Xiong
Xiaodong's Education Paper——
Gifted
Education: Thoughts and Practice in China ——The
speech delivered by Mr. Xiong Xiaodong at the 80th annual meeting of NCTM in the
U.S.
When
the plane landed on the world-famous city Las Vegas, I instantly felt the warm
sunshine and fresh air here. I was enchanted by this fascinating city, by its
unique architecture, state-of-the-art libraries, museums, opera houses, and art
galleries that typically represent American culture. I was also fascinated by
the world-renowned Mead Lake, Hoover Dam and Colorado River that stand in the
distance.
Orlando, the seat
for the 79th annual meeting of NCTM last year, gave me a deep impression with
the enjoyable wind on the North Atlantic and tall palm trees typical of tropical
scenery. Today, I feel very excited to be here again to join my American friends
and share memorable time with you in this exciting and intriguing event - the
80th annual meeting of NCTM, the largest scaled Mathematics Education Conference.
Before I begin my speech, I would like, first of all, to express my heartfelt
appreciation to a respectable world-famous mathematics educator——Doctor Bruce
R. Vogeli, professor of Columbia University. It is he who led me onto the road
of international stage on mathematics education ten years ago. The first letter
that he wrote to me was longer than any letter that I ever wrote to him, the words
of which have been heart-warming to me till this very day. At his own expense,
he sponsored my first visit to the U.S., to the Columbia University; he arranged
accommodation, office and schedule for me, and even prepared in person the microphone
and multimedia equipment for me at every speech I made in the Columbia University.
In every talk I had with him, I'm always deeply impressed by his wisdom, vision
and devotion to his job, and I constantly feel that his philosophical thoughts
shine through and advance with time. My sincere thanks also go to Doctor Johnny
W. Lott, president of NCTM. It was he who listened attentively to the voice from
China in the conference room in Orlando, and it was he who made immediate decision
and sent me gracious invitation to this meeting today. It is he and other respectable
leaders of NCTM who offered me this precious opportunity to speak about my teaching
practice and thoughts. Of course, I also owe my thanks to my country that brought
me up, cultivated and educated me. It offered me unremitting support during my
30-year teaching career and in my endeavor to success, for which I can never repay
no matter how hard I work in my lifetime.
Today, my topic is——Gifted Education:
Thoughts and Practice in China
1.
Features of Independent Cognitive Style and Creativity
In
the recent experiments of gifted education of top students of Mathematics and
Sciences, the principles of forming the experimental class do not lay particular
stress on students' inherent intelligence, but on their independent cognitive
style and abilities of creative practice. The features of their cognitive style
could be described briefly as follows:
In
daily life, they have their own features and styles in cognition. They usually
pay little regard to what other people are thinking about. They will make their
own judgement and act according to their own perception and thinking, and are
less likely to be affected by the outside environment.
In
the process of learning, when they perceive objects, they can distinguish them
from the scenes, and they can solve the same problem that appears at different
scenes or the problem slightly changed. They do not believe blindly in authority,
and have their own standards of judgement and values. In the process of finishing
their tasks, they will exert all their efforts. They do not like mere civilities,
and they have quite good abilities of analysis, and abilities of independent thinking
and judgement.
The students'
characteristics in independent cognitive style enable them to have a quick understanding
of the knowledge and theories, that are quite difficult for the ordinary people
to generalize in abstract terms, and then accept them and put them into practice.
They are good at grasping the teacher's summary of all kinds of typical concepts
and the features of the exercises. They will not pay much attention to the way
and method the teacher has adopted to explain clearly a certain concept. In their
understanding, they could grasp the key terms to make an analysis and generalization,
no matter it is a complicated quantitative analysis, or a brief and concise qualitative
analysis. In their learning, they can not only easily accept the knowledge and
theories they have already mastered, they can also put forward their own new thoughts
and questions now and then.
