Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-07-25


College, In This country-Fads
In the Schools.
Where Teachers Train.
The summer school idea has spread
In America with amazing rapidity Of
late, summer Institutes and summer
assemblies" springing up In Ill parts Of
the country. ChautauQua leads In pop
ularity, though the school at Martha's
Vineyard enjoys the distinction Ut no
Ing the oldest and broadcast In its meth
DDS. The first summer school ever
founded was that inaugurated by the
eminent naturalist, Prof. Agassiz, ON
Penikese, island, the neighbor of Mar
tha's Vineyard. The C~hautauQua
school Of pedagogy vas last season
placed in charge Of the president of the
Teachers College of New York, Wal
ter L. Hervey, Phi. d. He will again
be its dean this season. With an able
corps Of assistants, principally profes.
sors and instructors from the Teach
ers' College, he puts into practice the
methods Of teaching adopted at that
institution, the finest Of Its kind in ex-
istence.
The Chautauqua School OF Pedagogy.
known as the Teachers Retreat, offers
for 1895 courses designed to meet the
needs of teachers in elementary and
secondary schools, in normal and train
Ing schools, and of school principals.
Seven departments are open-psychol-
ogy and pedagogy. methods Of teaching
English literature and composition, ma
ture study and primary methods, bot
any and geology, experimental science.
form, dra awning and color and express
sion.
In a number Of the courses laboratory
and field work are included, and in all
the courses opportunity Is given for
definite work toward a well-de6ued
aim. A progressive course covering
three years, supplemented by definite
reading and study to be done between
times with suitable tests, leads to the
Chautauqua teachers certificate. The
number and variety of the courses cn.
able the students Of the retreat I re-
turn year after year without duplicat.
Ing their work. The observation classes
are an important and interesting fea.
ture. These number as pupils the 1T
tie sons and daughters of the SUMMER
cottagers, who are taught by the retreat
professors that the student teachers
may learn the practical ways OF apply
ing their theoretical knowledge Of in
struction. At Martha's Vineyard the
summer institute offers additional in.
ducements for the training Of teachers
this coming season. including ins:ruc-
ton in all grades, from the ~kindcrgdr,
ten and primary through the regular
college course. A presentation is made
Of the most practical and philosophical
methods Of teaching.
Besides these two leading summer
schools which are Offering special de-
partments in pedagogy. others younger,
but promising. are being formed iii
many and widely separated localities.
Some are State schools, as the Connec-
ticut one, and that at Plymouth, N. H.,
which is the only free III in the coun-
try. The National Summer School ut
Glens Falls, N. Y, is doing good work,
while the Virginia one is on the same
plan as the institute at Martha's Vine
yard. The new school at Ann Arbo,,
In connection with the University of
Michigan, has a college Of pedagogy.
At the Agricultural College, at Lam
sing. Mich, whose botanical gArdens
are noted, the summer students camp
out. Harvard University has its sum-
mcr school at Cambridge, Mass. Even
New Jersey lays claim to one, the Ava
lon Summer Assembly, at Avalon, in
Guiding a school of forestry, while the
Brooklyn Institute has opened q sum-
mer school at Cold Springs, Long Isl
and.
Our Colleges.
The general impression produced by
the commencement day reports from
all over the country, says the New
York World, Is that we have a great
many colleges In this country, and that
they are turning out a great many
graduates. The impression is not err
roneous. The increase In the U
Of higher education In the United States
during the last thirty years Is one Of
the most prominent features Of our
national development. While the
other nations Of the civilized world
have been standing still or at best
moving slowly In the matter of college
growth, we have passed them with q
rush. until we now head the list In the
number Of colleges, the number of
students and the amount Of endowment
devoted to this worthy object.
Not only Is this growth highly credit
able to the educational spirit Of the
age, but there Is one feature Of It