NEW BOOKS on TIMELY EDUCATIONAL SUBJECTS THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ARITHMETIC By EDWARD L. THORNDIKE, Professor of Educational Psychology, Teachers College, Recognizing that the ordinary view of arithmetical learning is obscure or inadequate as to specific knowledge desired, terminology of instruction, and ability to apply what is learned in arithmetic to the quantitative problems of life, Dr. Thorndike has made a brilliant analysis of the subject of arithmetical teaching and study to show what has been done erroneously or inadequately, and what should be done in reform. FUNDAMENTALS OF EDUCATION By BOYD H. BODE, Professor of Philosophy of Education, Ohio State University. What should be the aims and ideals of a teacher's effort? What should present day education attempt? What standards of value should determine the materials of the curriculum, the organization of the school, the methods of instruction, the intimate and influential relations of the teacher with his pupils? A study of the philosophy of education will not answer all these questions but it should do much to help the teacher to answer them for himself. Professor Bode has succeeded admirably in making quality the dominating feature of his book. A GUIDE TO THE TEACHING OF SPELLING By HUGH CLARK PRYOR, Northern Normal and Industrial School, Aberdeen, South This book is an attempt to evaluate and make available for busy teachers the results of recent investigations and studies in the subject of spelling. It indicates clearly the possibilities and the difficulties of improvement in spelling, outlines the mode of procedure, and suggests the proper activation. TEACHING PUPILS TO THINK By JULIUS BORAAS, Professor of Education, St. Olaf, College, Northfield Minnesota. This book is a discussion of thinking regarded as an efficient form of behavior, in relation to the proper training of young people along this line. In its psychology the book is in sympathy with the best modern teachings. It is written with simplicity and is eminently practical. The writer not only tells teachers what they ought to do, but tells them how to do it. One rarely reads a book for teachers that seems quite so fitted to the understanding of the ordinary mortal. The author makes himself one of the group he addresses. His message is not delivered from a pedestal. (To be published at an early date) Ingraham: THE COMMUNITY New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Chicago San Francisco EDUCATION Devoted to the Science, Art, Philosophy and Literature VOL. XLII. Ꭰ of Education JANUARY, 1922 The Project in Geography OBJECTS IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY. No. 5 URING the past three years, there has appeared more popular discussion of geography in newspapers and periodicals than appeared during the twenty preceding years. What has caused such an increased interest in geography? Why is it attracting the attention not only of schoolmen but of all classes of people? In 1898 the United States may be said to have become a world power, but up to 1914 most of the American people paid little attention to foreign affairs. The War opened our eyes to the fact that the United States is only one of the large family of nations, that our country is bound to other countries by trade and commerce and that what is done in one part of the world affects every other part to a greater or less degree. Today we have an international viewpoint and we are content no longer to say that we have no interest in outside affairs. Whether we wish it or not we now must take a leading part in the affairs of the world and a knowledge of geography will help us solve more easily the problems which confront us. Before attempting to teach geography the teacher should have definite aims which he or she hopes to accomplish. Without aims or objects, it will merely be a case of the blind leading the blind. Some of the aims which every teacher of geography should have are: (1) To give the pupils a sympathetic understanding of the different peoples of the world so that they may become citizens of the world. (2) To show how geography affects the problems of life, why man works, how he works, and where he works. (3) To show how man is related to his physical environment, to show how he depends upon the earth for a living. (4) To give the pupils a knowledge of the locations of the chief places of the world such as rivers, lakes, oceans, cities, mountains, etc. (5) To show how our natural resources may be used to the best advantage, to predict whenever possible, the future possibilities of a region. (6) To teach the pupils how to solve problems and how to use their knowledge in new situations so that they may work independently in later years. (7) To teach the pupils how and where to find materials and information, how to use books, pictures, maps, graphs, museum material, etc. (8) To teach the pupils to have an interest in everyday affairs, to enjoy the beauties of nature and to spend their leisure time in profitable ways. (9) To apply geographic principles so that they may understand the growth of leading cities, the development of important industries and the interdependence of nations. (10) To lay a foundation for the study of geography in later years. GOOD GEOGRAPHY TEACHING, Let us suppose that the teacher knows why geography is so important in the life of man, that she has definite aims in the teaching of it, and that she has a fair knowledge of the subject Will she make a good geography teacher? matter. In order to be a first class geography teacher, the teacher must have the vision of geography. She must be able to lead the pupils to think of a map not as a piece of paper composed of many colors, but she must teach the pupils to transport themselves in their imaginations to the regions represented by the map. It is one thing to look at a map and it is another thing to read a map intelligently. It is one thing to look at or draw a map of the Great Lakes as large bodies of water whose shores are lined with cities and villages, and where real buildings, trees, animals and people are found. While the pupils draw the outline of the Great Lakes, do they see the Indians and French paddling in the waters many years ago, do they see the great lake steamers disappearing on the horizon as they actually do today, do they see the fishermen in their small boate sailing here and there, do they see at various places along the shore large and small dunes, trees, houses, tents, etc.; or do they merely see the lines as they draw them? If geography does not make the pupils love the land, the oceans, the lakes, the rivers, the sky and the starry firmament, if it does not lead them to visit various places in their imaginations and feel as if they are actually there, if it does not make the pupils have sympathetic feelings toward all living things, then the teacher has failed. METHOD OF TEACHING GEOGRAPHY. How may the teacher succeed in teaching geography? First of all she must have an adequate knowledge of the subject, secondly, she must have the true vision of geography, thirdly, she must know and use the approved methods of presenting geography to the pupils, and fourthly, she must understand her pupils. Just as there are several ways of doing many things, so there are various methods of teaching geography. Some of the methods which are in use and which are advocated by good geography teachers are the journey method, the type study method, the topical outline method, the story method, the dramatization method, the problem method and the project method. There is no dis tinct line of demarcation between these methods; and the project method may include, besides the problem method, several of the other methods. THE PROJECT. A project is a unit of activity that has a well-defined worthwhile objective and which is carried to completion by a series of problems. Analyzing this definition we find that:-First, the project is a whole unit of activity, not a part of a unit. Some projects may be small units others may be large units. As the pupils increase in power and ability in the handling of projects, the unit of work may become larger. The project may deal with past experiences which lead to important geographic principles, it may treat of present conditions which concern us now, or it may treat of future conditions. Secondly, the project must have a well-defined worth-while objective. In life many definite projects arise such as the irrigation of land, the drainage of swamps, the building of railroads, the widening of streets and the construction of bridges. Life inside the schoolroom should be as near like life outside the schoolroom as possible. People are interested in present day problems, so are children. Worth-while objectives may be built upon present day affairs and in this way the pupils may live in the school the same life that people are living outside the school. Thirdly, the project signifies a progressive motion. The pupils are obtaining information not for its own sake, but in order to solve the problems which arise so that the unit of work may be completed. The pupils are experiencing in the school, whether inside or outside the schoolroom, the same problems that other people are meeting. They are learning to stay with their work until it is completed to the best of their ability. Fourthly, the project is solved by a series of problems. This implies reasoning in place of memory work, reflective thinking in place of taking what is merely said. Conclusions are reached only when all the data have been considered carefully. |