The herald., 1895-03-29
SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY
PedagOgues of Both Meet in
Important Conference
DISCUSSION OF CURRlCULA
Superintendent Search Defends the
Individual System
State Superintendent Black Outlines Some
DISCUSSION OF CURRlCULA
State Superintendent Black Outlines Some
New School Laws-A Number of
Distinguished Educators

Southern California never does anything
by halves. Among the hundreds of en-
terprises that have hourshed in our
genial climate like the green hay tree OF
pleasant memory, none has grown more
thriftily than the Southern California
Teachers Association. now in session in
this city. Almost all the prominent edu
Gators of the state and several hun
dred teachers from outside counties
are among the listeners at every session.
At 10 a. N. yesterday the professors Of
the State University and the High School
teachers met for the second conference
concerning the best curriculum for the
schools OF the state. Professor G.. Y. Roop,
OF Santa Barbara, discussed the
various points brought out and discussed
in the meeting of the day before. He
considered that the University was i'm.
proving IN every way and the schools of
the state were progressing at rapid rate.
Much OF this was due to better under
standing among the teachers and college
professors, who used to be almost entire
strangers to each other Not long since
the general feeling among teachers was
that the University was altogether too ex-
elusive, ii not dictatorial. President kel-
logg and others ,iisclamed any such sent
iments on the part of the University.
Professors Bailey and Jones of Berkeley
spoke at considerable length on the curri-
culum they considered best. -:
Professor Flagg of Berkeley advocated
the adoption OF one inhexible course for
all high schools. He considered that plan
the only solution OF the problem.
All OF the other speakers wanted several
curricula Professor Keyes wanted 400
curricnla for 400 pupils.
Professor Roop of Santa Barbara ex-
planned in detail the courses allowed in
the schools of that city The high school
course requires four years work OF ten
months each. The freshman studies are
arithmetic, English, Latin, general his
tory, physiology and zoology. Sophomore
studies are algebra. English, Latin, gen
eral history, civil government and chem
istry. Junior, plane geometry, English,
Latin, physics, French and German. Sen
lor, solid geometry, plane trigonometry,
English, Latin astronomy. geology
French, German. With this as the full
list of studies, variety of excellent
courses is made up.
Professor Roop advocated the adoption
of a course arranged with the local condi
tions as the first consideration. the uni
versty as the second consideration. The
adoption OF a commercial course was ad-
vocated by some, but was opposed by the
faculty of the university.
IcSlNtuG INtllOSS lllttuc u TeSuluc vi Vic
work of the conference. This was the
first conference of the kind ever held
south of Tehachepi, and another confer
ence will probably be held next year.
AT the afternoon session, Hon. s. T.
Black, State Superintendent of Public In
struction, was the first speaker. He spoke
at length concerning the important
changes in the school law made by the
present Legislature. Among the changes
and new laws passed are the following:
Section 1552- Each County Superin-
tendent shall receive his actual and neces-
be allowed by the Board of Supervisors
upon presentation OF itemized bill there
for, and to be paid out of the county gen
eral fund.-
Section l594-''No person shall be elgi-
BILE to the Office of School Trustee who can
not read and write the English language"
Section l576-"No act OF any Board of
School Trustees of any incorporated town
or city, or of any Board of Education of
any town or city, shall be valid and bind
ing unless it receives the affirmative vote
of a majority OF all the members consti-
tuting full board.
Professor George G. Hitchcock of Clare
mont read paper on Physics and Chem
istry in the Secondary Schools He said:
1t is time to urge change in the methods
of teaching these sciences in the public
schools On their introduction as school
studies they were thrust in without due
regard to their educational value, AS
their demands for places in courses grew
it became apparent that the text books in
use were but poor summaries that at
tempted to cover whole science in the
small books used. In chemistry a few
OF the simple and common elements and
compounds should be selected for expert
ments that will illustrate the general
character of chemical action.
The student should be taught to
observe with the utmost care.
Such care and attention will make any
lesson valuable as a mental drill. The
laboratory instructor should be conscien-
tious in his supervision and should lead
the student into the fields of knowledge
that he can survey. Having Travelled
these fields himself, he is able to guard
the student against many pitfalls He
should never a sumo to know it all, but
should let the pupil know that he is
merely guide of some experience.
Professor Frank b. Angel of Stanford
University spoke on hypnotization. He
said: No person can be hypnotized
unless he wants to be hypnotized.
He must have enough strength
OF will to fix the mind on
something or nothing for some time.
A great deal of discussion is constantly
going on concerning thought transference.
There are marvellous stories concerning
thought transference, both at short and
long distances. There is much that we
cannot explain, and we should be honest
enough to say So.
At the evening session Superintendent
2. w. Search of Los Angeles spoke on
the system of individual teaching now in
use in the schools of this city. He out
lined his ideas of the weaknesses of the
modern school systems. He was of the
opinion that time was wasted in many
ways where the new system would prove
to be means of saving much valuable
time. He considered that each pu-
pill as an individual was entitled
to begin at any time after losing day or
month or year, just at the point where
he left off He should not be compelled
to go over years work twice, merely be-
cause he was not of the same grade as the
other children.
After the evening lecture the audience
was invited to attend a reception ten
dered to the visiting teachers by the
teachers of Los Angeles. The reception
was held at the rooms of the Chamber OF
Commerce.
The programme for today is as follows:
a. m Color ard Form in Elementary
Grades-Miss Ada NJ. Laughlin, State Normal
School Los Angeles. Discussion led by Miss
NJ Parish. San Bernardino
10 a. m-Paper, The Present Status OF Peda-
gogy-T. III. Kirk, Ey-Assistant State Superin-
tendent of Minnesota.
IL a. m.-Address, The Woman of Pessimism
and the Woman of Evolution-Pfesident
David starr Jordan.
30 p. m.--Address. Some Types of Univer.
sities-William Carey Jones, Berkeley.
2:l5-Paper, English in Public schools
NJ. p. McDufie, President school Board, santa