Scientific
discovery and technological invention are original creativity. A panoramic view
of the great people home and abroad, from the ancient times up to now seems to
suggest to us that what made them distinct from the ordinary people is their creative
thinking, thoughts, and their behavior. Anyone who sticks to the rigid old habits
and rules can never be expected to be creative. The underlying reason is that
any creative activity can help to make breakthroughs and realize their creation
on the basis of the existing views, methods or theories. To be creative, there
are no existent methods and paths to follow. You must break away from the bondage
of all the things out of date, and seek and search for new things. Such a process
is one full of hardships and difficulties.
The
features of this independent cognitive style are certain to bring about creativity.
Because most of these creative people are not willing to echo the view of others,
they are strong-minded enough to stand up to the pressure imposed by the majority
and form their own judgement. They adhere to their judgement, and do not easily
change or make any compromise to the thoughts they have formed independently.
As far as education is concerned,
it is important for a child being into a useful person to find out and cultivate
his characteristics of cognitive style. Whether a student has a dependent or independent
cognitive style will be disclosed when he or she was in junior grade two or three
(grade 8-9). The cognitive features take their definite shape in the senior years
(grade 10-12), and they can be positioned at a certain point on the straight line
between extremely dependent to extremely independent. The formation of the cognitive
features of a student is, in a small part, related to his or her natural gifts,
but other factors such as the environment in which the children's grow up from
babyhood after birth, after infancy, to adolescence, the education received and
personality development, are very important.
There
are differences in each person's characteristics of cognitive style, even in persons
of the same independent cognitive style. For the siblings in the same family,
some children stayed with their parents, some with their grandparents. They will
show different cognitive features. Two parallel classes at the same level, when
taught by different teachers for a certain period of time, will also show different
characteristics in cognitive features. Every child has received education in various
kinds of environment or schools; likewise they will show differences in different
phases.
Anyone, so long as
he or she is willing to make certain amounts of efforts, is bound to be creative,
for they all have the potential of being creative. The difference is how much
of the potential has been tapped. The formation of the features of independent
cognitive style is the result of early education, which enables the children to
grow up on the basis of favorable circumstances. Therefore, we should attach importance
to family education. In our school education, the teacher should pay attention
to the issue on how to cultivate and enhance the features of independent cognitive
style.
2.
On Forwarding the Viewpoint of Rectification of the Weak Points of the Features
of Independent Cognitive Style
The
20th century saw large groups of entrepreneurs, who displayed a high level of
comprehensive qualities such as intelligence, learning and personality. The new
view of successful people cast many doubts on the traditional view of high IQ
talents. This guides us to make an examination of the traditional theory of talents.
Thereby I put forward my view of rectification of the weak points of the features
of independent cognitive style.
What
weak points are revealed in the features of independent cognitive style?
1)
These students are preoccupied with what they are interested in. They do not like
mere civilities, and have no interests in staying with too many people. In their
eyes, communication does not have any essential relationship with the problems
they are concerned with. Therefore, they do not "get on well with other people"
when they stay with them, and they usually behave in an "unreasonable" way.
2)
As these students are accustomed to paying attention to the essential connection
between objects, they do not pay much regard to the way the teacher gives the
lecture. In real life, they seem to be lacking in the awareness of "coordination".
3)
As these students excel in systematic thinking, they have higher demands on the
surroundings and atmosphere. When their expectation does not conform to the reality,
they are to succumb to worries. Apart from this, there are the obstacles from
the authority, the opposition of the conventional notions and the throes of adjustment,
so on and so forth. Especially, deposition of introversion can increase their
degree of frailty and angst.
4)
Some other students have not received very good education in their growing up,
and they are likely to be egocentric. They show poor self-control and weak willpower.
These weak points are the
obstacles and resistance against their success. Even if they could have very high
scores, and some of them have also won prizes in all levels of math contests,
their success cannot be guaranteed without good psychological quality and good
morals in learning.
3.
