International projectionist (Jan 1959-Dec 1960)

AUDIO VISUAL EDUCATIONAL • INDUSTRIAL • COMMERCIAL Progress Report on Educational TV By FRANCIS E. ALMSTEAD Special Consultant, New York State Education Department IN AN era when man-made moons and rockets in outer space and the range of intercontinental ballistic missiles are accepted as common knowledge by the American public, the technological wonder of mass-produced television sets is sometimes overlooked. However, educators have seen in this device a means whereby countless numbers can be taught more economically and more effectively. It has been determined that TV may be expected to play a vital role in helping to solve some of education's building and manpower problems. During the 1958 session, the New York State Legislature authorized, and Governor Harriman approved, the establishment of educational TV in New York City, and funds to operate the project were appropriated to the State Education Department. On June 27 the Board of Regents awarded the contract for broadcasting educational programs in the metropolitan area to station WPIX, Channel 11, a station owned and operated by the New York Daily News. [Note: Although there are 40 educational TV stations either on the air or with plans to start broadcasting within the next few months, the Regents Education Television Project of New York State is unique. It is the only educational TV project which has leased time for its programming from a commercial station] The broadcast schedule consisted of materials and experiences which would test existing theories, and was designed to support public education with regular lessons in Spanish, mathematics, science, citizenship education, English, music, and arts and crafts. Special programs and in-service training courses were also included. Program Scope and Progress September 22, 1958, the project was launched. Telecasts were beamed during the daylight hours, five days a week, to elementary and secondary school classrooms within a radius of 100 miles. Located within this inter state viewing range are more children than in any single state in the Union. Two-thirds of the two and one-half million public school children of New York State live in counties where the signal is received. The project has the largest market in the world from which to draw a viewing audience. There are nearly as many TV sets in the Channel 11 viewing area alone as there are in all other markets in the nation having educational TV stations. From the project's inception until February 24, 1959, when a preliminary survey was completed, the accompanying tabular analysis was compiled. The programs were very well received by home viewers as well, as evidenced by the more than 15,000 letters and cards received as of February from an at-home audience. The pre-school program "Fun at One" is currently competing for first position with a CBS program in the Arbitron daily ratings. Problems To Consider During the year's operation, the State Education Department had kinescope recordings made of several of the courses. Requests for their use have come not only from schools but also from other states and countries. The complexity of the operation gave rise to certain anticipated difficul ties which, through lack of time and manpower, prevented fuller use of educational TV by the schools during the project's first year. Several of these problems are: ( 1 ) too few TV receivers in the schools; (2) inadequate study guides; (3) incomplete communications to classroom teachers prior to the broadcasts, and (4) lack of worthwhile workshops for studio and classroom teachers. In planning for next Fall's operations, the Department has taken steps to overcome these difficulties. Vital Guideposts The Department's Division of Educational Communications has formulated the following guide posts in its administration of the Regents Educational Television Project: 1 . That instruction by TV should be institutionally connected. (Content for elementary and secondary school subjects are selected from State syllabuses.) 2. That TV lessons should bring to the classroom situations and experiences not usually available in all schools. 3. That the importance of both stability and flexibility in planning TV lesson plans be recognized. 4. That a continuing evaluative process be maintained. 5. That the State Education Department regard its function primarily as a programming authority, not as a program producer, responsible for the approval and scheduling of telecasts, for supervising their quality, and for maintaining a balance in the subjects and population served. Studio teachers were obtained Analysis of In-School TV Viewing For Regents' Educational Project (Channel 11) As of February 24, 1959 Sept. 1958 Nov. 1958 Jan. 1959 Feb. 1959 TV Receivers 200 506 1,500 1,742 No. Schools with TV Receivers 96 230 609 756 No. Classrooms with TV Receivers 916 2,452 6,326 7,276 Estimated No. Pupils Viewing TV 27,480 73,560 189,780 218,280 No. Sets School District Plans to Order ^Survey not yet completed 576* 16 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST AUGUST 1959