Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-10-23

Presentation OF Diplomas. ....... Mr.. Williams
Male Messrs.
S~illowsy. Folmsbee. Winters and Lehman
Chorus-"Onward. Christian Soldiers"
FRIDAY. OCTOBER IS.
The minutes OF the previous day
were read and adopted. and the roll
called, responded to with quotations.
Miss PEBBLES then introduced DIR.
Craig president OF the State Uni
versity, who said, as an Introductory
remark, that he had something to
say, 30 would stick close to his SUBJ
ject-"Attention." He said that
method 10 eternal; there is but one
method and many devices. Atten-
ton is intensified consciousness. DR..
Craig does not believe In formal def
nitions 10 any considerable extent.
Many people complain OF poor men,
cries, the remedy for which lies
farther back In attention. IL wegive
close attention we remember, as also
the ability to give attention gives
ability to remember. There are two
kinds OF attention. First, the auto
matte, which depends on the attract
Iveness OF object presented. Attract
~iveness has a broader meaning than
that which is generally given It. In
that II may be nhat which displeases
az well ms pleases. Second, volitional
attention, which il under the con-
troll of the will and IL not possessed
by little children, which fact primary
teachers must remember. Young
children have very little control OF
the will. but later the two kinds OF
attention are combined. The first
depends on the attractiveness OF oh.
iect; the second, on strength OF will
power. The teacher should not lead
or push, but simply hold the light,
remaining invisible. Before the gen.
cral use Of anaesthetics people de-
pended on Will power and seemed to
suffer very little more than now be-
cause the attention was so firmly
rivited on other things than the
pain. The principles Of attention
are. that the direction Of attention
to any one sense increases discrimin-
ating power; this discriminating
power arises from intensified concen-
tratlon rather than continued effort
without such concentration. Hyp-
notism Is a fact according to the
principle of concentrated attention.
This attention may increase or de-
crease physical feeling. We arrive at
these concluslons-frst, since Volt
tional attention grows out of auto
matte, 1t Is the province of the teach
ers to make things interesting. We
all do better work II We enjoy it than
II we do 1t from compulsion. Sec
ond, since the energy Of attention
depends on will power, will should
be cultivated not broken. Third,
since discriminating power may be
increased by close attention, atten-
ton should be cultivated. Do not
let the mind wander even II uninter-
ested In a lecture or sermon or one
will lose power OF concentration or
attention. The only way to have
power OF attention IL to cultivate It.
Mr.. Williams, in his remarks on
Grammar" said that technical
grammar Ia a science and should be
taught In the third grade and only
introduced incidentally until that
time. Begin technical grammar
with a little dlagramming, analysis
aud parsing.
After a brief intermission, Mr..
WEIGH, state superintendent. talked
on Arithmetic" As soon az the
child has mastered the idea OF ten,
factoring and fractions should be
taught. Begin factoring by taking
9, 4, g., s, 10. up to IA. Use objects
and review previous work In every
recitation. Mr.. WEIGH advocated
the idea OF the study period follow
Ing the lesson instead OF preceding 1t.
Pedagogy" by Mr.. Williams fol.
lowed. Mr.. william spoke OF meth.
DDS used to train impulses into well
regulated capacities. People are not
born poets or teachers, but certain
impulses are trained OF developed
along these lines. A teacher can
manipulate the curriculum or envir.
onment, he should manipulate the
natural impulses but should not
force. The native impulses OF a child
must be touched or he cannot be ed
ucsted.
The afternoon session opened with
singing and roll call.
Mr.. WEIGH discussed the estate
Course Of Study" which may be re-
yised. One objection to 1t at present
Is that the subject of Physiology il
completed In the fifth year after very
little work ON the subject. The
Course OF Study" should be used at
an outline. Mr.. WEIGH spoke OF the
new registers which he would like
used and Of the exhibit Of Montana
school work in st. Louis, 1903, giving
directions for preparing work. Mr..
WEIGH does not approve Of institute
being held after school begins as II
interrupts the regular work and said
he thought 1t had better be IL August
lust preceding the opening of school