The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-14
Dr.. Lyons Continues His In
teresting Talk on Geology.
DIR. DREssLAR AND CYLINDERS.
Prof. scott Talks Again OF the
Greeks The study of History.
Relative Age of Variovs Vol
canoes-Mauna Loa and Vesuvius.

At chapel yesterday the following an
nouncements were made: A lecture
| this evening at 7:45 by Rev. S. S. Pal
mer. on The Power of Personal In
/ fluence." Everybody welcome. 1t will
be in the High School building, just al
the close of Prof. Lyons geology class
An excursion to Waianae, free to the
member of the summer school and all
teachers, by the courtesy of President
Dillingham; of the Oahu R. r., will take
place Saturday at 1 p. m. Those who
wish to go will please give their names
this morning to Mr.. F. w. Abbott.
Quite an extensive exhibit of map
drawing, cardboard sewing, cOmpo-
sition work, etc. from Napoopoo adj
orns the bay window of the High School
office.
The class in pedagogy in the after
noon considered apperception. DR..
Dresslar first held up a picture, which
some teachers declared to be rabbit,
and others called a duck, the ears in
one case becoming the bill in the other.
Can you separate the ideas now?
You see, then, what the mind gets
from a picture even depends on what
is already in the mind. Suppose 1 had
a glass in each hand, one of water, the
other full of nitric acid. Suppose that
l pour water into each, will the COM
bination be the same? Why not? Be
cause what was in before was different.
Every child knows something. What
you teach is but added to that Then
what must you know first? What is al
ready in the child's mind. "
During the morning DR.. Dresslar had
been asking various teachers to arrange
in order of weight seven brass cylinders
of different length. He now placed the
results on the board. He also asked
the relative weight of the largest and
smallest. The estimates were that the
smallest was from two to seven times
as heavy as the largest. In fact the CYL
inders were of exactly the same weight.
What is the explanation? Simply
this: Nature has been teaching us over
and over that of two objects of similar
material the larger will be heavier.
Our expectation has been disappointed,
and SO we think the larger lighter"
In answer to a question:
yes! 1 have tried it with a blind
man, and others blindfolded. If they
felt of it so as to discover the size, the
result was the same. Yes, if placed in
the hand so that they could not dis
cover the size they answered correctly.
What does this prove? That what is
already in the mind determines the re-
suit Therefore, know the mind of the
child
In methodolOgy the class discussed
the chief purpose of history teaching.
Some teachers thought that the learn
ing of facts is the chief end; others
morals and citizenship. Here the ques-
ton was raised: will a man of per-
feet moral character be a good citi-
zen?" The teachers are fond of de-
batting. Algebra, geometry, history,
methodology, nature study, all bear
the most part, in country schools. We
raise the question, Why not institute
debating societies and allow this talent
free vent? Anybody who can use this
the question raised above was debated
as long as DR.. Dresslar would allow,
and then many were unsatisfied. Others
yet thought the end to be sought in
life, and others that it was the knowl-
edge of good and evil. The latter noun
brought out much opposition. Let the
child learn, and learn to love the good.
The evil will come soon enough, seem
ed to be the general sentiment.
On the whole the teachers agreed
with the purpose enunciated the day
before by DR.. Dresslar, i. e., the chief
use of history for the child is to give
it moral notions. In closing the discus
sion DR.. Dresslar said:
Don't take this because 1 say so.
Think it out for yourself Think of
this: What will the effect be if 1 do
so and so?''
Roman education, continued, was the
starting point in Prof. SCOTS history
of education. The later Romans, led on
by their numerous provinces, began to
have the conception of universal broth
erhood. Then Christianity came in and
taught that man is immortal and that
we must obey the higher law. A higher
ideal of individual arose. In spite OF
the extremes of monasticism and fast
! ing and opposition to education, the