The Rectification of the Weak Points in Cognition Is A Prerequisite for the Success
of Top Students
On
Feb. 23, 2002, a very unfortunate event occurred in Jinghua University of Beijing.
An outstanding student named Liu Haiyang from the Electric Engineering Department
of this university used sulfuric acid and caustic soda on some bears in the zoo
to test the smell obtuseness of them. This caused injuries of different degreed
to several bears. His behavior immediately prompted enormous public outcry, and
this outstanding student instantly became the target of public criticism.
This
is a typical case showing how the defects with independent cognitive style may
hinder a person from becoming a talent.
In
the education history in China and other countries, we may find countless similar
cases. Multitudes of studies have indicated that people with independent cognitive
style are not necessarily successful in his career, let alone reaching the peak
of success. Only when such people notice and overcome his weak points can he attain
maximal success in his career.
Maybe,
Liu Haiyang did do it to prove the smell obtuseness of bears. Maybe he did regard
the value of finding scientific facts as being more important than the value of
life, just as some scientists who regard their lives as not so important as scientific
discovery and are willing to sacrifice their lives to test the effectiveness of
newly invented medicine by using it on themselves. However, the surreal values
surpass what the society can accept and stand against social moral norms, which
led to reverse results.
While
providing our students with the best disciplinary education and scientific innovation
education, we shall, by no means, neglect the education on behavioral norms, moral
standards, personality socialization, and social responsibilities.
We
shall teach them to know: people's behavior is limited by the social regulations.
Behavior independence embraces self-discipline. In the course of pursuing the
subjective activities, we should learn to be self-discipline and self-controlled,
strengthening the consciousness of rationality target and evaluation in behavior.
These regulations are not inflexible or rigid, which will not write off one's
activity or restrict the development of his personality. Reversely, they are the
basically insurances for one to develop freely. It is because their existence
that an orderly and harmonious society is taking shapes by these practically useful
functions, where every member can fully bring into play.
We
shall teach them to know: independent cognitive style, perfect personality and
healthy psychology are the assurance of growing into useful persons for children.
A large part of persons of independent cognitive style are frail in the will.
Even the crankiness of independent cognitive style can increase the degree of
frailty and angst. Therefor, it is very important for their success to cultivate
their strong will, improve their non-intellective-related factors of the comprehensive
quality and enhance their emotional quotient (EQ).
We
shall teach them to know: in the education of individuality, there are many other
problems of individual socialization. We have to know the demands of the society,
and make adjustments in our study and the direction of individuality development
according to the needs of the society. We should form a correct idea of the relationship
between social development and self- development, and then shorten the distance
between the self and the reality. It should be noted that only a socially accepted
individuality could have real development. Such is individual socialization. It
is an incorrect opinion that one could only understand that society needs individuality,
but neglect the fact that individuality needs socialization. Only after one understands
individual socialization will he or she take the interests of the country and
the people into consideration and do everything accordingly. Only in this way
can one's individuality be developed, and the students become useful to the country
and the people. The point to be noted is again that individuality can be developed
only after it is accepted by the society.
We
shall arouse their awareness of the importance of having the sense of social responsibilities.
Excellent students usually have genius or high IQ. we should educate them to make
extraordinary contribution to their countries and human being as a whole with
their extraordinary talent while searching for their own coordinate in life and
proving their value as an individual.
4.
Research-based Courses——The Cradle for Talents
In
our teaching practice, we stress the importance of research-based courses and
related experiments.
We carried
out a "Summer Curriculum", a course of lectures for sixteen days during summer
vacation in June 1996. We invited some well-known teachers from universities and
middle schools and asked them to give lectures relationship between middle schools
and universities and on application of knowledge. Students broadened their horizons
of knowledge after receiving these lectures. And then, they made some social researches
and wrote articles on interesting topics. I myself designed a vacation course
named "Education and Society" for the curriculum, which was consisted of 16 lectures
such as "Education and Technology", "Education and Economy", "Education and Family",
"The Development of State Colleges and Local Economy in USA", etc. The course
was like a magazine concerned with advanced education of different countries and
relations between education and society, through which students obtained much
information about technology, society and education.
