Lawrence High School - Lawrencian Yearbook (Falmouth, MA)

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10 The Lawrencian lish curriculum. Thus the English taught just before the influence of Horace Mann was almost wholly English grammar — and this was not taught too well. Part II. One idea, then one ideal of Horace Mann that affected the English curriculum. Quotation, (1) (the idea) “The common school is the greatest dis- covery ever made by man.” Quotation, (2) (the ideal) “All the blind, then, and all the ignorant — that is, all the children, — must be educated up to the point of perceiv- ing and admitting truth, and acting according to its mandates.” These two quotations show, I be- lieve, quite plainly what Mann’s philosophy of education was. Horace Mann was interested in individual- ism, or, as the quotation states, the education of “All the children.” Part III. Methods of teaching English that resulted from the phil- osophy of education advanced by Mann. Descriptions of six courses are to follow which show Mann’s notion of individualism. Type I. Core course with vari- ations. A core course assumes a required minimum which each class must cover. To the slower group, the classics are given in small helpings, teachers allowing long periods for digestion. The normal group has supplementary activities plus the classics. The superior group does all the work covered by the first two classes and then carries out certain interests of their own. The grammar mater ial is treated in like manner. The slower group receives much drill. The mediocre carry out the standard course. The superior add such topics as “niceties of ex- pression.” Type II. Multiple-reading pro- gram. Many of the western cities are following a plan known as multiple reading; reading revolving about a definite topic chosen by the pupils. Individualism is shown by the fact that instead of buying one book for forty pupils, four books for forty pupils are bought, the pupils read- ing in groups of ten. Type III. Electives and remedial works. The elective courses are open to superior pupils as a rule. Electives permit a pupil development toward a certain goal. Remedial courses are plentiful. These classes serve as aids to weak students. Thus a person failing in grammar but who has successfully completed his literature work may take a remedial course in grammar and finish school without a failure. Type IV. Modified Content Course. This course is again in favor of the weaker students. Grades seven through nine often contain slower pupils. This slow group forms a sep- arate class. During the three years covered by grades seven through nine they are taught little English grammar. The tenth grade is im- portant. The pupils cram all the grammar contained in years seven through nine in the tenth year. They are then capable of complet- ing the high school course without faulty knowledge. Type V. Seminars for Superior Pupils. A seminar hour usually is reserved once a week for spurring individual interest in news-writing, modern poetry, and the like. Superior stu- dents who become preoccupied with courses introduced in the seminar hour may be excused from regular

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Lawrence High School 11 class work and allowed to devote the time to their own specific desires. Type VI. Content Courses. Many students finish formal edu- cation with graduation from high school. To meet the needs of this group, a course known as business English is taught them. Others de- sire a college education. To prepare these students for college, a college division is taught the necessary material. Lawrence High School is an excellent example of this type. In all the above methods of teach- ing English, individualism is stress- ed. Summary: Let us review the essential parts presented. Grammar constituted the early study of English. Horace Mann widened the course and had more school pupils learn the material. We owe individualism, or better education of the masses to Horace Mann. H. Hooker Hall HONOR ESSAY LANGUAGES In the early days of our country, the study of languages was of little or no importance to the trail-blazers and pioneers. They were concerned with the practical side of things and used language merely as a tool in their work. But with the thickening population came the more cultured atmosphere of village and church. Even at this stage of development, Latin ard Greek were of no interest to any but college and college pre- paratory students. If a person were preparing for college, he studied under the tutelage of his minister, or perhaps an occasional school teacher who knew more than the three r’s. Those who wished to learn French, Spanish, or any other for- eign language had to learn by per- sonal contact with natives of that country. The lack of interest, even as late as 1815, is shown by this quotation from Harvard College in. 1815 by Van Wyck Brooks: “Decor- um was a Harvard characteristic. Neither Mr. Quincy nor Mr. Dana cared a button for the German language, which had been spoken by the Hessian troops; a half-bar- barcus tribe of Europeans who had been hired by the British king.’’ In 1837 a new era began. As a result of Horace Mann’s work in the public schools, many great strides were made toward better teaching and the introduction of more necess- ary subjects. However, it was not until 1875 that modern languages were recognized as subjects for col- lege entrance. Since that date, much has been done toward making them a useful part of the curriculum. Greek and Latin, the old stand- bys since 1640, have been put in the background. Greek is a’most entirely neglected by high schools, and Latin is studied because of col- lege entrance requirements or as a foundation for the so-called “modern languages.” Of these mod- em languages French is the most frequently taught, but German, Ital- ian, and Spanish are also somewhat popular. Instructional methods have been almost revolutionized in recent years. Instead of having all trans- lation or all grammar, oral work is interspersed with the e in such a way as to give irterest and prac- tice in both the spoken and written tengue. As much as possible, stu- dents are taught the correct pro- nunciations of words and sentences. This is accomplished bv correctly trained teachers and the use of phonetics, an alphabet of sounds.