The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Film Tactics uses a greatly simplified teaching situation to show, with considerable humor, some of the common mistakes made in using films. In five small classes of Navy trainees, five instructors present a brief training film which explains a simple maneuver. The mental activities of a typical trainee in each class are actually visualized as the instructor proceeds with the lesson. The first fails to motivate the class, the second ignores room conditions, the third fails to introduce the film properly, and the fourth neglects to review or test after the showing. The fifth instructor gets results because he avoids these mistakes. Actual maneuvers which end in chaos convince the commodore that there is something wrong with the teaching and he immediately sets about to remedy the situation. Bring the World to the Classroom emphasizes the unique contributions of the motion pictures to education. tDIO-YISUAL COURSE By BETTY STOOPS Instructor, School of Education Indiana University Brief excerpts from a number of films illustrate limitations of remoteness, size, speed, expense, time, sound, danger, rarity, and abstractness which thfe film can overcome. Other scenes point out the effectiveness of the film in motivating further work and in developing concepts, especially with low-intelligence groups. The chief limitation to this film is the fact that it was produced in 1938. INSTRUCTIONAL FILMS— THE NEW WAY TO GREATER EDUCATION (17 minutes, black and white. Coronet) also presents some of the ways in which films can help speed up and enrich learning. Scenes from Coronet films illustrate the speeding up and slowing down of time, the bringing of the inaccessible or tooexpensive into the classroom, and the picturing of scientific and social processes. The advantages of color in films are not discussed. The lecturer in the film explains that selection, integration, accessibility, and administration are important to good utilization. The commentary is general enough to make the film suitable for either parent or teacher groups being introduced to the subject. The short version of the film is generally preferable to the longer one (2% reels). Another film which shows excellent use of a motion picture and correlated slides is HUMAN GROWTH (19 minutes, color, E. C. Brown Trust) . A committee of pupils previews the film-within-a-film and prepares the class for seeing it, a boy projects the film, and the teacher encourages a follow-up discussion, referring to slides to answer questions. Motion Picture Projection The understandings basic to efficient classroom projection are developed in FACTS ABOUT FILM (10 minutes, black and white. International Film Bureau) and FACTS ABOUT PROJECTION (11 minutes, black and white, International Film Bureau). The former demonstrates the physical characteristics of 35mm and 16mm film stock, the parts of a projector with which the film comes into contact, common causes of film damage and how to prevent them, and general care of films. The boy who observes and sometimes participates too enthusiastically in the film demonstration furnishes humor and emphasis at strategic points. The second film shows a student projectionist moving projection equipment into a classroom, setting it up, preparing the room, and completing a showing. The practices shown are rather widely accepted. A more detailed and specialized treatment of projection is presented in OPERATION AND CARE OF THE BELL AND HOWELL SOUND PROJECTOR (22 minutes, black and white. International Film Bureau). It includes the setting up of the Bell and Howell projector and information on oiling and greasing it and replacing feed and take-up belts, the propector lamp, and amplifier tubes. Field Trips THE FIELD TRIP (11 minutes, black and white or color, Virginia State Board of Education) illustrates good utilization of a field trip by a high-school biology class. The teacher and the class are shown preparing for a trip to a nearby swamp, making the necessary arrangements, taking the trip on foot and by boat, gathering specimens and following up with projects and discussions in the classroom. NEAR HOME (27 minutes, black and white, British Information Services; International Film Bureau) shows an extended study of the local community by a group of children in England. As a result of their study, they develop a large relief model of the area and a number of charts and collections of materials which they put on exhibit. The chief drawback of the film is the British accent. A filmstrip, THE FIELD TRIP (35 frames, color, Simmel-Meservey), which is designed to show children the necessary steps in planning and carrying out a field trip, is also useful for stimulating discussion by teachers. Bulletin Boards Two filmstrips which show the principles of good bulletin board arrangement and utilization are BULLETIN BOARDS AT WORK (41 frames, black and white, Wayne University) and HOW TO KEEP YOUR BULLETIN BOARD ALIVE (30 frames, color, Ohio State University). The former shows actual examples and gives specific suggestions on establishing purposes, effective arrangement, and unusual techniques for catching attention. The latter uses cartoons to present the general principles of arrangement and management. Other Units MAPS ARE FUN (motion picture, 11 minutes, color. Coronet) shows how elementary map concepts can be developed from such experiences as building a sandtable map, arranging model buildings on it, transferring the layout to paper, reducing the scale, and learning to read map symbols. {Continued on page 249) Summer, 1952 237