The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-04-12
FUNCTION DE- lHE
NlRNBI SCHOOL
sREsfpENT o.. WOODY DIS:
EcgssEs THE " DIRK or THIS
! INSTITUTION or LEARNING I'M
eTHE EDUCATOR"

/, lcgssEs THE " DIRK or THIS
J INSTITUTION OF LEARNING I'M
1.-THE EDUCATOR"
In the evolution of the different So
clal organizations the school has
come to do the work formerly done by
/ the home and the church, but which
became Impossible for them to do IN
Imany cases, after the industrial
changes OF the last century.
The number Of things that a child
needs to learn at present during his
prolonged period OF infancy is very
lnuch greater than was required OF a
child OF teh simple, primitive people.
The more complex the civilization.
the larger the number OF things to be.
taught and learned in the schools.
The Indians, because OF their sim
pie life, could learn through direct.
experience the things that they need.
ed to know when they came to active
life. It is possible for the boy and girl
OF today to learn through experience
only very small part of the things
4 they need to know when they come
into activel lie. 1t is, therefore, nee.
essary that they secure the most OF
their learning through the experience
Of others. This, in the main, is the
function of the school-to supply to,
the boys and girls those things which
they need to know, but which they
cannot learn by experience. It is the
Junction of the school to interpret the
experiences Of others to the boys and
girls in order to fit them to play an
atcive part in the life into which they
are to come.
The present civilization Is "a very
complex one. Very many things need
to be learned; This increased mum.
Der of things must be learned in about
the same time that the few things
we're learned in the earlier civiliza-
ton. In order to do this, the time
\ in which the boys and girls are to- be
In school must be used to better adj
Vantage. This can only be accom-
plished by improving the quality OF
the teaching and increasing the guam
!ty. In the earlier schools II became
evldentt that the teaching was not
Injecting the needs of the time. There
fore, effort was put forth to discover
Ia means of improving It. AS a result
Ito increase the efficiency of the teach
Hing, there was established the normal
school. which had for its sole purpose
the preparation of teachers.
The normal school has had three
distinct stages OF development. The
early normal schools, in the main, en-:
phasized broader and more thorough
\ academic work. 1t was felt at that
time that scholarship alone would suf-
fciently improve the quality of the
teaching, an idea which is very preya-
lent at this time in this State. The
second step OF the development was
In trying to discover the laws of mind,
/, and the application of these laws to-
Teaching. There was introduced IN
the schools psychology, some meth
eds, and their applications TO the diff
lerent. subjects This was distinct
gain for education in this country, the
ivalue of which was early recognized,
aud which all admit at the present
! time. The third step in the develop
ment was the establishment Of train
ing schools, wherein the laws of teach
ling. which before had been given dog.
Imatically, could have concrete inter-
lpretation, and where the candidates
Ifor teaching could have an opportun.
lily for testing themselves before en-
gazing upon the important work dele
gated to them. So valuable did the
third step prove to be that no normal
school is regarded worthy OF the
name that does not have good work
ling training school as an important
lpart OF its work.
] The training school sustains about
the same relation to the normal school
that the clinic does to q medical
school. II would be impossible in this
day of progress to think of medical
school without n well organized and.
well equipped clinic department. Just
as the removing of the clinic from the
medical school would deprive it OF
one OF it's most essential features, SO
the absence Of training school from
normal school weakens 1t at q point
most vital, and makes it unworthy the
name of normal school.
would say, then, that normal
school should offer an opportunity for
i giving thorough and clear instruction
u in the academic subjects which those
going out will be required to teach. 1t
: should give clear and thorough in
struction in psychology. general meth
DDS. and in fact in all subjects that
: throw light upon and give increased
! effectiveless to the teaching process
and finally through its training school,
II should afford an opportunity for