Chapter VII: Appendix: Kansas Agricultural College Bulletin

Mr. John C. Werner, of the college extension division of the Kansas State Agricultural College, wrote in 1914 a very valuable bulletin entitled "School Credit for Home Work," the essential features of which are given.[8] Notice that he recommends that pupils furnish the reports themselves over their own signatures, as putting them on their honor is considered valuable, and in justice due them.

[8] For other quotations from this bulletin, see pages 46, 50, and
51.

In a letter Mr. Werner says: "My idea of giving credit is to use the old laboratory method of requiring the student to do a reasonable amount of work in a reasonable length of time. This allows for many of the variable factors that enter into the problem; I think it is better than to give so many points of credit for each piece of work done."

In the first six grades of the elementary school, where so much
depends upon using the child's knowledge which he has gained
from actual experiences about home, and the environment with
which he comes in contact which is really a part of himself,
we have the best basis for his further education. In these
grades it will be raising and not lowering our standards when
we give credit for home work and add it to the school credits
for passing grades. All of the subjects of these grades should
be so closely affiliated with the home life of the child as to
warrant our doing this. It is so important that the child be
engaged in the actual doing of things that the perfect grade of
100 per cent should be divided into two divisions: (1) A maximum
of 90 per cent for school work. (2) A maximum of 10 per cent for
home work when proper records and reports are kept.

In the seventh and eighth grades and in the high school, work
corresponding to the age and ability of the pupils should
be introduced and made part of the laboratory work, giving
two fifths of a unit of credit. Here written reports of the
operations performed should be worked out by the pupils and
presented as class work. Classes should visit the dairy barns,
feeding pens, gardens, corn or grass fields, orchards, etc.
Pupils should carry on considerable individual home work, which
should continue throughout the summer as well as winter season.
This credit should be counted in agriculture, domestic arts and
manual-training courses.

The various contests among the boys and girls, that are
conducted in all parts of the state, certainly should be
counted worthy of school credit. These contests are directly or
indirectly under the auspices of the Agricultural College, and
numerous bulletins are sent to the contestants. Many children
actually receive in these contests almost the equal of a year's
course in school.

_Suggestive List of Subjects for Credit for Home Work_

1. _Agriculture_

Milking cows.
Feeding horses.
Cleaning cow barns.
Cleaning horse barns.
Feeding cows.
Feeding sheep.
Feeding beef cattle.
Feeding hogs.
Feeding poultry.
Watering stock.
Churning.
Turning separator.
Tending fires.
Running errands.
Digging potatoes.
Hitching and unhitching horses.
Beating rugs.
Hauling feed.
Pumping water.
Cutting wood.
Carrying in fuel.
Getting the cows.
Gathering eggs.
Tending to the poultry house.
Tending pig pen.
Bedding of stock.
Preparing kindling.
Miscellaneous.

2. _Domestic Arts_

Preparing meals.
Making biscuits.
Baking bread.
Baking cake.
Baking pie.
Washing clothes.
Ironing clothes.
Caring for baby.
Overseeing home while mother is away.
Scrubbing floor.
Washing dishes.
Wiping dishes.
Making beds.
Sweeping the house.
Dusting rugs.
Airing bedclothes.
Ventilating bedroom.
Dressing the baby.
Canning fruit.
Caring for milk.
Sewing.
Dusting furniture.
Care of self.
Making dress.
Making apron.
Care of teeth.
Setting the table.
Care of sick.
Miscellaneous.

3. _Manual Training_

Making farm gate.
Making peck crate.
Making chair.
Making clothes rack.
Making pencil sharpener.
Making T-square.
Making towel roller.
Making ruler.
Making picture frame, halved
together joints, end and center.
Making mortise and tenon joint.
Making bookrack.
Miscellaneous.
Making ax handle.
Making hayrack.
Making ironing board.
Making cutting board.
Making tool rack.
Making staffboard liner.
Making vine rack.
Making sandpaper blocks.
Making mail box.
Open mortise and tenon joint (end).
Making halving joint, or angle
splice joint.
Making feed hopper.
Making whippletree.
Making wood rack.
Making bench hook.
Making coat hanger.
Making nail box.
Making table.
Making flower-pot stand.
Making key board.
Making pen tray.
Making mortise and tenon joint
(center).
Making dovetail joint.
Making panel door.
Making work bench.