We
carried out another research-based courses, "Learning 'Studying Corporation Theory'"
in December 1996. I introduced the famous "Five Training Items" to students, which
are "Common Aspiration", "Group Study", "Improve our Psychological and Intellectual
Modes", "Systematic Thinking", "Surpass the Self". We, students and teacher, discussed
the theme, "Administration; Innovation; 21 Century", related with recent China's
economic construction and social development. Then students wrote down many creative
essays on learning the advanced theory, using their unlimited imagination.
It
is adventruous for us to carry out research-based courses before the national
university entrance examination in Senior 3 (grade 12). We challenged the traditional
examination-oriented educational system and tried to release the students from
studying simply for examination and solving problems simply by techniques and
demonstrations. Instead, we advocated "Scientific Exploration Learning" to inspire
students' learning interest and cultivate their innovation spirit.
Look
at some achievement of our city: The Oriental Pearl Tower, Nanpu Bridge and Yangpu
Bridge, Underground First and Second lines, People's Square, the startup of developing
program of Huangpu River in both sides … The rapid development of Shanghai is
witnessing a new era of China. It is a good opportunity for us to explore new
fields and do what cannot be done before. How to become a useful person in this
new era? The answer is quite clear. They must not only have fundamental knowledge,
strong responsibilities and excellent coordination, but also have a global-wide
vision, creativity and strong awareness of advanced theory. A new generation is
healthily growing up in the cradle, which is made of novel curriculums.
This
type of courses has been launched in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities across
China. The Ministry of Education of China issued Implementation Guidelines on
"Research-based Study " for High Schools, and organized leaders of educational
commissions at provincial and municipal level, principals of high schools, and
researchers to attend a series of seminars on research-based study and arranged
observation and investigation to this end in Shanghai. People can see such a vigorous
sight in various kinds of high schools in Shanghai: the students go to school
every weekday in early morning, sit in the computer center and ponder over many
questions concerning nature, the society, family, economy and disciplinary study.
Some of them even go to school on weekends to discuss with other members in their
respective interest groups about issues with which even specialists are not quite
acquainted. Some of them shake the tubes in the lab and observe attentively the
chemical reactions taking place inside. They are thinking about ways to treat
the seriously polluted Suzhou River in Shanghai; some students make plane models
and ship models and experiment with their inventions in the sky or on the river
again and again. They are giving full play to their imagination in the hope of
contributing to the development of the aviation and aerospace industry of China.
Research-based
courses require us to pay more attention to motivating the students to think on
their own feet, stimulate their potential, allow them to practice with their hands,
encourage them to seek for new breakthrough points to challenge the authoritative
theorem, and cultivate their original creative thinking. Isn't it a sensible measure
to allow the children to learn the latest and the most advanced theories, create
the newest scientific inventions in the world, and explore into the unknown since
they are still young? It is without doubt that our students will become talents
under such an educational mode.
5.
Information Technology Breeds Our New Generation
In
traditional Chinese classes, the teacher plays the leading role. The lecturing
of teachers is considered to be crucial. Recording the class is possible without
students present, but absolutely impossible with the teacher. Today, things are
quite different. Without students, the answers become unknown in class. This is
all because new technology is changing our teaching practice.
A
series of questionnaire researches I conducted reveal that outstanding students
of science are not interested in modern means of teaching just as tools for teaching.
According to them, they do not loathe chalks and blackboard, and they deem it
unnecessary for the teachers to spend far more time than before to prepare materials
for OHP, projector and multi-media. Instead, they are more concerned about whether
modern means of teaching can truly help them in solving problems.
Modern
teaching technology is exerting enormous impact on traditional teaching and learning
methods. The "teacher-centered" teaching method is gradually being replaced by
interaction between teachers and students. Voices advocating student participation,
interaction between teachers and students and prompt feedback on the teaching
and learning results has become the dominant trends in the reform of classroom
teaching.
