(讓課堂成為創(chuàng)新學(xué)習(xí)之源

1、International Conference on Innovative Learning Hong Kong Innovative Education Association, China Learning Sciences Society, etc 5-26 January 2007Classroom as a Source of Innovative Learning:Humanizing Knowledge by the Grace of “Small Things” Doing Great Work(讓課堂成為創(chuàng)新學(xué)習(xí)之源讓課堂成為創(chuàng)新學(xué)習(xí)之源 知識(shí)人性化知識(shí)人性化 “小物小物”

2、做大事做大事)Sylvia Sao Leng IEONG, PhDslieongumac.moUniversity of Macau, Macao SAR, PRCABSTRACT In a world predominated by technology, data, figures and numbers in hot pursuit of rapid economic growth, power and strengths, classroom teaching and learning is becoming more and more a mechanical process res

3、ulting in boredom and fear, and knowledge that appears in the form of “small things” is marginalized in the process, which has made innovative learning an imperative rather than an option. This paper begins with a theoretical exploration into the current key issues of education reform and three comm

4、unity learning models and discusses one of the possible alternatives that humanize the knowledge we have selected for teaching and learning in the classroom by placing in the centre the “small things” doing great work. Finally the paper argues with supporting examples that the grace of “small things

5、” doing great work can help turn the classroom into an inexhaustible source of innovative teaching and learning by engaging learners attention and stimulating their imaginative minds. Introduction:Innovation as a Key Reform IssueThe world that we live in now is getting more and more dominated by sci

6、ence and technology and the accompanying “big things”: hard facts, data, figures, numbers and digits, in hot pursuit of fast economic growth, power and strengths. At the same time classroom teaching is becoming more and more a mechanical process resulting in boredom, apathy and fear, (Palmer 1998, 3

7、5-60) and knowledge that appears in the form of “small things” is marginalized in the process, which has made innovative learning an imperative rather than an option The three key issues concerning the current education reform: Learning to learn (學(xué)會(huì)學(xué)習(xí)學(xué)會(huì)學(xué)習(xí)) Adopting the learner-centered approach, stu

8、dents learn to survive and thrive on their own; their success depends on their engagement, participation, and initiative to explore and innovate.Humanizing knowledge and making it a great thing for learners to be interested in (認(rèn)知與情感的認(rèn)知與情感的融合融合): Teachers become innovative and imaginative; create re

9、al-life situations and use images to integrate the beauty of life into the knowledge being pursued and constructed by both learners and students, which will become emotionally engaging.Enhancing and harmonizing teacher-student relations and interactions (師生師生關(guān)係的改善與互動(dòng)關(guān)係的改善與互動(dòng)): Only by creating the s

10、pace, the time, the right mood and learning atmosphere and removing all the obstacles in both our outer world and inner world can there be genuine live encounters between teachers and students. (Xia, 2002)Current Classroom Learning Models:Teacher-Centred and Student-Centred Teaching and LearningElem

11、ents characterizing teacher-centred teaching: Objects of knowledge are “facts” in a given field. Teachers are “experts/absolute authorities” and “safe bearers of the pure objects of knowledge. Students depend on the teacher for objective or pure knowledge of objects in question. One way communicatio

12、n with baffles at every point of transmission - between objects and teachers and between teachers and students - that allow no interactive, critical and explorative interactions. The voices on the other side, student-centred teaching & learning, seem stronger, prevailing over the other, more acc

13、ommodating to the ideal of “education for all”, but nevertheless not without problems, including: Going to the other extreme of the teacher reigning supreme, it seems to claim that students can do no wrong. There is sometimes a tendency toward mindless relativism: “One truth for you, another truth f

14、or me, and never mind the difference.” When students are put at the centre of the circle, teachers may yield too much of their leadership. It is difficult to confront ignorance or correct errors and mistakes in individuals or the group. (Palmer 1998, pp.100-109)Subject-Centred Learning Community Joi

15、ned bythe Grace of “Great” or “Small” Things Doing Great Work There could be numerous innovative alternatives to the above models, one of them being the subject-centred learning community joined by the grace of “great” things, or by the grace of “small” things doing great work. What are the “great”