4. _Home Contests_

Corn acre contest.
Poultry and pig contest.
Sewing contest.
Potato plot contest.
Tomato contest.
Canning contest.
Garden contest.
Bread-baking contest.
Miscellaneous.

_Plan for Allowing Credit_

It is absolutely essential in taking up this work that the teacher make a careful survey in her neighborhood of the kinds of home work that the pupils have opportunity to do. The pupils should be put on their honor in reporting their work, and the teacher must work out the amount of credit time the various items are to receive, and from the pupils' reports grade the work. A large number of items should be included and given their relative weight. Quality as well as quantity must be judged by the teacher. This supplies a working basis for coöperation between home and school.

Besides the credits earned in the particular subjects of agriculture, domestic arts and manual training, where 216 hours will add two fifths of a unit, other work may be given some additional credit up to say 10 per cent, as physiology and geography. It is also possible that subjects such as English and arithmetic may be so correlated as to be at least partially considered in connection with the agriculture, domestic arts, and manual training by the composition required and the problems furnished.

It is not expected that any boy or girl will enter all of the contests. Contests which require 216 hours' work should be given two fifths of a unit credit in the subject to which it belongs. If the child in the contest is below the seventh grade, the work should add to his entire school grade up to 10 per cent. The fairness of this plan will appeal to the boys and girls, for the girl or boy who has third, fourth or fifth place in the contest deserves credit as well as the one who wins first place.

It is the object in the credit for home work both to recognize and give credit because of the educational value to the child of such work which he does with his hands, and it is also hoped to develop the child into a better worker, so that the work performed will be constantly of a higher order as the child grows older. In other words, we have a constantly changing variable as the child grows older as to the time necessary to do certain work, and the proficiency with which the work is done. Speed in doing things is not the only consideration, and yet all work should be done with reasonable dispatch.

In inaugurating this work it seems that the ordinary laboratory method for giving credit is quite as well adapted to home laboratory work as it is to school laboratory work. If the perfect grade, 100 per cent in the elementary school in grades 1 to 6, inclusive, be divided into two parts, i.e., a maximum of 90 per cent for school work and a maximum of 10 per cent for home work for all pupils who desire to do the home work, then one tenth of the number of hours in the school year may be taken as the basis for credit. Counting the double period, as should be done, 216 hours or 6 hours per week would be the required time for the nine-months' term of school to receive full credit. The pupil would, therefore, need to work at home six hours per week. This work should be scattered throughout the week as evenly as possible, with the opportunity of doing not to exceed three hours' work in any one day, as, for example, on Saturday. As in the laboratory system, the pupils, regardless of the overtime put in, could only receive full credit for any year. Pupils who do not have the chance for home work will not be affected in their work, as the usual method of grading will apply to them. Conditions must determine the time necessary for any given piece of work. For example, if one boy feeds a team of horses in ten minutes, another in fifteen minutes, another in five minutes, and another in thirty minutes, under similar conditions, perhaps one boy is working too rapidly and another too slowly. From such reports it seems that twelve to fifteen minutes should be allowed for feeding a team of horses.

The best and most profitable division of time for the home work would be about thirty minutes, both morning and evening, each day. During these work periods different things should be done, and during the year it is to be hoped that a large variety of different kinds of work may be included. If the home is in sympathy with the child's work it can help very materially in setting tasks for the child that are of the most profitable nature.

_Reports to Teachers_

The pupils should furnish the reports themselves over their own signatures for the home work. Putting them on their own honor is valuable and in justice is due them. Since results must be produced in most kinds of work, the teacher can judge quite accurately as to the value of work.

