The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

November, 194} Page 341 ^liE J^iisixaiuxE in ^ l/iiuaL Unitzuation A Monthly Digest ETTA SCHNEIDER RESS, Editor New York University Film Library ADMINISTRATION Films Help the War Effort— \'incent McGarrett, Andrew Jackson High School. New York Chy—High Points, 25: 45-50 September, 1943. A description of tlie use of 35mm. sound films in a large, new city high school building where no 16mm. equipment exists. Films are shown only in th; auditorium, cither as an as- sembly-type program or for individual classes. Where films are related to curriculum problems, one or more classes go to the auditorium, questions are announced to the students before the film, and a recitation on the film is later made over the public-address system. This procedure is approved by pupils and by teachers. Feature-length films present a problem because of their length. They may be shown in parts over a few periods, but are always repeated in full at the end of the day for those who have missed them. Plan Buildings for Visual Aids —Ellsworth C. Dent— AiiiericaH School Board Journal, 107:42 September, 1943. -Architects and school administrators should look ahead to the building program after the war. Definite provisions should be made for the use of projected aids in each classroom, and this article indicates some of the important features. Elec- trical outlets should be installed at the front and at the back of the classroom, with care in determining the electrical power output so that projection is possible. Ventilation and darken- ing conditions should be explored to provide good ventilation during projection. There should be a moulding in a convenient place to permit the hanging of a roller-type screen. Dealers in projection equipment should be consulted for advice on class- room design. A Sound Film Program in a Small System —John Lester DcBeer, Glen Ridge, N. J.— School Executive 63:29 October, 1943. The director of audio-visual aids is a teacher with a full teaching load, but released from certain other duties. First a survey was made of all equipment and materials owned by the schools. The single sound projector was allocated to the high school three days a week, and to each of the four elementary schools two days a month. The parents' association of two elementary schools has provided two additional sound projectors. An interested teacher in each school is in charge of routing and requisitioning. In addition to the 57 reels of silent films owned by the school system, three neighboring distributing libraries were drawn upon. The catalogs of these libraries were placed in all schools and films could be ordered from the director. .Another phase of the audio-visual program in Glen Ridge has been the service rendered among various community organi- zations showing films. The local OCD, Red Cross and church groups were among the agencies served. Visual Education: Organization of the Visual Education Program —Francis M. McKinney, Placer Union High School, Auburn, Calif.— Sierra Educational News October, 1943 p. 12. This teacher of radio and electricity has worked out a s>stem of organization that minimizes the amount of work done by the individual teacher. Squads of student operators are available and projection is done from a special room to wliich classes go. A group of forms are given in the article to show the nature of the service and the kind of information kept in the files for future reference. There is a list of all films found useful during the last year. LIBRARIES AND VISUAL AIDS Film Forums in Libraries —Mary E. Townes— Adult Edu- cation Journal, 2:186 October, 1943. This is an abstract of a longer report available from the American Library Association, 520 North Michigan Ave. Chi- cago, Illinois. The Film Forums Project was a significant study carried on by a Joint Committee under a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. It was an attempt to ascertain the ex- tent to which films could be used to promote discussion and stimulate reading among adults in public libraries. From February, 1941 to June, 1943 nearly 300 film forums were held in 40 public libraries throughout the nation. This article describes the result of reports submitted by librarians after each meeting. Over a hundred libraries have already expressed themselves as planning to use films for discussion in the future. Readers are refrred to this abstract of the report or to the report itself for further information and evidence to prove the contention of Miss Townes, executive secretary of the Joint Committee on Film Forums, that "film forums are here to stay." MAPS Developing Map Reading Skills for Global Emphasis — Kenneth A. Fuller, Lockport, N. Y.— Journal of Ccogral>hy, 42:216 September, 1943. The good and weak points of the polar projection are in- dicated, and the article gives ii test questions on subject matter that can be learned from the use of the polar pro- jection. Map Reading —Elaine Forsyth, New York State College for Teachers, Albany— Journal of Geography, 42:249 October, 1943. A series of lessons giving explanatory material to assist an upper elementary and junior high pupil in improving his map reading ability. The illustrative lessons are reprinted in the article, with appropriate illustrations. These lessons have been used with excellent results under experimental conditions in three junior high schools. Maps: How to Make Them and Read Them: .\ biblio- grapiiy—Walter W. Ristow, New York Public Library— Journal of Geography, 42:258 October, 1943. An intensive bibliography on every aspect of map making: national surveys, military maps, aerial maps, relief maps and so on. Flat Maps Are Not Enough —J. R. Whitaker. George Pea- body College, Nashville, Tenn.,— Nation's Schools, 32:46 October, 1943. No map, not even the currently popular Polar Map, can do the whole job. A globe is needed to supplement. LANTERN SLIDES Getting Results with the Stereopticon —Anderson Grain— Church Management, 19:32 September, 1943. One reason why the stereopticon has not been popular in church meetings is that the equipment was not used with maximum effectiveness. The projector should be in good condition, with adequate illumination for the room and size of screen; projection should be done on a clean, white surface preferably a standard screen of suitable size. The room in which slides are shown need not be totally dark. Other showmanship hints involve keeping the projector steady while changing or adjusting slides and in many other ways trying to achieve smooth projection.