Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-31
REORGANIZATION OF METHODS AT HIGH
SCHOOL HELP IN THE MAKING OF GOOD
CITIZENS AS WELL. AS BETTER SCHOLARS
BY ARNOLD YAU.

! III ollOA DN al lilOilAAls ANCAh iAitAAA
high school has not been standing
still. The activities Of the school
may be grouped under three gen
eral heads; % Academic and ad-
ministrative organization and re
organization - the School social
( life; 90 war activities. Under the
| first of these are put those specific
I problems which the faculty of the
school has undertaken for special
study, viz: Ca) the technique of the
supervised study, and Cb) the reor-
ganization OF courses of study
The first of these problems. sn-
pervised study, is one of number
of experiments being carried on
/ throughout the United States. 1t
grew out Of the conviction, based
! on experimental evidence, that stu
dents needed to be taught how to
study. Experience has shown that
the important factor in supervised
study is the development, by the
teacher, of a technique of teaching
how to study The Rock Island
high school faculty has therefore
set itself to make it's definite con-
tributi0n to this experiment by
l " VI hlilt p OAt HOLlC "a A4ti piNS p
al TO all study, and by developing
methods Of study which are of spe-
/ cial value in each subject or group
of subjects. A tentative leafllet with
general suggestions and directions
for effective study will be issued to
each student next semester.
One word of explanation. Our
present time schedule allows but
% minutes of supervised study
/ For the majority of students this is
mot sufficient time to prepare tho<-
oughly the next days assignment.
/ 1t is intended for time in which the
! teacher can direct the method Of
attack in solving the problems of
( the assignment. observe the stu
dents habits of study, and offer
help and suggestions when needed.
/ Supervised study is not and never
was intended as a scheme to do
away with work, except in so far
as, through giving the pupil the
/ power to study more effectively. he
( or she can do better work and &C
complish more in less time.
without going into a detailed dis
cussion of the many professional
I IedSOuS, IL Will DC "Sti " say tAehh
I the principal aims or motives lead
I ing to a reorganization of the
| courses of study and their contents
are those that are becoming in
, creasingly evident in our education
al establishments. And these may
be roughly stated as follows: Re
organization must proceed on these
| prin cipleS-
Courses OF study and subject
matter must be selected with
view to the students prepara-
ton for effective citizenship,
/ which includes ~ the ability
| to choose and prepare for hon
est, socially useful work, and
I 90 the ability and the desire
to study public problems for the
purpose of directing or taking
( part in their solution as an in
telligent citizen.
Courses of study and subject
/ matter must be definitely ex-
pressed in such quantitative
and qualitative terms as will
/ enable the school to adapt the
courses to the varying needs Of
/ and individual differences
among the students.
One example of reorganization to
meet the first aim is the work now
being done by the Social Science
department a course in the back
ground of the great war is spe-
ciai feature this year. The first two
! years Of the history work are being
reOrganized so that ancient history
will be reduced to one-half year,
ii
up to about 1900 the course will be
given as European History l. Why?
/ Simply because such an arrange
ment will give opportunity for one
whole year of modern European
history. This reorganization had
begun four years before the war
started, and the great war has Ger
tainly justified and given further
impetus to this increased emphasis
on modern history. The English
American history course will very
! likely be revised so that a whole
year can be devoted to the study of
American history and institutions.
Other subjects in the social science
course are undergoing a like re-
vision with a view to their more
effective functioning as a prepare
ton for intelligent citizenship.
/ An example of the definition of
cumulative and qualitative units is
. found N the work of the English
department This department has
/ just completed a score card for the
/ first-year students. On this card
are listed definitely the essential
points in good written and oral
English Several purposes will be
accom- Iished by this card First,
+ il wiz give a definite record Of the
students chief weaknesses and thus
enable the teacher to concentrate
/ individual instruction on these
weaknesses; second, it will enable
! the teacher to see the typical errors
/ of her class and thus guide class in
\ struction, third, ii will give both
teacher and pupil plain, graphic
/ statement Of Improvement and
( progress.
/ Other plans for reorganization
are under way in the Mathematics.
/ Commercial and Science depart
mentS. Next sem ester will see three
! classes in algebra, each taught in
/ q different way, in order to deter
mine the most desirable material
and methods for frst-year high
school mathematics In the com
mercial department the course in
arithmetic is now being reorganiz-
. ed to accommodate two year com
mercial students and also those in
tending to go TO college. The course
| is being stated in terms OF the def