Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-10
PAPERS PROVOKE
MUCH DISCUSSION
Spirited Session at Convention
OF Teachers in the Church
Schools.
PROF. WIDTSoE RESPONSIBLE
He Reads Paper on Correlation of
EngllsI, and Theology and
Then Debate starts.

II the value OF a convention Is to b.
Judged by the discussions that is pro-
! vQked by papers, then this morning Z
session of the Church school teachers
| convention is 10 be regarded a. the
! most successful Of the series Of meet
| ings held There were not SO many
| present as at previous meetings,
| on account OF the large tax on
me energies OF the teachers from a
distance
The discussions oenterod In two
points this morning. the correlation of
English and theology, started by a
paper by Prof Widtsoc OF the l.. -. 5.
University and the adyisability OF put
ting psychology In the first and sec
ond years OF the high school.
ffof' Widtsoe's paper, after giving
some historical data on the general
subject OF correlation. discussed the
purpose of theology and English in
church high schools. advocated corre-
lation whore It can be done TO advant-
age. and pointed out MEANS OF reach
ing this end.
The purpose of both theology and
tnglsh, ne Contendcd. is 10 make the
students taking them more efficient in
Twins. Al one time he pointed out. II
was customary 10 teach theoretical
English. Now. the student In this sub
Ject Is taught to write and to speak
effectively. Tho same Is true Of rellg-
ion. Theoretical religion, or theology
as It Is called. has little value. II Is the
practise OF religious truth that counts.
No literature Is so rich in the spirit
ual element as in English literature.
Prof. WidtsOe maintained. And II would
be an easy matter to develop the emo
tional and spiritual sides of our
natures by means OF our literature.
Themes or subjects taken from theology
might be suggested. To- be taken by stu
dents In English at their option.
Testimony bearing I'm theology. more
over, is in that subject somewhat az
laboratory work is In the physical sci.
ences; that is TO say the personal ex-
perlenccs Of the pupils These. II they
chose. might he made use of In Eng
lish themes according to the wishes OF
the class members.
MAESER LEADS DISCUSSION.
The discussion OF the paper was led
by Reinard Maeser. who took Issue
with Prof Widtsoe on the method by
which this correlation might be ac-
compllshed. The thing should not be
done too consciously, he thought, else
the effect would be destroyed.
other teachers pointed out other ways
by which correlation might he attained.
When students wrote papers in theolo-
gy, II was contended. and made errors
In grammar, spelling. or sentence struc-
the teacher. this was correta tion of
theology and English Likewise when,
In the study Of literature spiritual doc
trines were advocated in the classics
studied. these were corrected there was
correlation Of these two 81 udies
In the general discussion on the prac-
ticability OF putting into the first or
second year of the high school the sub
ject Of psychology there was consider
able clash Of opinion. The general sem
timen,, however seemed To be against
putting II into these years. partly he
cause the students are too Immature
and partly because the courses are even
now ovcrcrowded. The subject, how
ever. is still to be discussed.
HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS.
At the afternoon session. which con
Vened at o'clock, the subject Of high
school credits was discussed. first by
+. Y Fox Of the l.. -. s university.
Prof. Fox advocated tie idea Of uni
formity among the Church schools Ia
matters of credits and conformity with
the plan Of state schools throughout
the United states. He wished the ere
dit system az all the church" schools
to be established on the basis of the
unit, which represents "a years study in
any subject I'm a secondary school. con-
stituting approximately quarter OF a
fun years work. In order. however.
for this standard TO be adopted. he be-
lieved the school year should be length
ened.
The advantages of this system. he
contended. were that II would make
easier the transfer Of credits from one
school To another and do much to solve
the difficulties OF entrance to colleges.
The subject was still being discussed
late this afternoon.