The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-03-07
Local Institute.

Local institute.
Reported for the CARBON ADVOCATE.
The third and last of the series OF Loca
Institutes Of Carbon county convened il
the School Hall, Lehighton, on the 21tl
and 2Sth Of February. The work Of tht
Institute was crowded into three sessions
the first beirg held on Friday evening
The preliminary exercises consisted OF som'
excellent music rendered by the Lehightou
Orchestra. After a humorous selection
read by Miss Julia A. CoYle, Of Nesquehon.
ing, DR.. N. G. Schaener, of the Kutztown
Normal School, stepped before his appreci.
ative audience. His lecture embraced the
period between the close Of the Revolution
ary War and the adoption OF the Consttu.
ton period which is commonly passed
by with only a few sentences in common
school histories. The plainness and the
simplicity Of bis speech, as well as his ex
haustive treatment Of his subject, are com
me ndSble features Of this lecture. After
the lecture and an exercise given by two
pupils Of the Lehighton schools, the audi.
ence dispersed.
On Saturday morning at the appointed
hour the High School room was filled to il:
utmost seating capacity with teachers aud
others interested in the progress Of educa
eaton. The Superintendent, PerceivinC
that this room did pot afford ascommoda
ton for the constantly increasing audience
gave notice that the Institute would adjourn
to the Hall.
After prayer offered by Rev. steinbtz, oI
Lchighton, and singing by the members oI
the Institute, organization was effected by
electing supt. T. A. Snyder, President
Profs. c. A. Ritter and II. A. Eisenhardt
vice Presidents; Messrs T. l.. Vents, A
J. Ballet, II. A. Keiser and G G. Watkins
Secretaries.
Prof C. A. Ritter opened with a talk on
Object Teaching lie began by saying
that every educational age is characterized
by its "hebbes." Years ago Mental Arl.h.
metic was the idol Of educators. This wa;
succeeded by the drawing craze and by
object or concrete teaching, which now. iu
this era Of the new education, holds the
foremost position in the curriculum Of com.
mon school studies. Its importance can bt
substantiated by the fact that the success
ful men Of the world, ere those whose
pcrceptive faculty has been developed
Psychology would prescribe such a course
A proper observation of the minds growth
has brought out the fact that the order o
the development of the mental faculties i,
thus:
The preventative power, first the rer.
resentative power, secnnd the rehectiy,
power, third ,and the intuitlve power, fourth
The primary object OF such lessons is t.
enable the child to form a correct menta
conception. The teacher, by the use o
objects, will secure attention aud train The
chlid to habits of attention, develop per
certion, cultivate memory, Imagination
language, and in addition TO all this i'm
part valuable general information. Tb,
application to the teaching of fractions.
The time intervening between this anr
the next exercise was uscd by Supt. r. 4
Sny der. lie fully agreed with the speaker
aud took the opportunity to express hi!
censure Of the pupils savish habits of re
lying on The text book Of arithmetic. IL,
; urged the teachers to exercise vigilance il
this meter.
Miss Aggie Hauk Furnished the next ex
ercise-a class drill. Though the primary
object OF such drills is rather to teach me tn
Ods than 10 make an exhibition Of result.
attained by such methods, vet the atten
tive listener instinct lively looks with al
miration upon the alacrity with which hel
pupils answered. The object OF this drill
was to show the value Of concrete teaching
Her pupils showed remarkable proficiency
in working business problems and in max
ing change.
After an excellent recitation by Mabe
Wheatley, the institute adjourned to the
hall. The audience being sea ted, the busi
ness Of the institute was resumed, and DR.
Scnaeiier introduced. lie dscoursed nr
; Color" beginning by shIwiIg this imppr.
tance of the power ui discriminating colors
Ga the railroad as well as on the ocean, tn 9
language of color must be un ierstuoi, for
on proper discrimu nation OF the chlors OF
| ha al iCh nI fr.n .
the lives OF the passengers, not to say any.
thing of the immense loss of property ac
crulng from collision occasioned by par
'lal or total color blindness on the part o
those in whom the employers repOse much
confidence. Competent authorities in thi
matter of color blindness, contend that il /,
curaole hy judiclous training; while an
other school OF doctors pronounce il incura
BILE. At all events, children should b,
trained by proper exercises to distinguish
.he colors; and il this is found 10 be i'm
possible, let the pupil know his defect, s
hat he may not mistake his vocation A.
suitable exercises, the following were pre-
sentrd:
|. Exercises in the use Of Frocbe's & rs
gift, consisting of a box fu OF colored ball:
2. Conred Crayons; 3, Colored Charts, 4
Colored gcomclrical forms; 5. Analine dyes
Form perception, the speaker continued
is different from color perception. Thi
itlerence arises from the nature Of the eve
form perception dcpe idlug on the condit
ion of the crystalline lens, aud color per
eeplion on the retIna. Teachers iguaran
of this fact, will run into error. To over
come this difficulty, geometrcal forms o
ifiereut colors should be used. This sub
ject, as presented by the professor, was EN-
{ inently instructive to the teachers an,
highly interesting to the others.
Prof II. j. Reiuhard, OF Purryvile, rea,
an elaborate essay on Composition, il
; which he recommended this outline as
guide IN teaching
: /. Ideas.
a Drill on ohierts