TED英语演讲稿：如何逃出教育的“死亡谷”

TED英语演讲稿：如何逃出教育的“死亡谷”校教育咨询师sirkenrobinson幽默演讲，如何逃出教育的死亡谷?告诉我们如何以开放的文化氛围培育年轻的一代。thankyouverymuch.imovedtoamerica12yearsagowithmywifeterryandourtwokids.actually,truthfully,wemovedtolosangeles--(laughter)--thinkingweweremovingtoamerica,butanyway,itsashortplaneridefromlosangelestoamerica.igothere12yearsago,andwhenigothere,iwastoldvariousthings,like,americansdontgetirony.haveyoucomeacrossthisidea?itsnottrue.ivetraveledthewholelengthandbreadthofthiscountry.ihavefoundnoevidencethatamericansdontgetirony.itsoneofthoseculturalmyths,like,thebritisharereserved.idontknowwhypeoplethinkthis.weveinvadedeverycountryweveencountered.(laughter)butitsnottrueamericansdontgetirony,butijustwantyoutoknowthatthatswhatpeoplearesayingaboutyoubehindyourback.youknow,sowhenyouleavelivingroomsineurope,peoplesay,thankfully,nobodywasironicinyour1

presence.butiknewthatamericansgetironywhenicameacrossthatlegislationnochildleftbehind.becausewhoeverthoughtofthattitlegetsirony,dontthey,because--(laughter)(applause)becauseitsleavingmillionsofchildrenbehind.nowicanseethatsnotaveryattractivenameforlegislation:millionsofchildrenleftbehind.icanseethat.whatstheplan?well,weproposetoleavemillionsofchildrenbehind,andhereshowitsgoingtowork.anditsworkingbeautifully.insomepartsofthecountry,60henativeamericancommunities,its80percentofkids.ifwehalvedthatnumber,oneestimateisitwouldcreateanetgaintotheu.s.economyover10yearsofnearlyatrilliondollars.fromaneconomicpointofview,thisisgoodmath,isntit,thatweshoulddothis?itactuallycostsanenormousamounttomopupthedamagefromthedropoutcrisis.butthedropoutcrisisisjustthetipofaniceberg.whatitdoesntcountareallthekidswhoareinschoolbutbeingdisengagedfromit,whodontenjoyit,whodontgetanyrealbenefitfromit.andthereasonisnotthatwerenotspendingenough2

money.americaspendsmoremoneyoneducationthanmostothercountries.classsizesaresmallerthaninmanycountries.andtherearehundredsofinitiativeseveryyeartotryandimproveeducation.thetroubleis,itsallgoinginthewrongdirection.therearethreeprinciplesonwhichhumanlifeflourishes,andtheyarecontradictedbythecultureofeducationunderwhichmostteachershavetolaborandmoststudentshavetoendure.thefirstisthis,thathumanbeingsarenaturallydifferentanddiverse.caniaskyou,howmanyofyouhavegotchildrenofyourown?randchildren.howabouttwochildrenormore?right.andtherestofyouhaveseensuchchildren.(laughter)smallpeoplewanderingabout.iwillmakeyouabet,andiamconfidentthatiwillwinthebet.ifyouvegottwochildrenormore,ibetyoutheyarecompletelydifferentfromeachother.arentthey?arentthey?(applause)youwouldneverconfusethem,wouldyou?like,whichoneareyou?remindme.yourmotherandiaregoingtointroducesomecolor-codingsystem,cationundernochildleftbehindisbasedonnotdiversitybutconformity.whatschoolsareencouragedtodois3

tofindoutwhatkidscandoacrossaverynarrowspectrumofachievement.oneoftheeffectsofnochildleftbehindhasbeentonarrowthefocusontotheso-calledstemdisciplines.theyreveryimportant.imnotheretoargueagainstscienceandmath.onthecontrary,theyrenecessarybuttheyrenotsufficient.arealeducationhastogiveequalweighttothearts,thehumanities,tophysicaleducation.anawfullotofkids,sorry,thankyou(applause)oneestimateinamericacurrentlyisthatsomethinglike10percentofkids,gettingonthatway,arebeingdiagnosedwithvariousconditionsunderthebroadtitleofattentiondeficitdisorder.adhd.imnotsayingtheresnosuchthing.ijustdontbelieveitsanepidemiclikethis.ifyousitkidsdown,hourafterhour,doinglow-gradeclericalwork,dontbesurprisediftheystarttofidget,youknow?(laughter)(applause)childrenarenot,forthemostpart,sufferingfromapsychologicalcondition.theyresufferingfromchildhood.(laughter)andiknowthisbecauseispentmyearlylifeasachild.iwentthroughthewholething.kidsprosperbestwithabroadcurriculumthatcelebratestheirvarioustalents,notjustasmallrangeofthem.andbytheway,theartsarentjustimportantbecausetheyimprovemathscores.theyreimportantbecausetheyspeaktopartsof4

