St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-20
PROF. C. b. GILBERTss LEARNED
PAPER ON THE SUBJECT OF
CORRELATION,
READ AT JACKSONVILLE, FLA
THE SUPERINTENDENT E ,ruE CIT
PAUL SCHOOLS DISCUSSES THE
QUESTION.
HE FAvoRs THE GENERAL IDEA
And Ably Reasons Out the Position
He Takes-Paper of Interest to
Teachers.

Supt. c. B. Gilbert, of the st. Paul
schools, addressed the annual meeting
OF the department of superintendent
Of the National Educational associa-
ton at Jacksonville, Fla. Yesterday.
His subject was ""The Future of Cor
relation" Supt. Gilbert spoke as fol-
lows:
In recent number of a leading educa-
tfonai periodical, the distinguished editor
sadly announces the death of appreciation
and pronounces euIogy over correlation
moriound. For correlation is dying; and yet
ne mas not been wholly unkind to us; let
death-bed
l can hardly believe that our friend tbe
editor, meant quite what he said He must
nave been thinking, not of correlation as a
SPIRITUAL force in education, but of correla-
tioii as catch-word name to conjure
win something for foolish radicals like your
humble servant to talk about in gatherings
such as this If apperception were not dead
should say that possibly he had not apper-
ceived correlation. Or did he have that high
ef truth in mind, beautifully expressed
by One who lived long ago Except a grain
OF wheat fall into the ground and die IT
abideth alone; but if it die it bringeth forth
Of correlation.
;. No great truth is productive until it loses
'ts identity. ceases to be abstractedIy by it
seir and becomes absorbed in | e. Even
Christianity is fruitless SO long as it is
merely beautiful doctrine to contemplate
wonderful philosophy to study, or re-
nned system of forma and ceremonies 1t Is
only when it dies in these respects that it
nves as a constituent and ruling force in
life.
Before stating what correlations of studies
seem advisable and possible at present, must
make clear what deem important principles
essential to any wise correlation the recog-
milton of which will avoid many of the blum
ders which have placed correlation in false
Hgnt; Tor correlation has been in as great
danger from its friends as from its enemies
Premature attempts have been made to
crystalline 1t into systems. to bind 1t down
TO mechanical forms, often by those who
failed to grasp its spirit, resulting in strange
and Kaleidoscope courses of study which
have given excuse to it's enemies for the claim
that correlation means basng school curric-
uia upon artificial and fanciful relations and
disregard1ng essential unities within lines of
study. But these things are not correlation
any more than bigotry is religion, or formal
ISM Christianity.
l would define correlation in courses of
study as a recognition of the natural rela-
tons existing among the various departments
of human activity, and such arrange
to the child, that all his knowledge shall
stand clearly in his mind in its true rela-
lions to the whole and to each of the parts
If the child is TO go forth from school, fit
ted for life made up of relations, it is nee
essary that the knowledge he receives and the
activities in which he engages in the course
OF his preparation shall all have reference
to these relations; hence, courses of study
which determine both the knowledge and the
activities, must be so arranged that isolated
knowledge and reasonless activities shall be
impossible.
For, what the various branches of
study? What determines whether a study
falls within branch or another?
Merely the point of view. The same OBJ
ject may be studied as belonging to several
of the different branches. DR.. Charles Nc
Murray clearly pointed this out in the De-
cember number Of the Public School Journal
using the oak tree an example, which may
be studied with equal propriety from the
standpoint of the botanist. of the artist of
the lumberman of the social scientist of the
meteorologist, or of the poet. His illustra-
ton might have been