The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-08-27
Just Among Ourselves

II seems that educators are now to please the eye
and ear of the pupil even though the young mind
remains impervious to pedagogical effort For
"audiovisusl is pedagese for school soundmovies."
Doubtless, the use of pictures moving or still
the Ancient Mariners ocean, is important in
education. 1t has always been considered To
reach the mind through vision well as through
hearing is manfestly better than tc reach the mind
through either sense alone But surely there is to-
day an overplus of emphasis on this audo-visual
business. The advertisements for ava in pedagog
ieal publications as repetitious and fulsome as
the TV ads for cigarettes beers Time cannot
wther them nor custom stale their infinite variety
This is at least partly because they are withered
and stale to begin with
Like all the theories and gadgetries which keep
modern educators hearts a.flutter, these audiO-
visual aids have TO do with methods. About the
actual content of the message which teacher tries
to impart TO pupil there is small discussion today,
Many prominent educators feel that there is no
use discussing it; many others feel that it doesn't
matter much. Take class of pupils to visit q fac
tory; show them reel two of film which pictures
the development of industry; lecture them
little about being obServant of how father puts IN
the screens or draws his paycheck-and there you
have school course In social relations, or eur
rent history" or citizenship in action" or-the old
neutrality-suspicious. in democracy" You have
fine choice of labels,--indeed an almost unlimited
choice,-for almost any activity or screen show
field trip" that school children be entertained
with.
In word il does not matter much what is
taught; it matters supremely that it be taught in
the most modern fashion That is IL matters not
what mental fare is served so long as 1t is served
we'll Education has currently surrendered the effort
TO deal with truth reality; it is concerned almost
exclusively with the aoau in which its effort is TO
be expended Ask modern educator what is the
purpose of education He will tell you quoting the
highest authorities that "the ultimate aims and
detectives of the educatve process cannot be sharp
ly determined" How then should he know what
truths what facts what theories will serve his
purpose? His purpose is not defined He doesn't
know what his purpose is. But. whatever il is or
NAV turn ont tn he ne is determined ON nurSuins
il in the yoost scientific and fashions able way Meth
his be.sll and end.all
But even 50 he stems on himself in irving ia
make the aeducatiye processD a matter Of learning
without tears He wants schooling In be an effort
less and entertaining business. when bv lis very
nature. il is burden and hardship to pupil and
teacher alike, and particularly to pupil The mod
ern educator is like the advertiser who tells men
that his speeiaI brand of lsther makes shaving a
delightful experience. when every man who hears
him knows that shaving is a confounded nuisance
its own sake il is a thing he would not do at all
but that consideration of his own comfort or the
current fashion forces him to do it. II is so with
schooling The results of il NAV please: the process
is bother and bore when il is not productive
of actual suffering
Now, if YOU turn school into an entertain.
ment hall il is inevitably an inferior sort of en-
tertsinment that Won provide The audioyisual aid
may indeed be an aid but while il may be good in.
struction il is necessarily poor pastime Give pu-
pills their choice of going out to the neiRhborhood
movie or of ENJOYING nice film on the school pro
iector and YOU win only need a minute to nut the
cover on the gadget for sudio-visual aid. That is
what is meant bv saving that an entertaining sort
IL is question whether il be not also an inferior
sort of education
Human nature in Young or old feels sort of
self.respect realization of dignity in performing
task. even when the task is unpalatable Yes hu.
man nature feels this sefrespect in being assioned
TO a task il performs shabbily But human nature
experiences no tif of seIfresnect in beinp fold
that task is not = task hut Is "nnS There i !
mark-which sums nm valuable nhilosonhv Of ed,
cation.-that II doesn't matter what Won teach
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