The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-15
SCHOOL LECTURE.
Attention in School Room
DIR. Browns Theme.
How Pupils Attention May be Had.
Punish In PriVate-Talk
on Seeing.

The second section of the Summer
School listened yesterday morning to
Professor Brown on the subject OF
Attention in the School Room
In his Introductory remarks, Profess
sor Brown spoke of the necessity of
building up the character of the pu-
pill and gave notice that today the
question will be propounded, is
knowledge Power?"
The subject of attention in the
school room is very important one;
in fact, it is the most important sub
ject in it's bearing upon education with
which psychology has to do.
Psychologists recognize two kinds OF
attention-(a) voluntary, OBJ involun-
tary-and the teacher has to do with
third kind-(c) enforced.
(a) Voluntary attention is attention
given with a wish to do so.
OBJ Involuntary attention is atten-
ton given without wish to do so.
tCJ dIISHClOH 10 c1CIChIiOA
given under compulsion.
Enforced attention is not economical
for either pupil or teacher, but the
teacher has a great deal to do with it.
The kind of attention which is most
valuable is involuntary, but it is bet
ter to insist upon attention than to
have no attention at ALL
The use of voluntary attention is to
make beginnings.
The amount of attention does not de-
pend upon noise. 1t may be necessary
to remind the children that order is
expected This can best be done by
quiet manners on the part of the teach
er. 1t is necessary to use some new
means to arrest attention. Children
will obey when they respect their
teacher Should any form of punish
ment be necessary, it should be admin
istered in private.
In the afternoon, DR.. Brown ad-
dressed the first section in the High
School building on the subject of "See-
ing
A figure had been placed on the
| blackboard, having something resem-
| this, sign taken from one of the
places of business in town, written in
Hawaiian: ''Pa Kuai Papa" Below
| this was placed certain series of
straight lines.
This figure had been hidden from
view by chart. The chart was now
removed, and the class allowed to have
good look at the figure Abundance
| of time was given for careful eXami-
nation of the figure. All the teachers
were now called upon to make upon
paper reproduction of the figure, but
| they were not to do so while looking
at it. All declared that they had seen
| the figure for a sufficient length of
| time about two-thirds declaring that
| they could shut their eyes and see it
| before them. Upon the test being
made, about one-third of the teachers
made approximately correct drawings.
| The union jack was made complete by
| a large lumber, although not complete
| in the figure to be copied.
Upon questioning those taking part
| in the experiment, DR.. Brown devel-
oped some facts, which he stated in
| this order:
l. We see with our minds as we'll as
| with our eyes, as shown by the draw
| ing of the union jack more completely
! than in the figure given.
| 2. The things that we know best we
| look at with the least care. Those ia
miliar with the Hawaiian language de-
clared that they spent the least time on
that section of the figure in which the
Hawaiian words are placed. Yet they
| all succeeded in writing these words
correctly. On the other hand, those
not familiar with Hawaiian looked
| long at this part of the figure and yet
| made mistakes in copying.
3. Seeing with our minds is good as
well as bad. 1t helps us to see much
in little time, as shown by the expert
| ment with the Hawaiian words
4. We do not remember all that we
see
5. It is of no use to see unless we
remember what we have seen.
6. Drawing trains us to see.
A discussion then followed on the
! application of these six observations
to the work of the school room.
1t was agreed that observations 4,
and afforded ~most that is practical
| for the work of the school room