Elementary hand weaving in Pampanga

Title

Language

English

Source

The Philippine Craftsman Volume V (Issue No. 7) January 1917

Year

1917

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

METHODS OF TEACHING AT NORMAL INSTITUTES 495 has been neglected, they must go back to get the fundamentals before they take up the more advanced steps. The garments which the teachers make for themselves should be fitted to them before the class, the instructor seeing to it that the work is done properly. When making children’s garments the girls can easily bring younger brothers and sisters from home and fit the gar ments to them. A normal institute class will have time, perhaps, to make only a small model of a certain seam, this to be used by each teacher merely to show how it should be formed. For practice a sewing class in a municipal school may make the same seam on a waste piece of cloth before applying it to a garment. Instruction should be so given that short methods which may be used at the institute on account of the briefness of the time allowed, will not be used in place of the ordinary method when the teachers take up work with their regular classes. A normal institute sewing class will of necessity have to do much outside work. Practice classes should be conducted as model classes or little will be accomplished, since there will be time for only about twenty recitations during the entire institute. A daily period of not less than eighty minutes should be de voted to sewing; if less time is allotted, too much of the period will be lost in putting away the work and dismissing. If sewing is not given an equal weight with other subjects, the teachers will not take the interest in the course which they should. The equipment should be so abundant and kept in such perfect order, that the fewest moments will be lost by girls in waiting on each other. There ought to be time sufficient not only for doing the actual sewing, but for a certain amount of lecture work on textiles. ELEMENTARY HAND WEAVING IN PAMPANGA. By J. A. Robbins, Division Industrial Supervisor, Pampanga. The elementary hand-weaving course at the Pampanga division normal institute consisted principally of work in hard strips in which lapat was used. The instructor in charge of the class was sent to Manila to attend the vacation assembly where she took the course as a preparation for her work at the normal institute. Her grade at the vacation assembly was 99 per cent. As a further preparation, two teachers were detailed to have a quantity of lapat on hand at the opening of school so that the work could be started on the first day of the institute. Also, before the teachers arrived at the school building on the first day, 496 THE PHILIPPINE CRAFTSMAN they knew that they were to take the course, and they came pre pared. Each one was required to provide himself with a sharp knife and a metric measure. Those assigned to the course were to teach in barrios and in the first grades of central schools, where they would have to handle the subject in their own classes. Over 100 were enrolled. The instructor in charge kept a daily class record of attendance, and each evening this was submitted to the principal of the insti tute. Regular attendance was insisted upon, and all teachers who came tardy were required to present to the instructor an excuse signed by the principal before they were allowed to enter the class. The work was conducted in the same manner as in a class in a regular school. Special emphasis was placed upon order with respect to the care of materials and the seating of pupils. Equal weights were given the various industrial courses. The hard strips class was taught with the same care as were the classes in lace making, basketry, or of any of the other courses. For the greater part of the work, the lapat was purchased already prepared. This was considered necessary, as the insti tute was in session for only four weeks—too short a time for the class to prepare material. But the instructions given in the preparation of the lapat were so definite, that many of the teachers, with the help of pupils, are now able to prepare their own materials. The hard strips course was completed by the entire class during the four weeks. The exercises for the whole class were uniform in color and workmanship. The advisability of holding practice classes in all industrial courses has received consideration. Where the class in hard strips can be kept to an enrollment of forty, it would be of bene fit to give practice lessons in teaching. Where the number is larger, it is doubtful if the benefit the teacher receives froift such work equals the advantage to be derived from doing the exercises himself. Where possible, it is believed best to have practice classes in both academic and industrial subjects, in a separate building near the one in which the institute is being held. The teachers of industrial subjects might be assigned to observation at least once or twice each week and occasionally given actual practice in teaching. The industrial work of the normal institute consists to such an extent of instruction in new designs that are assigned to the schools for the ensuing year, that only a part of the sessions can be devoted to practice classes. Nor would it seem so necessary METHODS OF TEACHING AT NORMAL INSTITUTES 497 to have daily practice classes for industrial courses as for acade mic work, since the methods of obtaining the cooperation of pupils are the same for academic and industrial subjects. An occasional practice class would be of great assistance in demon strating the best manner of conducting industrial classes. The matter of financing the various courses of the division normal institute is of importance, especially when no aid comes from the province as was the case in Pampanga. A matricula tion fee of 1*1 was charged each teacher enrolled. This was not sufficient to meet the expenses of the institute, and it was decided to charge the cost of the various samplers made, to the pupils’ funds of the schools where they were to be used. In this manner, every school from which a teacher was assigned to the hard strips course, received a sampler for its own use. INDIGO PRODUCTION. From the Apparel Criterion (Seattle) it is learned that the total area of indigo planted in India during the past year is something over 135,000 hectares. “The plant is grown either on light red soils in tracts which receive an ample rainfall or on somewhat richer soils which obtain water from wells. It is also found as a ‘catch’ crop on rice lands after the rice harvest is over.” The process of extracting the indigo is seen to be practically the same as that in use in the Philippines. “The plant is tightly packed the day it is cut, • in a large vat, into which water is run, and boards are then placed over the top and are kept in position by heavy crossbeams. The plant is allowed to soak for ten or twelve hours, during which time a heavy fermentation takes place. The liquid is then drained off into another vat, after which coolies beat and stir the soaked mass thoroughly with flails until the dye begins to emerge. The whole is then allowed to settle; the clear liquid is drained off, and the residue is boiled in copper vessels. It is then pressed into hard cakes ready for the market.” o o o Dealers in America say that the mounts for Valenciennes lace in use here are very satisfactory for 6-yard lengths, but that for 12-yard lengths they should be twice as wide. Pieces of white paper should be pasted across the mounts at about 1 inch from each end.

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