112 



Agricultural Instrxiction in the Public High Schools 



the development of the college summer school courses in agri- 

 culture, a movement so new that Dean Bailey gives but a passing 

 mention to one institution of college rank oft'ering such work. 



To the student of education, probably the most significant 

 development in this field has been the spread of the idea, within 

 the last two years, of establishing chairs of education in agri- 

 cultural colleges, or chairs of agriculture in colleges of education. 



Another movement, yet in its infancy but of great promise, 

 is the idea of the " conference on agricultural education " held 

 in connection with the summer schools. This is a sort of special- 

 ized but elaborated teachers' institute of state-wide proportions, 

 and is calculated to focus attention on large professional problems 

 too broad to fit into the class room discussions of special courses. 



Agricultural colleges make provision for prospective teachers 

 in one of two ways. Students of the regular four-year course 

 in agriculture may elect courses in education given in the agri- 

 cultural college or in some other college of the university. The 

 second way is for the prospective teacher to pursue a special 

 group of subjects, supposed to be especially adapted to the needs 

 of teachers in content or in organization. This special group 

 may require anywhere from one to four years to complete ac- 

 cording to the number of units it contains. It may not and 

 sometimes does not include any pedagogical work. 



The state agricultural colleges of Massachusetts, Michigan, 

 North Dakota, and Indiana (Purdue University) use the first 

 plan. The agricultural colleges of Connecticut and North Caro- 

 lina, and of the University of Maine have the special group of 

 agricultural subjects without courses in education. Michigan 

 Agricultural College has such a course of one year, which does, 

 however, presuppose a normal school certificate or experience 

 in teaching. 



The state universities having agricultural colleges and also 

 colleges of education or well defined departments of education 

 may eflfect a reciprocal arrangement whereby the latter may 

 furnish the agricultural college students with facilities for peda- 

 gogical training. The state universities of Illinois, I\Iinnesota, 

 and Wisconsin, are notable examples of institutions following 

 this plan. Conversely, students in the college of arts and sciences 