childrensbeingwhichareotherwiseuntouched.thesecond,thankyou(applause)thesecondprinciplethatdriveshumanlifeflourishingiscuriosity.ifyoucanlightthesparkofcuriosityinachild,theywilllearnwithoutanyfurtherassistance,veryoften.childrenarenaturallearners.itsarealachievementtoputthatparticularabilityout,ortostifleit.curiosityistheengineofachievement.nowthereasonisaythisisbecauseoneoftheeffectsofthecurrentculturehere,ificansayso,hasbeentode-professionalizeteachers.thereisnosystemintheworldoranyschoolinthecountrythatisbetterthanitsteachers.teachersarethelifebloodofthesuccessofschools.butteachingisacreativeprofession.teaching,properlyconceived,isnotadeliverysystem.youknow,yourenottherejusttopassonreceivedinformation.greatteachersdothat,butwhatgreatteachersalsodoismentor,stimulate,provoke,engage.yousee,intheend,educationisaboutlearning.iftheresnolearninggoingon,theresnoeducationgoingon.andpeoplecanspendanawfullotoftimediscussingeducationwithouteverdiscussinglearning.thewholepointofeducationistogetpeopletolearn.afriendofmine,anoldfriend--actuallyveryold,hes5

dead.(laughter)thatsasoldasitgets,imafraid.butawonderfulguyhewas,wonderfulphilosopher.heusedtotalkaboutthedifferencebetweenthetaskandachievementsensesofverbs.youknow,youcanbeengagedintheactivityofsomething,butnotreallybeachievingit,likedieting.itsaverygoodexample,youknow.thereheis.hesdieting.ishelosinganyweight?notreally.teachingisawordlikethat.youcansay,theresdeborah,shesinroom34,shesteaching.butifnobodyslearninganything,shemaybeengagedinthetaskofteachingbutnotactuallyfulfillingit.theroleofateacheristofacilitatelearning.thatsit.andpartoftheproblemis,ithink,thatthedominantcultureofeducationhascometofocusonnotteachingandlearning,buttesting.now,testingisimportant.standardizedtestshaveaplace.buttheyshouldnotbethedominantcultureofeducation.theyshouldbediagnostic.theyshouldhelp.(applause)ifigoforamedicalexamination,iwantsomestandardizedtests.ido.youknow,iwanttoknowwhatmycholesterolleveliscomparedtoeverybodyelsesonastandardscale.idontwanttobetoldonsomescalemydoctorinventedinthecar.yourcholesteroliswhaticalllevelorange.6

really?isthatgood?wedontknow.butallthatshouldsupportlearning.itshouldntobstructit,whichofcourseitoftendoes.soinplaceofcuriosity,whatwehaveisacultureofcompliance.ourchildrenandteachersareencouragedtofollowroutinealgorithmsratherthantoexcitethatpowerofimaginationandcuriosity.andthethirdprincipleisthis:thathumanlifeisinherentlycreative.itswhyweallhavedifferentrsums.wecreateourlives,andwecanrecreatethemaswegothroughthem.itsthecommoncurrencyofbeingahumanbeing.itswhyhumancultureissointerestinganddiverseanddynamic.imean,otheranimalsmaywellhaveimaginationsandcreativity,butitsnotsomuchinevidence,isit,asours?imean,youmayhaveadog.andyourdogmaygetdepressed.youknow,butitdoesntlistentoradiohead,doesit?(laughter)andsitstaringoutthewindowwithabottleofjackdaniels.(laughter)andyousay,wouldyouliketocomeforawalk?hesays,no,imfine.yougo.illwait.buttakepictures.weallcreateourownlivesthroughthisrestlessprocessofimaginingalternativesandpossibilities,andwhatoneoftherolesofeducationistoawakenanddevelopthesepowersofcreativity.instead,whatwehaveisacultureofstandardization.7

now,itdoesnthavetobethatway.itreallydoesnt.finlandregularlycomesoutontopinmath,scienceandreading.now,weonlyknowthatswhattheydowellatbecausethatsallthatsbeingtestedcurrently.thatsoneoftheproblemsofthetest.theydontlookforotherthingsthatmatterjustasmuch.thethingaboutworkinfinlandisthis:theydontobsessaboutthosedisciplines.theyhaveaverybroadapproachtoeducationwhichincludeshumanities,physicaleducation,thearts.second,thereisnostandardizedtestinginfinland.imean,theresabit,butitsnotwhatgetspeopleupinthemorning.itsnotwhatkeepsthemattheirdesks.andthethirdthing,andiwasatameetingrecentlywithsomepeoplefromfinland,actualfinnishpeople,andsomebodyfromtheamericansystemwassayingtothepeopleinfinland,whatdoyoudoaboutthedropoutrateinfinland?andtheyalllookedabitbemused,andsaid,well,wedonthaveone.whywouldyoudropout?ifpeopleareintrouble,wegettothemquitequicklyandhelpthemandwesupportthem.nowpeoplealwayssay,well,youknow,youcantcomparefinlandtoamerica.8