For instance, modern
teaching technology can offer my students sufficient room for imagination when
I gave a review lesson of "dihedral angel". The students' divergent thinking is
given full play, which resulted in such a creative mathematical theorem as "the
degree of dihedral angel is the ratio between its area and projected area". The
students also creatively concluded that the dihedral angel could be calculated
simply by using the vector method. Although these thoughts are not original creation,
they embody creative thinking, which is very significant and valuable given the
fact that these students are only beginners of solid geometry.
Let
me give you another example. Once I asked my students a mathematical application
question: with the production of each product, a factory produces "m" units wastewater.
If there are "n" ways of treating the wastewater, how should the factory make
its production plan to enable itself to obtain the maximum benefit? There is actually
no definite answer to this question, and the students would not regard the teacher's
answer as being authoritative. They set the main variables in the entire production
process and found the relations between these variables. Computer promptly gave
them the range of variables: a two-dimensional planar graph or a 3-dimensional
geometric figure. In this way, an optimal scheme can be found under the current
circumstances. However, they were not satisfied with what they found. They put
forward various proposals and suggested changing the range limit of one of the
variables could bring the factory more benefits. The computer informed them if
the hypothesis was feasible and if the benefits could be further optimized, then
a future production plan came into being. The decision-making in a factory will
no long solely rely on the factory director racking his brain, rather, it will
be accomplished through the coordination between man and computer by using mathematical
modeling methods and systematic scientific methods.
Modern
technology including computer, network and artificial intelligence can enable
the students to probe into and study some original subjects in which they are
interested. Computer can compress time and space into an experimental status.
The students live in the real world and the results of their decisions can occur
only in the future, whereas in the virtual world created by computer, they can
directly see the future. The students mould their aspiration in the computer,
put forward the strategy to fulfil their aspiration, then reveal possible problems,
and raise suggestions on how they can improve their own intellectual mode and
behavioral mode to turn the hypothesized future into reality.
Here
a sweeping reform of educational values and methodology is going on unnoticed.
This is an exciting reform of the educational concept. The modern information
technology represented by computer network, digitalization, multimedia, and intellectualization
has changed our traditional teaching and learning methods. A new innovative generation
with high technological awareness, information awareness and practical work ability
will inevitably stand out. 6.
Forging the Soul of China——Core of Gifted Education
When
Samaranche announced to the whole world that the 2008 Olympic Games was to be
held in Beijing, and when the good news about China's accession to the World Trade
Organization came through from Doha, every Chinese experienced a surging pride.
They shouted and cried excitedly for the success of China. This actually embodies
the utmost release of the national spirit unprecedented in several decades.
The
success in our bid for Olympics and entry into World Trade Organization strongly
calls for the students' dream of rejuvenating China. When patriotism rises to
an unprecedented high point, we teach our students to take the objective of rejuvenation
of China as their fundamental goal of study. Many of our forefathers traveled
a long distance across the Pacific back to China to devote themselves to the development
of China's scientific and technological development. They all had the dream of
rejuvenating China and made unremitting efforts to this end. We, as the younger
generation, should of course study harder for the cause of rejuvenating China.
With
its accession to World Trade Organization, China will further open its education
to the outside world. However, in the process of globalization, each country still
retains its own characteristics and strengths. As each country has unique cultural
tradition, value standards and norms, there will unavoidably exist diversified
educational standards.
To bring
China's education to the international regime, we shall stick to the principle
of always prioritizing the national interest. We shall forge "the soul of China"
among the students, make patriotism and national spirit the backbone of Chinese
students, and teach the students to consistently link their study and career to
the destiny of their country so that they can overcome any scientific barrier
with their strong sense of responsibility and mission.
To
bring China's education to the international regime, we shall endeavor to cultivate
the Einstein of China and Nobel Prize winners of China. They will not only be
loyal to their own country and national culture, but also be first-class talents
with a global orientation. China must have its own scientific giants who may have
profound influence in human history and in the international regime.
