{"id":239,"date":"2019-04-30T20:16:28","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T20:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/?page_id=239"},"modified":"2019-05-03T21:07:05","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T21:07:05","slug":"3-examine-kirks-development-of-the-model-rural-school","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/3-examine-kirks-development-of-the-model-rural-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Kirk&#8217;s Development of the Model Rural School in Kirksville"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_200\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-200\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-200 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/MRS.classroom.intro_p001-1024x630.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/MRS.classroom.intro_p001-1024x630.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/MRS.classroom.intro_p001-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/MRS.classroom.intro_p001-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/MRS.classroom.intro_p001.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-200\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Above: Photograph of student lesson in Model Rural School, courtesy of Special Collections Department, Pickler Memorial Library, Truman State University.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class='white' style='background:rgba(0,0,0,0); border:solid 0px rgba(0,0,0,0); border-radius:0px; padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;'>\n<div id='slider_225' class='owl-carousel sa_owl_theme owl-pagination-true autohide-arrows' data-slider-id='slider_225' style='visibility:hidden;'>\n<div id='slider_225_slide01' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">In 1899, Kirk became the president of the First District Normal School in Kirksville, his alma mater. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">Soon after he took office, he decided <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">to design his notion of the ideal rural schoolhouse.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"color_11\">In his free time, he planned and created\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"color_11\">a small scale version of the schoolhouse.<sup>2<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide02' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">Kirk carried his sketches to every <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">State Teachers\u2019 Association meeting <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">he attended and took great pleasure <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">in explaining them to other educators.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide03' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">Kirk also explained his ideas for changing the curriculum used in rural schools. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">They had largely the same curriculum as city schools and he found that problematic. Many lessons taught in rural classrooms used examples that only pertained to\u00a0\u201ccity folk.\u201d<\/span><span class=\"color_11\">As a result, rural students could not relate and grew increasingly disinterested in school.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide04' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">Kirk believed the problem was fixable by adding subjects useful for rural children to learn: gardening, animal husbandry, cooking, music, sewing, shop, and various forms of manual training. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">He wanted to institute this curriculum change inside a rural schoolhouse built to his design specifications.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide05' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">In 1905, Kirk convinced the Board of Regents at the Normal School to authorize the building of the Model Rural School on the Normal campus as soon as sufficient funds were available. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">Its building took place in the spring of 1907. The construction cost around $1,500.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide06' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">The first main teacher was Erma Mathews, a local and experienced rural teacher. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">Normal School students taught in the school as well to fulfill student teaching requirements in their degree programs. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">Marie Turner Harvey, the \u201ccritic teacher,\u201d oversaw their student teaching.<sup>4<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide07' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"color_11\">These teachers followed the new curriculum policies set forth by Kirk. <\/span><span class=\"color_11\">It synthesized the practical areas of rural life and the basic subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p class=\"font_8\"><span class=\"wixGuard\">\u200b<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide08' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Kirk\u2019s Model Rural School was a \u201claboratory setting\u201d in which to experiment how improving the schoolhouse site and increasing the variety of subjects impacts student engagement.<span class=\"color_11\"><sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide09' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>However, since the School was located in the City of Kirksville and not in a rural area, many educators and residents believed the experiment would fail in rural areas.<span class=\"color_11\"><sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div id='slider_225_slide10' class='sa_hover_container' style='padding:0% 10%; margin:0px 0%; '><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Soon, Kirk's prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Marie Turner Harvey (the main teacher at the Model Rural School from 1910-1912), demonstrated its success in a rural area through her phenomenal work at the nearby Porter School.<span class=\"color_11\"><sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\n\tjQuery(document).ready(function() {\n\t\tjQuery('#slider_225').owlCarousel({\n\t\t\titems : 1,\n\t\t\tsmartSpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tautoplay : false,\n\t\t\tautoplayHoverPause : false,\n\t\t\tsmartSpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tfluidSpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tautoplaySpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tnavSpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tdotsSpeed : 0,\n\t\t\tloop : true,\n\t\t\tnav : true,\n\t\t\tnavText : ['Previous','Next'],\n\t\t\tdots : true,\n\t\t\tresponsiveRefreshRate : 200,\n\t\t\tslideBy : 'page',\n\t\t\tmergeFit : true,\n\t\t\tautoHeight : false,\n\t\t\tmouseDrag : false,\n\t\t\ttouchDrag : true\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('#slider_225').css('visibility', 'visible');\n\t\tvar owl_goto = jQuery('#slider_225');\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto1').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 0);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto2').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 1);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto3').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 2);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto4').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 3);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto5').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 4);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto6').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 5);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto7').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 6);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto8').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 7);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto9').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 8);\n\t\t});\n\t\tjQuery('.slider_225_goto10').click(function(event){\n\t\t\towl_goto.trigger('to.owl.carousel', 9);\n\t\t});\n\t\tvar resize_225 = jQuery('.owl-carousel');\n\t\tresize_225.on('initialized.owl.carousel', function(e) {\n\t\t\tif (typeof(Event) === 'function') {\n\t\t\t\twindow.dispatchEvent(new Event('resize'));\n\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\tvar evt = window.document.createEvent('UIEvents');\n\t\t\t\tevt.initUIEvent('resize', true, false, window, 0);\n\t\t\t\twindow.dispatchEvent(evt);\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t});\n\t});\n<\/script>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-239","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":477,"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/239\/revisions\/477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exhibits.truman.edu\/modelschool\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}