RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, DELIVERED BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ, F.R.G.S., AT THE NORMAL SCHOOL, CHRISTCHURCH.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 183, 18 April 1878, Page 2

RESUME OF LECTURES ON EDUCATION, DELIVERED BY C. C. HOWARD, ESQ, F.R.G.S., AT THE NORMAL SCHOOL, CHRISTCHURCH.

Second Course —Methods of Teaching; and Organization.

Lecture XVll.—Subject—Object lessons. Notes of a lesson ; How to construct them ; Specimen Notes. Object teaching embraces the true principles of teaching and follows nature's plan. We are continually making changes and mistakes in our plans, but nature never changes! Nature's, too is the oldest plan, the world itself being a manual of object teaching. The garden of Eden affords an admirable instance of the use of a place for objective instruction. Newton's observation of the falling apple, Galileo's of the oscillation of the pendulum, Watts* boiling water and the movemeut of the lid of the kettle, and Brown's observation of a cobweb, which suggested the principle of the suspension bridge, are all examples of .the use of object teaching. Object teaching was first introduced by Henry Pestalozze. His system, which attempted a complete "revolution in the plan of education, by abolishing the use of books and adopting diagrams and models instead, was not a success; but as the lecturer remarked, it is nor easy to become a pioneer—to devise and carry out a new method, oftentimes in opposition to public opinion. His failing arose from a lack of ability to carry out his own views. His pupil, Charles Mayo, studied the method earnestly, saw the principle was good, and at Cheamein Surrey, established a school upon Pestalozze's principles but not on his method. The " Home and Colonial School Society " was founded upon Mayo's work. Samuel Wilderspin, at Siptalfields r improved upon Pestalozze work, and realised the principle of making children happy at school. He gave his first object lesson, to obtain silence and attention, by raising his wife's cap upon a prop in the school. Object lessons should be systematic and gradual, and the children from the outset should be interested in the work. The lesson should be suitable to the age of the children, arid should be given to all the classes. The teacher should first settle what subject to take, then get" it vp r think about it. and study some good work upon it. Mr Howard highly recommended Tyndall,for Scientific subjects, and Mayo's, Curry's, and Gill's Notes of Lessons. The teacher should endeYti'our * to»{distinguish between principles and details and use the principles as pegs upon which to hang the details. Important events and facts should be remembered, as the power to grasp essentials is a mark'of a good teacher. He should also- cultivate the faculty of imparting lessons in bold outline Avithout too much detail. How to teach or impart information ought to be a professional life study of every teacher, as it is difficult to draw the line between what the teacher ought to tell children and what he ought to draw from them. He should practise simplicity. Speak; accurate'v and grammatically, question suggestively, illustrate accurately but homely, and tell and explain arbitraryfacts. He should adopt Spencer's three

« j 8 ._~~ l8t " rom known to unknown; -nd, from definite to indefinite; 3rd, from concrete to abstract. The arrangement, in form of notes, is unimportant if the has been well thought out. The teacher should be practically independent _ n . tes * an< * "se them only to secure orderly arrangement. In drawing up notes of lessons the teacher should proved as if exloring new ground, and should draw «ut as it were a sketch map of the country to be explored. The lesson •should commence with some known facts, and should be broken up into convenient divisions. Use illustration and follow the most natural order.

The next lecture was devoted to the subject of " Domestic Economy and the Laws of Health."