Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-21
ON EDUCATION.
Address by Prof. Judd Of
Yale University
In Senate Chamber at Capitol,
Tuesday Evening.
LARGE Attendance Of Teachers and Most
Interesting Discourse.

The fourth of a series of meetings
for teachers in the secondary schools
| of the State, under the direction OF
Hon. w. w. Stetson, State superin-
tendent of the public schools. was held
| in the Senate chamber at the Capitol
Tuesday evening, and was attended by
a large number of the teachers of this
section. including not only many from
this city but from the schools of Hal
lowell, Gardiner, Winthrop and from
| Erskine Academy at South China. 1t
was a representative gathering of edu-
Gators, and all We're thoroughly inter-
ested i'm the occasion as Well as pleased
with the address to which they listen
ed
The speaker of the evening was
Prof. Chas. II. Judd of the department
of psychology ana director of the sum
mer school of Yale University, who
is making Il tour of the State in COM
pany with Supt. StetSon for the pur-
pose of addressing the teachers of the
different sections on the subject {:
Why Should Secondary School Teach
ers Make a Scientific Study of Edu-
cation"
The meeting was called to order at S
O'clock by NJ. +. Dutton. principal of
the Village School District, who. al
| ter few preliminary remarks relative
| to the objects Of the meeting. intro
| duced the speaker of the evening.
I'm opening Prof. Judd announced
| the subject of his address and said that
by il scientific study of education he
meant the establishment of education
| on Il rational ana carefully organized
| basis rather than by the traditional
plan Of absorption. He then went on to
| explain in detail the difference of car
| rying on the instruction Of pupils by
| scientific methods and Of the much
more cCstom of teaching without or
ganiZed system, that is. allowing pu-
pills 10 4 certain extent. to frame their
| oAn methods of acquiring knowledge.
Prof. Judd spoke for about an hour,
| and throughout the entire course of his
| address he had the close attention of
his audience. His talk was of an en-
tirely informal nature and while it was
| instructive throughout it was at the
same time of degree of interest sell
dom equalled on similar occasions.
In the course of his address he tool,
| up the Latin or preparatory schools and
| the academies and explained at length
| the difference in the objects and results
| between the two. and followed up with an
| argument in favor of a more thorough
| system in the methods of imparting edit
| cation in the High schools and Grammar
| grades. giving illustrations of different
methods by reciting incidents of his own
] AMONG onmernuc other cIIo-
| gestions in regard to the best method Of
teaching any particular branch, Prof.
l Judd said that the teachers could solve
the problem in their own schools by
dividing a class into two sections, being
careful to divide the talent equally. and
| to try different methods on the two di-
/ visions for a few weeks and watch the
| result. Pupils who are allowed to franz
| their own methods would, he said. attain
a certain degree of practical knowledge
| while the pupil who is taught bv scien-
tific methods will in the end become pro.
| ficient.
| A pleasing feature of the address was
| the illustrations chosen by the speakc!
to explain the points in his arguments
| which, while they made the points clear
| to his audience, were at the same tim.
| humorous, and all were sorry when hs
closed; for while they had derived n great
deal Of benefit from the discourse they
| had at the same time enjoyed an even
| ing of rare pleasure. In closing, Prof
Judd expressed his thanks to all, sayin2
| that he was pleased to see so many pres
ent. and also that it had given him grea
| pleasure to visit the State of Maine an(
to meet 50 many of her teachers.
Following Prof. Judd. Supt. Stetson ad
dressed the meeting briefly. stating tha
the meeting was the best one vet aut
that in consequence of the interest man
ifestcd throughout the series he had de
termined to see that more meetings o
the kind were held in the future. TIN
fourth and last meeting of the series vii
be held at Portland this afternoon.
/