Home- College of Education Faculty Oral Histories
- Dr. Margaret Crickenberger
College of Education Faculty Oral Histories
Dr. Margaret Crickenberger
LB: The College of Education building was completed in 1968. How long before 1968 did planning begin?
MC: It took two years to build the College of Education building and two years to plan it. The Dean and Bob Shannon traveled to Colleges of Education that were known for innovative programs and buildings. We tried to incorporate the best ideas we could gather with the best of our own which were within budget. The demonstration classroom where our education majors could practice teaching K-12 students, which we wanted, was not possible due to budget restraints.
LB: The Media Center was on the first floor of the College of Education building. What was the importance of the center?
MC: The Media Center was very important. There was a hollow in the middle of those pie shaped rooms which was designed to accommodate coaxial cable so television could be sent to each of the classrooms. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but it was a wonderful idea.
LB: Years later coaxial cable was extended throughout the College of Education building and even to the Physical Education building. At first classes, had to go to the Media Lab to view the video on those little monitors, but later video was sent to the classrooms.
MC: That’s good, I’m glad that happened. We had Muska Mosston from Rutgers University here to present to our faculty and students. We brought a group of elementary age children whom he had never met over to the WUSF-TV station on campus where he taught and video recorded a physical education class lesson. He used a questioning and problem solving approach to get children moving and it worked beautifully. He had a Saturday morning television program with inner city kids, which was broadcast throughout the New York City area. I met Muska Mosston at the AAHPERED National Convention, and there was another physical educator talking with him. They were talking about physical education, and I asked them if they would come down for an interview, Muska said he did not want to leave Rutgers and that he had just written a book. He was brilliant. He had been a paratrooper in the Israeli Army during the Three Day War. He was full of new ideas about how to teach physical education, but he wanted to stay at Rutgers. Jack Stovall did come down for an interview, joined our faculty and stayed with us for a few years.
Bob Shannon, the Assistant Dean, and I interviewed Hugh Hoffman who was teaching at a nationally recognized elementary school in St. Louis, which had a flexible schedule and innovative curriculum. During the interview I asked Hugh Hoffman how is it that you know so much about individualized instruction. He said he had read a book in his graduate study entitled Individualized Instruction. I had used the same book in my doctoral program. We were fortunate to be able to hire him. He was a catch. He was so intelligent and had a demeanor about giving and was willing to take on any course to teach.