Film and education; a symposium on the role of the film in the field of education ([1948])

FILM AND EDUCATION It is significant that a large proportion of teachers feel a need for experience with equipment and for an opportunity to become familiar with the films available in their field. Needs such as the above can be effectively met in an in-service class. The Workshop Another way of satisfying the same needs of teachers is to provide a room or workshop where teachers from any school can come at their convenience. Here they can become familiar with equipment. They can view films and other materials in which they are interested. They can make glass slides or mount pictures. The possibilities of such a center are almost unlimited. Other Devices Many other occasions will arise during the school year when the alert director can further his program. Recently, for example, a moderate-sized school system was closed because of a poliomylitis epidemic. Since the teachers were still on duty, the superintendent was anxious to find interesting and worthwhile material to make up a series of system-wide faculty meetings. Here the audio-visual director volunteered his services and was given the opportunity of talking to several hundred teachers in the system as well as screening the latest films available from the library. Some of the results of those meetings were evident throughout the year. Some of the most popular meetings of regional audiovisual conferences are those where the latest releases of films are screened, often with an evaluating panel. Here is another lead for the alert director, who can provide screening of carefully-selected films from his library at local "institutes" and meetings. One school system recently subscribed to the Educational Screen and See and Hear for each building represented on their audio-visual committee. [534]