no.ithinktheresapopulationofaroundfivemillioninfinland.butyoucancompareittoastateinamerica.manystatesinamericahavefewerpeopleinthemthanthat.imean,ivebeentosomestatesinamericaandiwastheonlypersonthere.(laughter)really.really.iwasaskedtolockupwhenileft.(laughter)butwhatallthehigh-performingsystemsintheworlddoiscurrentlywhatisnotevident,sadly,acrossthesystemsinamerica--imean,asawhole.oneisthis:theyindividualizeteachingandlearning.theyrecognizethatitsstudentswhoarelearningandthesystemhastoengagethem,theircuriosity,theirindividuality,andtheircreativity.thatshowyougetthemtolearn.thesecondisthattheyattributeaveryhighstatustotheteachingprofession.theyrecognizethatyoucantimproveeducationifyoudontpickgreatpeopletoteachandifyoudontkeepgivingthemconstantsupportandprofessionaldevelopment.investinginprofessionaldevelopmentisnotacost.itsaninvestment,andeveryothercountrythatssucceedingwellknowsthat,whetheritsaustralia,canada,southkorea,singapore,hongkongorshanghai.theyknowthattobethecase.9

andthethirdis,theydevolveresponsibilitytotheschoollevelforgettingthejobdone.yousee,theresabigdifferenceherebetweengoingintoamodeofcommandandcontrolineducation--thatswhathappensinsomesystems.youknow,centralgovernmentsdecideorstategovernmentsdecidetheyknowbestandtheyregoingtotellyouwhattodo.thetroubleisthateducationdoesntgooninthecommitteeroomsofourlegislativebuildings.ithappensinclassroomsandschools,andthepeoplewhodoitaretheteachersandthestudents,andifyouremovetheirdiscretion,itstopsworking.youhavetoputitbacktothepeople.(applause)thereiswonderfulworkhappeninginthiscountry.butihavetosayitshappeninginspiteofthedominantcultureofeducation,notbecauseofit.itslikepeoplearesailingintoaheadwindallthetime.andthereasonithinkisthis:thatmanyofthecurrentpoliciesarebasedonmechanisticconceptionsofeducation.itslikeeducationisanindustrialprocessthatcanbeimprovedjustbyhavingbetterdata,andsomewherein,ithink,thebackofthemindofsomepolicymakersisthisideathatifwefine-tuneitwellenough,ifwejustgetitright,itwillallhumalongperfectlyintothefuture.itwont,anditneverdid.10

thepointisthateducationisnotamechanicalsystem.itsahumansystem.itsaboutpeople,peoplewhoeitherdowanttolearnordontwanttolearn.everystudentwhodropsoutofschoolhasareasonforitwhichisrootedintheirownbiography.theymayfinditboring.theymayfinditirrelevant.theymayfindthatitsatoddswiththelifetheyrelivingoutsideofschool.therearetrends,butthestoriesarealwaysunique.iwasatameetingrecentlyinlosangelesof--theyrecalledalternativeeducationprograms.theseareprogramsdesignedtogetkidsbackintoeducation.theyhavecertaincommonfeatures.theyreverypersonalized.theyhavestrongsupportfortheteachers,closelinkswiththecommunityandabroadanddiversecurriculum,andoftenprogramswhichinvolvestudentsoutsideschoolaswellasinsideschool.andtheywork.whatsinterestingtomeis,thesearecalledalternativeeducation.youknow?andalltheevidencefromaroundtheworldis,ifwealldidthat,theredbenoneedforthealternative.(applause)soithinkwehavetoembraceadifferentmetaphor.wehavetorecognizethatitsahumansystem,andthereareconditionsunderwhichpeoplethrive,andconditionsunderwhichtheydont.weareafterallorganiccreatures,andthe11

cultureoftheschoolisabsolutelyessential.cultureisanorganicterm,isntit?notfarfromwhereiliveisaplacecalleddeathvalley.deathvalleyisthehottest,driestplaceinamerica,andnothinggrowsthere.nothinggrowstherebecauseitdoesntrain.hence,hewinterofXX,itrainedindeathvalley.seveninchesofrainfelloveraveryshortperiod.andinthespringofXX,therewasaphenomenon.thewholefloorofdeathvalleywascarpetedinflowersforawhile.whatitprovedisthis:thatdeathvalleyisntdead.itsdormant.rightbeneaththesurface