_Illustrative Report Card_

_Weekly report home work._ _Date_....................
_Elementary school_.

_Pupil_...................

----------------+---------------+--------------------------------------------
| | Time spent each day.
| +------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-----
Work. |Remarks. | | | | | |
| | M. | T. | W. | T. | F. | S.
----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-----
Feeding horses. |1 team, twice | | | | | |
|each day | 20 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20
----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-----
Cut wood |1/2 cord, stove| | | | | |
|length | | | | | | 150
................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|.....
| | | | | | |
................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|.....
| | | | | | |
................|...............|......|.......|.......|.......|.......|.....
----------------+---------------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-----
]

* * * * *

Credit for seventh and eighth grades and high school grades should be allowed for efficient home work when properly reported as laboratory requirement in agriculture, domestic arts and manual training. In these grades all careful, systematic work during the summer season, as well as the regular school year, such as corn acre, garden, potato plot, tomato, poultry, pig, canning, sewing, cooking, and butter-making contests, should be used for laboratory credit. Of course accurate records of the work must be made at the time the work is performed. Schools that have an agricultural teacher during the entire year will directly supervise this work. In other schools the reports will be used as part of the next year's regular class work. Suitable report blanks should be used by the pupils and kept in laboratory notebook form.

The pupils of seventh, eighth and high-school grades who do 216 hours of acceptable home work should be given two fifths of a unit of credit in the subjects of agriculture, domestic arts, or manual training. Here again the pupil should do some different kinds of work and make the experience somewhat varied. In the home laboratory the teacher will determine a standard amount of work of any kind to be performed in a given time.

CALIFORNIA REPORT ON OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES

At the January, 1914, meeting of the California Teachers' Association the following report on credit for work done outside of the school was submitted by Mr. Hugh J. Baldwin:--

_Credit for Work Done Outside of School_

Fulfilling the wishes of this organization, your committee
sent communications to the heads of departments of large
manufacturing and commercial interests, to managers of railroads
and educational institutions, requesting information on lines
of work upon which you wished a report. Not only were the
circulars answered promptly, but, in many cases, the answers
were remarkable. Some of them suggested in definite language how
outside activities might be made harmoniously supplemental to
our regular school work, better articulated therewith than had
been planned.

* * * * *

Many strong reasons were given; one of the most potent was that
the innovation would change the present attitude of the average
person towards labor--in other words, to dignify the labor
of the land, to honor and respect the woman who can prepare
nourishing food in the kitchen or the man who can contribute to
the world's wealth from his garden.

Another strong thought from this compilation of opinions
resulted in the contrast between the systems of American and
German polytechnic or manual training education. The German
schools secure the coöperation of the factories and shops and
stores where there is particular industrial training given, all
without cost to state or municipality for the tuition. On the
other hand, in the United States, the only manual training that
has been attempted by the school authorities has been at greater
expense to the people.

In communities where there is no special educational industrial
training the subject of this committee work is very important.
"Outside Activities," or credit on school reports for work
done by school children at home, has now a place in the course
of study of San Diego County. The plan has passed from the
experimental stage, having been given a thorough tryout in all
the schools. From all parts of the county reports have come
full of enthusiasm telling of the excellent working of the
plan. To be sure there are a few adverse reports. We find that
communities largely Mexican in complexion evince little interest
in the plan.

INDEX

Agriculture, 19, 131, 156, 162, 164, 165, 168.

Alderman, Superintendent, 17.

Algebra, 8, 9, 24, 25, 34, 35.

Algona, Wash., 42, 107, 110.

Ames, Iowa, 162-64.

Arithmetic, 27, 30, 31, 47, 58, 61.

Ashland, Ore., 135.

Auburn, Wash., 28, 29.

Bailey, E. G., 148.

Baldwin, Hugh J., 174.

Banks and banking, 13.

Banner, school, 13, 14.

Bathing, 41, 42, 51, 107, 125.

Belknap, Mrs. E. H., letters, 48, 49, 69, 70.

Bellingham, Wash., 104.

