Using unanswered questions to teach - John Gensic

翻译人员: Zhimin Lin 校对人员: Mingyu Cui

Carol Dweck, who is now at Stanford,

现任教于斯坦福的卡罗尔·德威克

conducted a research experiment

进行了一项研究实验。

where she compared 7th graders in two different groups.

她对两组七年级的学生进行了比较，

One group, she taught study skills to,

她教一组学习技巧，

and the other group,

而给另外一组

they taught a mini-neuroscience class

上一门关于他们的大脑如何工作的

about how their brain worked.

迷你神经学课程。

They followed those two groups

他们对这两组学生

throughout their middle school math grades

的初中数学成绩进行了持续跟踪，

and noticed that the group

并注意到上了迷你神经学课程的那一组

who had the mini-neuroscience course

获得的数学分数

was much more successful in their math grades

要比使用传统学习方法的一组高得多，

than the group that had the conventional study skills,

like being organized

他们更有条理，

and using note cards.

而且会使用笔记卡片。

The reason, they believe,

他们相信

that the group had the mini-neuroscience course

上了迷你神经科学课程那一组

did so much better

表现好这么多的原因

is that they were picturing the formations

是他们能想象学习时

and the connections in their brains occurring

大脑中知识的构成和联系。

while they were learning.

They were also able to have a certain level of resilience,

他们也获得了一定程度的韧性，

knowing that their brain was more of a muscle

通过了解他们的大脑更像是一块肌肉

and not a stone that couldn't grow any larger.

而不是一块没有任何可扩展性的石头。

Having this resilience,

有了这种韧性，

having students understand

以及明白

that their brains can continue to grow,

他们的大脑能持续发育，

allows them the confidence to struggle with situations,

这些学生就获得了让他们在困境中

to wrestle out that information

努力获得信息、

to come to deeper understanding.

深入思考的信心。

So, how does this look in my classroom?

而这在我的课堂上是怎样进行的？

How do I attempt to get students

我如何尝试让学生

to struggle with information and wrestle with it

竭尽全力获取信息并全力对付它们

so they come up with deeper levels of understanding?

来获得更深层次的思考呢？

Primarily, I use unanswered questions.

我主要使用开放性问题。

For example, I'll give students a jar

举个例子，我会给学生一个玻璃罐

and say it's 500 grams,

并说明它的质量是500克，

and inside that sealed jar

而且在这密封的罐子里

is a moist paper towel with about six to seven seeds.

有一张湿面巾纸和大约六七颗种子。

What do you think will happen

你认为容器的质量

to the mass of the container

随着种子的生长

as those seeds begin to grow?

会发生什么变化？

And the students will then write

然后学生们会在小半张纸上

on a little half-sheet of paper

写下他们认为会发生的情况以及原因。

what they think is going to happen and why.

Depending on the class,

取决于具体的课程，

I will have the students sometimes work in partners

我有时会让学生配对合作

to kind of combine ideas,

去组合他们的想法，

see what they think of each other's reasons,

看看他们如何看待对方的理由，

maybe work in groups of four

或许在四人小组内合作

and then groups of eight

and come to consensus.

然后是八人小组，

然后达成共识。

But, sometimes, I'll have the students pass in

但是，有时我会让学生上交

all that information without conversing about it,

所有信息而不进行任何讨论，

and I will then read their explanations

之后我会读出他们的解释

so that they are anonymously presented ideas

因此这些想法的公开是匿名的，

that no student can rely upon

这使得没有人能够依靠

the other smart students

其它出色的学生

to say, 'Oh, I agree with Sally

然后说：“噢，我同意Sally的想法

because she's always got the right answer.'

因为她的答案总是对的。”

That rarely happens in my class.

这种情况在我的课堂中极少出现。

At this point, I will probably stop the conversation

这个时候，在我大声读出这些内容后，

after I've read these out loud

我可能会停止讨论

and leave students wondering.

让学生自己思索。

Wondering, what is the right answer?

思考，哪个是正确的答案？

What evidence is good evidence?

