The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-01
EDUCATION.
An Interesting Paper Read Before Travis
Co. Teachers Institute by Miss Doris.

Having been notified a few day
since by our worthy president that
should be expected to read something
OF an educational character before
this intelligent assembly, began to
consider theme upon which to base
my remarks. 1t was then l realized
how truly it has been said, "There is
nothing new under the SUM-" What
can l say more than has beer saidY
And yet the subject is broad one
and admits of many phases.
Education, regarded in its true light
as preparation for life, is the noblest
1t is too often the case that chill
dren are taught to exercise their mem
cries, while the reasoning faculties lie
dormant. They do things because
the book says so. This is a great OBJ
lection to having children learn rules
they learn the words but not the
reason.
When a child gives me rule, Just
as it is written in the book, I take it
for granted that the child does not un-
derstand. Children should be taught
to derive their rules from their work.
Take arithmetic for instance. If 1 ask
child what is fraction, and it
answers in the words of the book "a
fraction is one or more of the equal
parts into which unit has been d.
vided," l fear that the words convey
no meaning, but when it an
swers in its own language, or
illustrates in some way, / feel
that the reasoning faculties are at
work. + find it good plan to have
the child demonstrate what it says.
When it defines a fraction we look
about for some unit which we can di-
vide. A sheet of paper will answer the
purpose. The child divides it into any
number of equal parts, then takes one,
two, three, four, or so on, Of these
parts and expresses the fractions on
the board, always keeping in view
what each term of the fraction indi-
Gates. In this way we may also dis
tinguish between the unit of the frac-
ton and fractional unit.
Ask child what is compound
fraction and it will almost invariably
answer Ga fraction of a fraction or
several fractions joined by Of" Ask
for an illustration and you will often
find it has no idea of its true mean
ing. We must then devise some
means of illustrating. Apples make
good apparatus-they are so easily
disposed Of, each child furnishing a
laboratory for their reception. So we
divide an apple into two equal parts
and give one of those parts to the
pupil, No. l, who sees that
he has one half the apple.
He divides his part into
three and gives one piece to No. 2,
who in turn divides his piece into two
equal parts who gives one to No. 3.
No. 3 sees at once that he has one
half of one.t third of one-half of the
apple. Each child then expresses
fraction on the board and all under
stand what is meant by the fraction
CT a fraction. Now that we have fin
ished, the children may dispose of the
applerdIus'
1t is the teachers duty to see that
the child not only knows, but can
make practical use of what he knows,
always remembering there can be no
thought till there has been observa-
ton.
If we wish to test its practical
knowledge, and this should be done
often, give it practical example.
Let it cell, paint or plaster the school
room and find how much it will cost
or, in case we turn it into barn. find
how many bushels OF corn it will hold
Joseph Payne says all the work OH
which mental acquisition depends il,
absolutely and solely done by the
pupil, while the teachers action and
influence which originate and main
tain the pupils work is confined to
guidance and superintendence.
If we would have our pupils thought
full we must teach them to investigate,
we must lead them out OF the beaten
path of text book knowledge into tie
broad field of investigation. People
who have merely memorized what
Others have said have advanced but
little beyond the parrot, that can say
only what it is taught.
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