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

Launching A Successful Audiovisual Program by Loren H. Allen, Director Instructional Materials Richwoods Community High School Peoria Heights, Illinois Mr. Allen, audiovisual director of the Richwood Schools, gives Richwood teachers instructions on how to operate a 16mm projector. Loren H. Allen JL HE degree of success or failure of an audiovisual program in a school system depends upon teacher participation or lack of teacher participation. For the past few years teacher training institutions in the State of Illinois have been offering some audiovisual training for prospective teachers; however, for the most part it has been on a voluntary basis or a part of methods courses. Recent changes for teacher certification by the Illinois State Teachers Certification Board, for secondary School Certificate, to go into effect July 1, 1963, will require that all teachers applying for certification must have a course in instructional materials. The requirement makes sure that all beginning teachers have some training in the uses of audiovisual material and equipment. In the meantime, however, what have we, as audiovisual directors, done about training teachers who are now employed in our systems and who have not had any training in the uses of audiovisual materials and equipment? What have we, as audiovisual directors, done about encouraging teacher participation in the audiovisual program? Audiovisual directors, for the most part, have had academic training and experience in the use of materials and equipment. We attend audiovisual meetings, trade shows, and read professional literat\u-e to keep up with the rapid changes and adaptations of the uses of audiovisual materials in the teaching program. Can we expect the teacher who has not had academic audiovisual training, who has five classes to teach each day, who has tests to give and papers to grade, and who has supervisory duties and extra curricular activities, to devote additional time to the study and preparation of audiovisual materials? It is the writer's opinion that it is responsibility of the audiovisual director to bring to the attention of the teachers new equipment and materials and to pur chase or produce for them all the materials they wish to use in classroom instructions. We shall demonstrate the uses of overlays and how field trips can become a reality with the use of the camera, 2x2 slide projector, and the tape recorder. We should also demonstrate how the coach can do a better job of explaining the football and basketball plays with the use of the overhead or opaque projector and how the Industrial Arts department or the Science department, by use of closed circuit television, can show all the class at the same time how to use a shop lathe or a slide in the science laboratory. In short, we should demonstrate and re-demonstrate to every teacher the many ways in which audiovisual materials and equipment can help them to better present information to students. We v^^ll not get 100%, 90%, nor even 80% teacher participation, but it has been the writer's experience that use of materials and equipment increases after teachers know what is available and how to operate the equipment. In September, 1957, Richwoods Community High School, Peoria Heights, Illinois a newly-created High School district, opened its doors for the first time with an enrollment of 1,063 students. For the most part, the new staff consisted of experienced teachers, from all sizes of schools. Most of the staff however, had had little or no training in the use of audiovisual equipment or materials. They would be working with new students, new books, and new furniture in new classrooms that could be darkened. One of the problems facing the Superintendent, Mr. Fred McDavid, was relative to the operation of the audiovisual program. Many plans were discussed, and a decision was made. There would be an audiovisual director who would be in charge of the audiovisual budget, clearing all purchases, housing all equipment and materials, and in general be responsible for all audiovisual activities 656 Educational Screen and Audiovisual Guide — November, 1962