Category Archives: Education

Home Study Courses Courtesy of Uncle Sam

1971DecPEThe December 1970 issue of Popular Electronics provides some good advice to anyone seeking to learn about any subject. They were talking about electronics, but the same general advice applies to any field.

The magazine began by noting that money spent on a formal education is a generally wise investment. But in many cases, the student might not want to commit to a formal education. Among other things, formal education normally costs money.

But even though it has built-in disadvantages, a course of informal “go-it-alone” self study can provide a firm understanding, at a minimal investment. In 1970, the monetary investment came to $18.55. But in the internet age, that cost is essentially zero.

The magazine warned of simply buying a book and hoping that it would provide the correct study material, since it might not provide a broad enough scope. But the magazine noted that there were inexpensive books that were well designed for the purpose, namely, training manuals used by the military, and for sale at a nominal cost by the Government Printing Office. It went on to list those books recommended for a basic course in electronics, and the total cost was only $18.55.

Today, most of those same books are available at no cost on the internet. Specifically, here they are, with links to Google Books or other sources:

Of course, these texts are all now more than a half century old. But the basic theory is unchanged, and that course of study would provide an excellent background, even though the student might learn a bit of archaic material in the process. With minimal research, the interested student could update the course materials and include modern texts in electronics–or modern texts in any other subjects.

Today, it is quite possible to get a good university education and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. If you do this, two things will happen. First, you will presumably become a smarter person, because you have learned the material that was taught. And you will also get a handsome piece of paper from a prestigious institution attesting to the fact that you have learned the material. That piece of paper is very good to have. Indeed, if you want to do some things, such as perform surgery, then having that piece of paper is absolutely required.

But you can gain all of the knowledge without the piece of paper. Even though I have an advanced degree, I’ve come to the conclusion that for many, the piece of paper isn’t particularly valuable, even though the knowledge is.

If you pay tuition at a university, you will take courses, and during those courses, you will be given a list of books to read, and you will attend lectures explaining those texts. The books have always been available for purchase, or you can read them at the library. And in many cases, the lecture is available online for anyone to view, whether or not they have paid tuition.

If you pay tuition, you also have the privilege of showing up at the professor’s office hours and asking questions. But in my experience, students never do that.

In short, my advice to many students is that perhaps paying tuition isn’t really in your best interest any more. You can gain the knowledge for free. At that point, you’ll need to figure out a substitute for the piece of paper attesting to your knowledge.

In 1970, one suggestion that Popular Electronics made was to obtain your FCC Radiotelephone License, preferably the prestigious first class license. That option is still available, although it’s less prestigious, and the license is now called the General Radiotelphone Operator License (GROL). In fact, I’m the author of a study guide to earn that license.

The GROL is still the ticket to a handful of jobs in electronics, but in many cases, it’s unknown to employers. But there are probably other methods of proving your bona fides. And before long, other people like me, who have advanced degrees and a stake in higher education, are also going to start coming to the realization that maybe that fancy piece of paper is overpriced. And eventually, someone is going to come up with a less expensive alternative piece of paper. In many industries, that piece of paper probably already exists.

In short, my advice is to consider whether self-study might work for you.  If done right, you can learn almost as much, or as much, as students undergoing formal education.  And if you’re smart enough to do that, perhaps you are also smart enough to figure out a way to prove it, even without that handsome, but expensive, piece of paper.



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Indiana Schools Get Phonographs: 1921

1921DecTalkMachWorldThis item appeared a hundred years ago this month in the December 1921 issue of Talking Machine World.  The Indiana State Board of Education determined that music was an important part of education. Accordingly, in its report card for schools, one criterion for scoring was that each elementary school in the state should equip every room with a talking machine and “ten good records.”

We don’t know for sure, but we’re guessing that this record would qualify as one of those ten good ones. Recorded in 1921, it’s entitled “Popular songs of yesterday” and is a medley of “Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here!” “The bowery,” “Sidewalks of New York,” ” Summertime,” and “Yip! I adde! I aye.”

