NAEB Newsletter (Dec 1958)

POT POURRI The 9th annual (1959) edition of the Children’s Reading Service Audio-Visual Catalog has just come off the press. This revised and up-to-date edition, edited by Warren S. Freeman, presents approxi¬ mately 1000 carefully chosen phonograph records and filmstrips from many manufacturers. All the teaching aids listed in the catalog may be secured at the best school prices from the central ordering ser¬ vice of the Children’s Reading Service Audio-Visual Department. Copies of this new catalog are available free to teachers, librarians, principals or superinten¬ dents, if requested on official letterheads—otherwise 25c in coin or stamps. —N A E B— College Teaching by Television, the report of a conference sponsored jointly by the American Coun¬ cil on Education and Pennsylvania State University, was published in October by the Council. This vol¬ ume brings together the varied and sometimes con¬ flicting experiences of teachers who have used broad¬ cast or closed-circuit television for instructional pur¬ poses. The papers and discussions reported cover a range of opinion of faculty and research experts in appraising televised instruction, examining its broader implications, and suggesting improvements for the future. Experts discuss such questions as—How does in¬ structional television compare with conventional methods of teaching? What are its advantages and limitations? How have students and teachers in general responded to its use in academic centers? What research has been done, and what does it re¬ veal? Where has televised instruction been tried, for what courses, and with what results? What prin¬ ciples and conditions of learning are involved in the effort to improve televised instruction? What are some of the significant concepts of educational tele¬ vision? What relation do they bear to our cultural patterns and educational philosophy as a whole? Copies of the book are being sent to heads of in¬ stitutional members and the secretaries of constituent members of the Council. Additional copies of this 233 page volume may be obtained from the Publications Division of the Council at $4.00. The address is 1785 Massachusetts Ave., Washington 6, D. C. —N A E B— Voluntary Listener Sponsorship, written by the late Lewis Hill, has been published by the Pacifica Foundation (Berkeley, California) under the spon¬ sorship of the Fund for Adult Education. The book is available in either hardbound or paperbound by application to KPFA-FM (Berkeley) at no cost to the recipient. Requests may be addressed to Harold Winkler, President, KPFA, 2207 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley 4, California. The supply is limited, so please request copies only if you have a serious in¬ terest in the subject. —N A E B— Five new publications of the ETRC are now avail¬ able through the Center. Educational Television Today, a twenty-three page booklet, describes the growth and scope of ETV. It explains in some detail the Center’s program service, and the type of programming which is avail¬ able through National Educational Television. A final section is devoted to the obtaining and distribution of N.E.T. programs. A revised edition of National Educational Tele¬ vision Programs For Your Community on Extended Services has been prepared and covers N.E.T. pro¬ gramming available for commercial stations through December of 1959. Research Report, No. 581, a 1958 Educational Television Program Survey, has been prepared by the staff of ETRC. The purpose of the survey was to measure the growth and identify changes in ETV programming during the year. It covers the stations broadcasting during the week of April 13-19. The ETRC is also preparing a brochure on “Heritage”, the WQED continuing program series which presents conversations with prominent people of our times. This is a six-panel, two-color, self mailer, designed to acquaint the viewer with the “Heritage” programs. To promote “Children Growing”, a N.E.T. of¬ fering produced by WTTW, Chicago, the ETRC has prepared a brochure. The publication features Schulz’s “Peanuts” cartoons, which are also used as illustrative material on the programs, —N A E B— A report entitled Closed Circuit Television In¬ stallations in Educational Institutions has been pre¬ pared by the Joint Council on Educational Television and the Committee on Television of the American Council on Education. The report is dated July, 1958, and gives informa¬ tion on 133 closed circuit systems used by 119 edu¬ cational institutions. Class instruction over these systems ranges from first grade through college post¬ graduate. There is also a report on military closed circuit installations. Single copies are available free through the JCET to educational personnel. Bulk and business orders are 30 cents per copy. —N A E B— The Readers’ Library Association, Inc. in the Philippines has sent in a request for books. Once be- DECEMBER 1958 7