Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-01-12
THE PLAN orwonx


A committee of instruction Of the Maine
Pedagogical Society was appointed, at the
annual meeting Of the society at Augusta, to
prepare reports upon the sends and methods
Of instruction in the several branches of
study taught in our Schools" and after dis
eussion and revision these reports are to be
published in some concise and simple form
and scattered broadcast over the State. to be
a guide to inexperienced teachers and to
help fix and make common the correct
| principles of instruction. The committee is
composed of five special committees as
follows:
Languages-Thomas Tash, superintendent
| of schools, Portland; Prof H. L. Chairman.
| Brunswick; Miss S. C. Starrett. Belfast.
| Mathemaiics-Prof C. Fl. Smith. Brun.-
| wick; c. c. Rounds, principal Normal
School, Pennington; l.. Z. Martin, Grammar
School Lewiston
Reading and Spelling-W. j. Corthell
principal Normal School, Gorham; C.. NJ.
Jordan, principal High School. Bangor
Miss /. S. Pettengill, Lewiston.
Geography and Hist ry-Prof. A. E.
Rogers, Orono; q. A. Robertson. principal
Grammar School, Augusta.
Moral Instruction-Pres. NJ. C. Fernald.
Maine State College, Orono; A. l.. Lane,
Classical Institute, Waterville; Miss Sarah
NJ. Taylor, Portland.
Chairman of the whole committee-Rev.
A. w. Burr, Classical Academy, Hallowell.
The following plan of work was adopted:
The object shall be to give consisely the
admitted essentials of the ends, method and
means of instruction in the various branches
| of study. For example, if the subject were
arithmetic, the ends of the study should be
clearly stated in short affirmative propos itions,
enforced or illustrated, if necessary by ex-
amples. Then should follow, under methods,
brief directions for teaching elementary num-
bers, decimals, fractions. etc, with general
directions as to how the work should be done
by the pupil, how the recitatious should be
| conducted, and at what age or advancement
the pupil is prepared to take up the different
parts of the work. Under means should be
given the appliances necessary. and, if posi-
bic, the names of one or more text books
which seem best fitted for the ends and meth
ods of instruction laid down. To this should
be added list of books of reference with
publisher and price. All this should be put
IN the form of distinct propositions, should
rigidly exclude everything but essentials,
and, above all, should be brief.
These reports as they go to the society
should not exceed six printed pages of ordI-
| nary pamphlet size. Each committee shall
make its own division of the work assigned
it, shall decide how it will carry on its work,
and may call in for conference persons
whose assistance NAV be desired. Each
member shall go over the whole work of his
committee before it is presented to the society,
that it may receive the personal consideration
of every member. The final report of each
committee when ready for final presentation,
| shall be signed by its members, shall be
printed at the expense of the society, fifty
copies shall be furnished to the chairman of
the general committee ten DAYS before its
presentation as whole at an annual meeting.
1t is strongly urged upon each committee
to submit the first draft Of its report to the
practical teachers of some locality OF city for
suggestion and criticism. The reports upon
reading and spelling and mathematics shall
| be ready for the next annual meeting; and
preliminary reports upon all the subjects are
| to be ready for meeting of the general COM
mittee to be called at Bucksport some time in
Nav. 1t is expected that most valuable re-
suits to the schools of this State will follow
| from the labors Of the earnest educators who
compose these committees.