The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-13

department In the Hutchinson high
school
Professor N. n. Crawford Of Manhat-
. tan Is chairman of the round table
| Must Serve q Purpose.
| "Au education. to justify itself. must
] in some way serve the present or
of the University OF Kansas before the
English round table this afternoon.
But not all of its services need be In
respect to material things
English il too often. however. re-
garded as purely cultural subject
lacking in that practicalneas which we
Kansans demand in everything. Too
many teachers in English SO regard 1t
| and too many pupils have the same at
titude. It Is a cultural subject and the
cultural element in English should
never be lost sight of. but in compost
| ton, certainly. the emphasis should be
put on the practical side.
Mathematics q MOnstrocity?
r. D. Carmichael Of the University
Of Indiana told those in attendance at
the mathematics round table this
afternoon that many persons look
upon mathematfc as sort of mon
strosity Of the human mind
1T is customary to think OF mathe-
mates as separated from the usual
conceived by many people it il essen
! TALLY a sort OF mOnstroSity OF the hu-
man mind which has come to the place
it now occupies only because there has
been an unbroken chain Of men from
the remote past up to the present who
are characterized by an unusual devel-
opment OF that part of their mental
organism in which such monstrosity
may appear.
How widespread is this feeling con-
corning the very nature OF mathemat-
les Is usually not realized. Many Of
those who have the feeling harbor it
| in their consciousness only IN q dumb
sort Of way. They have never 50 much
as fashioned 1t into a conviction, but
they unconsciously allow it to dominate
their attitude toward the science OF
mathematics.
Life Is Fascinating.
Life is fascinating; and whatever is
close to life has also a charm and an
interest for US from which no barrier
can separate us. not even the barrier
of difficulty. Our boys and girls do not
fail TO learn mathematics merely be-
cause it is hard. what they demand
to know is not whether a thing is hard
but whether it has a value for life and
for character equal to the demand
which it makes upon their energy.
And our boys and girls and our men
and women are measuring mathematics
according to the way in which it stands
such a test as this. Are they right
about it? Should they require of it
the satisfaction OF such a demand?
Emphatically. yes"
On Manual Arts.
E. Filbey, head of the manual arts
! department of the school OF education,
University of Chicago, delivered an in
teresting address this afternoon before
the manual training round table in the
manual training high school building
on Reorganization Of Manual Arts
Courses and Their Relation to Indus
trial Education"
'One Of the biggest problems with
which teachers Of special industrial
classes have to deal is that Of secur-
. ing a healthful attitude on the part OF
children" he said. "An Of the teach
ers in Christendom may sit up nights
planning courses but they come to
naught when applied to a dfsgruntled.
discouraged. or apathetic subject One
key to the retention OF serious minded
effort on the part Of those children Is
an early introduction to q kind Of in
dustrial work that appeals to them.
. Best Equipment Required.
Boys who are to enter Industrial
work, members Of Industrial courses.
should have the advantage Of the very
best equipment. They should have adj
vantage of such shop and drawing
courses as would be most helpful to
them. and should not be subjected to
the rigid system which says that a
boy must do one year of woodworking.
one year Of forging, one year OF pat
terminating and foundry. and finally
an opportunity to work for one year
| in the machine shop. At IA some boys
are ready for the machine shop. They
think they know what they want to do
and they should have a chance to try
themselves out. II these young peo-
pie were exposed to the influence OF the
right kind of constructive work at
F: the proper time their attitude toward
/ school work in general would be more
| favorable to serious effort"
Science . Necessity.
| According to Prof. Fred B. Barber,
of the Illinois State Normal univer-
sity, who spoke this afternoon before
the physics and chemistry round table.
at least a partial knowledge Of science
! is requisite in this day and genera
! ton:
/ IN order to fit into this modern
world anywhere understandingly it il
necessary for a person to have some
j knowledge Of the living world and the
physical forces about US. The social
significance Of science In modern LIE
gives it ever increasing importance az
a subject in our public school curri-
| culum.
"The great mass Of humanity, how
ever, laboring in the humber walks
of life in production as in agriculture
horticulture. gardening. stock raising
or mining, in the manufacturing in
dustries, or in trade and commerce
have slight need for special training
and technique. They need instead ar
insight into the broad general prin-
ciples OF science and above all they
need to see clearly and to comprehend
the significance Of science as it spin.
and weaves the social fabric Of mod.
ern civilization"
| Fit Girls for Life.
"Girls should find that their train.
ing in the high school has fitted them
for successful participation in the at
fairs Of the household" said Miss Alma
Bales OF the State Manual Training