Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-07-14


in American Normal Schools" Principal
Walter e. Russell, Gorham. Discussion
opened by CHARLES H. Morrill,, Hyannis.
"a State Policy for the Promotion Of
Industrial Education" Arthur d. Dean,
chief OF division OF trade schools, New
York state department OF education. Gem
eral discussion.
PRINCIPAL RUssELL's ADDRESS.
Principal Russell, speaking upon 1.-THE
Problem of Industrial Education in the
Normal Scbools", said IN part:
While the subject involves all the varieties
OF schools for the preparation of teachers,
from an academy with textbook course in
pedagogy TO normal university with many
technical schools, 1 shall limit myself to the
problem as applied to the New England nor
NAL schools, which are relatively homo
geneous. The normal school Of New Eng
land, wisely or unwisely, considers its task to
be the fitting Of the regular teacher for the
elementary schools. Under it's control are
two classes of pupils; first the prospective
teachers entering its doors with such
| academic preparation on the part OF most as
can be gained in the public schools; and,
SSSches viz Siasocs VI pIaCtiCc sCuooi puPis
| studying elementary school subjects. This
two-fold clientage of the normal schools
necessitates the treating of my subject from
two viewpoints.
Let us consider the problem OF industrial
education from the viewpoint OF the pro-
spective teacher. BY industrial education
shall mean in this discussion all those forms
Of education which involve the combined
iyif re NJ he l,op Nd
Very few Of the prospective teachers have
ever had much OF such training. The fact
that they are presenting themselves at nor
NAL school is evidence that they belong to
the bookish element; that they are naturally
Of the thoughtful type; that they are not de-
pendent upon the concrete to satisfy their in
terests; that they get Joy out Of mental GYM
nastics. Since all the industrial training the
mass II the public schools provides is some
penmanship and little smattering of draw
ing, il these young women have had much
education from the activity of the hand, eye
and brain in unison, the home must have pro-
vided it. Does the home provide an ample
amount Of industrial education? 1t did once
| perhaps, but it certainly does not under the
conditions Of modern life. The prospective
| teacher r, as has been pointed out, does not by
|
courses offer, and neither the school nor the
home have compelled her to profit by their
advantages and gain the preparation which
| they offer.
| 1t is not right for the normal school to GER
| tifcate teacher unprepared to utilize the
hand and eye in educating the children.
/ Perhaps 1t would be IL all the children were
duplicates Of herself, but they are not. Many
inf he oh xy;tb i,ax uck{ 10
interest in books and without any capacity
for abstract problems, yet they are to do the
| worlds work in the next generation and are
entitled to an education to fit them for that
duty. The teachers must be prepared, Of
course, to give them that education. The ex-
preston that is simply verbal is not only in
adequate to develop all the capacities OF any
child, but also it comes.far short Of develop
ing the best that is in most children. That
being so, you will all agree that the arts and
crafts are essential in the education Of chill
dren. This education is carried ON by two
| sets OF teachers-the special teacher and the
regular teacher. 1t means that the normal
school must prepare the regular teacher to
teach such subjects as drawing, penmanship,
weaving and sewing, and that it is not its
| business to train teachers of sloyd and cook
| ing.
The second duty of the normal school in re-
is the creation of right spirit toward it in
the hands of its graduates. 1t is the duty Of
the normal school to arouse in it's students an
intelligent sympathy with every movement
which tends to adapt the schools to meet the
needs of the times. Since interest, also, is
aroused by increasing knowledge, the normal
ia In at fed in aYteudin no the cou n
industrial education beyond those which the
regular teachers will have to teach in the
| grades.
| The question OF industrial education in the
| normal schools cannot be settled without con-
| sideration of the pupils in the allied practice
schools. The normal school should see that
| in its practice it gives the future teacher a
little frst-hand knowledge of the practical
use Of the arts and crafts in their three-fold
| function in education. In these practice
schools it may be clearly demonstrated tina t
| the arts and crafts are needed by all pupils
to give variety in expression; that they are
| needed for most pupils to put them into a
sympathetic attitude toward hand labor; and
they are needed by many pupils to enable
them to find their own powers.
The report of the Massachusetts Industrial
Education commission shows in that state
alone $4,000 boys and girls between the ages
OF fourteen and sixteen are not attending
school, most of them, certainly, through in
difference to the opportunities which are
theirs Let the public schools provide more
courses in industrial education, and let the
| normal schools not only fit the prospective
teachers to do all these forms of industrial
work which the most progressive schools ex-
pect of the regular teacher, but also develop
in her sympathetic interest in all forms of
industrial training which help boys and girls
| to become more intelligent. honorable and
useful citizens, and then we shall no longer
be confronted by such disheartening figures.
The official program was brought to a
close Thursday evening, with the general
session held in Emerson hall. Miss
Mary B. Snow, formerly superintendent
of schools in Bangor, and for several years
past at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, n.
Y, spoke on 'sThe Adjustment of the
School to Manual and Vocational Train