Prime Time; American Education Week

[background announcer] "Prime time program number 101, recorded 11 16 81, playback in 1981 on the following Saturday." [music & children singing] Hello I'm Ed Sardella, host for Prime Time, a weekly series on KRMA

about the instructional programs in the Denver Public Schools and the involvement of the community in the educational process. Prime Time emphasizes reading. And this week author Jane Yolen will share her views on how books can capture the imagination and interest of young readers. To illustrate this week's activity card, the Hochstadt family from Southmore school will discuss how they plan their television viewing and we'll attend an art demonstration to see some of the many forms of art used in classroom instruction. This is American Education Week, an annual event in November, which focuses attention on the importance of education. The Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Brzeinski, will interview the Honorable William McNichols, Mayor of the city and county of Denver. Rex Jennings, President of the Denver Chamber of Commerce and Major General Titus Hall, Commander of the Lowery Technical Training Center. National Children's Book Week is being observed with book fairs, exhibits, displays and activities which center around this year's theme: any time, any place, any book.

In Denver for the celebration was Jane Yolen author of more than 60 children's books. [Jane Yolen telling a story] "Send hither the great gray shape that makes men shiver and then the magic starts. Your nose gets long and into a snout; your nails get long and yellow; your teeth get green and ?greggly?. Your ears get long and can hear the wind. Your eyes get yellow and can see the grass growing. And your hair starts growing down along your forehead, down behind your ears, down behind your neck, all the way down your back and into a tail. And you feel a great weight pressing on your fore, on your head, pushing you down and down and down and down. You go on all fours and you put your head back and you go... [howls] ... and you turn into a wolf." [Jane Yoder speaking] "Children's books are probably the closest thing we still

have to aural storytelling, the link, except for these people who are now going back and doing all storytelling. So that I, when I am writing, I try to make my stories on the page. They have to be able to be read aloud because we do read stories aloud to children. The difference is, of course, ?come? a story when you're telling it to an audience, if the audience is really with you, you expand the story to fit the space that they've given you. And if they're restless, you cut the story off and go home. That's well, that's the end. The dog ate the rat and off we went. If I tell a story to an audience they may go home and tell it their own way, but it won't be exactly the same story because they'll forget a part. They'll add a part. They'll change something because each storyteller brings something of him or herself to the story. A good children's book is a book that is a story and that reaches down and touches you. Can touch with laughter. It can touch you with a kind of

a kind of fear, kind of feeling, yes, I know, that's me. Perhaps a recognition factor. But, to me, the best children's books are books that have what I call resonance, that you can read them once and hear them in the ear. But then you hear them again and again in your heart years later." [Jane Yoder reading aloud] "This is the story of Grayling. Once was a time when wishes were plenty. A fisherman and his wife lived by the side of the sea. Now one sunny day, when the beach was a tan thread spun between sea and plain, the fishermen as usual went down to the boat. But this day he found a small gray seal stranded on the sand bar and longing, crying for its own. Well the fisherman looked up the beach and down. And he looked up to the great, gray cliffs where a town sat, but there were no other seals in sight, so he shrugged his shoulders

and he took off his shirt and he wrapped the seal pup..." [Jane Yoder speaking] "A story teller who tells a story orally knows that the story they tell is going to be changed. And they know that it will go from one person to another, but their audience is fairly limited. When I write a story in a book, I know that it's not only going to go to say the 10,000 people who buy copies of the book, so the 10,000 libraries, but it's going to be there for generations." [Ed Sardella] Libraries and bookstores are filled with attractive books for all ages. There are picture books with brilliant colored illustrations for the young reader; fairy tales, science fiction, and action filled stories for other grade levels. But there is little time for reading if television viewing monopolizes a child's leisure time. The theme for this week's activity card is: Why is television viewing widens learning horizons? Television has brought the world of sight and sound into our living rooms and when used wisely has added a new dimension to education. Watching quality television programs

