WINNETKA WEEKLY TALK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1920 LY SCHOOL PROBLEMS By Supt. Washburne Q. Isnt' there danger of over-em- phasizing the mechanical side of edu- cation by the individual system? A. Yes. But I believe we are all sufficiently aware of this danger to avoid it. The only subjects which are put on an individual basis are the mechanical processes and skills and the purely informational side of his- tory and geography. Not less than one-third of the time of each day is spent on group and social activities, which are not measured and are not 'the basis of marks or promotion, but give both pupils and teacher a chance for the fullest possible ex- pression of the more diving side of education The mechanical side of education has a very real place, especially in the elementary schools. Children must learn to master their tools. They must be able to use them with dexterity. The elements of reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling, capitali- zation and punctuation--these are tools. They are needed for all fur- ther work in education as well as for practical life in the world. To insist upon a real mastery of these tools is not being too mechanical. On the contrary, a child who has mastered these mechanical elements will not stumble over mechanical difficulties in doing more advanced work. His attention will not have to be on the mechanics of what he is doing, but he can be on the job itself. There is, a theory to the effect that man has developed his intelligence largely by the means of regulating ~ many of the common acts of life to the unconscious part of his nerv- ous system. His intellectual faculties are, therefore, left free for thinking about higher matters. In the same way, if we .can bring automatic ac- curacy and efficiency in the tools of learning, children will be able to use their reasoning powers on the prob- lems that call for reason. A child who has to stumble over his reading will never use reading for entering into the wide fields of other peoples' thoughts. A child who has hazy ideas of the main locations in the world's geography, will find himself handi- capped in understanding the more important things of the world's in- dustry and history. A child who has to count in order to add 8 and 9 will have a difficult time in solving real thought problems in arithmetic. The mechanical side of education occu- pies an important place. I like to compare the mechanics of education with the skeleton. With- out the skeleton the body loses all form and stamina, but the skeleton alone is dry and lifeless. It must be embodied in flesh and blood. The flesh and blood side of our education, under the individual system, comes in our social periods. In these periods the life and customs of various peo- ple are dramatized, problems are discussed, special reports are made by children who have investigated those subjects in which they are in- terested, and every opportunity is given for the teacher to develop the interest and abilities of the pupils. These periods are in no sense recita- tions, wherein pupils are tested as to whether or not they have learned their lesson. The testing is all done through individual work. The pe- riods are really social, in that they are group activities of interest to the children themselves. The best answer to the question of whether we are over-machinizing our work in Winnetka is a visit to the schools. Any parent who will spend one day in visiting will, I believe, be entirely convinced that in our measuring of children's mechanical work and insisting upon efficiency in the mechanical side of education, we are not losing sight of what Edward Yeomans calls "that very holy ground which surrounds the soul of each child." WEEK OF DECEMBER 27, 1920 During this week the usual after- noon gymnasium classes for boys and girls will be omitted, but the evening gynasium activities for men and women will follow the old sched- ule. There will be no motion pictures Friday evening, December 30 (New Years' Eve.) MONDAY DECEMBER 27 Gymnasium activities as usual for men in the evening, beginning at 7:30 o'clock. Camp reunion of boys and girls; dinner in the assembly room at 6:30. TUESDAY Gymnasium classes for young wom- en. at 7:30. Meeting of Friendship Circle in gym at 8:30, followed by club meet- ing in the Neighborhood room at 9:30. Young people's dancing class at 9 o'clock in the assembly room; Mr. Clarke, instructor. Classes in English for both men and women at 8 o'clock, under Mr. and Mrs. Moulton and Miss Ruth Matz. WEDNESDAY Gymnasium activities for men in the evening at 8 o'clock. THURSDAY Scout meeting postponed until New Year's Eve. FRIDAY No motion pictures. Scout activities in evening in as- sembly room and gymnasium; New Year's party. SATURDAY Gymnasium -- Kippy dance, 8 p. m. orchestra; ae Jookin g | R , J I : ly I0EIOK AOEIOL Why? you what you pay for. ORE NORIO EE OI O EI O EXO Phone 1077 Good clothes have lots to do with success. Look good; you'll feel good; you'll make good. People you meet first judge you by the clothes you wear. Good clothes are the sign of success. We will make the first-class, stylish clothes for you that will fit you like the peeling on a peach. We charge you what our clothes are worth, but give Wear our good 'Nifty' clothes. J.H. DETHLOFF GENTS' FURNISHINGS and SHOES 786 ELM ST., WINNETKA =10 OE ORI EI OI OO EI O JOO OBO L oxo Mr. and Mrs. Louis Vollman and son, John, left yesterday to spend Christmas with Mrs. Vollman's pa- rents in Argos, Ind. USED CARS BARGAINS HUDSON Super Six Sedan. OVERLAND Model 90, with winter top. ESSEX Sedan Six, cord tires. DODGE Touring, with win- ter top. OVERLAND Touring, model 83. CHEVROLET Touring, model 4-90. DEUCHLER & FRIDMAN Automobiles 1514 Sherman Ave. Evanston, Ill. Telephone Evanston 710 MAGAZINE AGENCY scriptions oo sll magasines «clicited. Our specials: Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman and Ladies' Home Jouns) WILLIAM A. HADLEY i 913 OAK STREET - WINNETKA - PHONE WINNETKA 323 RUD EET ET EE EER OE TTT Te Ee i! 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