Benton County, Ore., 6.

Blanks, home credit. _See_ Cards.

Bread-making, 8, 10, 65.

Bulletin for teachers, Spokane County, Ore., 89, 90.

Burns, Miss Veva, 124.

Burnt Ridge, Wash., 84, 85.

Cake-making, 22, 92.

Calavan, C. C., 110, 111.

California Report on Outside Activities, 174, 175.

Canning, 130.

Cards, home record, 71-172.

Care of language, 41.

Certificate of Promotion with Distinction, 138-41.

Charleston, Wash., 128, 130.

Cheerfulness, 41.

Cheney, Wash., 92.

Chores, 17, 36, 120, 121, 151.

Church attendance, 110, 111, 132.

Clackamas County, Ore., 14, 32, 154.

Claxton, Mr., Commissioner of Education, 6.

Cleaning yard, 151.

Cleanliness, 11.

Commerce, 156.

Conklin, Superintendent E. B., 6, 148.

Consolidation of schools, 25.

Contests, rules of, 73-80, 83, 103, 104, 113, 114, 126, 130-33;
for summer agricultural work, 165, 166. _See_ Prizes.

Cooking, 8, 10, 34, 48, 118, 163.

Coöperation, of parents and teachers, 39, 46-48;
plan for school and home, 143-45.

Courtesy to parents, 41.

Cowlitz County, Wash., 102.

Credit for home work, system of, author's article on, 3-6;
the case of Mary, 7-10;
in O'Reilly's school, 11-23;
revitalizing effect of, 25-33;
honors labor, 34-38;
illustrative cards of, 71-155;
in high schools, 156-66.

Credits, prizes for, 11-13, 19-22, 32, 37, 88, 90, 97, 124, 128.

Credit-vouchers. _See_ Vouchers.

Crook County, Ore., 6.

Daily reports, 73-172.

Dallas, Ore., 125.

Davis, Superintendent Joel O., 135, 136.

Dish-washing, 9, 34, 118.

"Doing before told," 41, 148.

Domestic arts, 48, 51, 130, 169.

Domestic science, 22, 49, 50, 130.

Drawing, 36, 37.

Dudley, W. E., 30.

Dunlap, Oscar L., 88.

Dykstra, R. G., 120.

Elliott, Superintendent H. W., 128, 130, 131.

Eugene, Ore., High School, 47.

Eveline, Wash., 96.

Fairs, school, 19-22, 128, 130.

Farm labors, 28, 30-32, 52.

Feeding the poultry, 42.

Fitchburg, Mass., 30.

Forfeitures, 79, 80.

Garage work, 28, 29.

Gary, T. J., article by, on O'Reilly's school, 14-18.

General housework, 163, 164.

Geometry, 29.

Grades, 36.

Habit-building, 39-45.

Harrowing, 31.

Health, care for, home duty, 11.

Heath, Harry F., 96-98.

High schools, home credit in, 156-66.

History, 9.

Hoagland, Mrs. Sarah J., story by, 60-65;
letter from, 65-68.

Holidays, 16, 37, 70, 84, 90, 121, 124, 125, 135.

Holton, Kansas, 77.

Home contests, 169. _See_ Contests.

Home credit plans, illustrative, 71-175. _See_ Plans, Rules.

Home economics, 130, 156, 162, 163.

Home study, 151.

Home work, newspaper article on, by author, 3-6;
inception of idea, 7;
Spring Valley School, 11-23. _See_ Plans.

Hopewell High School, 23.

Horticulture, 131.

Housekeeping, 51.

Hover, Wash., 47.

Idaho plan, 125.

Illustrative home credit plans, 71-175.

Immorality among children, 44.

Industrial work, 4, 5, 21.

Industry, 40.

Interest in work, 26.

Jackson County, Ore., 132, 134, 135.

James, William, quoted on habit, 39.

Jefferson, Ore., 48.

Jenkins, Lucia, 104.

Kansas State Agricultural College, 50;
Bulletin, 72, 167-73.

