Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1961-03-21

the hypothesis that if you teach
children directly and in highly
organized way, they will learn
better and faster and will, if
teaching is consistent with what
is known about the nature of
learning, grow wholesomely, de-
veloping confidence as they ac
quire competence and gaining
in self-respect as they accom-
plish difficult detectives. The
experiment was to take place in
the Amidon School in the South
west Redevelopment Area of
the District and has become
known as the Amidon expert
ment, or the Amidon Plan. The
Amidon Plal has now passed
the experiment stage and is
being expanded into a system
wide program in District schools
through voluntary adoption of
the plan by school principals.
More than 100 District prin
cipals have adopted the Amidon
Plan for use in their schools.
Not long ago l was privileged
to visit Amidon School and /
saw an educational institution
which was truly refreshing. l
visited every classroom, talked
with the teachers and the pu-
pills, and observed what l firm
ly believe will be the basis for
at least an armistice and posi-
bly, a lasting peace in the ever
growing conflict between the
traditional and progressive phi
losophies of education. / shall
leave the pedagogical analysis
to fhe professionals, but the inn
pressions of an ordinary citizen
who is interested in the educa-
ton Of children might be of in
terest to readers.
Enthusiastic Is The Word
II I were limited to single
word to describe the atmosphere
at Amidon, would choose the
word enthusiastic. From the
principal to the tiniest little
girl in kindergarten, there was
a spark of bright confidence,
seemingly sustained by certain
ty of objective and awareness
of progress toward the objec-
tive. Lest 1 be misunderstood
at this point, let me hasten to
say that the Amidon Plan en-
visions an ultimate educational
objective fully as comprehen-
sive as any. Here is the guiding
principle of Amidon in that re-
spect:
'"The school will use every
available resource to see to it
that each child is in good health
or capable of securing it; has
someone who cares about what
happens to him in school and
out of school; knows the mean
ing of success and failure (em-
phasis supplied), the happiness
of strenuous effort applied to
difficult but generally manage
able tasks, and the respect |
which he can win for himself by
his own effort. The desired end |
product is not spoon-fed, pro-
tected individual, but a self-dis- |
ciplined personality interested
in continuing his education, ca |
pable of intelligent decision
making in every respect of liv-
ing, and, most Importantly, gov
erned in all his actions by the
highest moral principles"
These goals and concepts are
in keeping with most modern
educational PHILOSOPHERS but it |
Is in the concept of how these |
goals can best be achieved that |
Amidon represents the very |
newest in American education. |
The Amidon Plan insists that |
the most important job Of the
school is to teach for intelligent |
behavior and that this objective
applies to all students, the
bright, the average, and the
slow, but it further insists that |
in order to do this, the curricu.
lum must be organized by basic
subject fields and must be Sc
lective, because only the most |
essential skills and knowledges
can be adequately taught in the
school day. The curriculum
must be specific, so that teach
ers, pupils, and citizens will be
informed as to what is to be
taught. The Amidon Plan adj
vances the simple thesis that
intelligent behavior is possible
only il the individual acquires
surely and systematically the
tools which make such behavior
possible; that these tools are
language and the number sys-
TENS, which unlock the knowl-