16、things”? According to Palmer, they are everywhere in the universe, both human and non-human beings, the things that call us to know, to teach and to learn. They are the subjects around which the circle of truth-seekers has always gathered: the genes and ecosystem of biology, the symbols and referent

17、s of philosophy and theology, the archetypes of betrayal and forgiveness and loving and loss of literature, the artifacts and lineage of anthropology, the materials of engineering, the logic of systems in management, the shapes and colours of music and art, the novelties and patterns of history, the

18、 elusive idea of justice under law, etc., etc.For example, in English, they may be various grammatical items, such as articles, prepositions, punctuation marks, pronouns as small as “it”, conjunctions like “and”, small but indispensable words like “have” and “be”, question words, etc. etc. The commu

19、nity of truth can carry the educational mission because the reality that we belong to and are longing to know extends far beyond human beings interacting with one another. Here we interact with non-human beings that are as important and powerful, and sometimes even more so, as the human. This is a c

20、ommunity held together not only by our personal (often limited) powers of thought and feeling but also by the (often unlimited) power of “the grace of great things”.The Subject-Based Learning Community of Truth distinguishes itself from others: Crucial to knowing, teaching and learning, a subject is

21、 available for relationship, which begins as soon as we allow the subject to occupy the centre of our attention. When we make the subject the centre of our attention, we give it ontological significance and the respect and authority that we normally give only to human beings. The connective core of

22、all our relationships is the subject itself - not intimacy, not civility, not accountability, not the experts, but the power of the living subject. Far from being linear, static and hierarchical, it is circular, interactive and dynamic. As we try to understand the subject, we share observations and

23、interpretations, correcting and complementing each other, torn by conflict at this moment and joined by consensus at the next moment.What is the grace of “great things” or of “small things” doing great work? “Great” things and “small” things doing great work are vital nexus of community in education

24、. It is in the act of gathering around them and trying to understand them that we become who we are as knowers, teachers and learners. The grace of “great” things and “small” things doing great work evoke from us the virtues that give educational community its finest form: We invite diversity becaus

25、e diverse viewpoints are demanded by the manifold mysteries of great things. We embrace ambiguity because we understand the inadequacy of our concepts to embrace the vastness of great things. We welcome creative conflict because conflict is required to correct our biases and prejudices about the nat

26、ure of great things. We practice honesty not only because we owe it to one another but also because to lie about what we have seen would be to betray the truth of great things. We experience humility not because we have fought and lost but because humility is the only lens through which the great th

27、ings can be seen - and once we have seen them, humility is the only possible posture and attitude. We become free men and women through education not because we have privileged information but because tyranny in any form can be overcome only by invoking the grace of great things. Supporting Examples

28、: A Few Hints to Share I would like to focus on the teaching of English grammar and the construction of knowledge by both the teacher and students in a learning community through translation activities. In TEFL/TESL, grammar and translation seem to have been shunned and loathed by both learners and

29、teachers because they make enormous demands for strenuous work and yet they seem to be the least rewarding.The Teaching of English Grammar Grammar is a system of rules governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in a sentence. Grammatical competence occupies a prominent position

30、 as a major component of communicative competence. Organizational competence is an intricate and complex array of rules some of which govern the sentence (Grammar), while others govern how we string sentences together (discourse). Without the structure that organizational constraints impose on our c

31、ommunicative attempts, our language would simply be chaos. (Brown 1994 and 2001) Grammar is one of the three interconnected dimensions of language: Grammar (the form or structure of a sentence); Semantics (the meaning/meanings of the sentence) and Pragmatics (the context/discourse). Reason, balance

32、and the experience of teachers tell us that attention to grammar is not only helpful, if appropriate techniques are used, but also essential to a speedy learning process because Appropriate grammar-focusing techniques are embedded in meaningful, communicative contexts. They contribute positively to

33、communicative goals. They promote accuracy within fluent, communicative language. They do not overwhelm students with terminology. They are as lively and intrinsically motivating as possible. Whether the techniques we use are appropriate also depends on our careful considerations of instructional va

