Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

Records on review bv MAX U. BILDERSEE LEARNING by LISTENING Records for review should be sent directly to Max U. Bildersee, 36 Holmes Dale, Albany 3, New York. • MODERN FRENCH BY SOUND (RCA-Virtor LE 6200) is the most recently released foreign language album potentially suitable for school use. The speech delivered on the recordings by Professor Henri Peyre of Yale University and Mrs. Peyre is excellent in all respects. It is interesting that, even in the most elementary lessons, the rate of speech has intentionally been kept similar to the normal delivery of native French. This is designed to help the student become accustomed to near normal speed from the very beginning of the listening-learning situation. This is in keeping with the well established principle of hearing and mimicking in language study. These records will be useful in first and second year French classes in junior and senior high schools, and in first year college classes for speech training and for oral comprehension. • WORLDS OF LITERATURE is the general title under which Audio Education, Inc. (55 Fifth Ave., New York) oflers a series of unusual and outstanding albums basically intended for classroom use. Poetry, like music, is more intended to be heard than to be read. Long before they were printed, poems were spoken, chanted and sung. Indeed, the poetry of the spiritual is the poetry of no man but rather the expression of a people showing joy and sorrow, hate and love — and yet always expressed in poetical and musical terms. "Worlds of Adventure" (Audio Education .\lbum WL 1) presents a variety of material some of which will be useful in the intermediate grades, but most of which will better serve junior and senior high school students. Similarly the other albums in the series serve many needs and cannot be considered from the limited aspect of a small group of grades. Included in this first album is the poem "Daniel Boone" by Arthur Guiterman. Youngsters will respond to the onward-going spirit of Boone, the dauntless frontiersman who refused to be hemmed in by the unknown and who always cried for "more elbow room." "O Captain! My Captain!" is familiar to all of us. This Whitman poem as read in this album by Walter Huston is given new breadth and depth. "Do You Fear the Wind" is a brief inspiring message keynoting courage. Certainly the upper elementary grade students who hear this can draw much meaning from it. Folk songs are poetry and this album contains "Blue Tail Fly," the century-old southern folk song which has been given new popularity by Burl Ives. .4nd appropriately, Mr. Ives sings it in this collection. Also included in tliis first album are "Paul Reverc's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: " Nancy Hanks." a comparatively recent but nonetheless stimulating poem by Rosemary Benet and Stephen Vincent Benet; and "Between Two Loves" by T. A. Daly, which adds a note of pleasant humor to the collection. We tend to look askance at any school presentation in dialect. That is only because weak writers too often depend on dialect as the sharp point of ridicule. However, in this instance and in other poems by T. A. Daly we withdraw that criticism because in no case is he inviting the auditor to laugh at a people — but rather presents a univer.sal problem from one standpoint. "Worlds of Literature" deals with people in the album "Worlds of People" (Audio Education Album WL 2). Included in this collection are "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes, which vigorously illustrates romantic adventure antl serves to underscore the rhythmic qualities of the work of the author; ",Sea Fever" by John Masefield; "If" by Rudyard Kipling; "Barbara Frietchie" by John Greenleaf Whittier; and "Go Down, Moses." This American spiritual, a kind of religious narrative, originated among the southern Negroes. Words and music are separately poetic and beautiful, together they become a deeply moving audio experience. "Worlds to Explore" always fascinate the young in heart and this is appropriately the sub-title of the third album in this "Worlds of Literature" series (Audio Education Album WL 3). This collection includes Rudyard Kipling's "Mandalay," Joaquin Miller's "Columbus," the very exciting "Dunkirk" by Robert Nathan, "The Twins," a humorous poem by Henry S. Leigh, T. .\. Daly's "Leetla Giorgio Washeenton," "Oh, When I Was in Love With You" by A. E. Housman, and the old ballad "The Devil and the Fanner's Wife." It is appropriate to say something AYR Hi-Fi Phono offers in ONE Ughtvf eight Portable Unit . . . INDIVIDUAL LISTENING by HI-FI EARPHONES without cosily, .space-consuming sound lMK>ths. GROUP LISTENING by HI-FI SPEAKER for classioom and sound lx>oth. FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING by HI-FI EARPHONES Student's pronunciation inlo microphone gives him immediate comparison with recorded instruction. . . . for all levels ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOi and COLLEGE Ideal for music, stories, drama. |K>etry. languages, social studies and shorthand drill. EXCLUSIVE FEATURES INCLUDE: • treble and bass tone controls • all controls groui>ed on inclined panel • three speeds, turnover cartridge pickup • high fidelity earphones and jwwer s|>eaker • microphone receptjicle and volume ctmtrol • six earphone receptacles • printed instructions and jeweled pilot light on panel e convenient handle on pickup arm • stuidy. durable metal cabinet with carrycase hantile Basic Hl-Ft Phono CTQ QC Carry-caB« Unit **^.*/*' i:arpli(nu's, I'nwcr S[M-al;»r. Mirrnphone Optli.iiiiliit Kxtra Cost WRITE TODAY FOR FREE CIRCULAR Audio Visual Research Desiiiners and Manufacturers of Specialized Audio-Visual Hquipmenl 531 S. Plymouth Ct. Dept. U Chicago 5 about the artists who appear on these recordings. Burl Ives and Richard Dyer-Bennett sing folk songs and ballads. Spirituals are sung by the Ames Brothers. The poems are read by Brian Donlevy, .Alexander Scourby, Agnes Moorehead, Walter Huston and Frederic March. Magnificent performers all, their work gives these recordings added distinction and certainly creates the desirable situation where the audio experience contributes markedly to class growth by offering interpretation beyond the means of most teachers. January, 1955 Writitng for more information? Mention EDUCATIONAL SCREEN 37