Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1920-04-02

of life the pupils are in contact with
instead of artificial problems taken
from books made by ingenious puzzle
writers, to have the activities of the
school grow out of the needs and ac-
Invites of real life, yet ever broad
ening in their scope and increasing
in their complexity as the pupils
contact with the real world broadens
and becoms more intimate. Ample
provision should also be made for
giving the pupils new experiences
through better and wider contacts
with the world about them. Their
eyes should be opened to the wonders
and beauties and possibilities of their
surroundings, and the desire aroused
within them to develop and use the
resources at hand to the best possible
advantage.
Such course of study is consistent
with modern psychology, with it's
clear picture Of the natural develop
ment and normal functioning of the
neuro-muscular sysssm. 1t gets us
away from the old idea of formal
discipline" and shows us the empty
artificiality of Journalism in education
and the futility of mere information
that seldom or never finds an outlet
in constructive doing. 1t rests on the
real basis of the learning process"
and embodies the fundamental prin-
ciples Of sound pedagogy. Among
these, the following are Suggestive:
1. The child's physical endowment
of instincts, natural tendencies, and
native capacities should be used as
the foundation upon which to build
his education. A thorough under
standing Of child nature is absolutely
necessary in order to get large re-
suits.
2. The child gains experience
through his conscious activities u in
other words, through his contacts
with the real world and his reactions
to these contacts.
3. Only these experiences which
the child understands or whien have
meaning to him can be used to inter
pref new experiences. Furthermore,
the ability to interpret experience de-
ponds in the first place upon the de-
velopment and condition of brain
centers. Time and growth often solve
the teachers problems.
A. The motor activities and Great
i've Impulses of the child should be
used as the basis for instruction
These construction activities furnish
the best source from which to draw
material for teaching the fundament-
al processes of reading, oral express
sion, spelling, writing and arithmetic.
3. Teaching should be done as much
as possible in terms of doing and in
such way that what the child learns
carries over into action. In other
words, the work should be dynamic
rather than static.
The following plan is offered as sug-
gestive as a result of holding this
view of the problem in mind and at
the same time attempting to embody
these Fundamental principles:
A Suggestipnkslan of Vitalized Edu-
cation For asits6lidated Rural Schools
The principal aims of this plan
may be outlined under the following
heads:
/. Increasing and enriching the
pupils experience.
2. Developing skill in the fund
smental processes of reading, oral ex-
preston, writing and arithmetic.
3. Cultvating normal growth, ply
steal strength and bodily control.
4. Moral and aesthetic training.
These aims should prevail through
out the school from the first grade
to senior class.
The First Aim. That of increasing
and enriching the pupils experience,
may best be realized by utilizing the
pupils creative impulses and direct
ing his constructive activities through
first hand contact with the real thing.
Ample provision should be made for
such contacts and activities through
out his entire school life. The objects
Of study and sources of activity for
this part of the school work should
be Of the same nature as those outlin-
ed by Professor Holden under the
headings of: /. Growing Things
2. Making Things. 3. Living Things
A. Soil. Home and Community.
In using these groups apply the
rotation plan to keep interest alive
and secure zest in the work.
To be more explicit, every pupil in
the school, from the beginner to the
twelfth grader, will center his study
on growing things, taken from crops,
trees, gardens, weeds, etc, and such
activities as drying, canning, pre-
serving, etc., for one year.
In the primary grades, including
the first, second and third, the study
will be confined chiefly to getting &C
quainted with the obvious character
istics and uses of the growing things
the pupils will have the opportunity
to observe. In the fourth, fifth and
sixth grades, the study will comprise
closer investigation and wider range
Of contacts with growing things
Pre-club work in raising crops, ex-
terminating weeds, drying, canning,
and preserving fruits and vegetables
should be included in this work. In