Keeping temper, 41.

Kindness, 41;
to animals, 148.

King County, Wash., 107.

Labor, honoring, 34-38.

"Laboratory of the Rural School, The," 51, 52.

Lane County, Ore., 6, 22.

Letters, from teachers and school officials: Mrs. Hoagland, 65-67,
69, 70;
N. V. Rowe, 83, 84;
Mrs. Toman, 85;
O. L. Dunlap, 88;
McFarland, 91;
Miss Merritt, 96;
H. F. Heath, 96-98;
Miss Jenkins, 103, 104;
Mrs. Maynard, 106, 107;
Miss Burns, 124, 125;
Miss Rarey, 125;
Mrs. McKinney, 135;
J. O. Davis, 135-38;
Linden McCullough, 150, 151;
J. C. Werner, 167;
other teachers, 94;
from parents, 94, 95;
from pupils, 92, 93, 105;
from a Portland woman, 120.

Lewis County, Wash., 96.

Lewiston, Idaho, 143.

Los Angeles, Cal., 141-43.

Mack, A. R., 77.

Making garden, 85.

Malheur County, Ontario, 148.

Manners, 148.

Manual training, 131, 156, 162, 169.

Marion County, Ore., a letter from, 69, 70;
card system of, 86, 88.

Marks, 37.

Mary, the story of, 7-10.

Mathematics, 29. _See_ Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry.

Maynard, Mrs. Lou Albee, 104, 106.

McCormick, Superintendent E. O., 153.

McCullough, Linden, 150.

McFarland, E. G., 88, 91, 94.

McKinney, Mrs. Bertha, 135.

McMinnville, Ore., 7.

Mending, 151.

Merritt, Miss Lizzie K., 95.

Military drill, 47.

Milking, 30.

Minnehaha, Wash., 30.

Montana, a school in, 65-68.

Music, 131, 164.

Myrtle Creek, Ore., 48.

Neatness, 41.

Nebraska, a story from, 60-65.

New York City, 145.

North Dallas School, Polk County, Ore., 122, 124.

North Yakima, Wash., 164-66.

Ontario, 148.

Oregon, University of, 3;
teachers in, 6;
Mr. O'Reilly's school at Spring Valley, 6, 11-23;
home credit schools in, 71.

Oregon City, 14.

_Oregon Teachers' Monthly_, 120.

O'Reilly, A. J., home credit school of, 6, 11-23, 41;
his method of daily reports, 72-77.

Parents, and teachers, coöperation between, 39, 46-48, 120;
letters from, 94, 95.

Pend Oreille County, Wash., 138.

Percentages, 36.

Personal care, 41, 42, 108, 112, 113.

Plan for school and home coöperation, 143-145.

Plans, illustrative home credit: Spring Valley School, 73-77;
Holton, Kan., 77-83;
St. John, Wash., 83, 84;
Burnt Ridge, Wash., 84, 85;
Salem Heights, Wash., 88;
Spokane Co., 89, 90;
Eveline, Wash., 96-101;
Cowlitz Co., Wash., 102-04;
District 61 School, Wash., 104-07;
Algona, Wash., 107-12;
Portland, Ore., 112-20;
Polk Co., Ore., 120;
Suver, Ore., 120-23;
North Dallas, Ore., 124, 125;
near Dallas, Ore., 125;
Idaho, 125-27;
Charleston, Wash., 128-32;
Jackson Co., Ore., 132-35;
Weston, Ore., 132, 135-38;
Pend Oreille Co., Wash., 138-41;
Los Angeles, Cal., 141-43;
Lewiston, Idaho, 143-45;
the Bronx, New York City, 145-47;
Mr. Conklin's, 148;
Ontario, 148-50;
Roslyn, Wash., 150-53;
Wilbur, Wash., 153, 154;
Clarke Co., Wash., 154, 155;
Santa Monica, Cal., 157-59;
St. Cloud, Minnesota, 160-62;
Ames, Iowa, 162-64;
North Yakima, Wash., 164-66;
Mr. Werner's, 167-73.

