Wynne, G. B.

English

JMU Scholarly Commons (James Madison Univ.)

194 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Volume 18. No. 9 WHY WE USE THE EXPERIENCE UNIT AT EXMORE THERE are many reasons why the Experience Unit was introduced in the Exmore-Willis Wharf School. It appears, therefore, that we ought to review the causes for such a change in teaching procedure. Some of the outstanding reas- ons for the adoption of the Experience Unit were as follows: 1. Former methods of instruction did not bring about life-like situations in that the activities were not flexible to the extent that pupils could develop the necessary at- titudes and concepts so essential to our changing civilization. 2. Frontier thinkers in education in the various fields pointed out a new philosophy upon which learning is based, while many outstanding leaders in other fields showed that something should be done about teach- ing procedure. 3. Former methods of instruction did not place the necessary emphasis upon con- temporary civilization. 4. The rapid changes which are taking place in our economic, social, and political life seem to require a different point of view. 5. The State Department of Education made an effort to revise the curriculum in Virginia in such a way as to stimulate in- terest among teachers through their partici- pation in the program. Former methods of instruction and their uses: The question and answer method of instruction resulted in too much waste of time and initiative on the part of pupils. Moreover, the facts learned were more or less isolated in that the teachers did not have a tendency to lead pupils to form large concepts or generalizations. Teachers talk too much and too often when pupils failed to understand and appreciate the sig- nificance of the lectures. Child interest played a very small part, since in many in- stances tasks were assigned without regard for the fact that we do better things which we like to do or the things which please us most. From personal contact with gradu- ates of the secondary school the writer ar- rived at the conclusion that the facts learned did not as a rule mean that the learner formed sound conclusions, since he not only forgot most of the facts but did little with the ones which he could recall. The project method seems to have been an improvement over the question and an- swer procedure because there was a greater opportunity to center facts around a broad- er generalization. On the other hand, infor- mation or content was assigned with little respect for pupil interest. Then, too, the necessary attention was not paid to indi- vidual differences. The contract plan pro- vided for three levels of ability on the part of pupils, but there were many weaknesses in this method. First, many of the best stu- dents were willing to stop work after the minimum requirements were met. Also the method led to copying on the part of pupils since the best students arrived at their con- clusions based on the first level and many times permitted the slow ones to use their work as a model. Dr. Morrison and Dr. Smith of the University of Chicago present- ed a plan which was tried in our school. Such a method—subject matter unit—was an improvement, but did not provide for due consideration of pupil interest and in many cases such units resulted in mere blocks of subject matter to be learned. The Morrison unit did, however, provide for an opportunity for pupils to form larger con- cepts and to pay less attention to isolated facts. On the whole, each of the plans men- tioned above was an improvement over the one which preceded it. Yet in each one of the methods used subj ect matter and not the child appeared to be the essential thing from the point of view of the teacher. The ex- perience unit was a great improvement over the other plans used in that the child him- self became the center upon which the December, 1937] THE VIRGINIA TEACHER 195 teacher was to concentrate his efforts. Also the experience unit was more flexible, since it led to a great variety of activities for pupils and provided for a greater carry- over from the classroom situations outside of school. Such a plan further provided for better discipline and a greater range of abil- ity on the part of pupils. Results seem to indicate that pupils learn to read and write with greater ease, and to use the library and reference material more intelligently. The abundance of materials gathered by pupils is an indication of their interest and initiative. Frontier thinkers stimulated interest in a change: Dewey, Counts, Bode, Kilpatrick, Gates, Rugg, Beard, and others in the dif- ferent fields pointed out the fallacy of the formal discipline psychology and pointed out the way from the point of view of the- ory. Also the social scientists mentioned above showed that isolated facts mean little and that attention must be paid to broad conceptions of our social heritage. More- over, the organic theory was considered to the extent that the writer began to question the effect of subject matter over the inter- ests, habits, attitudes, and ideas held by his pupils. Such a conception led him to believe that another method ought to be tried. Contemporary civilization played too small a part in the other methods of in- struction: Since the textbook served as a guide, the world in which pupils lived re- ceived little attention. On the other hand, the Experience Unit is more flexible and the child is able to work in terms of his world. The environment in which the child lives plays no little part in providing an interest for him. Under other methods of instruc- tion current events, it is true, were intro- duced in the classroom. Yet such work usually was isolated from the activities in- cluded in the textbook. Also, interest in drawing, in the radio, in debating were not utilized as part of the classroom procedure, but were isolated from the general purpose