University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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'his and test ual, p re- nes lon- Bhe mic . at lust ! tO aeir lich ides or to eck ho ;rue vitli ken :»est con- ball of lent the Mill] ‘ to ting ship irth- 100I, lend it, M. SHREVES. A, M.. Ph. D, J. H. STOUTEMYER. Ph. D. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, PSYCHOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY IT IS the purpose of this department t » offer courses underlying the science and philosophy of teaching. Every activity of man can be reduced to certain laws and principles. Just here lies the possibility for a science of education. Education is not a separate and independent science in the sense that it stands alone. On the contrary it has its close connections with psychology on the one hand and with ethics on the other. Ethics deals with the aims and purposes, or the meaning and value of human life. It Is one of the normative sciences. Ethics considers the worth of human conduct and the aims and goals that are worthy of our human striving. Since ethics has to do with the aims and purposes of our life, the educator cannot afford to neglect such a study for the reason that education, as one aspect of our human struggling, must have aims and purpose of life as a whole. It would be irrational to choose a certain aim for life and to choose an aim of education, business or religion that would stand in direct, conflict with this aim of life. The educator must, therefore, study the meaning and value, the aims and purposes of life, and in the light of these must determine the worthy goal of education. Ethics is there- fore an important consideration for the educator. Bui it is of little value to have aims and purposes in mind and to lack the necessary means or knowledge for their realization. Just here we find thp import ance of the descriptive sciences, such as psychology, biology and sociology. They give us a certain knowledge of mental and physical life which forms a necessary part of a larger theory of education. Psychology, as well as the other descriptive 123]

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DEAN OF WOMEN HE position of Dean of Women is a new one In our schools and colleges. This has come to meet a practical need and a social requirement in the care and supervision of young women. Every young woman has a right to the highest possible individual development, physical, intellectual, moral, social, and spiritual, that she may develop into the highest ideal of womanhood. Today hundreds of young women are entering our halls, some, earnestly, to pre- pare for their life work; others, to be entertained and amused. It therefore becomes the privilege and the duty of our Dean of Women to keep the balance true, to con- serve our young womanhood. The health of each young woman must be conserved and improved, since she is the dominant link in the new generation. She must be trained to be an economic factor, one who is able to make her own living, and. to spend wisely the funds at her disposal. She must be trained to use profitably her leisure time. She must realize her responsibility as a social being, and must be trained to give service to her community. So closely is the physical well-being of our young women related to their mental and moral growth, that we can well afford to encourage everything which is related to the most complete physical development. This of necessity includes the conditions under which our young women are living, as well as the habits of study, rest, and recreation. The over-ambitious girl whose greatest desire is to graduate magna cum laude, even at the expense of her health, must be held in check as well as the girl who shirks and is the despair of her professors. The girl who comes to college simply for the social life it offers, needs to be shown the true values in life. But her fellow student who holds in disdain any intercourse with those around her. is also in need of guidance. The penurious girl who is mistaken in the belief that she can afford to live in the poorest room, and dine at the cheapest table, needs our attention just as much as does the spendthrift, who has no con- ception of the value of money. It is the earnest endeavor of every Dean of Women, that our young women shall as nearly as possible realize the highest ideals of womanhood, Kearney was the first State Normal School in Nebraska to have a Dean of Women. In October. 1914, Miss Gertrude H. Gardner, head of the Latin department at that time, was elected to the position, and has carried on the work among the young women since that time. One channel thru which much of her work is revealed, is her personal hygiene classes, by means of which she endeavors to give practical assistance to every young woman in meeting her personal problems. Each year Miss Gardner has given a series of teas at her home, thus meeting the girls in small groups, and fostering a spirit of sociability and good fellowship in the student body, The Dean's Council has given her valuable assistance in furth- ering a spirit of unity among the girls. Miss Gardner has endeavored to know personally each young woman in school, and the conditions which surround her, in order that she may be her true friend and adviser. 1221

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GEORGE E. MARTIN. A. Ii. a. C. NIELSEN Dean of the Faculty Student Assistant sciences, is of no value to the teacher until her aims and purposes have been chosen. When we know what our aim is we can then consult our knowledge of psychology, biology and sociology In order to determine the law» of our human nature which must be taken account of if we are to reach our goal, which has been determined on ethical grounds. Many t ‘Mch« rs have the false notion that psychology will certainly be of assistance to them in teat hing. This Is not necessarily true. You can make no use of the means unless you have an end in mind to realize. Psychology is a secondary consideration, while our aims and purposes are first. Both the aims and the methods are mcessnry aspects of a larger theory of edu- cation and they are united in our practical human conduct. In order lt carry out the notion Unit theory and practice must foe kept close together, there is a constatu effort on the part of the department and that of the Teacher Training Department to bring theory and practice closer together. We believe in the close correlation between theory, practice- leaching and observation. We are greatly In need of closer correlation between these department». And may we venture to suggest that a closer relation is desireable between all educational aspects of the various departments and that of the Teacher Training Department. It seems to me our greatest need is to correlate our energy so as to reach more effectively the aims and purposes which we are striving to realize. This can be accomplished in large part by closer co-operation between the department of theory and practice under the supervision of some one person who is given full charge, being vested with full authority and responsibility. Our aim of the future will be to seek closer correlation, less overlapping, and more intensive work in short greater efficiency thru conscious and practical recognition of the fact that only under intelligent supervision of some one individual can the department of theory and practice be so correlated as to abandon the superficial notion that practice is the only essential requirement in the development of the knowledge and ability to teach. 124]