34、riables such as age, skills (listening, reading, speaking or writing), register (informal, consultative or formal), need/use (survival, vocational or professional). Teaching “small things” - articles, pronouns, prepositions, etc. in context This is a story of how a baby is born. It takes two people

35、to make a baby, a mother and a father. Inside the mother is an egg, smaller than a full stop. Inside the father are a lot of sperms, even smaller than the egg. The story begins when the sperms travel from the fathers body into the mothers body. The sperms travel through the mothers body until they r

36、each the egg, and together they make the first cell of the new baby. The baby starts to grow in a part of the mothers body. The egg splits to make two cells then four then eight, and so on. When the baby is about six weeks, it is no longer just a ball of cells, though it is still very small. The bab

37、y gets food from its mother through a special tube.Pronouns are small things doing great work, thus becoming powerful and meaningful only in context. They mean solidarity, unity and humanity. What pronouns do people use when quarreling? When they are in love? Study the following poem. What would hap

38、pen if the pronouns were gone?It goes on one at a time. 它循序, 一步一個(gè)腳印.It starts when you care to act. 它始於你真心去做;It starts when you do it again 它始於別人說(shuō) “不行了”after they said no. 而你堅(jiān)持再做!It starts when you say “WE”, 它始於你說(shuō) “我們”!and know who you mean, 而你清楚 “我們” 是何人.And each day you mean 且你一心要天天One More! 壯大 “我

39、們” ! (Marge Piercy, 1980, in The Moon Is Always Female, trans. Ieong, 2006)“He” or “She”: What gender is a computer? 電腦屬何性別電腦屬何性別?Encourage students to think, argue intelligently and find their own answers to provoking questions. 激發(fā)學(xué)生思考和參與辯論激發(fā)學(xué)生思考和參與辯論1st Step: Reading the story A French teacher is

40、explaining to her class that in French, unlike English, nouns are either masculine or feminine, i.e., “He” or “She”. The house is “She” while the pencil is “He”. A student asks, “What gender is a computer?”2nd Step: The teacher separates the class into two groups male and female/boys and girls and a

41、sks them to decide for themselves. Each group must give four reasons.3rd Step: While the students are engaged in a heated discussion, the teacher helps them by providing the English expressions that they need and make sure they use English, and write down their points.4th Step: A student is chosen f

42、rom each group to announce their decision and state the four reasons. The teacher decides which group is the winner. Suppose you have the following presentations, decide on the winner. Mail group: Female group:Prepositions are “small things”, but they are indispensable performing vital tasks. Study

43、the following sentence: A friend of Jeffs finished four years of college study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and was afraid of taking up a job without any of the experience in that field of work. Now count aloud the Fs in that sentence. Count them ONLY ONCE; do not go back and count them ag

44、ain. Then see below ANSWER: There are 13 Fs in the sentence. One of average intelligence finds 7 of them. If you spotted 10, youre above average. If you got 11, you can turn your nose up at anybody. If you caught 13, you are a genius. Many people forget the “of” because it seems so small and is yet

45、performing indispensably great tasks. See what will happen to the “sentence” if “of” is taken away. Punctuation Marks The use of punctuation marks humanizes and gives emotion to language use, so they are really great things 賦予語(yǔ)言情感賦予語(yǔ)言情感, 使人感到它很偉大使人感到它很偉大 Questions: Is there anything exciting about p

46、unctuation? What would happen if there were no punctuation marks in English as well as in Chinese texts? Many Chinese anecdotes demonstrate the importance of punctuation marks in modern Chinese language. It is also true with English. For example, commas are very small and very easily ignored, but th

47、ey can make a world of differences. Semicolon “;” - a small thing - becomes great because it establishes relationship!Use imagination to help students make association, or images, to humanize knowledge. 用想像用想像/聯(lián)想聯(lián)想/形象使知識(shí)人性化形象使知識(shí)人性化Three-Step Strategy: Know it, understand it better and use it.1st Ste

