The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-02
HAYS EMISSIONS
FREE MOVIES
At SCHOOLS.
Gar of Picture Industry
Points Out Value of Visual
Education
BY HELEN FOX,
Cosmopolitan News Service.

NEW YORK, May .2.-Johnny
Jones and Mary Smith are going to
have free movies at school, accord
Ing to VIII III. Hays, president of
the Motion Picture Producers and
Distributors of America.
If the joint plans of Mr.. Hays
and the National Education Asso-
citation materialize Johnny will no
longer fidget on his hard little
bench listening hour on end to the
droning explanation of teacher"
nor will Mary have to pore too dill
gently over her textbooks. Johnny
and Mary will learn some of their
subjects much more easily and far
more happily when the silver
screen" is used to help impress
facts of history, biology, geography
and the like on their memory. And
II won't make any difference if
Johnny lives in Oshkosh and Mary
In New York.
The educational movie has always
been a pet idea of the harmonizer
of the motion picture industry, as
Mr.. Hays is unofficially known
AS long ago as July, 1922 he placed
before the National Education AS
ISOLATION an offer from the motion
picture industry to cooperate in the
matter of fulfilling any demand that
might exist or be developed for such
pictures.
Value In Class Room.
Visual instruction is a most
important element in education, 5"
Mr.. Hays said. There is no doubt
that with the average child the
quickest way to the brain Is
through the eye. Scientific tests
which have been made, and which
are being made, indicate the value
OF the motion picture in the class
room
In each series of tests it was
found that use of the motion pic
ture invariably increased tie
amount that a pupil learned. THIS
much has been established. In nv
opinion series of motion pictures
Will soon be adopted by boards of
education just as series of text
books are now adopted.
I'm order for that to come about,
however, it is necessary for The
educators to determine lust what
subject can be taught by the screen.
as an adjunct to- text books and
verbal instruction, and in just what
manner, in relation TO those other
methods, the screen presentations
should be given in the class room.
Certain very obvious possibilities
stand out, such as geography, his
tory, biology. and the like But
when it Is considered that animate. 7
drawing can be used as we'll as
actual photography, it becomes pos.
slDle Tor great many subjects to
be taught by pictures-always, as
l say, as an adjunct to the other
neutrality-suspicious.. Just what those
subjects are is now being determin.
ed by the educators themselves
Probe Possibilities.
The National Education Associa-
ton has appointed a committee on
visual education, consisting of nine
teen prominent pedagogues to work
on the problem of getting the
proper kind of educational films
produced.
This committee comprises:
DR.. Thomas E. Finegan, chair
man, National Transportation Insti-
tute. Washington. d. c.
DIR. Arthur G. Balcom, New
Providence, N. ].
Lora l.. Clark, Los Angeles, Cal
Dudley Grant Hayes, president
National Academy Visual Instruc-
ton, Chicago, Ill.
Edwin H. Reeder. Detroit, Mich.
David Gibbs, superintendent of
schools, Meriden, Conn.
A. w. Abrams, state education
department, Albany.
Charles H. Judd, University of
Chicago, Chicago.
Elizabeth Breckenridge, principal,
Louisville Normal School, Louis
vile. KY.
Mrs. Susan NJ. Dorsey, superin-
tendent of schools, Los Angeles.
Elizabeth Hall, assistant super
intendent of schools, Minneapolis.
DIR. James J. Walsh, Fordham
University, New York.
H. B. Wilson, superintendent of
schools, Berkeley, Calf.
Joseph Coffman, supervisor Of
visual instruction. Atlanta Ga.
]. v. Ankeny, associate profess
sor of visual instruction, University
of Missouri, Columbia, Mo-
Carroll G. Pearse, Milwaukee,
Wis.
Arthur G.. Watkins. Washington,
IL. A. Allen, business man Ager,
National Education Association,
Washington.
Steps Necessary.
"It is possible" said Mr.. Hays,
shat the motion picture, as a re-
suit of the efforts of these edu-
Gators and the cooperation Of the
industry, may make a contribution
\ to the cause of education such as
has not been made in a hundred
years"
Hays explained that three steps
are necessary before the hoped-for
installation of the movies into the
class room is accomplished. First,
st must be determined by test
whether or not the motion picture
is actually the efficient pedagogic
instrument that we believe and hope
1t is" Second, 1t must be learned