Show r ICAIIUIIAL T Lecture by Dr Rice at the High School A VERY INSTRUCTIVE TALK LISTENED TO BY OVER TVO HUN DRED EDUCATORS Scientific Recitation Was the Theme The Cut In the Salaries of lr TeachersThat Proposed Exhibit 4 Wo pic on the Grant School Was Commenced Yesterday t Dr J M Rice whose series of criticisms criti-cisms of the public schools of this country have made him famous lectured lec-tured before more than 200 of the educators edu-cators of this city as well as others Interested in-terested in educational questions yesterday yes-terday afternoon Members of the University Uni-versity faculty and the board of etui cation as well as a larger representation representa-tion of teachers in public and private schools were present The doctors theme was The Scientific Recitation a lerture which was heard by large au dienccJ at Logan and Ogden and will be repeated at Provo today The doctor began by saying that scientific teaching had reached the highest stage yet attained in Germany Teaching is there reduced more nearly to a science than in our own country The American teacher makes the 4 schoolroom more attractive to his pupils t pu-pils the German learner instructs him in a most natural and effective manner man-ner The inferior form of recitation is that which depends upon the memory of the child The scientific form develops caually with the memory the imagination imagina-tion and reasoning faculties The mechanical me-chanical teacher assigns new subject matter to his pupils to be conned before be-fore the recitation while the scientific method is to introduce new subject matter in the recitation The tendency in Germany is toward the abolishment of the use of the textbook text-book in the common schools Almost the only text books in use in German schools are those made by the pupil that is books in which pupils make memoranda of the principles they have learned These onemodanda are used for reference It is not difficult to ask questions but It is difficult to ask clear pertinent in other Words sensible questions The doctor then illustrated a common com-mon defect In the socalled conversational conversa-tional Jpfcsons the manner in which children thy irrelevant questions and remarks call the attention of their teachers away from the aim of the lesson les-son and so destroy its effectiveness There is an advantage in definiteness and thoroughness which the German schools have over the American A clear aim a definite development and a thorough drill are the three essentials essen-tials of a perfect recitation The old school of teaching makes a hobby of drill the new of development Progressive Pro-gressive teachers of this country make a great point of development but they do not drill enough At Jena is the only school of practice connected with a university There all the sciences taught are applied a plan that should be more in vogue The principle on which to proceed in scientific or true teaching is From the concrete to the abstract and From the known to the unknown In order to establish scientific teaching teach-ing such as is general in Germany three courses are open 1 The works of the German educators should be studied carefully by the teachers of this country Herbart is undoubtedly the greatest authority 2 There should be personal supervision ahd criticism of the work of the students I in normal schools by the heads of departments de-partments in those schools Incidentally I Inciden-tally the doctor remarked that he thought the superintendent of schools J should supplement the work of thy th-y normal schools 3 Boards of education I educa-tion should send teachers to Germany to study educational methods and their salaries should go on during that time For the encouragement of the American Amer-ican teachers he said that in this country school children were better treated than in Germany German teachers had been brought up under military rule and they applied that or worse lo their pupils Occasionally a poor teacher was found in Germany 4 but the school system is excellent The German teachers must spend eight years in the common school and in addition eight or more years in higher high-er institutions while here eight years in the common schools and three or four months added and an aspiring youth or miss of this country is armed with a third grade certificate He would criticise the German schools in time and articles of that nature would soon be published I Dr Rices lecture was very practical and made more so by his reading notes of recitations to which he listened in Germany At the close of the lecture 1 some of the teachers asked questions If concerning school work which the doctor doc-tor answered to their entire satisfaction satisfac-tion The lecture was an inspiration to the body of teachers who heard it and securing se-curing his services is one of the most judicious acts of Dr Millspaughs fpur years able management of the public schools of this city Advantages of a Slimmer School Is vacation a time for indolence Do we gain the best renewed strength and 1 vigor by lolling around in the shade I seeking some cozy nook in which to I swing in a hammock and read light literature or sleep away the fleeting I hours AVe are not hibernating animals ani-mals and surely should not become tiestivantes in rnaia Utter inactiv does not give us strong muscles and pure blood The body needs a change not a cessation I of labor The unused muscles should be brought into play and the strained I ones allowed to relax Fresh invigorating invigora-ting suroundings should be sought where new life and inspiration will be inhaled with every breath Thus also is it with our mental powers pow-ers We do not need to be hypnotized or placed urder the spell of the soul destroying drug forgetfulness in order 10 rest The mind gains new strength and vigor not in idleness but in activity ac-tivity yet in an activity that leads it naturally and gently into nexv channels of thought and cheerful inspiring surroundings sur-roundings Shut the mind up within I the gloomy walls of oblivion surround it with nothingness and nourish it with the sawdust of thought and it will son exhaust Itself in its restless rushings against its prison barriers or become sick and insipid for lack of sunlight and occupation Every power craves variety Our growth should not I be a halting process a mad rush for six 3 Tmonths and then an Inactivity that becomes dissipation for the remaining tsix months It should be a steady advance i I ad-vance Each day should be a slipping tone to a little higher elevation and amore a-more sure footing for the next and if our time is rightly employed this can be accomplished Vacation then is lot a time to merely eat and sleep Man has been given no time in which he may descend to the plane of the mere animal That vacation va-cation is best spent that leads the in dividual out into new byways of thought shows him newer fresher U landscapes and takeshim to more lofty elevations than he has ever visited before where he can look out upon a Broader more inspiring future Asi teachers wec need tcPcome in contact r fft c t g oj with men and women who are also endeavoring en-deavoring to solve some of the great educational problems of the day It Is the clashing of thought with thought the comparing of experience with experience ex-perience that quickens our perception strengthens our powers of observation and increases our skill in developing boys and girls into true men and women wo-men Realizing all these truths tire professors pro-fessors and instructors of the University Univer-sity of Utah are offering courses of Instruction in various subjects during the first half of the coming summer vacation This is to be a summer school in which thorough work is to be done in all of the branches offered In other words this is to be University Univer-sity Extension work done at home under the direct supervision and instruction in-struction of the professors of the university 1 uni-versity who are specialists in their respective lines and when we consider con-sider also that the students Hill have I the free use of the apparatus library muse ms and laboratories the opportunities I oppor-tunities offered to the teachers of Utah are indeed excellent It is not often I that a man has a chance toput in apart I a-part of his time to so great advantage j advan-tage and the few dollar that it costs will be well compensated for by he added power that one will obtain I We pay 150 car fare go east to Harvard Har-vard or Cornell and pay from 25 to 75 tuition to take a course of study during vacation We return thinking we have done something large and we have We have made a large hole in our last years salary But how much better instruction have we received I than we could have obtained right here in our own university The day has come in Utah when we should begin to apply the principles of home Industry to education as well as to other things Let us cease to hand our money over to the railroads and to the wealthy institutions of the east and let us aid in maintaining and develop lng the struggling institutions of our own territory The Grant School The Salt Lake Building and Manufacturing Manu-facturing company which was on Thursday night awarded the contract for the construction of the Grant school building at a cost of 4366 commenced work yesterday morning and will push operations as rapidly as possible The contractors are under a penalty of 5500 a day to complete thE building by September 1 Vacation Drawing ZVigh The public schools will all close on June 15 and the usual arrangements are being made for the closing exercises exer-cises which promise to be unusually interesting this year The School Exhibit Arrangements have not yet been completed for the school exhibit but in all probability it will be held in the Continental market in the middle of June That Cut The cut of 10 per cent ordered in the salaries of all public school teachers teach-ers will result in a saving of over 51000 a month on the payroll |