Prison Record: A Document on Tape

Abstract

RECENTLY the author attended a meeting of educators discussing the possibilities of the use of television in the classroom. Their enthusiasm grew less when someone mentioned that television sets were quite expensive, very limited in their visual range, and immobile. Someone else observed that educators had not actually taken advantage of radio, which had been around a good deal longer and had presented very few of the complex problems now posed by this latest goliath. Whatever the eventual outcome of this discussion, the fact remains that we very seldom take full advantage of what we have at hand before we become infatuated with newer gadgets. The magnetic recorder-which began by using wire and dischas now been with us almost as long as motion pictures, beginning its development more than fifty years ago. Using plastic or paper tape impregnated with metal, it received a tremendous impetus during World War II, and emerged as a very practical and economical competitor in the field of communication. The magnetic tape recorder is easily portable and very simple to operate, and it offers many advantages over film and radio. The magnetic tape recorder is now a full-fledged member of our family. It would be criminal to treat this talented youngster as a poor relation when his full maturity holds much promise for the intimate study of our social problems. The tape recorder is already being used in many educational institutions. Instructors have found the device most useful in