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himself to control his activity? Did you ever stop to think of the distinguishing difference between a self-respecting citizen and a criminal? Is not the fundamental difference this: the selfrespecting citizen is controlled by the forces within himself; the criminal, because he fails to control himself must be controlled by the forces without? Just what kind of moral training is the great mass of our future citizens receiving?

The writer remembers visiting the "show school" in one of our large cities. The city took a justifiable pride in its fine school system. The discipline of this particular school was the delight of the superintendent. Perfect order prevailed everywhere. Teachers stood about the corridors as the children decorously passed to their rooms. After the session opened, I went from room to room. Everywhere Everywhere the same beautiful order prevailed. Finally one of the teachers was obliged to leave her room to attend to dismissing a class from the building. The room was immediately reduced to utter disorder. The force without had been removed and choas resulted. I have asked my classes of student teachers in training, just recently come from various High Schools: "What happened at your High School when the teacher stepped out of the room and the students were left alone?" The peculiar smile that passed from face to face told the story. There may be exceptions, but they only prove the rule. Again I repeat, it is not the fault of these young people. They can not be expected to manifest spiritual strength when they have been given no opportunity to develop spiritual strength. It is the fault of the system, the conditions under which they have passed their school life.

Take another example. Why is whispering wrong? Is it not because under ordinary conditions it disturbs and hinders the work? Manufacturers have found that talking among employees during their work is a great waste of time. In many factories visitors are welcome and allowed to observe the various processes but are requested not to speak to the workers. Interruption diverts the attention, wastes valuable time and may spoil a skillful piece of work. This is just as true in the schoolroom. Unnecessary talking delays, may interrupt a good piece of thought work, and

invariably wastes the time of a few. It may interfere with the It is therefore to be reduced to a minimum.

good work of many.

Is it ever right to whisper? Every one will agree that there are times when it would be wrong not to whisper. What determines whether whispering is right or wrong? There is one criterion which I believe every one would accept. Is it necessary Necessary whispering is right. Who is to determine when it is necessary?

Let us turn to the prevalent custom in our schools. A child wishes to speak to another. Does he stop to question himself, Is this act right because it is necessary? No, he raises his hand and asks the teacher's permission to speak. If he receives it, he has no qualms of conscience. If you should ask him, "Is it right for you to be whispering?" he would tell you with a reassuring smile, "Why, the teacher gave me permission."

Does the teacher's permission make whispering right? I have asked this question of student teachers many times, always to receive the same affimative response. When forced to analyze the situation, they have invariably reversed their decision. Their unhesitating reply, however, reveals the moral (?) training they have received in their early years. It was simply an accepted belief which had never before been challenged.

So the child, instead of realizing that there are fundamental principles of right, justice, and consideration for others, which both teacher and pupil are bound to recognize and obey, has formed a most erroneous conception. He has learned to believe that the teacher's permission can make right that which in and of itself is wrong. He may know that his whispering is unnecessary but he has the teacher's permission and therefore he has no responsibility about it. He feels himself safe from all unfavorable consequences. He has used the teacher's conscience. It is much easier; it is more comfortable. Then we wonder as the child grows older, why he has no judgment, no sense of values. If he is not allowed to decide the smaller problems which come to him during his school years, how can he be ready for the greater decisions of right and wrong which must come later? Again he is looking to the forces

without, not only to control his activity, but to make his decisions. His standards of right and wrong are based on the arbitrary authority of the teacher, not on fundamental laws of truth and righteousness. Moral issues are being obscured, rather than clarified.

These false standards lead to various other erroneous conclusions. Since law is to him based on the authority of the teacher, evading the law is legitimate, if it can be done without the teacher's knowledge. Not the act, but being caught by the teacher, constitutes the crime. A boy naturally honest and frank will not think it beneath him to do all kinds of sneaking things, feeling that he has satisfied the moral demands when he admits his deed frankly, if caught. The inevitable moral effect of the act upon himself, irrespective of whether it is discovered or undiscovered has never entered his consciousness.

