The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-10-02

LABORATORY program III Inc scuool.
handbook describes one of the mai
objectives as the development of tn
i youths involved into mature indivit
= uals capable of adjusting to life In
democratic country with its demand
Il on individual ability to think and &C
/ intelligently" 1t then shows what
J. expected of students who work IL
I laboratory of this kind. individual
I initiative and full participation ar
fundamental Each member must b.
aware of his responsibility as his fail
ure to produce his share will stop tn,
? progress of the entire group. 1t il
$ the same principle that applies to thu
3 men on the football team. Each mem
2 Der of that team has a position thai
/ he must fill to the best of his ability
t And as on the football team, the sue
r cess of the laboratory is even more
, dependent upon the ability of eacl
individual member to cooperate eff
GENTLY with the group toward the
J achievement of the goal. 1t has beer
found that working as a group In the
: laboratory the best in each member is
J brought out. The individual members
forget their shyness or their superior
|, attitudes as the case may be and al
low their natural personalities to
come forward. The least known girl
. in the school and the most popular
girl in the school are often equally
productive, just as the tackle and the
quarterback are equally productive
on the football team. The urgency
and enjoyment of the practical work
on hand destroys restrictions you may
hold on yourself"
Cooperative Specialization Necessary
Good management methods come in
handy for all workers, youth as well
as adults. They are usually taken
for granted. To get anything done,
work is necessary-an results should
flow along. All management is social
lit involves several people. Youth
should learn to work with and for peo-
pie. The laboratory method provides
this. There must be definite plan
for the direction Of work of the group
into appropriate channels. This
means that the work should be done
several divisions to get the total job
done. This suggests the Importance
of social leadership. Each member
of the laboratory would work as So
cial leader on particular phase of
the problem, yet be accountable to
the entire laboratory group as vital
link in the solution of the whole prob
lem. The plan of management should
allow for the social leadership of each
member, provide a system for the ac-
countability of each member to the
group as whole, and should work
ultimately as one unit toward a single
objective.
Superintendent's Support Necessary
But how can this fit into the high
school system? "The superintendent
is the co-ordinating chairman for OBJ
tanning the cooperation of other agen-
cies in the school and in the commun-
ity which might contribute to the solu
ton of the community problem being
studied in the laboratory. He relays
this cooperation to the class super
visor who is Immediately connected
with the laboratory, who in turn re-
lays it to the laboratory. The labor
atory represents the combined efforts
of every person concerned 1t is the
co-ordinating mechanism. A general
chairman is responsible for planning
laboratory meetings to accomplish the
discussion Of all problems originating
In each division by the entire labora-
tory to determine policy of the group
on the problem, and to receive the
value of group decision representing
the best of the many minds working
1t is his problem to conduct meetings
efficiently. 1t may be necessary to
have Business Manager to allocate |
new developments to the proper chan
ing on the smooth functioning of the |
as a whole unit, and to be |
accountable to the class supervisor |
directly with developments from the
laboratory. A secretary is necessary |
to keep a record of the meetings of |
the laboratory as whole unit and
to check the records of each group"
Batchlng Students Need Guidance
Why should the students who batch
be given any special consideration?
Such students often have wealth of
valuable experiences that are not OBJ
tanned by students living at home
''They are given early in life a chance
to prove their maturity and wisdom
in solving their own problems. They
must plan their time we'll to accom-
plish school work and the work in
volved with preparing their meals,
and still have adequate rest and rec
reation. Batching students are usual
y quite free from direct guidance and
must solve their own problems" How
we'll they do this is pretty much of a ;
question Instead of a situation that
s largely unknown, it could be posi-
Die for a group Of determined young !
people to pool their efforts and 4
achieve standards of living and re-
suits that could be accepted with 7
bride by the whole community. /
Project Would Feature
knowledge of Administration
What committees would be desir-
bile to develop such a cooperative 4
,roject? The handbook suggests one
IN central management, research, pub
lefty, social guidance, food, health CO.