New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-03
Teacbe, SAYS Plan in New York Is the Same in Gary
Learning by Doing" Is Am-P S As, Bronx,
Typical Gary School.

: democratic, yet respectful. spirit that
reigns in Gary, together with the con-
centration Of the pupils on their work.
Certainly. no one can visit Public
School 10 without being impressed
with this same spirit. Perhaps even
more striking are the interest and con
centration with which the children
work. ! have known the New York
schools for many years, and have
watched with feeling of helplessness
the deadening effect of an all-study
school upon growing boys and girls.
What they were studying had no rela-
tlon to actual life; it did not interest
them, and they showed their lack Of
interest either in certain 'dumbness'
or In restlessness and rebellion. In
Public School A., however, the school
life is real life, as it is in Gary. The
children have real problems to solve,
the work has meaning for them, and
consequently they work with concen-
tration and interest. The children in
the shops and laboratories, etc, in Pub
lie School 10 are so interested in their
work that they are as oblivious 20 the
disturbing influence ~ visitors as was
the little pstternmaker in the shops in
Cary mentioned by President Churchill.
shop Work in p. s. Il Exceptionally
Fine.
Speaking of the shop work which
President Churchill praised so highly
IN his article on the Gary schools
consider the shop work in Public
School IS exceptionally fine. The aim
Of shop work at Gary is that the chill
dren shall make real things 70 be used,
cook real vegetables 10 be eaten, pre-
n ro.l nh TO IA. r.aI Tbaf
idea is carried out just as well in
Public School 80 as it is in Gary. In
fact. the garden is even better than
the gardens in Gary. They certainly
raise real flowers and real vegetables
al Public School -, and last summer
they were selling them. This fall /
find that the boys in the carpentry
shop have put up large greenhouse.
about % feet long. in which TO put the
plants for the winter.
p. ). s. Boys Make Greenhouse
"The making of that greenhouse is
a line piece of work. It was made en-
tirely By the boys themselves and un-
der the direction of the carpenter, Mr.
McLuckio. II will be used not only
to put the plants i'm for the winter but
also as place for the nature study
classes TO conduct their work. The
making Of the greenhouse cost only
few hundred dollars, so that the car
pentry class has actually given TO the
school for a very small sum a class
room unit the ordinary cost of which
Is $4,000. This single piece OF work
is an excellent illustration of the Cary
principle of making things needed in
the school and doing it so that it means
economy for the school. Likewise the
printing shop is doing practical work
and ! notice tina! they have followed
the same custom as al Gary of per
hitting the younger children and girls
to go into the shop.
"The pottery work again shows how.
under the Gary plan, a school can be
adapted 20 the special apttudes Of the
pupils in each district. The majority
Of children in Public School - are
Italians | know from my work in the
Italian settlement they have particu-
lar aptitude for work in pottery and
modelling. | found, as should have
expected to in a Gary school, that in in
sailing the shops they had included
those particularly adapted TO the tai
ents Of Italian children, pottery and
modelling Boys who formerly were
difficult now no longer give any trou-
BILE because of their absorbing interest
in this work.
Department Work in p. :. IS.
81 notice that President Churchill in
his 1914 article thinks that having spe-
cially trained teachers for special sub
jects is applicable to the schools Of
New York This feature of the Gary
plan has certainly been adapted to
Public School 40, and the work in 7. S.
10 proves that it is applicable to the
New York schools. | remember in par
ticular one teacher in an academic sub
ject who told me that the children evil
IDENTIFY liked to move around. as is nee
essary under the departmental system.
that il didn't make any difference in
the work, and that she thought it was
good for the children.
Multiple Use of School Facilities in
p. 5. IS.
president Churchill was evidently
impressed in Gary with the multiple
use of school facilities, as he SAYS the
school accommodates pupils 10 double
the number OF class sittings. II does
this through the widest use of shop,
auditorium and Playground OF course
II 10 obvious 10 even the most super
fetal observer Of =. :. IS that YOU
have the same multiple use of school
facilities in this Gary school in New
York. The auditorium, shops, science
laboratories, drawing rooms and play
grounds are used every hour just as
they are in Gary.
AT this point | wish to register my
delight at seeing children in a public
school in New York with the Oppor-
tunity for free play every day. As a
settlement worker I know the eager