Visual Education (Jan 1923-Dec 1924)

154 Visual Education matters as compulsory attendance laws, work certificates, and the opportunities offered by the summer high school. "I wish it were possible to have every parent in America read Superintendent Davidson's letter," remarked a hundred per cent father of our acquaintance, referring to the opening message of the series, quoted earlier in this review ; and there is a strong temptation to couple this wish with another — that every teacher in America might send for and study the entire Bulletin. It could not fail to imbue them with the conviction that, as Superintendent Davidson puts it, "In order to be anything more than a name, voca tional guidance must be inherent in the entire school system rather than something extraneous which may be provided for by administra.tive authority. Teachers, principals, directors of special subjects and the superintendent's staff must all bear some measure of responsibility in this thing which we call vocational guidance." Five Interesting New Pamphlets Visual Instruction: Course of Study Monographs, Elementary Schools, No. 7; Public Schools, Berkeley, California; 124 pages. This is the twelfth of these Berkeley Course of Study Monographs to see the light of print, its eleven predecessors, however, dealing individually with the specific subjects of the course of study in elementary, intermediate and high schools. The present publication, declares Superintendent H. B. Wilson in his introduction to the pamphlet, was prepared in response to a definite need which "became evident as the monographs in the other subjects of study were developed. Something was needed to supplement the presentation of the educative means which should be employed." A special committee was therefore appointed, which for two years has devoted itself to the work of gathering from all possible sources not only references to the various types of material available for visual instruction, but statements regarding the concrete results secured from the use of such materials. The sum-total of these studies and investigations, supplemented by the experiences of Berkeley's own teachers and principals, has been incorporated in the monograph under consideration. It is intended to be used not only as a general guide in the schools of Berkeley, but also as a means of stimulating the use, observation and study of \isual materials and methods wherever interest in the subject exists. As Superintendent Wilson expresses it, the b >!>c is that "out of this use and observation will come a body of experience which is certain to lead to modifications and improvements in this formulation." The table of contents yields a fairly comprehensive idea of the scope of the pamphlet : The Purpose of the Monograph. The Place of Visual Instruction in Modern Life. The Place and Value of Visual Instruction in Schools. Types of Visual Aids. Methods of Procedure in Using Visual Aids. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Geography. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching History. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Nature Study. The Use of Visual Aids in Training for Good Citizenship. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Art Appreciation. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Home Economics. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Music. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Physical Education. The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Literature. After-School Entertainment. The Use of Visual Aids in Primary Work. Care and Use of Equipment. Standard Equipment for Elementary Schools. Bibliography. General Sources of Material. Under "Types of Visual Aids" are included brief discussions of the character, place and use of the excursion, flat picture, map and globe, graph and chart, model, stereograph, lantern slide and motion picture. How these various materials are woven into the lesson is suggested by the section devoted to "The Use of Visual Aids in Teaching Geography," wherein is outlined a type project for the study of North America. Let us quote this procedure in toto : A low fifth grade was studying the industrial region of North America. The pupils first studied the surface conditions to see what industries would be important. They thought at once that agriculture would be of great importance, but they found that the top-soil was shallow with a rocky bottom. The class was a little puzzled to know why this was so. The teacher told them about the glacial periods. They were greatly interested, and placed themselves in groups to find out all they could of this period of the earth's development. Talks, given by the different groups, were illustrated by flat pictures of glaciers, icebergs, and the effect of these on the soil and on the surface of the earth. Some of these pictures were obtained by the children from magazines, some were from the National Geographic. A few pictures on erosion were shown and a simple lesson was devoted to that subject. The classes were taken to West Berkeley to see the effect of the constant washing of the water on the shore line. Stereographs brought out more clearly some of the points to be emphasized. The teacher obtained from the University Extension and from the Canadian Pacific Railroad some very fine slides showing some glaciers of North America. The lesson was finished by a one-reel film, "A Chalk Talk on Glaciers," by Dr. Atwood, obtained from the University Extension. When this lesson was checked up, the teacher found that the boys and girls of this class had a well-rounded idea of glaciers, icebergs and the condition of the soil in the path of a glacier. This is followed by a similarly comprehensive project for the visualized teaching of South America, as developed in a high fifth-grade class. Three steamship companies were formed, with managers in San Francisco, New Orleans and New York, and representatives in South American seaports. Different members of the committees on products traveled through the continent, getting rubber, coffee, cocoa, bananas, wool, hides and nitrate for export to North America. Letters had to be written to the managers of the companies and to the agents, advising each other of dates of sailing, cargoes to be imported and exported, etc. Descriptions of the seaports and cities concerned were given by the children and illustrated in different ways. One group made a large moving picture manipulated by hand to bring before the children the actual scenes enacted on a large sheep ranch; the agent at Buenos Aires finished that phase of the lesson by showing a few slides on the warehouses for wool, the refrigerator for mutton, and the loading of steamers with these products at Buenos Aires. The coffee industry was explained by a recitation illustrated by flat pictures from the National Geographic, stereographs, an exhibit from the Hill's Bros. Coffee Company, and slides from this company and from the "600" set of the Keystone Company. The lesson was finished by a report from the agent of the New York Steamship Co., stationed at Santos, Brazil, who showed a half-reel film on the packing and shipping of coffee beans from Santos. The other products were treated in much the same way. "Thus, by reports, flat pictures, handwork, stereographs, slides and films, the class traveled throughout South America, learned all the important facts about the country, and connected it commercially with North America, as we hope it will be. The work, by the help of visual instruction, was finished four weeks sooner than it had ever been before, and to the teacher's mind much more satisfactorily." The section devoted to each study is given further value by an exceedingly helpful list of available visual materials, classified by grades from third to high sixth, under such heads as Flat Pictures, Exhibits at Visual Instruction Center, Stereographs, Stereopticon Slides, and Moving Picture Films, the latter supplemented by their rental prices