48、p: Getting to know it: What is a semi-colon? Semicolons are like handshakes! Most often, when people shake hands, they have something in common. It may be that two neighbours are greeting each other; two friends are saying hello. A third person may be introducing two new students to each other.2nd S

49、tep: Asking students to act out or imagine these handshakes, and think of handshakes that connect two similar persons like a semicolon joining sentences that have something in common. Whenever a semicolon is used, it must connect two sentences that are closely related. For example: Valentines Day is

50、 celebrated in many parts of the world. It is always on February 14. Q & A: T: Do the two sentences talk about the same thing? Are they closely related? S: Yes. T: Then join the two with a semi-colon. Ss work:Valentines Day is celebrated in many parts of the world; it is always on February 14. 3

51、rd Step: Join the following sentences by using semi-colons only when it is correct to do so. 1. Many images are associated with Valentines Day. Often chocolates are in the shape of these images. 2. It is usually cold on Valentines Day. Many people go swimming during summer holidays. Students work in

52、 pairs (worksheets) or work individually (exercises or worksheets) while the teacher walks around to check and correct or chat with students in English.What would happen if there was no punctuation in the following text? Read the text: (Joe is sending his girl, Adorable, a love letter.) Compare Lett

53、ers A, B and C below: Letter A HOWILOVEAGIRLWHOUNDERSTANDSWHATTRUELOVEISALLABOUTYOUARESWEETANDFAITHFULGIRLSWHOAREUNLIKEYOUKISSTHEFIRSTBOYWHOCOMESALONGADORABLEIDLIKETOPRAISEYOURBEAUTYFOREVERICANTSTOPTHINKINGYOUARETHEPRETTIESTGIRLALIVEYOURSJOELetter B. How I love a girl who understands what true love

54、is all about. You are sweet and faithful. Girls who are unlike you kiss the first boy who comes along, Adorable. Id like to praise your beauty forever. I cant stop thinking you are the prettiest girl alive. Yours, Joe. (Lucky Adorable feels like an angel!)Letter C. How I love a girl! Who understands

55、 what true love is? All about you are sweet and faithful girls who are unlike you. Kiss the first boy who comes along, Adorable! Id like to praise your beauty forever. I cant! Stop thinking you are the prettiest girl alive. Yours, Joe (Poor Adorable!)The alphabet and its 26 lettersPrepare students f

56、or dictionary work (alphabetization/ordering of the 26 letters)(字母表字母表: 熟悉熟悉26 個(gè)字母?jìng)€(gè)字母, 學(xué)會(huì)查字典學(xué)會(huì)查字典, 培養(yǎng)獨(dú)立學(xué)習(xí)能力培養(yǎng)獨(dú)立學(xué)習(xí)能力)As the 26 letters of the alphabet represent about forty-four phonemes, this practice can also help enhance childrens phonemic awareness. Fun Count If we give a number to each letter A、

57、B、C、Dand Z in the English Alphabet, respectively with a percentage value 1, 2, 3, 4, and 26, then we will come to the these interesting conclusions:Hard workH+A+R+D+W+O+R+K=8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11=98% Love & Luck L+O+V+E=12+15+22+5=54% L+U+C+K=12+21+3+11=47% However, all these things that we usuall

58、y value in life are not really perfect, though they are very important. What, then, can make life perfect?Think (Brainstorming) Is it Money? M+O+N+E+Y=13+15+14+5+25=72%Is it Leadership? L+E+A+D+E+R+S+H+I+P=12+5+1+4+5+18+19+9+16=89%Is it Family, Health, Friendship? Beauty? Studying? Learning? Is it K

59、nowledge? Then, what makes life 100% perfect? Its Attitude A+T+T+I+T+U+D+E= 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5=100% Exactly! It is our attitude towards our work and life that makes our life 100% perfect! Finally, students work on their own, using technology to find more word, perhaps dozens, hundreds and even thou

60、sands of words that may make our life 100% perfect! How about “excellent”, “variety” and “telephone”?The powerful verbs! Action-, feeling-, and emotion-verbs I like English. Do you like English? How I love English! Do play with me. Verbs also grow wings and can fly! V + ing (present participle & gerund) V + ed (p