Telegram-herald., 1888-02-05
MISS STOUT'S PLAN
eEoGRAPnY 81 CORRESPONDENCE.
Thomas Wentworth nigEinson Diseassss
the orsnd Rapids Teachers kdso@-
tiOsal FlAa-Mkss Stout
Interviewed

intsrstewsa-
The plan Of teaching geography by cor
respondents between pupils Of schosis in
different parts of the world, conceived and
pat IN operation oy Miss Amanda Stoct. .
teacher ia tie Nest Leonard Street school
in this city, IS attracting vide attention
among educators and promises 10 mark al
epoch IN that branch OF study. The well
known tslfaafstf, Thomas Wentworth Hig
gibson. discusses the new systsm IA Hooper
BarGr for February IL. rs fellows.
- lady Of nay acquaintance, who kept
house IN San Francisco, used % say that she
no longer needed 10 read books Of travel or
10 stuay geography. because she could be-
come acquainted with all nations through
their successive contributors % her
kitchen. SOme one who heard this remark
suggested that such an experience might be
called COsibic Cookery. But IS this process
cannot be universally spoiled. and indeed
involves certain discOmlorts good plan
hiss been introduced Dy al enlerprislng
teacher at Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Oh
tsinlng some of the results OF this method
al cost less vast This lady. Miss Amanda
81. Stout. having observed the delight taken
by children Ia having 9 correspondent OF
their own age with whom 10 interchange
unknown ana distant, tried The experiment
OF using this propensity for the purpose
OF instruction in the habits and products
IN distant communities. Communication
being somshOw established between d
school Ia Grand Rapids and another IN
Australia, regular correspondence was
opened, pupil with pupil, matching tOgelber
those OF the same sex and OF similar age
and attainments, under the teachers eve.
ha hail ta1 Mi ia
terest on both sides. and the letters written
we're probably such as one often sees in
childrens magazines. where a young writer
delights older as well as younger readers by
simply describing what are In distant
country the familiar scenes of every day.
Soon the correspondence led 10 the inter
change OF photographs. pressed flowers.
postage-stamps toys. aud who knows what
else? Those who have examined whole
bundles Of these letters testify that they are
animated and graphic, as one can well
imagine.
With the present low rate eofinternationa al
postage and the vast spread OF the English
tongue, il is possible TO reach very wide
range of intercourse, not perhaps through a
single school, but through the combined
grammar-schools OF a city. Fancy the in
terest excited when the appointed afternoon
the Zuni Iadians.' Latest news from New
Iceland a budget from Hong-Kong.' and
the like and the TACT that these had previ-
ously done duty in some other school would
not destroy the interest The united
schools Of town could thus survey man
kind from China TO Peru aud with the
aid of few polyglot teachers could 20 even
beyond the limits of the English tongue.
The objects that could be sent with the let
f-.f-
est; unmounteo photographs weigh very
little. and with the aid Of the cheap ap-
para1us now in vogue could be exhibited
on the school wall in a darkened room.
4 class in botany could study, by the aid OF
pressed flowers those wonderful ansegies
| between the American ana the Japanese
| fora which Professor Gray has made so in
| terestiDg. and the young student OF birds or
| insects can receive in hollow tubes of stiff
pasreboard fascinating supply OF arctic
| eggs or tropic beetles.
est OF sll must be the human aspect
| Of these international geography lessons
We all know. even in maturity,
| how instantly a fsr-On country becomes
| real TO us il we have but a single CORE
| spondent there; and the wide popularity OF
such series as the 'bodtey Books and the
| Family Flights and the .Zigzsg Journeys
| shows the appetite fo- anything which
4
| India trade in our Atlantic cities all chill
+, dren got a flavor of this remoteness through
| the constant bringing home of carvings
| costumes and 'curiOs' generally by the sea
| faring member Of the family; there is hard
| ly an old house in seaport towns which
| does not still retain some traces of those
| fascinating days. That commerce is gone,
| but the vast resources vi the postoffice
| have taken its place, at leas for smaller ar
L <.Fs nrf. and -
| reason, Miss Stout evidently thinks, why
| the picturesque forms, gay colors and san
| dalwood odors of that far Orient should
4 not not be adapted for the use Of schools
| and again be made familiar. The fret
1 samples of cheap Swls. carvings or Norwe-
gian toys will settle the question that there
are plenty OF delightful objects 10 be received.
| and all that belongs 10 American ways and
| appliances will eagerly be accepted in re-
| turn Indeed il IS amusing TO see that the
! Michigan newspapers have already taken
| up the plan as a ready method OF promOt-
| ing boom for the thriving towns OF that
| ambitious commonwealth, and think that
the citizens should all cooperate in send
ing Photographic views Of ali important
| buildings in Grand Rapids. az these viii
reach people who would never see de-
| scuptive circular IN all their lives.
| Such a compt iiti0n would be innocent
! the further proposal that all these inieTns-
| tionGi letters should pass free, under charge
| oi the Bureau OF Education. u ~ certain
| that Miss stout has made a suggestion
| which needs only 10 be disseminated 70
! bear immediate fruit II needs no national
! organization. no endowment fund. Any
! country school where tkefe happens 10 be =
| teacher who happens 10 know smother
! fescher--of mission school. perbaps-in
[ e.. A |.re -.
| try The experiment IL a email way.
| ard ad5 something. at 8 trihing expense. 20
/ TIE inteiieciuR iife - fhe cku0reD. The
/ viycTous and fearless Stairs of the Norfh-
I west have already made with success some
I daring educational n0vsIons. on which
/ the slower AtisBtic states ~3u d never have
/ ventBrsc tnsir erssf state Univers tss. f0'
/ inssspce-snd t8is ne~ scsems of iBterBs-
trs,rsi geagraDhy lss oRs mag get oe sdoed
/ 70 their number.
Niss Stout vzs sesn YesterdsT b7 . re-
! porter su5 ssked how tbe ioes wss sag
! eesfsd - hef, snd shs explained - follows
"i Dc rot k0cw hcw the tholEat Wss
: eve vsd. fFeozraphv hss sivsvs sesa mF "a
voTits study acs J hsvs teushf. s. hss beer
psTt 81 my Nak ! have f0uBd diinCgities
ln teecairg e tnst have met in 10 other
hrsnea. Ia mski1e the FAR srsF and Unsess
ssera real - the mag native chiid. soo -
teseaer vho hsz fried 70 o. tbis hss bsea
i9 ei - accept tire CONVICTION tea r. 7rsi
4 s. is memory sxeTrass. tnst tbe child
( s-srsenal nse-esf hss ult bees euisfe5 oo'
bis srDefienee aros3sue1 ~ any preeeF,ti0is
+ eeETss.
"fzss Jaue. q this unss.isSs5 stsfs, ! -,
essIng sr8af fer ss-as raeens 90 o1T st.n <
t6sss alfeaftes sben fhs pan ~ corr
asaiesnen bef Vesa The sch0ols - stif-
fs-s1f eitiss cane 60 xse hEe e. saetars
f4a ~ sss hsf beea Ft16Tlng thi