Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-06

old system of education-the teacher
and his book were. 1t did not make
much difference what the lessons were
worth to the child or what he thought
of them; he still had to learn them.
Lessons must have a magic worth to
be taught on these terms. and believe
1t Is the prevailing view that tney 90
have magic worth.
Where are you going when you
teach arithmetic, grammar, geography
and reading? Let us say that arith-
metic is taught because Of its practical
value as a preparation for the num-
bering that one must do after he leaves
the school, But why, then, is so much
arithmetic taught that has no practical
value; that is used nowhere In life
whatever?
'Why is grammar taught? Because
il imparts the ability to speak the Eng
lish language correctly. But does 1t?
II one studied grammar until he be-
came as old as Methusalah it would not
lead to that result. Does the study OF
chemistry teach one to cook? 1t is not
intended for that purpose and neither
was grammar intended to enable one
to use language correctly.
why do we study reading? To learn
to read. But did it ever occur to you
that that is the very thing that we do
not learn by our study Of reading. We
learn how to read, but not to read by
the process.
Arithmetic that does not prepare for
business, grammar that does not habit
uate us in the use Of language and
reading that does not make readers
must exist for some other purpose than
the practical knowledge which they i'm
part; and you say at once, perhaps, as
do most teachers, of course they do.
They are taught 10 train the mind. to
strengthen its powers. That is exactly
the position of the old education, and
the psychologists have taught us that
taht view is an ancient and impossible
superstition.
To Be Doer
"Does thinking train one in feeling
and willing? The trouble with your
theorist is that he is not a doer; his
will Is not strengthened, but is disinte-
grated by his much thinking. Does will
ing or doing of itself train one In think
ing? No. The trouble with your doer
or practical man is that he Is not a
thinker, and neither of them Is apt TO
be man of strong emotions, while the
specialist in this line makes sentiments
afsts who are neither thinkers nor
doers.
Mature seems to have made men
specialists, and not Of such sort that
doing one thing will train them to do
all. AS John Ruskin said years ago:
Teaching GREGG teaches Greek and
nothing else; certainly not common
sense, unless one had 1t before.
but you are perhaps saying: we
don't mean that. We teach these things
in such way that they train and
strengthen the faculties Of the mind
But there are no faculties to the mind.
Prof. James has pointed out that 1t is
not possible to train the memory for
there Is no such thing as the memory.
That we have a different memory for
every different thing that we remem-
ber; that al methods of memory train
ing are simply devices for getting a
clearer impression OF the thing to be
remembered. If remember correctly
Prof. Baldwin has done the same thing
for the attention. The same is true Of
the observation. the thinking powers
and the will.
Utility the End Sought
"What, then, are studies for? Studies
are for the knowledge they impart and
the habits OF doing that they get us
into.
Social efficiency is the end of educa-
ton, and studies are valuable because
OF their utility in contributing to this
end.
"Utnity is the end of education, but
utility for man as human being, not
for man as an animal
"The new education differs also In
its method 1t says that looking and
listening are not sufficient means OF