Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-06
Prof. Stewart Of Utah Tells How
Great Educational Pulse Beats,
NEW MOVEMENT DISCUSSED
DIR. Dewey and the University Of CHI
cage Elementary school 80 En-
ormous school Of Pedagogy.

Special Correspondence.
University OF Chicago. Nov. T,--I am
sure the readers Of the "News" are in
terested in what Is going on in the edu-
oational world outside Of their own i'm
mediate localities. made no mistake
in coming to Chicago IN order to feel
the educational pulse OF our great coun-
Try, This city is certainly "ecnven-
ton" clty--a center for agitation. Dur
Ing the few months have been here no
fewer than a score Of educational meet
lngs have been held. II Is almost i'm
possible for the mind TO grasp the mag
ntnde Of the great educational system
OF the United States over 100000
children are enrolled In our elementary
schools at . cost Of over SIS per capita,
then there are hundreds Of high schools,
colleges and universities. Seven Of the
latter alone have an endowment Of over
tlQ0,000, 900 with an annual income OF
81 100000. Add To all this the value Of
buildings. grounds. equipment, etc. and
the mind becomes confused in the esti-
mate OF the sum total The United
States Is far In the lead OF foreign coun-
tries In the matter of education. From
good authority we are told that one
fourth OF the school children In the
world are Americans. The solution Of
the problem OF u free government and
a free people involves that OF universal
Intelligence.
THE NEW MOVEMENT"
When We think Of the immense cost
OF education and the amount OF time
devoted TO training the young and then
weigh carefully the results there Is no
wonder that some criticism and much
dissatisfaction is found with the aver
age school Of today. one Of the most
healthy signs is the growing interest
which parents and the public generally
are taking In education. Helpful criu-
cism is always welcomed by the hon
est teacher In no period in the history
OF education has there been so much
agitation and difference OF opinion
among educators themselves rs az pres
ent Certainly education is In transit
tory stage and just what the outcome
will be Is hard TO predict, but the cur
rent is certainly drifting in the direc-
ton Of radical change. Till but very
recently the higher educational insti-
tutiOns have taken little interest in
solving the problems In elementary edu-
cation, but radical change has come
and departments Of pedagogy are now
prominent feature IN nearly all
higher Institutions Of learning. The
child is now studied with the same
scientific thoroughness that Is char
acterstic In all departments OF
great university The inter
est taken In education by the
great universities together with the
professional tIpining Of teachers In nor,
NAL schools j. having potent influence
on the whole educational system. The
new scientific movement In education
proposes two radical departures, which
| shall name % as Social and f9) In
dustrial. This reform II rapidly max
Ing its way into the public schools the
school as an Intellectual hotbed must
go. The Chicago University Is one N
the leaders In this movement, which Is
destined TO revolutlSlize the education
al system Of this country
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.
Or. John Dewey. head Of the depart
ment Of philosophy and pedagogy in
the University OF Chicago is recognized
as one OF the greatest Cif not he great
est educational philosophers Of our
times, and he is strongly supporting this
new movement In education Prof.
Dewey IL more than a the0rlsi, for he
has an elementary school which practic-
ally applies his educational philosophy.
| shall not attempt in this letter 10 give
a description OF this wonderful school.
However. IN the words OF Prof Dewey.
| will give the problems which the
school Is trying 10 solve. Il. What can
be done, and how can II be done, 20
bring the school into closer
relation with the home, and
nelghborho3d llfe-instead Of having
the school q place where the child comes
solely to learn certain lessons? 2. What
can be done In the way Of Introducing
subject-matier In history and science
and art, that shall have a positive value
and real significance In the chid's own
life. that shall represent even to the
youngest children, something worthy OF
attainment In skill or knowledge; as
much 80 10 the little pupil as are the
studies Of the high school or college
student to him. 3. How can instruc-
ton In these formal symbolic branches
the mastering OF the ability to read,
write, and use figures intelligently-
carried on with every day experience
and occupation as their back ground
and In definite relations TO other studies
Of more Inherent contact and be car
red on In such a way that the child
shall feel their necessity through their
connection with subjects whlcl appeal
TO him on their own account? 4 In
dlvidual attention" l have veral times
visited this school and was always I'M
pressed with It as being home for
children, where each member Of the
household was most Interestingly en-
gagged In working out the zeal problems
Of lie in the most scientific, though APP
parenuy unconscious way.
EMMoNs BLAINE SCHOOL OF PED
AGOGY
one Of the most recent noteworthy
| educational events Is the endowment Of
a school Of pedagogy by Mrs. Emmons
| Blaine. az the head 81 which Is Col II.
W. Parker, late principal OF the Chicago
| Normal school. For some time Mrs.
/ Eldlut mas UttN lHAtAN0ltA III WV W. n
| Of educational reform which Col, Park
er has been doing In his Normal school,
| and in order that his advanced Ideas
| could be fully expressed in practice she
| has given large part OF her vast f0r-
tune 10 that end. Since came TO Chi
/ cago the site for the school has been
/ purchased and plans arranged for the
| construction Of the buildings. The site
/ which Is valued at 500, eVO is one Of the
most desirable for such a school, being
| located 50 as 20 face Lincoln park on
the west. The purpose OF the school Is
| 90 work out In the most scientific way
the principles and practice OF education
! ana train expert teachers from the kin
dergarten % the college, inclusive.
Cob Parker who made the Cook
County Normal school so famous, Is
one OF the most widely known educa-
! tors In this country. lie has been one
Of the radical and strong educa-
tonal leaders ~ this country for
nearly "A quarter OF century
While he endorses the educational
| philosophy OF Prof. Dewey, stu his