How Radio can aid the School-teacher

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 30, 6 February 1931, Page 6

How Radio can aid the School-teacher

"Broadcasting in its present form will never supplant the individual instructor,’ asserts John W. Elwood, vice- _ president of the National Broadcasting Company of Americu, " but it can bring inspiration, cultwre, and stimu- . lation into the schoolroom." —

ADIO is undoubtedly destined to become an integral part of any progressive nation’s educational system. It is inevitable that an agency of such exceptional breadth should be utilised in increasing the cul- : tural levels of our youth as well as our adult population. " mo what extent radio will supplement the work of individual instructors, what subjects will be most effec- _ tively adapted, how they will be presented and by whom, are at present matters of conjecture. The meteoric progress of radio broadcasting in the past, as an art and as an engineering accomplishment, is perhaps indicative of the rapid development of the future. Tf the next ten years produce as many modern miracles as have the past ten, any prediction made now would appear ridiculous in the near future. However, experiments in radio education which have been conducted in ‘America during the past three years provide a basis for eonsideration of our present problems, The Bureau of Mlucation of the Department of the Interior, as well as educators from all over the country, are giving serious thought to means and methods for using broadcasting. , Experts in radio and in education have met in conference in- efforts to determine how one of the oldest of the arts may avail itself of the advantages of one of the newest. One outstanding conclusion on which there is unanimous ugreement is that broadcasting in its present form will never supplant or be competitive with the individual school teacher.

What Radio Can Do. RADIO will come into the schoolroom only to supply something that the teacher cannot give, or cannot present as effectively as it can be done by radio. For instance, in the field of musie there has been considerable progress in child education by radio. It is only recently that children in Ameriean schools have been able to hear excellent music presented and explained by expert musicians. During the past two years more than 50,000 schools have co-operated with the National Broadcasting Company in the music appreciation hour conducted by Dr. Walter Damrosch. The teacher in the schoolroom cannot possibly have available a great orchestra, She does not have the musical experience of Dr. Damrosch. This hour, therefore, brings to the child something that supplements the music lesson in the school; stimulates interest in and appreciation of music, and yet is in no wise competitive with the activities of the individual instructor. Radio in the schoolroom is, or should be, a stimulative factor. The key to learning is interest; if radio may provoke emotional stimulus, interest is assured and the acquisition of knowledge

is rapid, easy, and permanent in nature. The loudspeaker may transport the child outside the four walls into the world beyond and give him glimpses of the wide, fascinating experiences that go to make up life. It brings something incredibly colourful and marvellous to the schoolroom. The careful, persistent, never-ending svork in the schoolroom will continue to be the task of the schoolteacher, but radio can supply the highlights, which will make that work much less of drudgery and more of inspiration. Children who have never seen the sea hear voices from the furtbest pounds; children who know of snow only by hearsay listen with shining eyes to the explorer of the poles. And the teacher, who perhaps has never been beyond the boundaries of the

country he, or she, is at present living in, may illustrate a lesson in geography with first-hand information. It is the end of intolerance, of provincialism, the end, indeed, of the kind of dangerous ignorance which only so universally powerful a knight as radio could conquer. There are no bounds to knowledge in the air and the teacher is the most valuable listener of all. Subjects Adapted to Radio. ° B are frequently asked, "Are there not a limited number of subjects in which radio may supplement the work of the instructor?’ . Under present conditions it is probably true that there are comparatively few courses which lend themselves to highly effective radio presentation However, as we look back over the proTT ~

gress of the past ten years We WO WOFK in radio find ourselves doing to-day things which we were told five years ago could never be done. These thin which "cannot be done" form our chict. sources of inspiration and determination to go forward. Instruction through the medium of broadcasting presents many unsolved problems. Of these problems. are born tremendous responsibilities and magnificent opportunities. It has been the history of civilisation that when such opportunities arise, men und women are found who are. equal to the tasks and able to assume the vast responsibilities. I would not. be willing to say at this time that there is any subject taught in our schools in which radio could not be helpful. It can bring to the poorest schooihouse the experience of the greatest experts, the most talented of speakers, the most able of instructors. It makes available to the parents in the home the same presentations as are made to the children in school, so the mothers and fathers may be constantly in touca with the work their children are doing. 7 sr

Obstacles are Ahead. ‘UR present educational structure and our present radio structure present many difficulties in the path of edueation by radio. Courses in our schools are neither uniform’ nor synchronised. HEducators in general are strongly. opposed to moves toward national uniformity in the schools. They believe that the work of instruction should be considered as a local matter and that schools must be conducted to meet local conditions. In this circumstance it is difficult to make most effective presentations by radio, for radio, if it is to be most helpful, should be synchronised with school work. ‘ Network broadcasting of material, therefore, cannot always ve made to come into the schoolroom at the hour of the day or on the day in the school year when its stimulative effect would be greatest to each school. Apparently the best present method of teaching by radio would contemplate separate broadcasts by local stations attuned to and tinied with the local curricula, plus network broadcasts of more general interest, which could be readily fitted into a large number of schedules. Radio broadcasters are eager to Cooperate with educational authorities in any comprehensive work which can be done in the field of education. lready beginnings have been made, and : plans under way denote considerable progress in the near future. As we. move along new vistas are opened, ew opportunities are devised. The horizon is forever changing. We stumble

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and recover and stumble again. Our course is arduous. There are no signposts to guide our steps, but we shall go on and on, certain that radio can-bring inspiration,’ culture, stimulation, into the schooiroom. We know that it can and will be made a tremendous asset in the cause of education. Just how this is to be accomplished the future alone will demonstrate. It will require the best minds in broadcasting and in education to reach the heights we seek.