allows children to become aware of new experiences, sharpens visual powers, and strengthens good listening habits; all important skills for reading. Wise use of TV means deciding how much time should be set aside for daily viewing, selecting quality programs, and limiting TV time for the whole family so that everyone has the opportunity to read. Prime Time visited Robert and Diane Hochstadt as they discussed a television schedule with their children: Danny, Jeffery, and Ilana. [Diane speaking] "What would you like to watch tonight Danny?" [Danny speaking] "Well it looks like 'PM Magazine' is on and you know I really like 'PM Magazine.' It's really interesting. Can we watch PM Magazine, Mom?" [Diane] "What time is it?" [Danny] "It's on, I think it's on, yes, 6:30 it says." [Robert speaking] "Do you have any homework?" [Danny] "Well, just a little bit." [Robert] "When are you going to your homework?" [Danny] "7:00?" [Diane] "You can watch it. PM Magazine is on every day at 6:30, right?" [Danny] "Yeah, that's true." [Diane] "So I don't mind if you want to watch PM Magazine if we've already eaten dinner. We basically do this

when we watch television; it's more or less a family decision. And it isn't, we don't just turn it on and and flip the channels without discussing what, what's on and what the options are. And we try very hard to do it together. If we're going to watch TV, let's watch it together. Let's be in the same room and be together. What programs did you want to watch this week, Ilana? [Ilana speaking] "Sesame Street." [Diane] "Okay." [Danny] "Sesame Street's pretty good." Oh! Guess what's on Saturday on Channel 9? All the muppets. Oh, that's really, really great." [Diane] And at what time? [Danny] "It's on the 6:30, so we..." [Robert] "You look like one of the characters in The Muppets." [laughter] [Robert] "We don't feel as though the television should be the center of our lives. And, when it's nice outside, I don't like them sitting in front of the TV set. As long as it's not raining or snowing or whatnot, I send 'em

outside and they ride their bikes or they go running or they play football or do some other activity. And television is just really considered to be something that we do when we, when we really don't have anything better to do." [Danny] "We can watch, on Monday we can watch Monday Night Football. Would that be all right with you Ilana? Monday Night Football?" [Ilana] "Well, okay." [Danny] "Okay, we'll watch." [Robert] "Who's playing?" [Jeffrey speaking] "Dallas is playing Buffalo?." [Robert] "That's right." [Danny] "Oh yes. Dallas is playing Buffalo." [Jeffrey] "It's going to be a great game." [Danny] "Yeah, just my mouth didn't work." [Diane] "But, you can only watch these programs if you can get your homework done." [Danny] "Can I do it in the morning?" [Diane] "Can you get it done in the morning?" [Danny] "Yeah, if I get up pretty early." [Diane] "You can only watch them if you get all your homework done." [Danny] 'Okay,I'll do my homework in the morning." [Robert] "There's a program that on Channel 6 called Prime Time and maybe we should watch that." [Diane] "Absolutely." [Ed Sardella] Use this week's activity card to help your child select programs for viewing. Try to

include at least one educational, news, and music or art program and be sure to allow some time each day for reading or other learning activities. Each year the Denver Public Schools sponsors an art demonstration for all elementary school teachers. It's an opportunity to share new ideas and techniques for all kinds of art that can be used in the classrooms. Many Denver teachers attended this year's demonstration at Bromwell School to pick up tips for painting, clay work, crayon, and print art, puppets, crafts, displays, tissue art, and cutouts. Anita White a second grade teacher at Asbury school describes how to make wax laminations. [Anita White speaking] "Wax lamination is using wax paper and wax crayons melted with any kind of variation in between the wax." [unknown teacher] "That's a relatively cool iron isn't it?" [Anita White] "It's a very hot iron." [unknown speaker] "Oh, so you really shouldn't ... And then afterwards?" [Anita White] "Then afterwards the children will cut around the shape of the color or the leaves."

"Those are great." [indistinct talking] [Anita White] "You might want to sprinkle some crayon wax under the leaves, as well." [unknown] "All you need is water, under that?" [Anita] "Uh ha, just a little bit damp first. Then lay your leaves down, it'll melt and hold them." [unknown] "That is a real hot iron." [Anita] "It is, it's real hot." [indistinct background talking] [unknown] "They will love it." [unknown] "I didn't do too bad, huh, for the first time around." [unknown] "Now I want to make one." [unknown] "It really is." [Ed Sardella] An exhibit called The Language Arts approach to reading offered suggestions for new ways to give book reports. [Grace Horvat, Smith School speaking] "Make a book, story. We're photographing some of the pictures.

