Newspapers / The Northampton County Times-News … / Jan. 23, 1913, edition 1 / Page 2
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THJ20AN;0KE CJp$YJN llilES' TWXjTRsrAY, JAIJU4. Y 23 IV13 COSSTRDCTITE IMAGINATION. 1ls Value Id Toe Education ol the Child We Most Excite a Desire to do Something. Constructive imagination, which is the power to combine old images and experiences into aew combinations, is left out and excluded from the actual, con - scious experiences of almost all teachers in their relations to their pupils. To see the need of the development of such a facul tv. we have only to look around us and examine for a while our selves and our experiences. Now the constructive imagination in its development deals with three stages in life, viz. childhood, youth and manhood, but it is my purpose to discuss in this paper the stages of childhood and youth since it is with these that we as teachers are most closely asso ciated. The constructive imagination of childhood may be character ized as rich and plenteous; it draws little or no distinction be tween fact and fancy; fairy tales and stories play a great part in the life of the child. The child's wonder book consumes most of his attention. From these state ments then, it is clear that there are two types of imagination that is especially related to the child, and that is the visual ani auditory types. Perhaps more than half of the children are of the visual tvpe. These remember things seen, better than things gotten through the other senses. They learn from copies, illustrations, draw ings and pictures. The best way to appeal to them then is through the eyes. They retain things they reid better than things read aloud to them. Then in teaching the children that come under us, shouldn't we learn the pupil's dispositions and environ ments, or as is often said, "know the child," in order to appeal to his individual type of imagina tion, so that bv the aid of this perceptual basis, he may grasp more effectively the subject de sired to be taught. Then there is the auditory tvpe of children who remember things heard far better than things obtained through any of the other senses. They learn geography, history and the like not from the printed page, nor from personal observations made, but from the voices of their teachers and associates. They must hear a thing before it be comes closely allied with their old expeiiences, this being the way by which a thing is learned with them, Thus it is seen that from thse types of imagination and the vast differences in their develop ment, we should use every cau tion in our teaching and apply to the children as many methods of instruction as possible. In this way we appeal personally to every individual. All children then would have equal advan tage in that respect. In short we are enabled by so doing, to more effectively train the child hood of our country. We pass now to the period of youth which is indeed the spring time of this creative faculty. This is the period of idealizing heroes and great adventurous men, and in this period the youth draws a distinction be tween things that are real and those that seem to be. He is a searcher of truth. He is a great admirer of fiction, history and romance. He is a dreamer and is remantic in his nature, and as a whole, his future life and pos sibilities depend largely upon his proper training at this strategic point of life. The common, every-day idea that we have about imagination is, that it is something danger ous; that it leads to idleness, to reaming, to dreariness and real- 1 to the neglect of one's duties. If htz to itself untrained or not testrained, this may be the case. And others think that this crea tive faculty has no place in this practical and industrial age, but in all activities in life, we use fretly this faculty. 'Tis true that we should never leave the imag'natijn idle. We should re strain it by exercising it. In this process of exercise, we in still into the youth a sense of self-expression. Let him do as much personal wotk as possible. Leave him to do it himself and in so doing, there will be devel oped in him a vast amount of originality and a sense of intel lectual feeling that is a result of a task done well. This process will cause him to mould his old ideas into new combinations and incidentally possibly there is de veloped a creative genius. Then this ability to draw upon the imagination helps the child to comprehend more vividly his torical events. Without it one cannot fully rppreciate the his tory of battles, revolutions, and the general history of nations. Unless the child pictures to him self the bleeding soldiers, whistl ing bullets and the roaring can nons at the battle of Gettysburg, why the description would be a mere heap of words. But with this faculty, one can, as it were, enter into the battle himself and experience the real horrors and hardships of war. We see the the work of the imagination in the child when he is ask ed to describe a battle, instead of listening to one told; when he is asked to write a poem or com position instead of reading one; when he is asked to relate a story instead of hearing it related. In these cases it is the purpose of the child to make each poem a picture of words, each battle and story real and common to every day life. Without this faculty, though unconsciously it mav be used, the child could not make others construct the mental im ages that he has. Poems, battles and stories can never be clearer to the listener than they were to the producer and certainly the constructive faculty of the ima gination is quite essentual in this respect. Then if this is such an impor tant factor in the development and education of the child, should not some definite and logical training be given in the high schools in order to give a better basis for the improvement of this constructive imagination? Could not the history, literature and composition classes especially, be conducted in such a way as to draw more freely upon this fac ulty? The instinctive tendencies to construct and express, stirred by various emotions, should by all means, be given a chance for mature oevelopment. The aesth etic emotion of music, language and many other arts must be nurtured, if we wish to get the yery best results from the youth of our country. We are bound to stir the emotions and excite a desire to do something, whether great or small, and the result will inevitably be effective. W. D. Barbee, Jackson, N. C. Take Notice. Those who have not paid their school tax for 1912 can do so by meetir g me at the following places named below. I have given all the time on the collection of this tax that I can. Don't wait longer, it will cost you less to pay now. Rich Square, Jan. 24. Seaboard, " 14, 22. Jackson, " 15, 20. Lasker, " 23. George, "17. Woodland, " 18. Margarettsville, " 21. Potecasi, "29. Milwaukee, " 30. Conway, " 25. I will receive the one dollar on road tax and bank stock tax also. Jan. 9, 1913. H. L, Jot.nbk, Sheriff. M. T Blaesii ghara M. T. Blassingham & Co. Wholesale Lumber WE BUT ANYTHING IN LUMBER. WRITE US. FOR PRICE Cypress, Oak Bills, Yellow Pine, Railroad Ties, Kiln-Dried N. C. Pine, Air-Dried N. C. Pine Gtizens Bank Building, WIS AND HORSES. OUR MANY YEARS EXPERIENCE in thestock business enables us to gie the very best service to the purchaser of Mules and Horses. We will keep constantly on hand the best assortment of both Mules and Horses through the season. See our stock before buying if you would get the best for your money. Prices and terms most reason able. OOME QUICK AND GET TOUR Yours very Holoman Phone No. 25, A Large Assortment And Then Some More! A HOUSE FULL TO OVERFLOWING OF NEW GOODS AND BARGAINS. Everything you want and then some more. Call and examine them, and you will be pleased, both as to price and quality. If A full line of Ladies, Misses and Childrens Coats and Suits My line of Mens Clothing is great in style and - make op. My line of Shoes I have kept up to the standard, and better if possible. Ladies' Dress Goods. You should see them. Trimmings of all kinds. TfA car of American and Ellwood Fencing just received. Call to see me. Yours truly, IL. J. 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The Northampton County Times-News (Rich Square and Jackson, N.C.)
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Jan. 23, 1913, edition 1
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