You can listen by clicking the link below or by visiting the Library of Congress National Jukebox.



1961 Distance Learning

1961NovRadioElecAs we’ve seen earlier, distance learning is nothing new, and sixty years ago this month, the November 1961 issue of Radio-Electronics carried a summary of the state of the art. It noted that television, either broadcast or closed-circuit, was the leading method in use at that time. The most famous was the NBC “Continental Classroom” program, which ran from 1958 to 1963, which offered college credit. While not mentioned in the article, a similar program, Sunrise Semester ran from 1957 to 1982.

And as we’ve previously covered, the article mentioned the Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI), which broadcast from an airborne transmitter over much of the Midwest.

The most elaborate system in use, what we would call interactive, was that used by the New York Institute of Technology, shown above. The student listened to a recorded lesson, and then answered multiple-choice questions which were reviewed by the instructor. There was an intercom through which the student could ask questions of the instructor, and any visuals were shown to the student on a nearby TV monitor.

The magazine concluded by noting:

The exact methods that electronic instruction will follow in the future are not clear, but the question “Will it be a factor in future education?” has been answered. Make no mistake about it- electronic education is with us, and extending fast.

Mathematics for Self Study/For the Practical Man: 1941

1941OctPSMath11941OctPSMath2

I find this ad intriguing on a number of levels. This particular instance is from 80 years ago this month, from the October 1941 issue of Popular Science.  (You can click on either image to see a full size view of that page.)

Presumably, the publisher was able to make enough money to pay for two full pages in a national magazine by selling a five-volume set on mathematics for $8.95 over three months ($166.56 in 2021 dollars, according to this inflation calculator).  Somehow, I doubt if they would have enough takers today.

The title of the series is “Mathematics for Self Study,” and it gets more curious when you consider the five individual volumes. They cover arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. One would think that the prospective customers for the arithmetic volume would have little overlap with the ones buying the calculus book, but here they are, offered as a package deal.

The author is James Edgar Thompson, of the Department of Mathematics of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Even though it seems odd at first, there does appear to be a continuity between the books. The first volume, for example, appears to be much more than a primer on the subjects that were covered in elementary school. According to the ad, the arithmetic text starts with a quick review of principles, but then “presents all the special calculation methods used in business and industry which every practical man should know.”

The practical value of the set is stressed throughout the ad. The algebra book shows how to solve problems which are “involved in all military and industrial work.” Geometry covers all of the topics essential in drafting and engineering. Trigonometry covers the essentials for machine work, land surveying, mechanics, astronomy, and navigation. And the calculus book, “the branch of mathematics that deals with rate problems” allowed the solution of problems regarding areas such as efficiency and velocity. It noted that calculus was applied directly in the design of rifles and cannon.

The preface of the calculus volume explains the inherent continuity of the books:

In arithmetic we study numbers which retain always a fixed value (constants). The numbers studied in algebra may be constants or they may vary (variables), but in any particular problem the numbers remain constant while a calculation is being made, that is, throughout the consideration of that one problem.

There are, however, certain kinds of problems, not considered in algebra or arithmetic, in which the quantities involved, or the numbers expressing these quantities are continually changing. Many such examples could be cited; in fact, such problems form the greater part of those arising in natural phenomena and in engineering. The branch of mathematics which treats these methods is called the calculus.

I found a few modern reviews of these books, and almost without exception, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I’ve seen a few complete sets of the books for sale, for hundreds of dollars. However, for those wishing to acquire a set, it can be done economically. The same set of books was published over many years, and there are slight variations of the titles. The set sold in 1941 was entitled “for self study,” but later editions seem to have adopted “for the practical man” as the title. As far as I can tell, there were few changes, so Arithmetic for Self Study is probably essentially identical to “Arithmetic for the Practical Man.”

