The morning call., 1890-08-09
SCHOOL OF METHODS.
Close Of a Very Successful Session at
Pacific Grove.

PACIFIC GROVE, Aug. S.-The Summer
School of Methods for Teachers and Kin
dergartners closed Wednesday after a sue
cessful and deeply interesting session of
three weeks at Pacific Grove. This is the
first organization of such character on the
Pacific Coast, though they have been quite
a prominent feature of education in the
East. The Summer School was organized
with Board of Directors consisting of G..
w. ChildS Of the San Jose State; Normal
School; Mrs. Sarah b. Cooper, President of
the Golden Gate kindergarten Association ;
James G. Kennedy, principal OF CogSwell
Manual Training School and PRESIDENT OF
the California Teachers Association; Dr.
F. F. Jewell, President of the Pacific Grove
Retreat Association; DR.. c. c. Stratton and
j. b. McChesney, principal of the Oakland
High School Professor c. II. McGrew OF
San Jose, a specialist in psychology and
pedagogy, outlined the work and has been
general manager of the school. Professor
MC(irew gave three weeks work explaining
the development and various manifestations
of the MUD and leaving with the teachers
an intelligent idea of the complex material
with its infnity of possibilities that they
are working TO tremendously develop.
The aim Of the Summer School Of Methods
is to furnish opportunity to teachers for
professional Improvement and also 10 en-
able them to exchange ideas with one an
other and be benefited by professional in
tie recourse. The principal lines of work
taken up this year were: Psychology and
pedagogy, principles aud methods OF the
kindergarten, industrial drawing, clay and
sand modelling and effects of alcoholics and
narcotics and elementary science teaching.
Besides this work Professor Z. q. Warman
OF Chicago, the eminent elocuti0nist and
author, gave a weeks instruction to the
school in correct reading in addition to his
three lectures on "ElOcutiOn, True and
False" Critical Analysis of Poe's Raven"
and Readings, REGULATIONS and lmperson-
ations."
Mrs. Green of Santa Cruz conducted the
work in principles and methods of the
kindergarten, explaining the use and value
OF the gifts and occupations, narrating
stories adapted to children of that age and
singing their little songs. Mrs. Ida NJ.
Blockman of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara
County, graduate of the Iowa Agrlcul-
tural College, presented the work in acO-
holics, narcotics and elementary science
teaching i'll very interesting attractive
manner, performing the various expert
mentS before the class, showing the in Jurl-
GUS effects of alcohol and tobacco upon the
human system. Animals and plants were dis
sected and chemical experiments performed
to illustrate the teaching of science to
small pupils. This work gave those present
au intelligent and scientific idea of alcO-
holics and narcotics that very few teachers
possess.
In the line of industrial drawing, clay
and sand modelling, Miss Florence a. Dens-
more, late Principal of WOman's Institute
of Technical Design in New York and now
connected with the Art Institute of San
Jose, carried the class through brief
course of drawing and highly interesting
course in the latter two subjects. In clay
modelling the class formed various solids,
different fruits, flowers, and eacn made Il
design adapted to decorative art. A paris
plaster cast was taken of one of the de-
signs to illustrate this line of work.
The sand modelling was taken up in its
special relation TO the teaching of ge0g-
raphy. continents, mountain ranges, river
systems, shore lines and the various other
natural divisions being shaped in moistened
sand.
Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, Mrs. Charles
Lux and Miss Hattie Cooper showed
their interest in the work by paying
Il hasty visit to the school and meeting
the teachers, though greatly pressed for
time. Professor ChlldS, who was prevented
from giving a weeks work in Methods in
History and Civil Government through
sickness, came down for day and deliv-
cred an address to the teachers toward the
close of the session.
During the session over one hundred visi-
tors inspected the class work and expressed
themselves as delighted with the new edu-
cational methods. In addition to Profess
sor E. B. Warman's lectures, Professor T..
E. Barnard of the Lick Observatory deliv-
cred lecture on Comets" which was
illustrated with views made at the observa-
tory DIR. F. F. Jewell also delivered a
lecture on 1.-THE True Mission of Public
Schools" showing that the demand of the
times is for practical and thoughtful men,
whose mission IL is for the public school to
produce
The work has been characterized by deep
interest and enthusiasm from both teachers
and instructors, and is but the beginning
of what may be in few years an essential
part of the educational Work on the Pacific
Coast.
The course of instruction for next year is
expected to be more comprehensive, and
Professor McGrew already has in view
some of the best talent of the East in addi-
ton to more assistance from the Normal
schools and other prominent educators of
the Pacific Coast.