Paul
A. Samuelson, doctor of Harvard University and former Nobel Prize winner remarked
while recalling his own story of growth. He said that people have actually noticed
that in the innermost part of Lincoln's honest and weird heart, there was always
a clock of ambition ticking, however, on his scale of value, the recognition gained
by holding the title of a column writer for News Week, or raking in millions due
to sensible investment, or obtaining the power as the adviser of the President
weighs far lighter than the recognition gained by making contribution to the country.
As a matter of fact, the national interest is always above all else, regardless
of which country is concerned.
Forging
the soul of China, for it is the soul of our education.
Shanghai
is the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Party. The venue of the First National
Conference of the Communist Party Central Committee, as an educational base of
patriotism and honorable Chinese revolutionary traditions, has hosted groups of
Chinese students, even generations of them.
Nanpu
Bridge, one of the world-class architecture in Shanghai constructed after initiation
of the reform and opening up policy, stretches over the Huangpu River of Shanghai
like a beautiful rainbow full of hopes. It shows to our students each day that
China is developing with stunning speed.
To
cultivate a new generation of talents for China, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Library,
Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai Science Center, Shanghai Grand Theater have been built
one after another. And a youth educational center named "Oriental Green Boat"
with a total investment of 800 million yuan has also been newly constructed in
the suburb of Shanghai.
The
Chinese government is currently implementing the strategy of "rejuvenating the
country through science and education", and is practicing quality-based education
that centers on moral education and focuses on innovation and practical ability.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to education and has invested
heavily in this field. Everyday, we can see children visiting the above-mentioned
venues, studying and playing there. The extraordinary traditional Chinese culture
and the outstanding scientific inventions created by people in different countries
of the world are presented to the children, allowing them to seriously ponder
over the history and earnestly look forward to the future. They are here seeking
to achieve their goals, establishing their creeds, learning how to survive amid
formidable challenges, and exploring how to create a brilliant future amid difficulty.
7. Prospective
of China's Gifted Education in the 21ST Century
After
the "Liu Haiyang Incident", people kept on talking about him. He was always the
source of pride for teachers from the elementary school to the junior high school;
he was such an outstanding student in the university that he was accepted as a
postgraduate without sitting the entrance exam; he always respected the teachers
and treated his fellow students well; he was considered to be an obedient good
child in his family and in the neighborhood and nevess to worldwide resources
in mathematics and science to all students and not just to the students enrolled
in elite special schools. Mentorship by leading scientists, access to the research
facilities of great universities and communication with other students of comparable
ability at home and abroad will provide the urban and suburban student, the talented
and "average" with equal educational opportunity. Not all students would be able
to use the most sophisticated resources--those would remain the provinces of the
most talented--but resources would be available to all!
Today's
world is experiencing an increasingly strong surge of scientific revolution. It
is a crucial time when the scientific and technologic development of our country
calls urgently for more distinguished talents. We will endeavor to do more effective
studies on gifted education in the process of implementing quality education.
We will not only continue the current practice and consolidate the accomplishments
that were already attained, but also experiment more new ways on this basis.
China's
gifted education will soon be brought in line with that in developed countries.
Shanghai is a metropolis enjoying similarly high international status as New York.
In Shanghai, there shall be state-of-the-art high schools similar to the Stuyvesant
High School, Bronx High School of Science as the cradle of first-class talents.
It is an obligation of the Chinese people to win a Nobel Prize, the highest honor
in science. The future development of gifted education in China shall bring prominent
changes to the way of thinking and concepts of the whole nation. The development
and internationalization of China's education will also offer the world more opportunities
to understand the spirit of the Chinese culture.
Let
the goal of forging the soul of China take root among our talents. Let our talents
unfold their wings of science and technology and fly high toward the blue sky
of 21st century.
(April
24, 2002, Las Vegas, Nevada) |
