Contemporary College EnglishContemporary College EnglishBook OneBook One

Unit 5Unit 5

Angels on a PinAngels on a Pin

►    Lead inLead in ► As a teacher, have you ever encountered As a teacher, have you ever encountered

the situation that a student answers the the situation that a student answers the question in an exam correctly but not precisely question in an exam correctly but not precisely according to the testing criteria? In other words, according to the testing criteria? In other words, his answer is original but not standard. In such his answer is original but not standard. In such case, how did you react? What kind of case, how did you react? What kind of feedbacks did you give? You may have a feedbacks did you give? You may have a discussion with your neighbors. discussion with your neighbors.   

► Some would give praise by offering the full creSome would give praise by offering the full credit or high marks. Others would give discouragedit or high marks. Others would give discouragement through zero or low marks. Actually in this ument through zero or low marks. Actually in this unit, the author Alexander Calandra is also confronnit, the author Alexander Calandra is also confronted with such kind of problem. Let’s read the teted with such kind of problem. Let’s read the text and see how he solves the dilemma. xt and see how he solves the dilemma.

Background Information:Background Information:

►I. Why is the text entitled “Angels I. Why is the text entitled “Angels on a Pin”?on a Pin”?

► – – Medieval scholastics were fond of debating Medieval scholastics were fond of debating such meaningless questions about the such meaningless questions about the Bible , such as "How many angels can dance Bible , such as "How many angels can dance on the point of a pin," "Did Adam have a on the point of a pin," "Did Adam have a navel," and "Do angels defecate." The title navel," and "Do angels defecate." The title here comes from the question “How many here comes from the question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”angels can dance on the head of a pin?”

►The author seems to be suggesting that The author seems to be suggesting that “traditional teaching and testing methods “traditional teaching and testing methods are similar to the empty arguments of are similar to the empty arguments of scholasticism. And this suggestion scholasticism. And this suggestion exposes the theme of the text: the exposes the theme of the text: the problem with American educational problem with American educational system. Teachers emphasized on book system. Teachers emphasized on book knowledge rather than students’ knowledge rather than students’ originality and creativityoriginality and creativity

II. What Is Meant By Academic II. What Is Meant By Academic Creativity?Creativity?

►             Academic creativity is a way of thinking Academic creativity is a way of thinking about, learning, and producing information in about, learning, and producing information in school subjects such as science, mathematics, school subjects such as science, mathematics, and history. Few experts agree on a precise and history. Few experts agree on a precise definition, but when we say the word, everyone definition, but when we say the word, everyone senses a similar feeling. When we are creative, senses a similar feeling. When we are creative, we are aware of its special excitement.we are aware of its special excitement.        

► Creative thinking and learning involve such Creative thinking and learning involve such abilities as evaluation ,divergent production, abilities as evaluation ,divergent production, and redefinition. Creative learning is a and redefinition. Creative learning is a natural, healthy human process that occurs natural, healthy human process that occurs when people become curious and excited. In when people become curious and excited. In contrast, learning by authority requires contrast, learning by authority requires students to use thinking skills such as students to use thinking skills such as recognition, memory, and logical reasoning--recognition, memory, and logical reasoning--the abilities most frequently assessed by the abilities most frequently assessed by traditional tests of intelligence and scholastic traditional tests of intelligence and scholastic aptitude. Children prefer to learn in creative aptitude. Children prefer to learn in creative ways rather than just memorizing information ways rather than just memorizing information provided by a teacher or parents. They also provided by a teacher or parents. They also learn better and sometimes faster.learn better and sometimes faster.

Warming-up questions:Warming-up questions:

►II.– When was it written?.– When was it written?► – – Do you believe in the so-called “standard Do you believe in the so-called “standard

answers”? answers”? ► – – Was creative thinking encouraged in your Was creative thinking encouraged in your

high school?high school?► – – What may affect or destroy one’s What may affect or destroy one’s

creativity? How can it be cultivated? creativity? How can it be cultivated?

►– – Based on what you know from TV or Based on what you know from TV or newspaper, in what ways are American newspaper, in what ways are American teaching different from Chinese one? teaching different from Chinese one? Give examples.Give examples.

►– – What do you think of the educational What do you think of the educational system in general and the examination system in general and the examination system in particular? Is there something system in particular? Is there something wrong with it? In what way do you think wrong with it? In what way do you think we should improve our own educational we should improve our own educational system?system?

II.Three questions illustrate the differencII.Three questions illustrate the difference between learning information provided e between learning information provided by an adult or textbook and creative learby an adult or textbook and creative lear

ning:ning:► In what year did Columbus discover In what year did Columbus discover

America? (The answer, 1492, requires America? (The answer, 1492, requires recognizing and memorizing information.) recognizing and memorizing information.)

► How are Columbus and an astronaut similar How are Columbus and an astronaut similar and different? (The answer requires more and different? (The answer requires more than memorization and understanding; it than memorization and understanding; it requires students to think about what they requires students to think about what they know.) know.)

Suppose Columbus had landed in Suppose Columbus had landed in California. How would our lives and California. How would our lives and history have been different? (The history have been different? (The answer requires many creative answer requires many creative thinking skills including imagining, thinking skills including imagining, experimenting, discovering, experimenting, discovering, elaborating, testing solutionselaborating, testing solutions

III. How Adults "Kill" III. How Adults "Kill" Creativity:Creativity:

► Insisting that children do things the Insisting that children do things the "right way." "right way."

