The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-03-06

Another interesting meeting OF the
Honolulu Teacher Association was
held in the Y. NJ &. a. lecture hall
last night. About one hundred per-
sons were present, and from the signs
of appreciation given at different in
tervals they spent a very enjoyable
evening.
The first number on the program
was a very delightful and skillfully
rendered duet by the Misses Hopper.
Mr.. Hosmer, az chairman, au-
nounced that Professor NOrthrup, of
the Connecticut State University, and
a man widely known as a prominent
educator, would be in the city before
long, and that he had written of his
willingness to lecture on different
topics here. Mr.. HOsmer stated that
it was very likely a small admission
fee would be charged. Professor Ly-
Ons, of Oahu College, was then an
nounced.
The learned professor spoke very en-
tertainingly on the aims that must
needs be followed in the education of
the young. He dwelt more espe-
cially on the domain of science.
The first point touched upon by the
speaker was the importance of awak-
ening in the young mind quicker
natural interest I'm the objects sur
rounding it. There must he a study
of Nature in the healthy matured
way and no force must be used. There
must be interest on the parts of both
the teacher and pupil in order that an
expansion may be made manifest in
the mind of the latter.
The speaker dWelt secondly upon
the fact that the senses must be
trained to efficiency and that they must
receive the reinforcement Of artificial
arrangements, such as the microscope.
Not a great deal Of such material can
be remembered by the pupil therefore
il is u good thug to- furnish him with
keys. In this manner he becomes fla
miliar with the objects of his study.
The idea that Il pupil must be
brought into contact with the facts
and forces of Nature was emphasized
very strongly by the speaker. Tue
only way to get the required effect Is
by the Introduction of laboratory
work, by means Of which a pupil
learns from experience what takes
place, given certain causes. He is
thus trained to overcome difficulties
that may at any time present them
selves. Constant practice at OveTcom-
ing difficulties tends toward self
reliance.
1.-The mind must he exercised i'm
order TO strengthen the faculties"
said the speaker. IN this connection
he stated there were two things 10 he
kent in mind. One was that a thing
to be remembered must be first
known; another was that truth as
such is hardly liable to remain al
ways in the brain The speaker re-
ferred to the evil effects of the system
of "crammiug' i'm vogue at various
places.
The imagination is an aid to the
furthering of scientific knowledge. Ii
is this which tulips to complete
whole, of which but part is known.
This has been shown time and time
again. To no faculty of the mind
does science owe 30 much a. To TIE
imagination. Science has an i'm
pOrtaut influence on the moral char
acter of the pupil. This the speaker
said was All Interior aim in science.
Ore of tie greatest aims OF science
seemed To the speaker to Toe the
knowledge on the part Of the pupil, OF
how TO generaiizr He must not
stick To the plain facts that are set
before him. He must grasp the whole
ami gel IL into good working form.
He must think.
Rev. DIR. Chase spoke on Common
and Decimal Fractions . He thought
that too much force was used in the
education of children and that more
natural methods should be sought for
and employed. He did not think il
was right that child's brain should
be buriened with anything beyond
its power to grasp. There seemed to
him to be a great deal of ignorance in
the cultivation of the minds of cEil
dren. He referred to certain express
siOns in various books that were cal
culated to muddle child. The word
Contained" used in division was
thought by the speaker To be mis-
leading A phrase such "a chow
many times can a certain number be
taken away from the whole was
thought to be better.
The speaker then illustrated on the
board a good method by which frac
tions could be divided one into an
other. The element of time was
necessary to the distilling of the
method into the child's mind but the
speaker thought no end of good could
be obtained from 1T if employed con
stantly.
A delightful solo was rendered by
DIR. Nichols, after which the last ad-
dress of the evening was announced.
Mr.. A. Hutchinson addressed the
meeting on Gains in Art Training"
Reviewing the history Of art training
he pointed out the fact that France
has had longer experience in art tram
ing than any other European country,
and the result of these advantages are
now seen in the aptitude for art even
among the lower classes.
In 1860 the National Art Training
School of South KensingtOn was e.
tablished as "A training school for art
teachers. This one was supplied with
life aud ornamental casts, aud CLAW
modelling was introduced. The effect
OF this school, aud other schools to
which IL gave rise, is now being felt
throughout Europe.
Some methods uf teaching art, the
speaker polluted out, are not only use
los llI In snrnnn 1000 IN rrnnfml