Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon state employee. (Salem, Oregon.) 1944-195? | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1946)
15 (Continued from page 14) thesis indicate probable number of lis teners for each program.) Other pro grams include the "News Watch” and f'Names That Make News,” commen taries and brief . biographies by Mr. Morris for intermediate and junior high school students (7,7 8 0 ); "Spirit of America,” an anthology of verses ex pressing the hopes and ideals of Ameri can freedom (5 ,2 7 5 ); "Stories That Live,” an invitation down the radio road to reading (7,1 7 5 ); "Excursions in Science” (2 ,3 3 5 ); "Starry Skies” (6 ,2 2 5 ); "Magic Casement Stories (2,895) and "Adventures in Health,” presented with the cooperation of the State Department of Education and the Oregon Tuberculosis Association (11,- 400). This complete list shows the wide variety of subject material cover ed and the diversity of presentation. It is no wonder that teachers are eager for so many of their pupils to learn by lis tening. "The f i n a l effectiveness of our broadcasts depends upon the teacher,” explains Mr. Morris. "It is the teacher only who can correlate the material presented with the daily school subjects. It is she who by her enthusiasm can arouse like enthusiasm in her pupils.” Such valuable supplementary material is a challenge to a good teacher, al though it may be used as a crutch by a poor one. There is, however, no edu cational crutch that can substitute for a good teacher. In a one room school, the "Land of Make Believe” may be used to serve all grades. It may be used to provide themes for art classes and for writing and a basis for word study. Sometimes the upper grade children lis ten to the plays and then tell the stories to the younger ones. In many schools the children listen to the "Land of Make Believe” on Monday. In art class on Tuesday or Wednesday they draw pictures suggested by the story. These pictures are sent to KOAC, where a winner is chosen for the best picture in each of the eight elementary grades. On the broadcast the following Monday, the winners are announced. If an unusually outstanding picture is received, it is given the distinction of being "the picture of the week.” Each winner receives an attractive certificate "fo r excellence of art work.” Students in other schools are anxious to know where the winners live, and thus, a spontaneous lesson in Oregon geography develops. It also gives small, isolated groups a sense of belonging to the lar ger student body of all grade school children in Oregon. Correspondence be tween schools often results. An attractive pamphlet lists the to pics of the various broadcasts for the year so that teachers may plan and pre pare their pupils in advance. Also in cluded are suggestions for more effec tive use of the programs and "The R a dio Bookshelf.” The Bookshelf, prepar ed with the assistance of librarians at the State Library, are lists of books re lated to the subjects of the various pro grams. A Bookshelf list follows each series. An attempt was made by KO AC to survey all rural schools to determine their probable audience. The figures al ready quoted are from that survey. The audience was estimated to be 110,000 listeners. This does not mean 110,000 different children, however, because many listen to more than one broad cast. O f the schools that answered, 18% indicated they had no radio available; 21% indicated no use of the programs for other reasons; and 61% stated that they listen regularly to the School of the Air. "N o radio provided and no electricity available are our biggest problems,” states Mr. Morris, "although many of the teachers bring their own portable radios to school for the broadcasts.” The shortage of radio sets and tubes is clearly seen in the de- (Continued on page 16)