If you don’t mind a bit of variation, you should be able to find all five volumes at a reasonable price. The links below should help you find them.  In many cases, the prices of different editions can vary considerably, so you’ll want to check all of the links below before placing an order.

    • Arithmetic

    • Algebra

    • Geometry

    • Trigonometry

  • Calculus

The set was published by the D. Van Nostrand Company, which I believe is most famous for its behemoth Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia. Of course, if you want to read all of the books at no cost, they are available in many public libraries. You can find them at Worldcat, and your local library should be able to get them with interlibrary loan.



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Selling School Sound: 1946

1946JunRadioRetailing3Seventy-five years ago this month, the June 1946 issue of Radio Retailing reminded dealers of the profits to be made selling public address systems to schools. It detailed the experience of a dealer in North Carolina. The school district had just experienced growth, and there was a need for new facilities. And in a progressive district, new buildings meant the latest in technology.

And the local radio dealer was ideally poised to serve as expert in all matters involving sound. This dealer was consulted at two school board meetings, and walked away with the contract for the installation.

“Get out your paper and pencil today and start figuring your profits for tomorrow’s PA sales to your local institutions. They’re waiting for you!”

1946JunRadioRetailing4



High School, 1946

1946Apr22LifeShown on the cover of Life Magazine 75 years ago today, April 22, 1946, is Marilyn Rights, a junior at Denver East High School, in her Latin class. She would have been in seventh grade for Pearl Harbor, and most of her high school career took place during the war. The magazine profiled the school, and also took a look at the tension between two competing points of view.

1946Apr22LifeTyping One view, championed by the National Education Association, called for more practical program for high school. Harvard University, on the other hand, called for more emphasis on cultural and academic subjects. The magazine’s focus was on how well the school was measuring up under the two competing plans. Harvard would be pleased to see Miss Rights’ studious attack of Latin, whereas the NEA would probably be pleased with the typing class shown here. The magazine noted that the class was one of the most popular at the school. While it was originally intended for “commercial students,” it was open to other students who learned typing in order to prepare neater homework.

1946Apr22LifeColdCreamAt least one of the courses, practical chemistry, allowed students to learn about cosmetics by manufacturing their own cold cream, probably with a formula such as this one involving borax.

The psychology class appears to be much more interesting than the one I took in college. Here, we1946Apr22LifeMovie see the class on a field trip to see Ingrid Bergman in Spellbound, which deals with psychiatry. They discussed the film in class, and were critical of its superficial psychiatric approach. Those same students were also engrossed in the simple science experiment shown below, demonstrating how sound is transmitted to the ear. The spoon was tapped to the desk to make it vibrate, and the string held to the ear to demonstrate how the vibrations traveled through the string. In fact, elementary students looking for a simple experiment for the science fair can conduct this experiment, which you can see described at this site.

1946Apr22LifeSpoon

Another interesting activity in the psychology class is shown in the sociogram of the class below. Each student was asked to name their two best friends in the class, and these links were plotted on the chart. This revealed that the class consisted of four distinct “cliques,” which were largely independent. Girls 12 and 15 were revealed to be the most popular, with four students each identifying them as a friend. Interestingly, each was member of a separate clique. Girl 25 is identified as a “typical lonely student,” who chose students 4 and 11 as her best friends, but was herself chosen as best friend by no other student. Interestingly, though, she is the only student who links two cliques. One of her friends, 11, is a member of the clique at the left, and her other friend, 4, is a member of the lower clique.

1946Apr22LifeSociogram



Phonographs in Cicero, IL, Schools, 1921

1921JanTalkMachWorldShown here, in the January 1921 issue of Talking Machine World, are fourteen schools in Cicero, Illinois. While the magazine wasn’t clear which was which, they are: Woodbine, Morton Park, Drexel, Goodwin Clyde, Cicero, Sherlock, McKinley, Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, John Paul Jones, Burnham, Hawthorne, Columbus, and J.H. Sterling Morton High School.

