The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-04-07
lis Fun to 60 to
School These DAYS

How long is it since you've been to SCHOOL, Twenty
years thirty fifty?
You'd find plenty of changes you went back today.
1t isn't the little old red schoohouse 1t isn't the
blacbrowed teacher with the swapping birch rod
1t isn't the atmosphere of monoonous drudgery hard
work and learning with an everpresent desire to
play hockey and the joyous release of the final bell
School has gone modern.
You'd find it mighty interesting to 90 back to school
again Tacoma for few days and just how they do
things in 1889 Chances you'd want to into
Z desk yourself and join the fun
Fun! That's the keynote of todays education And it
very evident in the demonstrations of modern music
teaching methods given during the Northwest Music Edu
conference in Tacoma last week. Those demonstr
TONS chiefly given by Tacomas school children and teach
have proved that there's lot of fun in going to school
these days.
You could in the faces of the children sense in
their intense interest their whoe-souled participation in
and enjoyment of the class work.
And that theme of fun in acquiring education is
being carried out today in every phase of school nsruc
tion
1t is fun But that doesn't the youngsters of today
don't learn much their parents and grandparents did
In fact they probably get lot better education than
their parents did, The only difference that they have
fun doing it. Instead of having knowledge pounded into their
heads they acquire it themselves.
All of have had the experience of doing lot of hard
work easily just because had fun doing it, Remember
how Tom Sawyer got the fence whtewashed by making it
fun to the boys of the gang Remember how hard
worked to build that boat or that lake cabn-ony it didn't
seem like work because you enjoyed it?
Well, that's just what modern educators doing in
schools. They're making school fun-and incidentally
making education easier and better fundamental
part of the childs being than supermposed
And another thing. Under American democratic
system each child has the opportunity for his indi-
vdual selfexpresson, his peculiar style of mental
and emotional development.
People not all the same, like peas in pod Each is
not only different in outward appearance but also inner
personality character and capacity II isn't wise to pour
children into educational mold and turn out millions of
automatons.
They're trying to do that in the dctaor-run countries
where each child gooseseps through school regmented
pattern designed to turn out puppets who will dance the
master pulls the strings.
They may accomplish their aim-but if they do they'll
turn out branles spneess characeress while
the reer democratic educational methods with their oppor
tuntes for self-deveopment will turn out VITAL thinking,
doing and whose free spirits will carry demo-
cratic America heights of endeavor and
plishment
Yes school different today than it when you had
an education pounded into It's different too here in
free Amerca than it is in the dictator nations
And both differences good and give promise of
bright future For just the children of today will determ
inc the America of tomorrow the education of todays
children will largely determine what they will be-and
therefore what America will be-tomorrow
Christianity has made martyrdom sublime and sorrow
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