Film and Radio Guide (Oct 1945-Jun 1946)

May, 1 946 FILM AND RADIO GUIDE 17 ence in radio acting, announcing, and writing, and has been a free-lance producer of educational and commercial shows. “We in Seattle,” commented Mr. Ladd, “recognize that this is only the beginning of our use of radio and audio aids. We shall continue to watch the work of others, to scrutinize our procedures, and to keep in mind the fact that we are teaching chil dren, not teaching radio. In the light of these standards, we hope to continue to make contributions to the educational experiences of those students with whom we work.” Radio, Dynamic Force in Education BY RUTH WEIR MILLER Radio Assisfant, Philadelphia Public Schools Nineteen forty-five marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of radio in America. During those twenty-five years we saw radio develop from a toy to a tool, from a gadget to a gargantuan force. Sometimes it has been used as a tool by a far-sighted advertiser ; at other times it has been an all-powerful tool used by the forces of evil which have been let loose in the world in our time. Radio has been used to create, and it has been used to destroy. Only comparatively recently have we seen it used as an effective tool in education. Educators have come to realize that radio marks an advance in education comparable to that brought about by printing. When we examine the significance of radio to the teacher, two facts are obvious at once. First, the girls and boys whose educational experiences are our responsibility have never lived in a world where radio has not been part of daily living. Theirs is, therefore, a sound-conscious generation. The average American citizen listens to his radio five hours a day; the average boy or girl tunes in for two Reprinted from Educational Outlook, March, 1946, a publication of the University of Pennsylvania School of Education. and a half hours a day. As teachers, we dare not ignore radio. Every program that goes out over the air educates for good or for evil — creates attitudes, moulds public opinion. Even a cursory examination of the effect of radio on American life convinces us that our responsibility is a great one. We have the opportunity of using this tremendous new force in the classroom. As educators we can be editors of American radio. We can be articulate about the kinds of programs that we should like to hear on the air. Let us consider first how programs planned for in-school listening can be used effectively in the classroom. Many cities now have radio programs as a regular part of school curricula, planned and produced cooperatively by the school systems and the broadcasters. Some, like Cleveland and Chicago, have their own FM Stations, owned and operated by the school system; and in that case planning and production are handled entirely by the school radio staff. Some school systems, like those of Detroit and Philadelphia, plan and produce educational radio programs in cooperation with local commercial stations. The important questions for the teacher are : What can I do with this new medium? What can radio do that no other medium can do? Radio as a teaching device can help the teacher to attain certain objectives. Used with intelligence and imagination radio can (1) vitalize the work of the classroom, (2) supplement and enrich schoolroom educational experiences, (3) motivate students to further learning, (4) integrate the learning of various subject fields, (5) train youngsters in good taste and in discriminating listening. In the light of our experiences in utilizing radio in the Philadelphia schools from the kindergarten to the twelfth grade, let us see just how effective a teaching tool radio can be. In Philadelphia there is a variety of radio fare which has resulted in vitalized teaching in that city. Radio is a vitalizing force in classroom instruction, first of all, because it is timely. Children are compelled by the immediacy of events. They feel keenly a sense of participation in world affairs when the schools’ own news commentator, Alexander Griffin, news analyst of WIP, for example, comes to the microphone with a weekly newscast. Behind Today’s News