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

In the second place, we needed a battery of machines— not just one— and ample room so that several groups could listen at one time and so that a much greater variety of materials might be demonstrated. Further, literally, we had all day. We were shown into a large room, a classroom and a half in size, and in addition to the usual classroom furniture there were tables for showing records, a number of strategically placed record players and a supply of chairs for those who might be visiting. In addition teachers of neighboring schools had been invited to participate 'after hours'. We not only had 'all day' but we had all day to be busy. Teachers having free periods would wander in and ask about records for particular study areas, for particular smaller groups, plus questions about particular items. We had a variety of records— the variety which has been reported in these columns over a period of more than ten years. The language teachers were especially interested for they were facing increased challenges and increased opportunities. What have you in Spanish (or French) for the elementary grades? Is there anything to go with this textbook, or that one? Are there any French plays on records? How about French poetry, is there any? My children want to hear some French children's songs. Have you any? My brighter students need additional challenge; can records help them? Of course the answer to most of these questions is 'yes.' And in many instances the records were on the table for these teachers to see, to handle, to audit and appraise, to ask their audiovisual director to buy. For elementary school languages we could show the product of three companies with assurance that they would be usable. These companies are Ottenheimer, McGraw-Hill and Encyclopaedia Britannica. The latter two offer both records and coordinated filmstrips, the former records and coodinated work books. Teachers seeking records to go with textbooks were referred to Oxford University Press, Appleton-CenturyCrofts, Houghton-Mifflin and Company, Ginn and Company, Henry Holt and D. C. Heath. French plays and poetry, recorded, are available from a great variety of sources including the major companies mentioned earlier, some of the less well-known companies and others including Period Music and the Spanish Music Center. Teachers seeking stimulus for advanced language students as well as additional information for gifted students were referred to such producers as Wilmac and the many producers of self-study language courses including RCA Victor, Columbia, Decca, Cortina Academy, Berlitz, Linguaphone, Funk and Wagnalls, Folkways and Educational Services. These was plenty for the language people, and the English teachers were similiarly delighted with what they found. One borrowed the NAEB A Word in Your Ear to present to his senior class. Another begged for A Tale of Two Cities (Decca DL 90.59) because her class was just reading it. We, of course, were delighted to oblige, and let another teacher borrow A Man Without A Country (Decca DL 8020) for immediate presentation to her students. The history and social studies teachers were delighted to find audio materials to aid them in their efforts to strengthen instruction in a variety of areas. Enrichment Materials, Folkways, Columbia, Coral and other labels were there for them to see and hear. There were three reactions, all positive. Teachers expressed their in Audio. CARDALOG Record Reviews on Cards Box 1771— Albany 1, New York D Please enter our 1 year subscription (s) to Audio CARDALOG. 400 cards10 issues-$25.00 n Please send us full information about Audio CARDALOG Name. Organization oi School Address City and itate terest by saying "I could use this ne:j week," or "If we owned this record [ could use it right now," (they borrovl ed it for 'right now') and "I wish w had had this last week." The music instruction people wci looking for mu.sical performance an found none. But they found excerp galore in the recordings intended f( music instruction and designed to ii troduce the instruments and the o chestra to students. They didn't kno that so much was available. ParticuLi ly they liked recordings by Jam Hand (with filmstrips) and the Musi Education Record Corporation. As the day progressed considerabl attention was given to the needs of th gifted students who had both th talent and the capacity to study alone Much conversation was given over t talk about their interests and need: to opportunities available to them fc particiJar enrichment through lister ing to recordings by Audio Educatior Caedmon, Spoken Arts, Spoken Wore Folkways and other publishers. Ther were the students who could 'go i alone' if the material was available And the teachers discovered that i was— on records— and could be mad available for small group listening a well as for individual audit. We could only stay the day ant could not immediately assess results We felt that enthusiasm had beei generated. We did not anticipate thi ultimate reaction. Our host, the schoo superintendent, wrote us some week; later that it was all very fine "excep for the fact that next year I will havf to increase my audiovisual budget tc include much more for recordings.' He added that he considered this "atr easily defensible budget item." And once again the wealth of ma terials on records, the impact of heari ing even a bit of it, had carried the day and won a new following. At the Teachers College Our task at the college for teachers was double-barrelled. We not only had to discuss with the faculty audio contributions to college instruction but we had to demonstrate records for the undergraduates. In order to satisfy the latter need we set up an audition room similar to that described for our visit with teachers. Because this college dealt with the preparation of elementary school teachers particularly, we carefully included in our traveling collection records from Stratco, Weston Woods, Bowmar, Young Peoples Records, the Childrens Record Guild, Audio Education and other producers already cited. This room was left in the charge 184 Educational Screen and Audiovisual Guide — April, 1960