The herald., 1894-04-07
COUNTY TEACHERS INSTITUTE
Topics Touched Upon by the
Educators of the Young.
Varied Opinions Expressed Regard
ing Methods of School Work.
An Interosting Consensus OF Opinion
Regarding Importaut Educa-
tfonRi Qusstions-3ome
Wordy Wars.

| Dleu at tno normal hCuoOi }edtotuayt ~
the usual hour. In sections one and
two Miss Katherine Ball taught
drawing.
In the came sections Mrs. ]. Powell
Rice taught how music should be taught
in order to be OF some real value. Mrs.
Rice gave very exhaustive review OF
the required mulical courss. With valu-
able l5llss hin SC as 20 he best way &c get
teachers and pupils to do earnest work
IN music. She believes that all chill
dren caa do this work with success.
Mrs. II oe Is we'll known to all the
teachers in the city, and as conse.
quencc standing room was at premium
wherever she taught.
In the high school section, Prof. W.
II. Housh of the Los Angeles high
school read paper on Physics.
Ha claimed that pupils should be
fought physics much earlier than usual.
In the high school we now teach physica
to the pupils in the tenth and eleventh
grades, instead of in the eleventh grade
only, as formerly. Physics as taught in
our high schools is so elementary that
am of the opinion that pupils in the
seventh and eighth grades could easily
comprehend 1t.
have found in my experience that
very few girls learn much about physics.
Yet most of the teachers in our gram.
mar grades are girls and young women.
As rule girls do not learn physics in
any other way than the old memory
plan.
During this institute several have at
tackled the laboratory system OF science
work. / am uuqualifiedly in favor of
laboratory work as the only really
scientific way to study physical phe-
nomena.
Mr.. II. f. Fall OF Pomona spoke on
chemistry as it should be taught in the
high school. he outlined a working
plan for beginners in chemistry. Prof.
| John Dickinson Raid that the chief rea.
con why we do not succeed in teaching
science Ia that We know 90 little science
to teach.
We need other science teachers than
mere boys who have read a few text
books on science. Men Of scientific at
tainments are not 30 rare that we need
to grOpe In the dark. Youths are not
competent to train children. Give us
men OF breadth to teach broad subjects
and men OF depth to teach deep SUBJ
iects.
Professor Kirk OF Minnesota said that
we were too prone to cay to the children:
Shut your eyes to the things OF today.
The stars do not shine for you. The
ocean doss not ebb and flow now. Ma
ture is dead and her biography 10 in
these wonderful books.
Professor Bray OF Palms said that we
had already crowded our curriculum
! with too many studies and that we need
| TO auOrJUu rAtuor Cuun IUuBvnon Uuo
course. sm in favor of beginning at
once 70 shorten ell our tedicne, neeless
work.
Mr.. Hutchison of University spoke
against the vague and mystifying science
work now done In most schools. Chill
dren who learn acience in the form or
through the medium OF fairy tales get 90
little of real worth that the results are
easily seen. There is no need OF EN-.
ploying stories ofthe fancliul, mysterious,
weird, ghoulish. or uncanny to convey
ecience to the minds OF children. Things
must be taught as they are. This Is q
world In which IL lains and SHOWS and
freezes, and where ere are chilling and
scorching winds, ali children need to
! know 1t well.
Mr.. Winship spoke in favor OF such
scientific work aH will be OF real benefit
to the pupils when they enter college
and in after life. The fanciful science
ie not real science.
Professor Dickinson said that many
college and university professors have
eaid they would rather have for students
those who have done no science work
previous to entering college. Too many
who have mastered" text book think
they know some hing instead of nothing.
Nothing lie science that 10 not true, and
much that is not true in any sense is
taught to children by ignorant teachers
OF ecience.
Prof. N. F. Smith OF Santa Monica
read q paper on other sciences. He ad-
vocated more thorough study in phys
iology and the laws that govern health.
A porson to be OF much use muet be
living. Our girls should be taught the
laws that govern their own being, and
the vital Importance of sound body ae
we'll as o sound mind.
Quite war OF words resulted from the
report OF tho committee on resolutions.
Professors Rowell and Molynesux dis.
cussed one of the resolutions concerning
the proposed changes IN the curriculum
for the grammar grade.
Halt dozen teachers were on theil
feet good portion of the time, but those
already named bore the brunt OF the die
cusson, which resulted in compromise
in the resolution.
In the afternoon Prof. Earl Barnes
spoke on Why Study the History o.
Education.
Those who would like to pursue chile
study as it was outlined yesterday will
find most all that is written on the cub
ject in tho books of Perez, Miss Shinn
Tracy and Preyer.
Ae to the study OF the history of edu
cation, we are doing very little OF tina
kind OF work in America.
| notice that in this normal sehoo
but 10 weeks are to be devoted to th,
! study of the history OF education. Ont
iorty-eighth part of tho conrse is but
email part to devote to such an impor
, tant study. European normal school
devote about one-iourth of the Hchoo
, course to this branch.
! During the last Is years there hsv
been many remarkable changes in tn
, curricuA. Greek, Latin and histof,
have been practically abolished. be
lieve that this has been great mistake
!, Properly taught or properly studied his
i tory is Of great value. The study shoult
: be pursued with the aid of origina
! documents or OF them. Their
are many copies of important letter
and other documents now pub
liehed and such can easily be pro
cured by students who wish them
a | For tho nrrnoaa of avoidinO niatakea