搜索
Unit1HowardGardner,aprofessorofeducationatHarvardUniversity,reflectsonavisittoChinaandgiveshisthoughtsondifferentapproachestolearninginChinaandtheWest.Learning,Chinese-StyleHowardGardner1Foramonthinthespringof1987,mywifeEllenandIlivedinthebustlingeasternChinesecityofNanjingwithour18-month-oldsonBenjaminwhilestudyingartseducationinChinesekindergartensandelementaryschools.ButoneofthemosttellinglessonsEllenandIgotinthedifferencebetweenChineseandAmericanideasofeducationcamenotintheclassroombutinthelobbyoftheJinlingHotelwherewestayedinNanjing.1987182Thekeytoourroomwasattachedtoalargeplasticblockwiththeroomnumberonit.Whenleavingthehotel,aguestwasencouragedtoturninthekey,eitherbyhandingittoanattendantorbydroppingitthroughaslotintoabox.Becausethekeyslotwasnarrow,thekeyhadtobepositionedcarefullytofitintoit.3Benjaminlovedtocarrythekeyaround,shakingitvigorously.Healsolikedtotrytoplaceitintotheslot.Becauseofhistenderageandincompleteunderstandingoftheneedtopositionthekeyjustso,hewouldusuallyfail.Benjaminwasnotbotheredintheleast.Heprobablygotasmuchpleasureoutofthesoundsthekeymadeashedidthosefewtimeswhenthekeyactuallyfounditswayintotheslot.4NowbothEllenandIwereperfectlyhappytoallowBenjamintobangthekeynearthekeyslot.Hisexploratorybehaviorseemedharmlessenough.ButIsoonobservedaninterestingphenomenon.AnyChinesestaffmembernearbywouldcomeovertowatchBenjaminand,notinghislackofinitialsuccess,attempttoassist.HeorshewouldholdontoBenjamin'shandand,gentlybutfirmly,guideitdirectlytowardtheslot,repositionitasnecessary,andhelphimtoinsertit.TheteacherwouldthensmilesomewhatexpectantlyatEllenorme,asifawaitingathankyouandonoccasionwouldfrownslightly,asifconsideringustobeneglectingourparentalduties.5IsoonrealizedthatthisincidentwasdirectlyrelevanttoourassignedtasksinChina:toinvestigatethewaysofearlychildhoodeducation(especiallyinthearts),andtothrowlightonChineseattitudestowardcreativity.AndsobeforelongIbegantointroducethekey-slotanecdoteintomydiscussionswithChineseeducators.TWODIFFERENTWAYSTOLEARN6WithafewexceptionsmyChinesecolleaguesdisplayedthesameattitudeasthestaffattheJinlingHotel.Sinceadultsknowhowtoplacethekeyinthekeyslot,whichistheultimatepurposeofapproachingtheslot,andsincethechildisneitheroldenoughnorcleverenoughtorealizethedesiredactiononhisown,whatpossiblegainisachievedbyhavinghimstruggle?Hemaywellgetfrustratedandangrycertainlynotadesirableoutcome.Whynotshowhimwhattodo?Hewillbehappy,hewilllearnhowtoaccomplishthetasksooner,andthenhecanproceedtomorecomplexactivities,likeopeningthedoororaskingforthekeybothofwhichaccomplishmentscan(andshould)induecoursebemodeledforhimaswell.7Welistenedtosuchexplanationssympatheticallyandexplainedthat,firstofall,wedidnotmuchcarewhetherBenjaminsucceededininsertingthekeyintotheslot.Hewashavingagoodtimeandwasexploring,twoactivitiesthatdidmattertous.Butthecriticalpointwasthat,intheprocess,weweretryingtoteachBenjaminthatonecansolveaproblemeffectivelybyoneself.Suchself-relianceisaprincipalvalueofchildrearinginmiddle-classAmerica.Solongasthechildisshownexactlyhowtodosomethingwhetheritbeplacingakeyinakeyslot,drawingahenormakingupforamisdeedheislesslikelytofigureouthimselfhowtoaccomplishsuchatask.And,moregenerally,heislesslikelytoviewlifeasAmericansdoasaseriesofsituationsinwhichonehastolearntothinkforoneself,tosolveproblemsonone'sownandeventodiscovernewproblemsforwhichcreativesolutionsarewanted.TEACHINGBYHOLDINGHISHAND8Inretrospect,itbecamecleartomethatthisincidentwasindeedkeyandkeyinmorethanonesense.Itpointedtoimportantdifferencesintheeducationalandartisticpracticesinourtwocountries.9Whenourwell-intentionedChineseobserverscametoBenjamin'srescue,theydidnotsimplypushhishanddownclumsilyoruncertainly,asImighthavedone.Instead,theyguidedhimwithextremefacilityandgentlenessinpreciselythedesireddirection.IcametorealizethattheseChinesewerenotjustmoldingandshapingBenjamin'sperformanceinanyoldmanner:InthebestChinesetradition,theywerebazheshoujiaoteachingbyholdinghishandsomuchsothathewouldhappilycomebackformore.10Theideathatlearningshouldtakeplacebycontinualcarefulshapingandmoldingappliesequallytothearts.Watchingchildrenatworkinaclassroomsetting,wewereastonishedbytheirfacility.Childrenasyoungas5or6werepaintingflowers,fishandanimalswiththeskillandconfidenceofanadult;calligraphers9and10yearsoldwereproducingworksthatcouldhavebeendisplayedinamuseum.Inavisittothehomesoftwooftheyoungartists,welearnedfromtheirparentsthattheyworkedonperfectingtheircraftforseveralhoursaday.56910CREATIVITYFIRST?11Intermsofattitudestocreativitythereseemstobeareversalofpriorities:youngWesternersmakingtheirboldestdeparturesfirstandthengraduallymasteringthetradition;andyoungChinesebeingalmostinseparablefromthetradition,but,overtime,possiblyevolvingtoapointequallyoriginal.12OnewayofsummarizingtheAmericanpositionistostatethatwevalueoriginalityandindependencemorethantheChinesedo.Thecontrastbetweenourtwoculturescanalsobeseenintermsofthefearswebothharbor.Chineseteachersarefearfulthatifskillsarenotacquiredearly,theymayneverbeacquired;thereis,ontheotherhand,no