International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1932)

— 510 — The intimate connection of motion pictures with the curriculum makes their use in the schools a subject on which State Education Departments should exercise a leadership on a plane with that which they have already assumed for the curriculum. There are phases of every subject included in a modern curriculum, to which the motion picture is not adaptable. Pictures should never be made on these topics. Teachers should waste neither the funds of the schools nor the time of the pupils on pictures of this type. The test of any film used in the class-room should be, is this film adapted to the subject, does it accurately portray the theme, will it improve and enrich the instruction sufficiently to justify the expense incurred and the time consumed? The general trend in the administration of education is to vest large supervisory control in State Education Departments. This trend is especially true in the training and certification of teachers. Teacher training institutions have a responsibility in all affairs pertaining to the curriculum and to class-room and procedure. Ample provision should be made in these institutions for instruction in the economic and pedagogical use of these modern aids in teaching. Teacher training institutions should be laboratories in which every phase of the value and use of teaching films is thoroughly tested. The professional leadership of State Education Departments and the technical and pedagogical assistance of Teacher Training Institutions, will result in the economic and profitable use of motion pictures. But whether leadership and supervisory service is or is not provided by these sources, each separate unit of administration in a state system should provide adequate supervision in the selection and use of these aids. The school system in many of the cities has a division of research and curriculum. These divisions have the literature in general which has been made available in the extensive studies and experiments that have been made in curriculums. In many cities such divisions are equipped to make, and actually are making studies of their own needs. They are making valuable contributions to curriculum-building. In many other systems a committee has been organized from members of the supervisory and teaching staff, which is doing commendable work in adapting their courses of study to national as well as to local needs. Several of the leading city school systems of the country maintain a division of visual aids, and have placed a director at the head of it. The director of such a division should be a well trained and experienced teacher. The director should have the general supervision and control of the service of such divisions as is generally exercised by the directors of other divisions. The superintendent of schools and his assistants should give the same detailed, scientific study to the work of this division that they give to other divisions. In other words, this service should be placed on a par with that of health, art, vocational training, research and curriculum studies, etc. The director of the division should be the coordinating agency between his field of service and that of other divisions and other supervisory authorities. His chief work is to organize and administer his service so as to meet in an efficient and economic manner the special needs of every branch of service in the system. All these agencies of curriculum service should give special study to the instrumentalities which are capable of aiding the class-room teacher in illuminating and enriching her daily classroom work. This is especially true of an instrument of such significant help as the motion picture has been proved to be.