The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1888-05-18
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PRACTICAL TRAINING.
an Innovation In schooi-Teaehing Now
being Tried In New York.


Being Tried In New York.
A novel system Of manual training.
the adoption Of which earnest men
have agitated for several years. aud
which Is expected to revolutlonize
public school education. went into
operation on an experimental scale In
several city schools recently.
The new system must not be con-
founded with that of industrial work.
which Is also being agitated. In the
lower grades it consists of few
simple helps TO the children. caus-
ing them to use their hands aud eyes
In the ordinary studies hitherto
taught.
In the study of geography, for In
stance, they will be supplied with -four
aud water and taught 10 make chains
Of mountains In paste. with rivers of
real water between them. In arith-
netie and geometry tho innovations
consist of the use of clay In forming
curves and triangles, and actual
blocks of wood to prove their geomet-
rical theorcms
The boys will not be made carpen-
tcrs or plumbers or iron-workcrs, nor
the girls taught tho complete art Of
lressmaking or cooking. but tool
shops and cooking-rooms will be pro-
vided and much valuable instruction
given In the theory of those arts.
The use of the knife. grindstone and
Iackplane viii DO taught 10 the boys In
he lowest grade during two hours of
each week. aud the older pupils will Ia
time he initiated into the mysteries OF
the saw. the vice. the hammer aud
nails and the plane. The principles of
lovetailing aud making joints will be
explained by special teachers. and in
the highest grades finished boxes will
be constructed. properly sand-pHpered
aud polished.
Two hours per week are set apart for
instruction To the girls In sewing AMI
hemmiug. measuring. cutting paper
patterns aud fitting Two hours weekly
ire allotted 10 the theory of cooking.
especial attention being given TO in
struction in the who'esomeness and de-
gree OF nutrition In the various articles
u food. the care aud use Of tin. iron
md copper utensils. the precautions
NtttSSdEN ~ prevent NeIbiHFl-. Nhe
principles of economy i'm purchasing
food. the means of determining the
wholpsomencss or unwholesomeness
and the names of the various kinds of
poultry and the joints of meat
Ample provision has been made for
the necessary supplies of materials.
Each cooking room will have n range
md set OF utensils costing $500. and
$3.50 will be appropriated for putting
up and Supplying each workshop with
tools
Calico and muslin. scissors. needles.
patterns, etc. will be supplied on
iequisition to the teachers in the dress
! making classes.
Our object" said Principal O'Noil.
lis not SO much TO create new studies
as to infuse new interest In the teach
| ing Of the old studies Manual train
ing is TO education what the telephone
and telegraph have been in the ordin-
| airy business of life.
"By building ranges of mountains
on maps, making geometrically shaped
models in clay and giving practical IL
| lustrations of the use of the needle and
the plane we shall be able to give the
pupils more useful knowledge in one
hour than was possible in two hours
under the old system. ~ T. Erering
| World.