What the schools had in common was an appreciation of music, recorded music to be specific. They had all recently purchased Columbia Grafanola phonographs to bring the 7000 scholars of Cicero the message of music.

The School Board was unfortunately not in a position to provide the needed funds, so the students took matters into their own hands to collect old newspapers, and use the proceeds from the sale to purchase the instruments.

The magazine suggested that other schools looking to increase the music appreciation of the students might consider cake and candy sales, or suppers and fairs. The magazine believed that when more schools started doing so, school boards would soon wake up to their obligation to provide all schools with this equipment.



Distance Learning, 1940

1945Dec14RadioGuideDistance learning due to public health emergency is nothing new, as shown by this item in Radio Guide 80 years ago today, December 14, 1940:

How time has changed our educators, time and polio. As we write this, several hundred radio educators are gathered in Chicago in a conclave of importance to every person who listens to broadcasts, and that conclave, too, grew out of the passage of time and infantile paralysis.

Several years ego. Chicago was like most other American cities. It had only a shallow idea of how radio might be useful to its grade and high-school students. Polio changed that abruptly when child after child went down in what seemed to threaten to become on epidemic. Schools could not convene, yet it was the start of a new school year. In Chicago a man named Harold Kent, who had been a school principal, surveyed the situation and decided that children could go to school, but that they would have to attend by radio.

Network stations and local stations. schoolteachers, parents and students all cooperated to set up what was probably the first radio classroom of such magnitude. Problems presented full understanding. Chicago newspapers and Movie-Radio Guide published those pictures. Parents took them home to sons and daughters, who then tuned in to synchronized broadcasts. Thus, teaching continued even though students and teachers were many miles apart. When the polio scare was over, school took up where the radio left off and not a pupil was behind in his work.

From the lessons learned in that “education-under-fire” experience, Harold Kent drew important conclusions. One of them was that educators did not know enough about teaching-by-air. So he established an annual conference. This year is the fourth during which teachers have come from all over America to tell what they are doing and to leorn what others are doing.

So teaching-by-air progresses. Educators are aware now that knowledge for the classroom is not knowledge for the sitting-room. Musty lectures are out. Showmanship is in. Now pupils
can listen and learn joyously.

Such meetings as the Fourth School Broadcast Conference now being held in Chicago are stepping stones to better and more effective broadcasting. From ideas discussed there today
will come tomorrow’s “Town Hall” and “I Am an American” and ‘School of the Air” broadcasts



Drive-In Educational Programs and Meetings for COVID-19

DriveInCLEI’ve previously written about why I believe outdoor spaces should be utilized for learning and other group activities during the COVID-19 emergency. Since I’m in the business of providing continuing education programs for attorneys, a few weeks ago, I presented an outdoor program at a city park.

The weather for that program was excellent, and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to be outside. However, the weather can be unpredictable, and it won’t always work to be outside. For that reason, today, I presented a live drive-in program in a parking lot. The attendees watched from their car, and listened on their car radio. If there had been questions or feedback, they could have phoned me at any time.

Why a Drive-In Program?

It was a bit more work, and it would actually have been more pleasant to just get out of our cars and do it outside, as with the previous program. But a drive-in program is a very viable option for any group that needs to be meet in person, since the weather won’t always cooperate completely.

I didn’t bring it today, because the weather was nice, but if there had been a chance of rain, I would have brought a canopy such as the one shown here.  For an outdoor presentation of any kind, the speaker obviously needs to dress for the weather.  But the attendees can take advantage of their car, or even run the car for heat or air conditioning if needed.