Politeness, 41.

Polk County, Ore., 6, 11, 120, 122.

Portland, Ore., 32, 36, 112-14.

Portland home credit record, 42.

Practice-teaching, 164.

Practicing music, 85.

Prizes, for credits in home work, 11-13, 19-22, 32, 37, 88, 90,
97, 124, 128.

Purpose, lacking in schools, 49.

Putting away playthings, 151.

Rarey, Miss Miriam H., 125.

Reading good books, 151.

Record cards, 71-172.

Reilly, Frederick J., 145.

Report of committee on home credits, Los Angeles, 141-43.

Reports, daily, 73-172.

Responsibilities, 36, 52.

Roslyn, Wash., 150.

Rowe, N. V., 83.

Rules of contests, 73-80, 83, 103, 104, 113, 114, 126, 130-33;
for summer agricultural work, 165, 166.

Running errands, 156.

Sadie and Stella, 53-59.

St. Cloud, Minnesota, 160-62.

St. John, Wash., 83.

Salem, Ore., 11, 14, 19, 20.

Salem Heights, Ore., 88.

Santa Monica, Cal., 157-59.

Sawing wood, 85.

School and home coöperation, 143-45.

"School Credit for Home Work," 167.

Schoolhouse janitor, 95.

Schools, consolidation of, 25.

Scrubbing, 42.

Sewing, 3, 47, 51, 163.

Seymour, Superintendent, 13, 14, 122, 124.

Shepherd, Miss Grace M., 125.

Sheridan High School, 22.

Shopwork, 28.

Simmonds, F. W., 143.

Sleeping with window open, 44.

Slips, home credit. _See_ Cards.

Smith, W. M., 86.

Soules, Miss Hester C., 138.

Spelling, 32, 33;
contest, 13, 14, 18.

Spokane, Wash., 32, 89, 91.

Spokane Chamber of Commerce, 89.

Spokane County, Wash., 88, 89, 91, 95.

Spring Valley, Ore., Mr. O'Reilly's school at, 6, 11-23, 72-77.

Standings, 36.

Stella and Sadie, 53-59.

Sterling, Mrs. Elizabeth, 154.

Suggestions for using "Home Record Slip," 112, 113.

Sunday school attendance, 110, 132.

Suver, Polk County, Ore., school at, 120.

Sweeping, 42.

Tardiness, 27, 57, 84, 121.

Teachers, and parents, coöperation between, 39, 46-48;
a story from, 60-65;
letters from, _see_ Letters.

Tidiness, 137.

Todd, Mr., 28-30.

Toman, Mrs. Verona E., 84, 85.

Toothbrushing, 41-43, 107.

Umatilla County, Ore., 132.

Vacation report, 160, 161.

Vancouver, Wash., 32.

Voice, care of, 43.

Vouchers, 77, 96-99.

Walking, credit for, 120, 121.

Wasco County, Ore., 6.

Washing dishes, 9, 42.

Washington, home credit schools in, 71.

Weekly reports, 86, 88.

Wells, J. Percy, 132.

Werner, John C., 167.

Weston, Ore., 132, 135, 136.

Weston Public School, 136.

Whitman County, Wash., 83.

Wilbur, Wash., 153.

Winship, Dr., 11.

Work, done for wages, 151;
in father's place of business, 151. _See_ Labor.

Yamhill County, Ore., 6, 24.

* * * * *

Transcriber's note:

Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained as printed.

The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs.

Mismatched quotes are not fixed if it's not sufficiently clear where the missing quote should be placed.

The cover for the eBook version of this book was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

Rather than |||||, tally marks in the book are four upright bars with the fifth bar crossing the other four diagonally. See footnote 7, and pages 130 and 181.

In addition to obvious errors, the following changes have been made:

1. Page 118: the word "a" was added in the phrase: "a lonely art
student"

2. Page 133: transposed words "be will" were corrected to "will
be" in the phrase: "will be improved"