The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1897-07-20
PROFESSOR MEAD
Lectures Before Teachers
at Summer School.
DR.. Browns Course Continued.
Interest in School
Increases.

The large number of teachers pres
ent yesterday morning at the Summer
School shows that the interest in the
work is keeping up. DR.. Brown ad
on the subject of ''Vagueness and Per-
fection." Dr. Brown pointed out that
in good picture there is plenty of de-
tail in the foreground, and that the
background must suggest distance,
vagueness. A good sermon has some
particular detail well worked out, but
the distant and remote is given some
value. So in the case of teachers. They
must attend to the detail Of education,
but they must not forget to lead the
pupil on to aspirations to reach that
which is beyond.
In some branches of instruction, per-
fection can be attained; for example,
in arithmetic. The work is capable of
being done perfectly. This perfection
should be insisted upon: few mis-
takes should not be allowed to pass.
Perfection must be demanded. In other
branches, as English, it is impossible
to attain complete perfection in a short
time, but some particular point should
be made important, so that the work in
that line may be perfect. The reason
that many teachers do not get perfect
work from their pupils is that they do
not expect it. Remembering that per-
iC
not allow incorrect models to be pre-
sented to the child
At the same time, the teacher is to be
pitied who works for merely mechani-
cal detail. Let us have some sense of
the beyond, of vagueness. DR.. Brown il
Illustrated his point by reference to
the Nebula hypothesis. This world,
this solar system was, in remote past,
formed from "star dust" The astrono-
mer frequently meets with this "star
dust" and there is plenty of it left for
the formation of new worlds. The
teacher must have new star dust con-
stantly in reserve. He must be able to
create new worlds for his pupils, other
wise he will become like the moon
1ife1ess.
At p. m. yesterday the members of
the Summer School and several Wis
of the High School to listen to an ad-
dress by Professor Mead, of Chicago
University.
Professor Mead took as his subject
"The Relationship Between Play and
Education He said that we are apt
to believe that there is great distance
between work and plav. The kinder
gartners, however, combine work with
play in their kindergartens. The spon-
taneous activity of the child is made
use of in the kindergartens. This is
following Natures plan. We see the
lower animals gaining their education
by means of play. The kitten learns by
means of play, the way to catch a
mouse and thereby gain a living. In
schools the end to be gained is con-
stantly kept in view, and the means to
the end is school discipline. The uni
versity appeals to the interest of the
student. But in the grades between
the kindergarten and the university it
has been customary to eliminate Who'll
ly or in part the question of the spon-
taneous interest of the pupil. 1t has
been considered by some that another
grade is necessary between the kinder |
garten and the primary school. In
some primary schools, however, the |
methods Of play are car |
ried on Professor Mead gave instances |
of children being allowed to use real |
coin with which to work, and it was
his opinion that by this method, the |
number. work of two years could be |
done in one year. Everything done by |
the spontaneous activity of the child |
Is more direct than that done by school |
discipline. It is to be noted that the
child's acts of play are isolated: he has |
no thought for the end in view. He is
in the process itself. The
teacher who can lay hold of this spon-
-aneous activity taps a great reservoir
IF energy. We cannot suddenly change
our entire school system, but we can
10 a great deal to utilize this activity
in the school room. In this age we
are making a study of the child. We
reat children better. We get nearer to
him.