We have music; children wrote music to a story. A map; draw a map. We have cartoons. We have 22 different ideas." [Ed Sardella] This citywide exhibit is part of the formal art education program in the schools. Smaller demonstrations will be held throughout the year. The ideas teachers received from the program are designed to help youngsters develop their full creative skills and talents. In inspiring children to be creative, parents have a definite role. Show interest in your child's efforts by providing a special place to display what's been made. And nurture creativity by praising the artworks that your child proudly brings home from school. Education has been regarded in the United States as fundamental to the preservation of our democracy and the major force in our search for the good life. During American Education Week we recognize the dedication and commitment of those who are opening the doors for our citizens to literacy, inquiry, and understanding.

[Dr. Joseph E. Brzeinski speaking] "American Education Week honors those who have contributed to the growth and the development of our educational system. In Denver we've been fortunate. We've had a long partnership with our municipal government, a government which supplies many of the supportive services that are needed in operating an excellent school system. It's a pleasure and an honor to have with us on Prime Time the Honorable William McNichols, Mayor of the city and county of Denver. Welcome Mayor McNichols." [William McNichols speaking] "Thank you very much, Dr. Brzienski. It's a real pleasure to be here." [Brzeinski] "In your long experience as a citizen of this community, as a governmental official, how do you see public education as a means of keeping the quality of life that we enjoy in Denver?" [McNichols] "Well it has to be the number one thing. There's no question about it. The city, just like any other entity, must have trained citizens who are interested. And I'm proud to say that over the years that I've been in this city, which is quite a number, that that has been the end product that comes out of our school system. And the school system, of course,

is coterminous with the borders of the city and county of Denver. It's an integral part of it and it's probably the most important part." [Brzeinski] "The theme of National Education Week is: parents and schools, partners in education. How do you feel parents can make this a better city through education?" [McNichols] "I think the role of the parent is, is extremely important. And especially in recent years, the, it's very necessary, in my opinion, for the parents to encourage, to take an interest in the school work that their children are doing. And I note that you have many programs that do this. You have the parents visit the schools. You have a rapport with the people who are trying to teach them. And it's an ongoing thing, but it's extremely important and without both, the system doesn't work as well as it could." [Brzeinski] "I know because you operate such a very large governmental system, that the city government promotes many kinds of education for its employees. What are some of

those?" [McNichols] "Well,we do and I hate to say, recently we've had to trim a little bit because of budgetary problems, but we have made available certain types of programs that call for additional education. We've made it possible for the employees to go, to get that training. We've paid for the training. We feel that it not only enhances their capability in the jobs they're doing, but it keeps their interest and keeps the viable workforce which is extremely important." [Brzeinski] "Mayor McNichols, as a parent, what advice would you offer other parents who wish to see their children achieve and grow?" [McNichols] "Well I think advice is usually what you pay for. I, I would offer some, however. I sincerely believe that the interest shown... It's hard to do. The parents are working, their children come home with school work. But if they do and can take an interest in it to let them know,

let the children know that not only do they want to help them in their school work but encourage them in it. It gives a climate I think that makes the children more anxious, you might say, to achieve. And when they know that their parents are for them in this procedure, it just does the job better. And I would give that advice and also commend the school district number one under you, Doctor, for the programs I alluded to earlier. What does get a mix of the parents and the students and the teachers, which to me is something like people to people. They know all the things that they can achieve and the reasons for it, they're more likely to do it." [Brzeinski] "Do you see, this is a question that I can almost guess the answer from your interest in the Denver Broncos, do you see a place for athletics in the school program?" [McNichols] "Oh indeed. And over the years again, the school system has encouraged this

even from the beginning where they have only calisthenics. Then into the competitive sports, and the high school programs are excellent. And all through the whole system. That balance also is important because everyone knows you can't have a bookworm just worming the book all the time. He has to do something else. And to encourage the athletic program as the school system has done is excellent for both girls and boys, I may add." [Brzeinski] "Thank you, Mayor, we really appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to be with Prime Time." [McNichols] "Thank you very much." [Brzeinski] "Thank you. [pause] In preserving and building a strong national defense, the United States Armed Forces maintains one of the largest educational systems in the nation. The age of technology and automation has revolutionized the military training which requires special skills and abilities. Lowry Air Force Base is one of the major technical training centers. Joining us now is Major General Titus Hall,

