5.Based on what you know from TV or newspaper, in what ways are American teaching different from Chinese one? Give examples.
6. What do you think of the educational system in general and the examination system in particular? 7.Is there something wrong with it? In what way do you think we should improve our own educational system?
Step2. Background Information Ⅰ.About the author
Alexander Calandra is now Professor of Emeritus of Physical Sciences at Washington University in St. Kouis, Missouri. The present text is adapted from ―Angels on the Head of Pin: A Modern Parable‖ which first appeared in Saturday Review, Dec.21, 1968 and has, since then, become a classic (or an often quoted) case on the problems of American education. The title of the text ―Angels on a Pin‖ comes from the much-talked about question: ―How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?‖, which is used to ridicule those people who asked meaningless questions about the Bible in the Middle Ages. It is also used ironically to describe the kind of questions that philosophers ponder.
This article was written at a time when the whole of the United States was thrown into a panic over the launching of the first satellite (Sputnik) by the Russians, because this seemed to prove that the former Soviet Union had left the US far behind in science and technology. Many Americans believed that there must be something seriously wrong with their educational system. The author, in writing his article, seemed to think that part of the nation‘s problem in education was the traditional teaching and testing methods, which emphasized book knowledge rather than students‘ originality and creativity. Ⅲ.Some comments on education
Education is also a great challenge in our country. Problems are many. One of them is perhaps the fact that our education is too closely geared to tests and examinations. In fact, often our effort seems to serve the purpose of enabling of course. But their purposes are limited, and so is their usefulness. If they are overused, or if we take the means for the ends, they will lead to serious consequences. This text can give us some food for thought. Ⅳ.Why is the parable entitled “Angels on a Pin”
Medieval scholastics were fond of debating such meaningless questions as \the point of a pin,\`scholarly' debates with experimentation and appeals to observable fact.
Callandra seems to be suggesting that ―exploring the deep inner logic of a subject in a pedantic（学究的；迂腐的） way is similar to the empty arguments of scholasticism. He compares this to the ?new math‘, so much in the news in the 60s, which attempted to replace rote memorization(死记硬背） of math with a deeper
understanding of the logic and principles of mathematics, and he seems to be deriding（嘲笑） that effort, too.
Ⅴ.Three questions illustrate the difference between learning information provided by an adult or
textbook and creative learning:
In what year did Columbus discover America? (The answer, 1492, requires recognizing and memorizing
information.)
How are Columbus and an astronaut similar and different? (The answer requires more than memorization and
understanding; it requires students to think about what they know.)
Suppose Columbus had landed in California. How would our lives and history have been different? (The answer requires many creative thinking skills including imagining, experimenting, discovering, elaborating, testing solutions, and communicating discoveries.) Step3. Text Appreciation Ⅰ.Structure of the text
Part1(para.1)Introducing the setting of the story
Part2(para2—11)Describing the experience of the student‘s attending the exam again. Part3(para12) The author‘s comments on the matter. Ⅱ. How to appreciate literature III. Further discussion
1.How Adults \
1.Insisting that children do things the \
Teaching a child to think that there is just one right way to do things kills the urge to try new ways. 2.Pressuring children to be realistic, to stop imagining.
When we label a child's flights of fantasy as \the inventive urge to die.
3.Making comparisons with other children.
This is a subtle pressure on a child to conform; yet the essence of creativity is freedom to conform or not to conform.
4.Discouraging children‘s curiosity.
One of the indicators of creativity is curiosity; yet we often brush questions aside because we are too busy for \ 2.A Reflection of a teacher: Creativity Killer
1. I Kill Creativity when I encourage Renting (borrowing) instead of Owning ideas. 2. I Kill Creativity when I Assign Grades without providing Informative Feedback. 3. I Kill Creativity when I allow Cliché Symbols to substitute for Original or Observed Representation of Experience.
4. I Kill Creativity when I Demonstrate instead of having students Practice. 5. I Kill Creativity when I Show an Example instead of Defining a Problem.
6. I Kill Creativity when I Praise Neatness and Conformity more than Expressive Original work 7. I Kill Creativity when I give Freedom without Focus
8. I Kill Creativity by Making Suggestions instead of asking Open Questions.
9. I Kill Creativity if I Give an Answer instead of teaching Problem Solving methods. 3. What Can Parents Do?
It is natural for young children to learn creatively by dancing, singing, storytelling, playing make-believe, and so forth. One of the first challenges to creativity may be formal schooling. By this time parents, as well as teachers, appreciate conforming behaviors such as being courteous and obedient, following rules, and being like others. While these are desirable traits to some extent, they may also destroy a child's creative potential. The following are some positive ways parents can foster and nurture the growth of creativity:
1. Encourage curiosity, exploration, experimentation, fantasy, questioning, testing, and the development of creative talents.
