The Philippine Experiences of an American Teacher: A Narrative of Work and Travel in the Philippine Islands

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C. Scribner's sons, 1906 - Education - 344 pages
 

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Page 163 - ... expansion of agriculture in the islands — information which is more expanded and accompanied by practical field work in the secondary course in agriculture. Their pedagogical purpose, on the other hand, is to induce accurate first-hand observation and reasoning about facts observed. Especial difficulty lies in overcoming the tendency of the Filipino pupil to learn merely by rote. The science studies largely eliminate the use of this method in that they require answers as the fruit of reasoning...
Page 330 - I have . . . referred to the incompetency and ignorance of many of the justices of the peace. Instead of "many" I could have said " most," and might even have employed a stronger term. . . . Sometimes, and only too frequently, in addition to their ignorance these justices are found to be either grossly dishonest or else under the influence of a sharp and tricky secretary...
Page 162 - Philippines is concerned with a people whose lack of exactness, especially in their mental processes, Is a conspicuous racial fault. The Filipino has an instinctive and intense reluctance to admit ignorance. This characteristic has often earned him an otherwise undeserved reputation for unreliability or dishonesty. He fails to appreciate the desirability of accuracy. Training in science, properly given, will develop a new respect for exactness and a conception of the inexpediency of misstatement,...
Page 330 - With these men the motto in all too many cases is, "a public office is a public graft," and they prey upon the poor people of the country like wild beasts. . . I trust I may not be charged with drawing too lurid a picture of this evil. My endeavor is to state only facts as they have come to my knowledge, not only during the last year, but in several years' previous experience in these Islands.
Page 99 - ... Spanish friar."7 At the same time, they were obliged to conciliate the native priest or Spanish friar, to prod a lethargic municipal president (mayor) and town-council into action, and sometimes to go from house to house persuading the parents of the children to send them to school . . . they . . . drilled and equipped boys' brigades and organized gala processions of children to increase the interest of the community in the schools. They have written plays and staged them, arranged athletic contests,...
Page 32 - ... with which we were at length furnished, were sufficiently large for our purpose ; and as soon as we were comfortably settled, we commenced instructing our royal pupils. They studied English, French, composition and drawing; and the hours we were engaged with them were from between seven and eight till ten, in the morning ; and from three to five in the afternoon. The princesses differed much in their abilities and dispositions. The elder sometimes appeared to think the difficulty of acquiring...
Page 276 - Many cases of physical injury, at least of a temporary character, have resulted from over-zealous efforts on the part of students in preparing their class-work. The average highschool student, if required by his teacher to prepare more than a due amount of work, will deprive himself of a proper amount of sleep in order to accomplish it. This has been especially noticeable in the case of students in attendance upon vacation normal institutes. Young men and young women on these occasions have been...
Page 162 - science studies." — Larger -place is given to science work than is usual in the public schools of America. Training in the English language and literature supplies the place in the Philippine system of the classical studies of American school programmes. Time is gained thereby for that training in exact methods and concrete subject-matter for which there is peculiar need. Another difference between American...
Page 33 - What Is that?' Pupil— That is a ball. Teacher (Indicating)— What is that? Pupil— "That Is a book.' The singular forms being understood, the plurals were similarly taught. Instructed thus, over and over, time and again, the children presently knew the name of every object that could be brought within their range of vision. (Freer 1906:33) What followed, reports Freer again, were easy conversation exercises which had a question-and-answer quality — 'What do you see?

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