The Portland daily press., 1874-08-14
THE TEACHERS, INSTITUTE


| uays VI tneSe I'LL UuU SIX nave tausHt oohoo
and their average amount of service as teacher
is 1873 weeks. Twenty-six towns and 81
counties of the state are represented. Teacher
are also present from Rhode Island Massachu
sets, Illinois and one of the Southern states
The first exercise of to-day was by Dl
French on the general subject of object teach
ing. He began by giving brief sketch of tn
origin of the system under Pestalozzi, and it
introduction into this country at Oswego New
York. 1t has suffered in this country at the
hands of its friends more than its opposers
from their over zeal, and attempting to Dc
more with it than it is intended to do. There
are nine principles which must be recognized
in all object teaching. First, activity is law
of childhood, hence accustom the child to do
educate the hands. Second, cultivate the facul-
| ties of the mind in their natural order: first
| form the mind then furnish it. Third, begin
with the senses; lead the mind on wholly in the
order of discovery. Fourth, reduce every sub
ject to its elements; one fact at time is
enough for child. Fifth, proceed step by
step. Be thorough The measure of instruc-
ton is not how much the teacher can give, but
how much the child can receive. Sixth, let
O'OiJ iOooou hH'O " Poefets AAN'S nv "sAHAASSS
teaching. Seventh, develope the idea or
thought then give the term or expression fer it.
Cultivate expression or language. Eighth,
proceed from the known to the unknown; from
the particular to the general; from the simple
to the more difficult. Ninth, first synthesis,
then analysis. Not the order of the subjects,
but the order of nature.
After brief recess, Mr.. G.. B. Stetson of
Boston by special request took up the subject
of drawing. He began by saying that drawing
is to become regular compulsory study in the
schools of the United States 1t may not be
within five years, but it is coming, and when it
gets into the schools it will stay in. The in
dustrial interests of the country will demand
this. Style or beauty of form, enters to-day
as one of the leading elements, into all forms
of manufacture. Hence development of taste
In form is needed by all hand workers. by all
consumers and buyers
There are two kinds of art. The one aims at
picture making. 1t has little to do with in
dustrial interests. The second looks to the use
of art in ornamentation. 1t is that form of
art which conventionalizes natural forms and
applies them to ornamentation. If one de Tres
to produce pictures, even, the best course is to
begin with the principles of industrial art, and
: work up to painting and sculpture.
He then proceeded to give blackboard in
sruction on modification of form as applied to
curvi.inear outlines in pottery, architecture,
designs for carpets. &c, &c. Some of the
laws of practical design were also very clearly
and simply stated aud illustrated. The close
attention given and the appreciation shown by
the teachers in following his work through ear
and eye and hand, showed the marked interest
that had been awakened in this part of the
institute work. The third exercise was con-
tinuation Of DR.. French exposition of object
teaching. He gave the following formula for
developing ideas. First, present the object.
Require the pupil to perceive its form, size,
color, weight, taste, odor and sound. Thus thu
pupil is trained to use his senses intelligently;
second, experiment and illustrate, to lodge
ideas in the mind third, give terms to express
the idea; fourth, repeat and fix these terms or
names Of ideas; fifth, embody the idea with
the expression of it by the use of sentences
containing the expression; sixth, make an APP
plication Of the idea by having pupils apply it
to other objects; seventh, write on the black.
board a statement of the idea taught.
The first step in the object teaching on com
mon objects is to employ conversational lessons
to get at parts and uses, developing percep
tives aud judgment by comparison of SINH
larity and difference. OF the parts, pupils are
to be taught the name, number, position and
relative importance. The uses of each part
and of the whole are to be brought out
.urrpNoor crscIoN
DR.. French resumed the subject of object
teaching.
Second step-Metho1 and points are same as
in first step; second, parts are to be discovered
by pupils, their uses described and names Civ
en-; third, properties, as form, size, color, ma
terial, &c., are also to be discovered by pupils,
and their names written plain on the black
board; fourth, anecdotes embracing incidents,
history and so forth are to be related by teach
er and pupils; fifth, recapitulation of work
done with the object in sight, in the form of a
description of the object; sixth, review from
memory of everything taught in the lesson.
Third step-Work to be done is first, paris
qualities and uses to be taught; second, adap-
tation of qualities to use; third, qualities that
can be discovered by the senses, and by simple
experiment are to be got at. Qualities depend
ing on one another are next to be soug ht;
fourth, comparison of objects-those forming
the subject of the lessons with others known to
the child.
The results to be secured by object lessons,
are first the power to group facts; second, the
power to classify; third, the power to gener-
alize, and fourth, the power to deduce princi-
pies.
Here followed an outline offs lesson on asbes-
tos, showing the application of the above prln-
cples.
The second exercise was the regular drawing
lesson, conducted by Mr.. Luce, consisting of
drill work accompanied by suggestions for
teaching. Among these suggestions were
these: The aim shonld be first. to impart
thoroughly. All the drawings should be the
application of knowledge and not mere copy
ing The second aim should be at first for
freedom and boldness of work, rather than
nicely and finish. These will come os natural
results. Finish should be also held suburdi-
nate to individuality and originality, espee-
ally after the pupils have entered upon original
design.
Following the second recess Dr. French took
up the subject Of teaching primary reading by
the word method, i'll modified form. The
lesson was description of mett cd used by a
| distinguished German teacher. He begins by
teaching his pupils the vowels by their ma mes,
and the other letters by their sounds, and then
| proceeds to combine these sounds as syllables,
by placing the consonants before the vowe's.
In the course of three or four weeks he has
taught his pupils all the simple sounds of the
language as represented by their symbols, the
letters, and also to recognize at sight some sew
enty-fve syllables. He next places the conso.
nants after the vowels thus teaching the sec
ond or short sounds of these vowels. Follow
ing this he begins to teach words in connection
with objects or pictures of objects. 1t has
been proved by actual experiment that child
rem will learn to call at sight words of two OF
more syllabes as readily as those of one, il
they only know the meaning of them. In
this system of teaching, the pupil is required
to print the word, they are taught at each les
son. They are also required to hunt thes'
words out from Others As soon as they have
been taught few words, these are combined