My transmitter was the  InfOspot Talking House transmitter, which I previously reviewed.  As expected, my transmitter easily covered the parking lot.  I parked near a tree, and tied the end of the 10 foot antenna to a convenient branch.  I should have tested everything, since the audio quality wasn’t quite as good as I had expected.  In most of my tests at home, I fed the transmitter with an MP3 player, and the audio quality was absolutely astounding.  Today’s audio quality was quite good–certainly good enough for a lecture.  But if the transmitter was used for any kind of musical presentation, it wouldn’t have been quite good enough.  I’ll need to experiment with a different mike, or possibly run the existing mike through a preamp and feed the auxiliary input rather than the mike input.  (The audio quality through the line-in jack is excellent, so if you’re broadcasting from a location where another PA system is in use, that’s the best option, but you will need an inexpensive isolation transformer to prevent 60-cycle hum.)

Caveat Emptor:  The Importance of a Legal Transmitter

When buying a transmitter, it’s important to buy a transmitter that is legal.  Unfortunately, most of the transmitters in use for drive-in events these days don’t appear to be legal.  In particular, it would be very difficult to use a legal FM transmitter for an event such as this, because FCC rules (section 15.239) limit the transmitted signal to an extremely low level.  Amazon and eBay are full of FM transmitters that claim to be legal for unlicensed use, but even a cursory examination of their specifications reveal that their power level is many times what is allowed.  On the other hand, the rules governing AM transmitters (section 15.219) are much less restrictive.  The  Talking House transmitter is certified as complying with this section of the rules, and has a very good range for this type of use.  It is, therefore, the transmitter that I recommend for this application.  Chances are, nobody will complain to the FCC.  But if they do, and especially if there is interference with aircraft communications, which are near the FM band, the fines are typically in the range of $10,000.  It’s best to use a transmitter that you know is legal, and the Talking House is.

Here’s another writer who agrees with me that most FM transmitters used for this purpose are illegal.  As he puts it, they are all lying when they say on eBay or Amazon that they are legal.  And in my experience, as both a lawyer and a licensed radio engineer, he’s right.  Some of the listings claim that the transmitters are FCC certified.  In some cases, the certification appears to be for use by a licensed radio station.  In one case, the transmitter appeared to be certified for unlicensed use.   I checked the FCC website, and sure enough, there was a report from a Chinese lab certifying that the transmitter was compliant.  The report even contained test results showing compliance with some of the requirements.  But noticeably absent was any report showing that the transmitted field strength was compliant.  It couldn’t have been, because the transmitter was using hundreds or thousands more times power than allowed.  It appears than an overworked FCC simply failed to notice that this critical measurement was missing from the report.  Let the buyer beware.  Just because an eBay listing says that a product is legal doesn’t mean it’s legal.

A Good Way to Conduct In Person Meetings

As with my previous program, we could have just as easily done it over the phone, or via Zoom.  But some activities are best done in person, and after a long quarantine where everything has been done remotely, it’s refreshing to interact with others in person, even if they are six feet away and/or on the other side of a windshield.  Creatively making use of outdoor locations, whether it’s for business, education, or worship will serve an important role until things get back to normal.  And history tells us that yes, eventually, things will get back to normal.



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Making Use of Outdoor Spaces for Learning

During the current public health emergency, it is important that to the extent humanly possible, everyone should maintain social distancing from everyone other than their own household.  Therefore, most traditional live educational activities cannot be done safely at this time.

I’m not a doctor, but to me the evidence seems obvious that in most cases, the main problem is indoor gatherings.  This New York Times article, for example, discusses the issue, and this WebMD article, discusses the possible role that building air conditioning systems might play in the spread of COVID-19.  Being outdoors does not completely eliminate the possibility of the spread of coronavirus.  But it seems like common sense that it’s a lot safer being outside than being inside a building with other people.  The CDC’s recommendation is that “in many areas, people can visit parks, trails, and open spaces as a way to relieve stress, get some fresh air, and stay active.”

I believe that the use of outdoor spaces is an excellent way to re-start many activities that have been put on hold. For example, I believe that schools should seriously consider the use of outdoor spaces for classrooms. You can read more about that idea at the website of
Green Schoolyards America.  This New York Times article shows how outdoor learning spaces were used by schools during earlier public health emergencies.