These results are inevitable in schools controlled by autocracy. A child must have the right spiritual environment as well as the right physical and mental environment if he is to develop a sturdy moral life. If a child is in an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, he can hardly be expected to develop trustworthiness. If he is constantly treated like a little child, he will not grow in manliness. Even though his own ideal be high, he cannot embody it unless his environment supplies conditions that permit of selfexpression. As a plant cannot grow without light and moisture, so the child must have the right spiritual environment for a vigorous spiritual or moral growth. It is the purpose of the school to furnish opportunity for the highest possible physical, mental, and spiritual living at this present moment, and the equipment for such living at every subsequent moment. To supply this, the organization of the school must be changed.

To summarize briefly, moral education includes two things: Moral instruction, in which the child is inductively presented with materials with which to form ideals; and moral training, by which he is furnished the conditions for embodying his ideal. As the schools are organized at present, these conditions are not furnished. The next article will discuss how the organization of the school may be changed to meet this need.

T

A Project in Geography
HELEN K. BRETT, DEMONSTRATION TEACHER,
CLEVELAND, OHIO, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION.

HE project-problem method of teaching geography, when sanely conducted, brings about most gratifying results in enthusiasm for the subject, in knowledge of many books, in a thirst for information, in skill in the use of many books and ability to sift the desired information from them, in a knowledge of geographical principles and opportunities to apply them. A spirit of co-operation is inculcated, a sense of responsibility for one's own contribution and for that of the group, individually and collectively, is developed and there is a desire to explore still farther into the subject, which must bring about most desirable concomitants.

The method requires a teacher with a wide amount of information, an ability to inspire and guide but not dominate, power to allow freedom and enthusiasm to have full play without disorder, wisdom to detect and train leaders, skill to keep each member of the group working at his highest level. A good collection of books is desirable, though a limited number wisely selected will answer the purpose. Pupils should be trained to find geographical materials all around them. Newspapers and magazines furnish unlimited resources in their articles and their advertisements. Every part of the textbook must be brought into play. More use of pictures and ability to see geographical facts in them is to be desired.

The weaknesses of the method as it is practiced now seems to lie in a tendency to license rather than liberty, in a squandering of time when poorly conducted, in not having an end in view at which to arrive, and in overlooking the necessary drill or "rounding up" at the end of the group reports. These weaknesses will no doubt disappear as we get a better conception of our aim and are daring

enough to experiment sufficiently and thoughtfully with the intention of making each project better and fuller than the one preceding.

The following is an outline of a project worked out this semester by the 6A grade of the Observation Department of the Cleveland School of Education. It is presented here with the hope that it will be taken merely as a guide and not as a a model. The dates of the various steps in the project are given, so that one may see that very little time was lost. As each group As each group of children reported, an outline of their report was placed upon the blackboard by the teacher and was later copied into geography notebooks by the entire class. Other groups were ready to question the reporting group and to discuss the information brought in, so that each member of the class had a responsibility to learn all necessary phases of the problem. The teacher's responsibility was to have knowledge of the project as a whole and in detail, to be a guide and inspiration throughout, to have a knowledge of the progress of each group, to give special help to the leaders and through them to the group, to select the points that are most vital to be learned by the entire class, and to so conduct the resumé and drill that each member of the class shall have all the essential points.

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Approach, October 16. The making of graphs comparing foreign trade of Europe's most important nations for 1913 and 1918, also tonnage of six greatest nations for 1919. Importance of Great Britian developed.

Project. Of what importance to world trade is the British Empire?

Problems, October 19. Location and Accessibility. Natural resources Transportation facilities - Products - Exports and Imports - Cities - Colonial possessions.

Groups, October, 20. Formation on basis of political divisionsEngland Ireland Scotland Wales Canada S. Australia India Smaller posses

Africa

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Egypt

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