The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-18
Daily Newspaper as
an Educational Hid
From the Troy Times.

From the Troy Times.
The current rumber of the New York
Teachers Quarterly contains an article
by c. de f.. Hoxie, instructor in Gram
mar school No. 40, New York city, on
use of the Daily Paper in Teaching,
which is full of timely suggestions. AS
it comes from one actually engaged in
training the young it must be conce led
to have practical value. The general idea
" hich Mr.. Hoxie desires to inculcate may
be gathered from this extract:
Nothing gains or holds the attention
of school children like an apt statement
of timely facts. Nothing is more effective
in illustrating a principle or in clinching
a point than fresh up-to-date knowledge.
For such purpose the daily newspaper
is a never failing storehouse to the dis
eliminating teacher. The news can be
made use of in connection with almost
every subject that is taught in the class
rooIr. Is IL geography you are teaching"
What added interest can. be aroused by
tracing the progress of the Turko-Grecian
war. or by calling attention to a possible
international complication for Uncle Sam
in connection with Hawaiis attempt 10
prevent a Japanese invasion! Is 1t his
tory? Every page of a well edited daily
paper teens with what might be termed
cross references and side lights up IL the
texts of the school histories. Is it gram.
mar or composition? Select a topic from
the papers--sonething on the tip OF eN cry
bcly's tonRue.-and how much added in
terest will be developed il the analysis,
plrsing and construction. Give dlCta-
ton exercise On Jameso'.'s raid or the
latest exploits Cf the Cuban patriots ana
see how the interest developed reac's 10
produce better spelling AMI punctuation
The same principle Mr. Hoxle applies
10 civics, by citing examples which may
be used in teaching pupils the duties and
practices of citizenship. Even arith-
metic," he says, may be enlivened by
| judcious references TO passing events. -
| The student may be set to figuring out
| the time consumed in transmitting an
| important news dispatch, and so on. Mr.
HoXie concludes thus: "Of course dis
| elimination must be used in the applica-
| tion of current events to school studies
| 1t goes without saying that the trivial and
vicious should be passed by and only
| such news used to illustrate the subjects
| targht as will be helpful to the pupil. But
| up-to-date illustration let us have, if We
| have up-to-date classes. AS Emerson +
| White well says: The knowledge that
tells in the class room is fresh knowl'
| edge"
| The Importance of the newspaper as ar
adjunct of civilization and education
| needs no demonstration. But Mr.. HoXit
| shows how it can be made useful in wha'
| is octen regarded as very prosaic ant
humdrum work. To be sure, II would no
be safe to utilize all newspapers as par
| of the schoolroom outfit. There is
class of yellow. journals which woulc
| breed mischief wherever introduced, anC
no teacher or parent would think of call
| ing them into service for the purpose o
| aiding in the mental or moral develop
ment of the young. But there are plent!
| of good, clean, carefully edited paper
| whose columns daily furnish matter O
the highest educational value. Every bo!
and birl will be better and wiser and NOR
thoroughly prepared to meet the respon
sibilities of life by course Of this kim
of reading.