2. Provide opportunities for creative expression, creative problem-solving, and constructive response to change and stress.
3. Prepare children for new experiences, and help develop creative ways of coping with them.
4. Find ways of changing destructive behavior into constructive, productive behavior rather than relying on punitive methods of control.
5. Find creative ways of resolving conflicts between individual family members' needs and the needs of the other family members.
6. Make sure that every member of the family receives individual attention and respect and is given opportunities to make significant, creative contributions to the welfare of the family as a whole. Step4. Writing Devices
Step5. Language Understanding I. Sentence Paraphrase 1. I received a call… who teaches physics…(1) 1) to receive a call: Here are a few other collocations related to ―call‖: to make a call, to have a call, to answer a call, to give sb. a call, etc. 2) physics: Note that it is used as a singular noun in spite of the plural form. Nouns like this include economics, politics, mathematics, mechanics, etc. 3) Dill students in attributive clauses introduced by ―who‖:
-- Tell me something about those people who attended the English Evening last night.
--Well, the man who spoke at the party was our Dean. (the woman who sang /the students who danced / the three young girls who put on the play, etc.) 2. do him a favor(1) : be kind enough to help him More examples:
Can you do me a favor and bring me a cup of coffee? I have a favor to ask of you. 3. He told me that he was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question.(1)
be about to: If sb. is about to do sth. Or sth. Is about to happen, he /she will do it or it will happen very soon. More examples:
Will everybody get seated please? The meeting is about to begin. I was just about to go to sleep when the telephone rang. You are right, I was just about to say the same thing. 4. He insisted that he deserved a perfect score if the system were not set up against students… (1)
to insist (that): to say firmly and repeatedly that something is true although other people may not agree,
e. g.
I said he probably remembered wrong. But he insisted that he had seen her before. I feel all right, but the doctor insists that I am running a fever.
Note: ―Insist‖ is also often used to mean ―to demand that sth. Should happen and refuse to let anyone say
no‖, e. g.
My mother insisted that I should have more exercises.
The US government insisted that Japan should open up its market.
12. Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. (2) 1) with the aid of: with the help of; using 2) Drill students in this sentence pattern:
This method shows now it is possible to get solar power cheaply.
Substitutes: how it is possible to save water in agriculture/how it is possible to travel to Mars, etc. 13. …we must admit the student really had a pretty strong case for full credit… (3) to admit: The word ―admit‖ is usually used in the following patterns: to admit sth. (defeat, murder, etc.) to admit to doing sth. to admit (that)
to admit sb. into some place.
case: here means reason or argument
credit: praise that you give to people for sth. they have done
14. A high grade is supposed to prove competence in the course,… (3) Grade: a mark given to students for the work they have done in school,
e. g.The teacher gave me a good grade (a high mark/high scores).
to be supposed to do: to be intended to do, although in this case it is not so, e. g.This medicine is
supposed to be good for your heart, but to my surprise it has no effects on your heart.
Course: a series of lessons in a particular subject 15. What would you do if you were me? (3) Help students review the subjunctive mood: Teacher: What would you do if you were me? Student: If I were you , I would…
Substitutes: if you were a millionaire/if you could start your life again/if you had only three days to live /if you were the mayor of Beijing/if you were the general manger of a factory etc. 16. But I warned him that… (4)
―Warn‖ is used in the following patterns: a) to warn sb. about sth. ,
e. g.I warned her about the weather.
Ma Yinchu warned us about the population problem. b) to warn sb. not to do sth.
e. g. She warned me not to catch cold.
The doctor warned him not to smoke again. c) to warn sb. that … ,
e.g.I warned you that you had to hurry.
We were warned that there was a storm coming. d) to warn sb. of sth. or against sth. e. g.I warned her of the danger.
Scientists warned the government against that policy. 17. He appeared to be thinking hard. (4) Drill:-- What was he standing there for?
--He appeared （seemed）to waiting for somebody.
Substitutes: What was she writing? / What were they talking about? /. What were they doing? 18. I asked him if he wished to give up, … (4)
―If‖here is the same as ―whither‖. In the following sentences, ―whether‖ cannot be replaced