of the work which was to be done. Further- more, since other methods of instruction did not call for enough of the child's en- vironmental materials, the carry-over into situations outside of school was not suffici- ent. The very fact that the experience unit calls for a linking of the past with the pres- ent indicates that child interest plays a greater part. Morrison, for example, says we may "select the French Revolution for a unit." Perhaps that is true and no so- cialist scientist would doubt the importance of that upheaval upon our institutions. On the other hand, Mirabeau, Danton, and Louis XVI are dead. The Experience Unit provides for a study of the French Revolu- tion in connection with the extension of freedom. We may start with the New Deal if the class is interested and cover an unlimited amount of material. Some may say that such an outlook is too broad. At the same time I fear that they are thinking in terms of content and not children. Cer- tainly more comprehensive units provide for broader concepts on the part of the learner. Many facts may be listed with such a pro- cedure, but they are going to be lost any- way since they will soon be forgotten. Influence of rapid changes upon our teaching procedure: Since the age of mass production began, civilization is so complex people in all their activities are searching for a means to get human relationships to keep in step with the machine. There can be no question but what economic and social conditions have led to the need for a more active citizenship. Old methods of pro- cedure did not prepare such individuals as are demanded. Indeed we do not know how successful the Experience Unit will be in that direction. We do believe, however, that it is a step in the right direction. Naturally, schools, methods, and materials change to meet new conditions. The Latin grammar school and the private school played their part in colonial America; and when our Republic was launched, the high school came into being. When there was an abundance of free land and work for every- 196 THE VIRGINIA TEACHER [Volume 18, No. 9 one, our schools served their purpose. With the advance of modern means of transpor- tation and communication and increased production, a different type of instruction is demanded. The writer has used the Ex- perience Unit as a means to meet this need. The Virginia Association Program: The Virginia State Department of Education, realizing the weaknesses in the finished products of our schools, introduced a new philosophy of education in an effort to bring about an improvement in instruction. The department also stimulated interest on the part of teachers, principals, and super- intendents. The writer became interested in the new point of view, and since the pro- gram was introduced has made an effort to apply the new psychology and philosophy upon which the Virginia program is based. G. B. Wynne MOVIE APPRECIATION IN THE FOURTH GRADE WHEN pictures of Shirley Temple as Heidi appeared in the Child Life magazine for October, 1937, a near riot occurred in a certain fourth- grade room. This child actress embodied all that a nine-year-old could ever hope for in this life or that to come. Those who knew nothing of the book Heidi were at least familiar with a dancing, singing mag- netic being called Shirley Temple. Whatever may have been the motive of the magazine or of the Twentieth Century- Fox Studio, the classroom teacher had def- inite aims in turning this glowing interest into desirable channels. For the next week of school all other story-hour material was put aside, and the book Heidi was read to the group. Be- cause the life of a little Swiss girl became real, the children wanted to read all avail- able material on the country in which she lived. Scenes and incidents in the story were discussed; each child picked out the scene he would like to see played. A host of questions arose as to how certain parts of the story could be shown. On the afternoon of the first showing of the picture, thirty curious children went to the movies. Just what expectations and hopes each carried within his heart no one knew. During the first of the picture there could be heard the general "oohs" and "ahs," interspersed with shouts of laughter as Heidi was attacked from the rear by a billygoat. Tears fell when the little moun- tain girl had to leave her happy home and go unwillingly to the wealthy city home of Clara. No one seemed to object to the sub- stitution of a trained monkey for a few small kittens, but there were objections to a very cruel Fraulein and an Aim Uncle fighting on the streets and finally landing behind bars. This can all be seen in the letters which, at the teacher's suggestion, were written to Hollywood after the chil- dren had seen the picture. Following are some quotations taken from these letters: "Our class went to see the picture Heidi. Before going to the pic- ture we read the book. We want you to know what we liked best about this picture and what we did not like. I think that Fraulein Rottenmeir was too mean. I think that Clara was nice and I think that Herr Sesemann was nice too. But about the gipsy part—it was not very good. I did not like the jail part either." "I liked it," wrote Ann Vemon, "when Fraulein Rottenmeir sat down on the mon- key and when she slid down. I liked it when the butler was trying to milk the goat and when Heidi taught Clara how to walk." The same Aim Uncle scene is again criti- cized in the following: "I did not like the jailing part. I did not like the part of the grandfather running around calling for Heidi. Much less did I like the part when Fraulein threw the present down. She was much too cruel." Mary Ann said in her letter, "I liked it 

Why We Use the Experience Unit at Exmore

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Why We Use the Experience Unit at Exmore

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