Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-07-25
WORK AT G. NJ. P. A.
Prof. ]. H. Dunbar's Summer School
at South Woodstock Successfully
Opened.-.Aims Of the Institution,
Its Methods and Their Results.

Its Methods and Their Results.
The G. Nj. p. A. summer school
at South Woodstock was opened last
Monday under the management of
J. II. Dunbar, A. NJ, an educator
of wide AMI successful experience
and we'll known throughout New
England as man of original and
practical ideas in teaching. AS q
natter of general interest to all read
ers a reporter tor this paper visited
the school to observe the methods in
use there to obtain some idea of the
progress made by the pupils in few
days of study. The school is in.
tended, Prof. Dunbar states
For those preparing for teacher $
examinations.
For those wishing instruction in
philosophical principles and practi-
cal methods of teaching.
! For teachers and Others wishing to
complete an unfinished High School
course, or to supplement an English
course by work in the classics or
modern languages. .,.4. .,
For pupils preparing for High
School examinations, or Higl,
School pnpils desiring expert, in
struction in one OF more special
branches.
For everyone desiring practical
business education, broader liter
ary culture, or greater intellectual
strength.
In the several departments of in
struction, including business, English
and classical courses, the object is to
attain practical results by the simplest
and shortest methods in disregard of
precedents, to stimulate the pupils
mind, the development of intellect
ual perception, and to do away with
purely. mechanical processes. The
pupil is expected to reach solutions
by. logical reasoning, not bothered by
rules, without which a pupil is
usually helpless. The claim of the
school is that by these methods d
course can be completed in from
one-half to one-fourth the time re-
CURED in the average high school or
academy, and this seems likely to be
verified.
The school starts out with large
attendance of interested pupils
whose progress is very gratifying
both to teachers and to themselves.
The pupils freely expressed their
appreciation of the, methods en-
ployed, though they find radical de-
partures from the instruction to
which they had been accustomed,
and this would seem to be pretty
good testimony to its effectiveness,
Several recitations were heart
during the afternoon-ln Latin
French and arithmetic, the instruc.
ton in the latter branch probably be-
ing superior to that of any other
summer school in New England.
The instruction in primary methods
is in charge of Miss Jennie PENN
man Of the Windsor Graded School,
a graduate of the New Hampshire
Normal School, whose natural abili-
ty as teacher has been developed
by extended experience. Original
in her methods, they are an excellent
object lesson to all members of the
school as showing how primary
teaching should be done.
In the Latin class progress wa'
surprising, and the work of u young
lady from Putney, who had mastered
in two lessons declensions and CON
| jugations to which month or more
is usually devoted is fairly illustra
tive of the success OF the method.
employed.
The "natural metho d" is the foun
dalton of the instruction in French
and all the pupils were able to pro.
nounce and translate several pages
of easy French in the third lesson.
The textbook used is the "First
French Book" of the Chautauqus
Language Series, in which no Eng
fish words are used. The acquire
ment at vocabulary is the first con
sideration and this is accomplished
by gradually introducing new word:
used in such way that their mean
ing is quite obvious.
AS an instructor in mathematic,
Prof. Dunbar is very well known
and his textbook is highly valued by
educators for its admirable arrange
ment and clearness of style. In the
arithmetic class his originality is per
haps best shown. His aim is, as III
other studies, to effect results by thu
shortest cuts, to develop the reason
ling powers of the pupil and LEAD
him to obtain correct solutions quick
IA - ~