aids for Business Education—Second Edi- tion — compiled by Lawrence Van Horn, High School, Dover, N. J. The Business Education World Service Booklet No. 10, 270 Madison Avenue, New York City. 16 pp. A good source list of 16mm and 3Smm, silent and sound, motion picture films, slides, filmstrips and sound slide-films on various aspects of the business world— banking, thrift, communication, oflice practice, salesmanship, typewriting, trans- portation. Vocational Guidance, etc. In- formation is given as to length of the subjects, contents, sources and prices. Visual Aids in Safety Education— Pre- pared by the Safety Education Pro- jects of the Research Division of the National Education .Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N. W., Washington, D. C. January, 1940, 32 pp. 25 cents. -A^ valuable bulletin which reviews motion pictures (silent and sound) and sound-slide films on safety issued pre- vious to December 15, 1939. The section on films is classified as follows: A. Street and Highway Safety; B. Fire Prevention; C. Forest Fire Prevention; D. First Aid; E. Driver Training; F. General Safety. The material has been rated by the Safety Film Review Committee on the follow- ing points: suitability for school use, amount of objectionable advertising, grade levels for which the film is best suited, and general appeal of the him. Student reactions to a selected number of representative pfctures were also ob- tained. Lists of silent film strips and lantern slides, distributors of safety films and slides, and sources of safety posters, complete the bulletin. This study was carried out in connec- tion with the 1940 yearbook of the Ameri- can Association of School Administra- tors, which is devoted to Safety Educa- tion. (Concluded on page 179)