UNIT 1 Education In the Air

Integrated Skills Development

Passage Open Education

In traditional education, the teacher may feel that the students are not very grown up. Usually, teachers are older than students, and teachers feel that students are young and do not know very much about the world. The teachers feel that they must tell the students what to do most of the time, and that they must make the students study specific things. In open education, the teacher's feelings are very different. These teachers feel that the students are individuals first, and students second. They expect the students to be responsible for the things that they do. The teacher allows the students to decide what they want to do, and does not make them study specific subjects or things. The teacher lets them decide what to study and how much to study.
The second part of the idea of open education has to do with what the teacher does in the classroom. In the traditional classroom, the students are told what to do. There is a list of things that the students must do to finish the class. There are rules made by the teacher that the students must follow, even if the students see no reason for the rules. In open education, the teacher allows the students to choose what to do. There are no specific things for the students to do. There are no traditional rules made by the teacher. The students are allowed to discover subjects in the open classroom, instead of being made to study them.
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students.
So far some of the good points and bad points of open education have been explained. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. What do you think?

New Words and Expressions

allow
v. 允许，准许

feeling
n. 感情；感觉，知觉

responsible
a. 有责任的，（应）负责的

theory
n. 理论；原理

traditional
a. 传统的，惯例的

writer
n. 作者，作家，文学家

be responsible for
对…负责

have sth. to do with
与…有关

even if
即使

see no reason for sth.
认为（做）某事毫无理由

make good use of
充分利用

have a problem doing sth.
做某事有困难

so far
迄今为止

Merry Learning

Funny Answers

1. How can a reader become rich?
By making notes of everything he reads.
2. Why isn't the stadium air-conditioned?
Because it's full of football fans.
3. Why do you like the river so much?
Because there is a bank on either side of it.
4. Why are all table tennis matches held after 7 p.m.?
Because the bats come out only at night.