The Alaska daily empire., 1923-06-19
LEkRNEDs SCHOLARS MAKE FILMS
 FOR VISUAL EDUCATIONAL WORK

l CHICAGO, June 19.-tBy the As
 sociated Press. )--Motion pictures,
 with the scenarios written by some
 of the most learned scholars of this
 age, are now carrying lessons in history, nature, health. sanitation, geography and citizenship to thou
 sands of school children. The sub
 jects are written, directed and filmed
 by the Society for Visual Education
 and distributed to, more than 10000
 schools and other institutions in the
 United States.
 The society, founded and tutored by some of the most prominent edu- cators and scientists in the country, today has an assortment of films that
 run into the hundreds, each devoted to special fundamental school sub ject.
 "We have been immeasureably sue cessfully in the ideal which prompt ed our organization, that our plans
 have proved worthy and sound, said
 Prof. F. R, Moulton, of the University of Chicago, secretary of the society
 and widely known scientist and in ventor. We believed the most hope full remedy for existing conditions was in the wide. extension of visual education. Psychologists have told
 us that S5 per cent of our thinking l is in terms of. visual image. The experience of every one of us con
 firms the statement Of all the var 1 ious means of visual education, mo-
 tion pictures are proving of the most
 import, and until-~but recently, the 1 least used. They are the most i'm lportant because life and the processes
 essential to life are dynamic and in
 motion--a static world is dead.
 "The film work of the Junior and f American Red Cross has been en- trusted to us, and the International Il Health Board, the w. c. T. U., and
 numerous organizations, witnessing the results of this work. are calling
 upon us to film subjects for them.
 State departments of education, wei
 fare organizations, civic and com
 mercial associations, and particularly the schools, are cooperating. The former in number of states are
 buying the films outright for state distribution, while others serve as distributors for films obtained from the society.
 I "Visual education has not tres passed upon the commercial movie nor will it. Our work does not seek to amuse but to translate into reali- ties what often are only words. Neither do we propose to displace text books, models, maps or any oth CT educational means, but to supple ment them. Our subjects are filmed for universal instruction. What may be too advanced for pupil today three years hence will be just as good. Our subjects are made to fiji the time of need and our machines so built that any part of the picture can be stiled and teacher dwell for any length of time on a salien feature. The camera having the ad ] vantage of position, it permits tho pupil to observe from every angle. The reels dealing with the stud, of nature are in the greatest demand ! according to Prof Moulton. All of the subjects are treated al systematically as books are written : Prof Moulton explained, and in sucl a way as to supplement textbooks : laboratories, and other means of giv ing instruction. Schools are becom ing better equipped to handle tn films, the society having evolve, a composite and simple-operating ma chine employed in the work.