Technical Training Center Commander at Lowry Air Force Base. General Hall, welcome to Prime Time." [Hall speaking] "Thank you Dr. Brzezinski. It's certainly a pleasure to be here. Bring you personal greetings from General Ryan our commander at Air Training Command and also all 16,000 people out at Lowry." [Brzeinski] "Thank you very much. From your personal experience General Hall, how has public education benefited you and helped you in your chosen career?" [Hall] "Oh, absolutely a important baseline in my life. And your question causes some memories to go back. I remember Gate Street school that I first started off in school and going from home to school and seeing the wonders of the community around you. Elementary school to junior high school, I just wanted to play softball. I want to be on safety patrol. But then the school part started to come in wherein that contests for spelling, contests in

math and also winning a prize for reading as many books as you possibly could." [Brzeinski] "Sounds as though our careers paralleled each other in many ways. What skills or studies would you say from your experience are of most help, of greatest benefit to youth interested in military careers?" [Hall] "There are certainly academic things. Let me expand just a little bit. Of course, from an academic standpoint I would consider math, science, reading, and the ability to solve problems, and those are the technical aspects of what it takes to just about perform any job in the military services today. However there are a couple of other things that are not from the technical or academic standpoint that I think is exceptionally important in the military services. Loyalty. Loyalty to the God, the community, the country, and certainly to our Air Force or the military that they might be serving. They must have the ability to innovate. We

give the basics on how things should be accomplished and guidelines from those basics. But when you get out into the field and you don't have the laboratory environment, the flightline environment there, you have to do what you can while you're there and use an innovative ability. You never have, knowing when you have a capillary, always have a plan B to do the job that is always there. And also, that they should be hungry for education, and that is to get as much education as they possibly can all the way through their lives in that career." [Brzeinski] "Concerning education, what advice would you offer to our young people and to parents?" [Hall] "I think that, it's, you have put the question in a very important way because I think today that education, especially in this technological environment that we're in today, like Friday or so, we're hoping to get our space shuttle off, and General Abramson, the boss of the space shuttle from the military side, will be at my home tonight and we're going to talk about things that way. But the point is

that youngsters today must have a technical thought. And that thought must start to come early in their career. Too late in high school to get math and physics and science. But the thought process must start early in their educational career. And coupled with this, and super important, I think, is that the parents must change their thought process so as to be able to assist the student. I think that we have come to a very important transition. A time when I went to college and those people of my vintage in age, and we learned reading and writing and arithmetic and did those things sort of by rote memory. Some 15 or 16 years ago, we went to the new math. The things where we started to do things analytically, and that's what we have taught our young people. So now you have rote memory bosses and youngsters that are coming up

now from 15 years ago that are now 20 and 22 years, getting into the job market, starting to be managers that are from the analytical process. So it takes both sides and we're in a transition period right now that's very important." [Brzeinski] "Thank you, General Hall, for being with us. I understand your family, your wife and her mother, both were teachers and in education." [Hall] "Absolutely. Clarissa taught for 16 years and her mother taught for 37 years in the first grade." [Brzeinski] "And in the same school." [Hall] "And the same school based in Florida." [Brzeinski] "You must be proud of them." [Hall] "I am. I'm proud. And thank you so much for what you're doing for the youth of our country." [Brzeinski] "Thanks for coming." [Hall] "Thank you and God bless you." [Brzeinski] "Thanks. One of the major forces behind our educational system is business and industry. Not only do they contribute a large share of the financial support that helps in operating the schools, but they're also involved in assisting the schools and learning activities. Next, I'd like to welcome to Prime Time, Rex Jennings, President of the Denver Chamber of Commerce. Welcome." [Rex Jennings speaking] "Thank you very much. Nice to be here."

