The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-18
OUR STUDY SYSTEM.
Coordination Is the One Thing Needed
Says Or. Hodge.


Says Or Hodge.
DR. Hodge opened the day with a lee
ture on institutions and natural stu
dy." He introduced his subject with the
following proverb:
Munner Won dem ersten Preise
Lernen NIGHTS und werden weise;
Munner Won der zwitten Range
Werden klug und lernen lange;
Munner Won des dritten Sorte
Bleiben dun und lernen Worte.
Men of the first class learn nothing
and become wise; men of the second
rank become cunning and learn long;
men of the third sort remain ignorant
and learn words.
Continuing, DR.. Hodge said in sub
stance: Size up our school system by
this proverb and see if it doesn't tend
to make men ignorant and learn in
words. Nature study will give the Sc
cond line. Learn nothing and become
wise
There is the logical system of nature
study which begins at the chemistry
aud physics, like the Cornell leaflets,
and in O. P. Jenkins Suggestions on
nature study in primary schools" I've
thought how this idea effects children.
| asked a teacher what he thought of
it and he said: "They are not chill
dren at all; they are freaks" Any form
of nature study which takes off par
ticle of the bloom of childhood is con-
temptible.
Coordination is the one thing needed
in our study systems. From the i'm
portance of beginning right, I should
like to call our primary schools and
kindergartenS the higher institutions
of learning and the university the low
est. If anything is of Importance in
human life, and is discovered. it should
be put where it will be of some use at
the earliest possible moment. What
the leaves are to the forest that to the
world are the children. We grown
folks should be gathering in the inspi-
ration and nourishment of life from
these leaves of the forest of humanity.
Our agricultural school and expert
mental station, the department of agri-
culture and of fisheries, are bent on
thediseovery Of fact connected with the
sea and land and then giving it to the
country. They have been distributing
their pamphlets to the adult popula-
tioh.
Is there any connection between
these government institutions and the
common school system? Special com
mittees have made reports as to teach
ing Of agriculture. These do not touch
our education system. There are GER
tain ways through which the teachers
may get at these publications. Periodi-
callY there are printed indexes of pub
llcations for sale by the department. !
couldn't get along without these index
es in some of my work. They cover all
the fields of the departments. If a
co-ordination could be arranged so that
teachers coud get the results of the ex-
periments as soon as possible, we
ehould get the best present level
knowledge to be obtained We should
know then just what we know as a ma
ton and what we don't know We
might have our public education on a
scientific basis.
cannot help speaking Of teaching
the great unknown. The best teach-
ers are those who can tell their peo-
pills some Of the things that are not
known, and set them to find out.
We have this spirit in the universe
ties and in some of the colleges. The
old relation Of animosity between the
student and professor is dead.
should like to see the relation of mu-
tual help in all the schools. The idea
throughout the world is that the teach.
er knows 1t all; under the other rela-
ton, the teacher supplied with the best
possible knowledge, may be able to tel
the pupils, or he may allow the pupll
an opportunity to look 1t UP himself
Nature study brings about this relation
The United States fish commission Il
farther removed than agriculture from