什么样的证据是好的证据？

Because I want them,

因为我希望

when they leave the classroom,

当他们离开教室时，

to continue to want to know more,

能继续保持求知欲，

to continue to want to make more connections.

继续想知道更多，想建立更多的联系。

So, in addition to unanswered questions,

因此，除了开放性问题之外，

I will often pose problems and projects

我还经常让学生们研究各种问题和项目。

for students to work on.

And, when I have them work on

当我让他们

these problems and projects,

研究这些问题和项目时，

I'll give them about 15 to 20 minutes to brainstorm

我会给他们15到20分钟进行头脑风暴，

how to solve the problem

让他们讨论如何解决这个问题

or how to go about completing the project.

或如何完成这个项目。

And this 15 to 20 minutes happens

这15到20分钟发生在

well before I expect a lot of work

对这个项目投入大量精力之前。

to be done on the project.

我不想让他们尽力去取得很大的进展，

I don't want them to try to produce too much

因为我希望他们能尽量

because I want them to try to figure out in their brains,

在脑海中厘清思路，

give themselves a chance

让他们自己有机会

to struggle with the information overnight,

在进行日常活动的同时

while they go about their daily activities.

花一个晚上去吃透这些信息。

For example, I might give a project

比如，我会提出一个项目，

where you need to explain or teach a 6th grader

其中你需要向六年级学生解释或传授

the simple concept of endosymbiosis.

胞内共生这一简单概念。

And the students then have

这些学生面临一大堆

a whole bunch of questions generated

关于这个项目的问题。

related to this project.

They have things that they need to know

他们需要从我这里

from me,

或其它资源去了解许多东西。

from other resources.

But I have not given them

但是我并没有告诉他们

the questions and the answers to memorize,

具体的需要记忆的问题和答案。

their brain is actively seeking out

他们的大脑在活跃地搜寻

the understanding of this concept

对这一概念的理解，

so that they can teach it to others.

这样他们就向别人解释它。

We would like to, as teachers,

我们作为老师，

think that students love everything that we teach them,

总希望觉得学生热爱我们教给他们的一切，

and we think that they understand everything

而且我们认为他们了解这一切

and want to engage with our content

并希望将课余时间投入到我们这些内容中。

outside of the school day.

Students don't do that.

可是学生们从不这么想。

Most students don't do that.

大多数学生如此。

So, through mass one-way text messaging,

因此，通过大量单向的短信，

I'm able to resend them the question

我可以再次给他们发送

or the topic from that day.

当天涉及的问题和主题，

To get them to re-engage

来让他们再一次接触这些内容，

and touch the content one more time.

And, hopefully, get that seed planted in their brain

并且但愿在他们的脑中植下那颗种子，

so that they want to think about it more,

于是他们会更多地思考它，

so that their brains come up with

会在感到费解的时候

those "Ah-ha!" moments at obscure times.

经历恍然大悟的时刻。

My goal is for students to generate the story,

我的目标是让学生创造故事，

their story,

关于教学内容的

of the content that I teach.

他们自己的故事。

I would love for them

我希望他们

to completely understand my story

能完全地、深入地理解我的故事

and understand it deeply,

but I know if I just get them to understand it

但是我知道如果我仅仅 用我自己的角度

as I understand it,

来向他们阐述的话，

that will simply ooze out of their brains,

它们只会被逐渐遗忘，

and they will not have information and the knowledge

他们在面对其它情况时

that is applicable in other situations.

依然会缺乏可用的信息和知识。

They will not have knowledge

他们也不能在拥有知识的基础上

that they can ask more questions about.

提出更多的问题。

They are simply understanding to please me,

他们只是为了使我满意而学，

and then it's gone.

过后就将知识抛到九霄云外。

"It's not that I'm so smart,

“不是因为我聪明过人，

it's just that I stay with problems longer."

我只是在各种问题上花了更多时间。”

We, as teachers, need to encourage and facilitate

我们作为老师，需要鼓励和促使学生

students staying with problems longer.

把更多的时间花在各种问题上。

Thanks.

谢谢！