[Brzeinski] "We're pleased to have you with us.' [Jennings] "Thanks." [Brzeinski] "Mr. Jennings, looking back on your own educational experience, how did it help you in the job you have today?" [Jennings] "Well, I guess what you get in the public school room, whether you realize it or not, is going to be with you all the rest of your life. I, I oftentimes, when asked where I went to school, I say I went to school to J W (Pat) Patterson at Direct, Texas, because what I got in that little rural public school, and, and what I received from the the teachers there, has influenced me in every step of my life." [Brzeinski] "The Denver Chamber of Commerce has been a supporter of good schools for a long period of time. How has the business community assisted in the education of our youth?" [Jennings] "Oh, primarily I suppose you identify the support of the business community with the, with the financial underwriting of the school system, the support of bond issues, and the building of adequate educational facilities and the supporting of the budget, and all of those kinds of things. But

I like also to make reference to the, to the active on the scene input of business leaders through such programs as for instance the technical assistance program, technical advisor program that the Denver Chamber has been a part of for the about the past 10 years. As you well know, this is a process through which individual business leaders actually establish a working relationship with the teachers in the various public schools, primarily the high schools, and with the classes. I think over the past 10 years there have been more than 3,000 students in the Denver public school system that's been a part of this technical advisor program. We've had scores of probably 100 or more business establishments that have been participants, involving maybe as many as 200 business people who have functioned in the classroom as technical advisors. And then, in turn, they bring the teachers and the students into the place of business where they get a, an on the scene hands on

exposure and, and experience and what it takes to hold a job in the in the working community, so to speak." [Brzeinski] "Programs such as these have really opened up the business community as a laboratory so that many of the young men and women can explore careers to decide whether those are the ones they want to follow. What do you see the focus of public education during the 80s?" [Jennings] "Oh, I don't know that I have a crystal ball as to what the job market is going to be like during the remainder of the eighties. I think we know of course that the job scene is changing. I, I've read some figures recently that said in the past decade, in the decade of the 70s, I believe nationwide, we created about 20 million new jobs. Only about 5 percent of those new jobs were in the field of manufacturing. Now, heretofore, traditionally and historically about 20% of all jobs have been in the manufacturing category so we're rapidly moving to a, to a service

oriented society on the one hand, and on the other hand one that's that's highly technical in nature. There's still a great demand for engineers. There's still a great demand for technicians of one kind or another. But generally speaking, the so-called service field, even even with engineers and technicians, it's consulting firms, and all kinds of service industries that are that are offering the job opportunities it seems." [Brzeinski] "From a business perspective, how can parents support a child's education, his learning experiences?" [Jennings] "Oh, I think, I think a child is still highly dependent upon the input from, from, from his home environment and from his parents. With respect to his total education. I think there's a job certainly to be done in the classroom, but there is also a job and maybe even a bigger more important job to be done in the home. And I think that that where parents are supportive of the public school

system and, and where they're supportive of the classroom, and supportive of the teacher, in my judgment, the student is likely to get a better education than if it's, than if that's not the case." [Brzeinski] "Prime Time certainly wants to express its thanks to you, Rex Jennings, President of the Denver Chamber of Commerce for being with us." [Ed Sardella] The public schools have been able to build a national unity through a partnership with other institutions, agencies, and organizations. Our system of education cherishes the dignity and worth of the individual. And in the Denver schools a special effort has been made to adapt the learning experiences to the needs, interests and capabilities of the individual learners. Next week, the Prime Time program will examine in depth the special learning needs of children with mental, emotional, and physical handicaps, and whether the schools or other agencies should assume the educational responsibilities for these children. We'll visit a class for the mentally retarded and severely handicapped, a community center, and hear from parents and an

administrator on the negative and positive effects of mainstreaming. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Brzeinski, and a panel composed of Dr. Cal Fraser, Colorado Commissioner of Education, State Senator Al Meikeljohn, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and Mrs. Alice Kitt's will give their opinions. Join us next week for Prime Time. I'm Ed Sardello. [Music plays with children singing].