The High Cost of Uncritical Teaching

The High Cost of Uncritical Teaching

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Every person—educated or not—possesses many of these capabilities¹ for critical thinking. Different individuals employ them to varying degrees, often depending on time and circumstance. The previous list is not exhaustive, of course.

 

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN CURRICULUM

 

Some educators and parents feel that critical thinking opens classrooms to controversy². To ease this perceived problem, some schools have created a special area of curriculum called “controversial issues”—as though these matters could be isolated³ and handled gingerly in a guarded and sanitized arena⁴. Quite frankly⁵, this is educational nonsense, for those issues that we call controversial are inherent in any vital curriculum. Moreover, controversial issues reflect the most important values of a society, and they crop up most frequently in areas undergoing the most significant kinds of change. Indeed, these issues are the foci that make the curriculum meaningful and keep it alive.

 

The human tendency to suppress the critical capacity and to go along with the crowd was noted⁶ long ago by Alexis de Tocqueville, the great 19th-century French observer of society. He wrote, “It seems, at first sight, as if all the minds of the Americans were formed upon one model, so accurately⁷ do they correspond in their manner of judging.”

 

Honest people can, and will, differ over the meaning and importance of facts, events and ideas. Whatever the course of study—in science, social science or the humanities — it is the differences in viewpoints that offer the most fertile ground for discussion.

 

Teachers of all subjects must concern themselves more with discussion than with exposition. Above all, they must instill in students a familiarity with—and even a love of—critical thinking and discourse⁸. Students and society will benefit greatly as a result.

Vocabulary Focus

exhaustive (adj) [i^5zC:stiv] complete; thorough

sanitized (adj) [5sAnitaizd] relating to something that has been made less shocking or upsetting, especially by not showing or expressing everything

crop up (idiom) to happen or appear unexpectedly

 

Specialized⁹ Terms

foci (n pl) （focus的正式复数形）重心；中心 the formal, plural¹⁰ form for focus, the main or central point of something

exposition (n) 阐述；解说 a systematic¹¹ explanation or interpretation¹² of an idea or theory

不具批判性的教学法代价高昂

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不论是否受过教育，每个人都具备许多这些批判性思考所需的能力。不同的人会根据时机或情况，将这些能力做不同程度的运用。上面所列出的当然不尽完整。

 

学校课程中具争论性的议题   

有些教育学者和家长认为批判性思考将课堂开放成争论不休的地方。为了缓和这所谓的问题，有些学校开设了一个特别领域的课程，称作“争论性的议题”，犹如这些问题可以在一个受监控和过滤过的地方被极其谨慎地隔离及处理。很坦白地说，这简直是教育上的自欺欺人，因为那些我们认为有争议的问题，存在于任何一套重要课程中。此外，争论性议题反映出社会上最重要的价值观，而且最常无预警地出现在正经历最重大改变的领域。这些议题确实是让学校课程有意义并且能持续下去的重心。   

伟大的19世纪法国社会观察家托克维尔很久以前就注意到，人性倾向压抑批判能力并随波逐流。他写道：“乍一看，似乎所有美国人的心智都由同一种模式塑造，因此他们断定事情的方式非常一致。”  

诚实的人能够，而且也会对事实、事件和观念的意义与重要性有不同意见。无论学习什么科目，包括自然科学、社会科学或人文学科，观点的差异性提供了最具营养的讨论沃土。   

各科老师必须更关心课堂讨论而不是一味地解说。最重要的是，老师们必须帮学生熟悉、甚至喜爱批判性思考及互动交流。结果是学生和社会均将受益良多。

1 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

8 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

9 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

10 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

11 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

12 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。