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Sunday, December 15, 1974The Canyon Sunday NewsGovernment As It Really Is Taught By Prof.Telde*Texas government as it really works rather than as textbooks say it’s supposed to work is the focal point of two techniques being used by Dr. Walter Shelly at West Texas State University.Student involvement rather than passive submission in learning is stressed through the two methods Shelly uses to expose the students to governmentin the practical veinFor more than a year. Shelly has required that each member of his sophomore level government classes attend at least one city commission and one county commission meeting in either Amarillo or Canyon..And. more likely than not the only persons to attend the meetings other than the commis sioners themselves and members of the news media are Shelly’s students Before attending the sessions, Shelly gives a brief description ofeach body, its functions and what students should look for in their public officials' delibera tions.qood qiftsTORHOLIDAYS]fTHEA Gift Certificate redeemable for Meats, Poultry and Dairy Products is the perfect way to say Happy Holidays to all those on your remembrance list.And, it's so easy and convenient to give. Just go to your favorite grocery store and ask for a gift certificate in the amount you wish.Many stores have their own gift certificates. We've certificates to all other stores that wish to participate, provided colorful gift envelopes.A note to those who prefer to give by check—perhaps to someone in a distant place: We have gift envelope and a message card that suggests the foods to be purchased. Just come by the office and pick up your free supply.tried to provide And, we've alsoRandall County Farm BureauCanyon, Texas1714-5th Ave.655-2126Canyon city commissioners, who found council chambers filled at several meetings earlier this semester, adopted some new procedures to aid the student observers.Mayor Manly Bryan, forexam pie, began explaining fully each agenda item to the students before commissioners pursued discussion. Commissioners have often found themselves answer ing many student queries about actions they takeCounty commissioners, whose courtroom was crowded to overflowing on several occasions by the students, passed a resolution earlier in the term commending Shelly for his interest in state and local government.This fall. 154 of Shelly’s stu dents converged on the local governmental bodies.Shelly sees the requirement as a must for today’s student.‘This enables them to see how items are brought to the commission,’’ he said, “so if they have a problem they’ll know how to approach the city or county commission.’’Shelly said he believes many adults today have never attended local governmental bodies' meetings and are therefore at a disadvantage if for some reason they must approach their elected officials for help in solv ing a problem or airing a complaint.“I’m sure as they look back on their college experience, they’ll remember the commission meetings far more than what they read in some text.” Shelly said. Students now can not only vote, but many of them pay taxes like any other citizen and they’re old enough to participate and I’d like to start them early in their participation.”Shelly feels the students’ experiences at the local government level indicate to them that, yes, while many major issues affecting the whole country are taking place at the national level, there are important decisions affecting the lives of their friends and neighbors being made in city and county commission meetings.Besides his requirement that students attend local government sessions, he also brings local government into his classroom for the students.By using video-taped interviews with leading public officials from the Panhandle, Shelly adds another dimension to his government classes, a dimension again away from the traditional text-lecture approach “This media enables the stu-, dent to relate to government on a i human level, for the student is j able to view government in terms I of people,” he said. “The veryr fact [ that the student can watch and j listen to individuals directly involved in the decision-makingearw''%process brings the governmental process alive.”Designed to supplement textbook material. Shelly describes the video-tape technique as an “innovation as a teaching aid, and it is important to remember that the approach does not replace the traditional approach of lecture, discussion reading and examination. ”Shelly began using the tapes in the fall 1974 semester, and has now gathered 45-minute interviews with 11 area officials.State Senator Max Sherman of Amarillo looks at the Texas Constitution and Constitutional Revision, while Amarillo attorney Wales Madden, a member of the Constitutional Revision Commission, discusses what was involved in that process, Senator Sherman's second tape out lines the legislative process in the Texas Senate, as Amarillo Representative Ben Bynum lectures on the Texas House. Judge Don Dean of the 181st District Court discusses his role and office, while Randall County Criminal Attorney George Dow len relates his role as prosecutor.At the county level, Randall County Judge Woody Pond brings to the students his in sights not only as county judge, but also as presiding officer of the Commissioners' Court. Audrey Bruse and Conway Kuykendall tell what they feel the citizen should know about city, county and school taxes.Amarillo Mayor Ray Vahue answers questions relating to the structure, function and problems of municipal government, as Panhandle Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Ernie Clark points out the activities of his organiza tion. Newly-elected member of the State Board of Education, W.W. (Bill) Carter of Amarillo, analyzes for students public education in Texas According to Dr. Shelly, the students have expressed an ap^ predation for the interest and concern of the individuals who have given of their own time to making state and local government more meaningful for them as students. Dr. Shelly also feels that the response and willing ness of the guests to participate in the teaching process has been most encouraging.”“Each guest has brought a different dimension of state and local politics to the classroom,” Shelly says.The WTSU professor also sees the tapes as vehicles for broadening the required government course’s appeal to different age groups.In our classrooms we are seeing more and more of what is called the ‘new student’ in higher education. Part of this group is the large n umber of students over age 25,” Shelly notes. “This new approach to teaching state and local government can hopefully make government more meaningful to this potential group of students.Shelly’s tapes are made with the assistance of John Clark of the WTSU Media Center, and have been filmed in the guest's office or courtroom or on the WTT9campus.Registration for the spring term begins at West Texas State University Jan. 17.
Newspaper Details
Canyon Sunday News
Canyon, Texas, US
Sun, Dec 15, 1974
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 20 Jul 2023
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