Unfortunately, even though some students thrive with distance learning, not all of them do. Whether it’s because of their family situation, a poor internet connection, or just because it’s not their learning style, many students are falling behind both socially and educationally due to the lack of in-person schooling. The use of outdoor spaces can provide these students with a safe place for their education to continue and help stop a new achievement gap.

Similarly, the CDC recommends that communities of faith should consider holding their services outdoors.

I believe the outdoors is a suitable venue for many in-person activities that have otherwise been put on hold.  After months of being isolated, it can be refreshing to see colleagues in person, even if they’re behind a mask and six feet away.

Since I’m in the business of presenting educational programs (namely, continuing legal education programs for attorneys), I decided to take the initiative and see whether my programs could be done outside, so I went ahead and scheduled one in a nearby city park.   I wanted to start with a small group, so I advertised by e-mail to only about 20 attorneys who live in the general area.  The response rate was actually higher than usual, and three attorneys sent an RSVP that they would be attending.  Since I wanted the initial group to be small, I didn’t advertise any further.

I asked all of the attendees to either bring their own chair, or plan to sit on the ground.  The program was paperless.  Ordinarily, I would print the course materials, and there would be a sign-in sheet.  Instead, the course materials were downloaded from the web, and I took attendance at the beginning of the program.  In the course description, I outlined the physical distancing guidelines.

There were a few bugs (including a few literal ones), but overall, I don’t see why larger events can’t be done outside.   The weather was perfect.  It was a sunny day, but as you can see from the photo above, we were able to sit in the shade.  Obviously, this won’t work as well in January in Minnesota, but for much of the year, the weather is suitable.  I announced that this program was going to take place rain or shine, and I don’t think rain would have been much of an issue, if attendees simply brought an umbrella or raincoat.

I did learn a few lessons:

  • Face masks make it harder for people to hear.  I started the program wearing a mask, and I asked whether it made it difficult for them to hear me, and they said that it did.  Since I was standing more than 20 feet away, we decided that it would be best for me to speak without a mask.
  • If we had a larger crowd, it would have been advisable to have a sound system.  In an indoor setting, I can easily speak to 20 or 30 people without a PA system.  But outdoors, my voice doesn’t carry as well, particularly when airplanes fly over or trucks drive by.   Also, if any of the speakers are wearing a mask, the sound system is even more important.
  • Some planning does need to be done for seating.  One attendee didn’t bring a chair and instead sat on the ground.  Apparently, there were enough ants in the park that he had to stand up after 45 minutes.

The outdoor air is not a magic bullet that kills germs.  However, it seems to me that an outdoor location is much safer than corresponding indoor spaces.  At this time, it ‘s probably not safe to go back to business as usual with respect to things such as education and business.  But it seems to me that creative use of outdoor spaces will bring us much closer to normal than we would be able to do with virtual gatherings alone.

In education, for example, some kids simply require in-person instruction.  Some of them thrive learning online, and that’s great.  But I think even occasional in-person sessions might make a huge difference for some kids.  If it’s too risky for them to have their math or English class in a traditional classroom, then it seems to me that educators should at least consider the idea of having those classes outside.

For distance learning, technology is required.  But for outdoor learning, very little technology is necessary.  As my experience shows, a small public address system would be useful.  But other than that, little more than chairs, desks, and a blackboard are required.  If there’s a video to be watched, then the students can watch it at home.  But it seems to me that many kids need some attention where things can be explained in person, so that the teacher has in-person feedback of whether they’re being understood.  That doesn’t require a building–it merely requires a space, and in most cases, an outdoor space will serve the purpose.

I’ll be doing future programs outdoors, and it seems to me that many activities that are normally done indoors, such as meeting with clients, can be safely conducted outdoors.  As the weather gets cooler, being outdoors will be less suitable.  Therefore, some of my future programs will be in a drive-in format where participants can listen on their car radios.