The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-08-20
THE INSTITUTE
Of The Knox County Teachers
Association

The devotional exercises Wednesday
morning were conducted by Rev. J. A.
Long of the Vine street Church of
Christ
DR.. Schmucker gave the first talk,
his subject being, THE Stalk of Corn"
He said that the corn belongs to the
grass family. The characteristics of
this family of plants are jointed, hol-
low or stuffed stalk with leaves two
ranked and clasping the stalk. He
gave the reasons for 1t growing in this
way. Grasses will grow wherever
there is a sufficient amount of rainfall
but not evenly distributed throughout
the year. Therefore it must grow
quickly. The long hollow stalk gives
strength with the least waste of ma
terial. He told why the corn leaf is
ruffled as it is, and described the pro-
cess of fertilization.
After the intermission, Miss Ruth
Day and Mrs. Susie Hogan sang Love
Divine" by Stainer and Twilight" by
Parks in very pleasing manner.
Prof. Eby's talk was on Pioneer
Society and Education" He said that
our educational ideals are influenced
to great extent by those formed by
the pioneers. 1t is necessary that we
understand the society and education
of that early day in order to under
stand the educational problem of to-
day. Psychology will not reveal the
solution of this problem unless the
problem is thoroughly understood. The
educational agencies of those days
were the home, the church and the
school. The home contributed about
three-fourths of this education, not-be
cause it was so planned, but because of
the conditions faced. The school gave
the formal education and taught the
so-called essentials. The memoriter
method of teaching started then.
They did not need social centers as
they already had them. The people
had common ideals because they were
forced to live and work together.
Wednesday Afternoon
The musical program Wednesday
afternoon consisted of games by a
number of children.
"The Meaning of Fruit" was the
subject of DR., Schmucker's talk. He
told how the seeds of different plants
are carefully protected by some wise
provisions of nature until they are
ripe and ready for distribution. 1t
seems that nature did not intend for
these seeds to fall near the parent
plant but has made them in such a
way that they may be carried to other
places. Some seeds are carried by the
wind, others by birds and animals, and
others by man.
Modern Life and the School, was
the subject of Prof. Eby's lecture. In
comparing conditions existing now
with those of earlier times, we find
that the home has been decentralized,
many educational agencies having been
taken away from it, Thus its i'm
portance as an educational factor has
been decreased, as has also that of
the church, while the Importance of the
school has increased. The library and
the public press are also educational
agencies of modern times. AS result,
the curriculum of the school is being
increased, manual training, domestic
science and other things being added.
But the school of today is too much
of an imitation of the school of earlier
times-it is still too much a school of
books. There is still too much recita-
ton and reproduction, while what is
needed is citation and production.
Thursday Morning
The devotional exercises Thursday
morning were conducted by E. d..
Kissner, of Fredericktown.
Prof. Eby spoke on division Of
Labor" He said that since large fac
tories have been established, indus
| try has been taken from the home and
most of the members of the family
work away from home. There has
also been a subdivision of the work
in the factories so that one person
does one certain thing in the making
of an article. This change in the di-
| vision of labor has caunsed a change
in social conditions which must re-
suit in changes in the schools. Some
changes that are already being made
are in the establishment of new
curriculum, new types of school build
ings, containing auditoriums and 9th
err changes, and in the requirement
of professional training for teachers.
The next step in this progress must
be changes in the school practice it.
| self.
DR.. Schmucker spoke on "The