See and hear : the journal on audio-visual learning (1945)

Part Two: Planning the Audio-Visual Program The Superintendent Hires an A-V Supervisor by Robert Shreve, Appleton (Wisconsin) Public Schools AT THE RECOMMENDATION of the Superintendent of Schools, the professional supervisory k position of AudioVisual Coordinator or Supervisor will be authorized, since growing interest in audiovisual materials techniques by teachers and increased interest in the community will very soon warrant such a step. Growing interest soon makes the supervision of a program of audio-visual instruction a larger responsibility than can be adequately met by a group of building coordinators. The key responsibility of the newly appointed AudioVisual Supervisor will be to work as a service assistant, guide, director, coordinator, supervisor and always helper to the key group of building coordinators, under whom individual building progress will continue to forge ahead. The supervisor will never lose sight of the fact that as long as there are problems of instruction standing in the teacher's path, he will be unable to call his job completed. The supervisor's responsibility is to locate problems of instruction and to be of practical assistance in their solution. His responsibility is first, last and always to assist the teacher in becoming a more effective teacher through the wise selection and carefully planned use of audiovisual materials and equipment. As an integral worker within the school system, his challenge is to aid teachers in providing for the children of the school system wider experiences which will carry real meaning, increased interest and improvement of the general level of instruction. As the Audio-Visual Supervisor works closely with teachers through his intermediaries, the building coordinators, he will see his program of service assistance grow. Through his working assistants, the building coordinators, at the elementary and secondary level, among whose membership all grade levels and as many subject area interests as possible will be represented, he will assign to himself certain key and continuing responsibilities as follows: 1. To assist teachers to know, or know where to find, the best of currently produced audio-visual materials. 2. To assist teachers to become aware of effective utilization plans through which these materials of audiovisual instruction will become effective instruments in the improvement of classroom instruction. 3. To act as central organizer of interested teacher groups in the continuing responsibility to evaluate and select new materials as they are produced. 4. To instigate basic research at the teaching level and assist teachers in participation in such research. 5. To act as on-the-spot trouble shooter, counselor for problems varying from equipment operation through remedial teaching techniques. 6. To constantly acquaint the teaching staff, through the building coordinators, with new developments in the field of audio-visual instructions through institutes, workshops, extension courses, professional reading lists, the preparation of manuals, handbooks, specimen teaching luncheons, etc. 7. To participate in teachers' meetings which will be devoted to the improvement of instruction through various audio-visual materials. 8. To welcome constantly individual communications from teachers and provide these communications with firsthand attention and suggestion, since most of them will deal with requests for information on existing audio-visual materials in relationship to growing units of instruction currently in progress in the classroom. 9. To encourage personal conferences through constant visitation in going classroom situations so that teachers feel free to ask for suggestions and welcome these suggestions and are willing to implement them. • A Mid-Century Review 35