EDUCATION BY SIGHT-SEEING.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] Sni,—A novel experiment in educational sight-seeing has just been made in Birmingham under the auspices of the Juvenile Organization Committee, with the sanction of our Education Committee. The object of the experiment was to demonstrate the feasibility of illustrating the school curriculum by means of the film, and the value of such illustration as a teacher's aid. With this in view a dozen head-teachers were appointed to carry out the J.O.C.'s scheme. They selected thesubjects,and under the guidance of a cinematographic expert drew out a list of suitable films. Shorthand notes of the contents of the films were taken, and with these as a basis educational synopses were circulated amongst the teachers to serve as teaching notes. After several weeks' preparation, about 1,000 scholars attended the cinema house in charge of their teachers during school hours and saw the pictures on which they had been receiving instruction, viz.: (1) Building of the British Empire, reel 7, India (Sovereign). (2) Merchant of Venice, reel 1, Act 1 (Broad- west). (3) From Egg to Fry, and Shantung Silk Moth (Sove- reign). (4) Mensuration Made Easy (Educational Films). (5) Two Tiny Leaves (Sovereign). The last was intended as a composition story, and in order to test the children's imagina- tive power the title and the conclusion of the story were with- held, and the children were requested to reproduce the story on their return to school and invent their own title and con- clusion to it.
The third stage consisted in the revision and correction of what had been taught in the light of the pictures which they had seen, and finally they were asked to write compositions based on the various pictures. The exhibition was attended by HALL, who gave provisional sanction without committing the Board of Education, a natural precaution pending their con- sideration of the reports to be submitted to them. I have been privileged to see a large number of the children's essays, and have been struck by the vividness of the impressions made and
the wealth of detail assimilated. I attribute these to the cumulative effect of the various stages: (1) Preparation, (2) exhibition, (3) revision, (4) reproduction in writing and speech. As a teacher I am convinced that oral teaching, read- ing, and even illustration by magic lantern could not effect so much in the same time.—I am, Sir, &c.,
T. W. THOUGHT,
Chairman Cinema Sub-Committee, S.O.C. 71 Newhall Street, Birmingham.
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