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)