►Teaching a child to think that there is Teaching a child to think that there is just one right way to do things kills the just one right way to do things kills the urge to try new ways.urge to try new ways.

►Pressuring children to be realistic, to Pressuring children to be realistic, to stop imagining. stop imagining.

►When we label a child's flights of fantasy When we label a child's flights of fantasy as "silly," we bring the child down to as "silly," we bring the child down to earth with a blow, causing the inventive earth with a blow, causing the inventive urge to die.urge to die.

►Making comparisons with other children. Making comparisons with other children. ►This is a subtle pressure on a child to This is a subtle pressure on a child to

conform; yet the essence of creativity is conform; yet the essence of creativity is freedom to conform or not to conform.freedom to conform or not to conform.

►Discouraging children's curiosity.Discouraging children's curiosity.►One of the indicators of creativity is One of the indicators of creativity is

curiosity; yet we often brush questions curiosity; yet we often brush questions aside because we are too busy for "silly" aside because we are too busy for "silly" questions. Children's questions deserve questions. Children's questions deserve respectrespect

Text Analysis:Text Analysis:

► ……We must admit the student really had a preWe must admit the student really had a pretty strong case for full credit, since…tty strong case for full credit, since…

► admit admit sth.sth.► admit (to) doing sth.admit (to) doing sth.► admit that …admit that …► admit sb. into some placeadmit sb. into some place► case:case: reason or argument reason or argument► Undoubtedly,/It is undeniable that he had goUndoubtedly,/It is undeniable that he had go

od reason to get a high mark.od reason to get a high mark.

A high grade is supposed to prove A high grade is supposed to prove competence in the course,…competence in the course,…

► A high grade should reflect how well one A high grade should reflect how well one has done in his course.has done in his course.

► be supposed to dobe supposed to do:: be intended to do, be intended to do, although in this case it is not so.although in this case it is not so.

► This medicine is supposed to be good for This medicine is supposed to be good for your heart, but to my surprise it has no your heart, but to my surprise it has no effects on your hearteffects on your heart

He appeared to be thinking hardHe appeared to be thinking hard

►He seemed to be thing hard.He seemed to be thing hard.► It looked as if he were thinking hard.It looked as if he were thinking hard.

He dashed off his answerHe dashed off his answer

►

He wrote his answer very quickly

The beauty of this method is that…The beauty of this method is that… The advantage/the good thing about The advantage/the good thing about this method is that …this method is that …

The beauty of this project is that it The beauty of this project is that it doesn’t cause any pollution.doesn’t cause any pollution.

.

If you prefer a more sophisticated If you prefer a more sophisticated method,method,

prefer:prefer: like it better like it better

prefer A to Bprefer A to B I prefer fish to meat.I prefer fish to meat. He preferred history to literature.He preferred history to literature. prefer to do sth.prefer to do sth. I preferred to wear sports shoes.I preferred to wear sports shoes. prefer doing sthprefer doing sth I prefer going to the Summer Palace to sleepiI prefer going to the Summer Palace to sleepi

ng in the dorm.ng in the dorm.

►sophisticated:sophisticated: complicated, more complicated, more advanced, complex; advanced, complex;

►sophisticated weapons/equipment, sophisticated weapons/equipment, ►a sophisticated girla sophisticated girl

The height of the building can in The height of the building can in principle be worked out.principle be worked out.

► in principle: in principle: generallygenerally► In principle, every child has the right to go In principle, every child has the right to go

to schoolto school..► work out: work out: calculate (but it has not yet been calculate (but it has not yet been

carried out)carried out)►   She could work out the answer quickly on a She could work out the answer quickly on a

sheet of paper.sheet of paper.

which had been thrown into such a which had been thrown into such a panic by the successful launching of panic by the successful launching of

the Russian Sputnikthe Russian Sputnik

► . To be thrown into panic: . To be thrown into panic: to get into a to get into a sudden strong feeling of fear and nervousnesssudden strong feeling of fear and nervousness..

► During the cold war, the successful launching During the cold war, the successful launching

of of the Russian Sputnikthe Russian Sputnik caused great fear it caused great fear it the US, because it felt that it could no longer the US, because it felt that it could no longer depend on the two oceans for its safety. The depend on the two oceans for its safety. The American general public put the blame on their American general public put the blame on their government, especially their educational government, especially their educational system, which they believed had lagged far system, which they believed had lagged far behind the Russians.behind the Russians.

Perhaps we should ask ourselves Perhaps we should ask ourselves whether we are always asking the right whether we are always asking the right

questions.questions.

► This is a common problem. Many questions This is a common problem. Many questions are complicated and require careful analysis. are complicated and require careful analysis. We cannot easily give true-or-false or yes-or-We cannot easily give true-or-false or yes-or-no answers. In fact, often the questions are no answers. In fact, often the questions are wrong in the first place.  Please discuss wrong in the first place.  Please discuss whether these questions are right:whether these questions are right:

►   ► When can we give every Chinese a car?When can we give every Chinese a car?► How can we make machines work for us How can we make machines work for us

so that we do not have to work at all?so that we do not have to work at all?►   

After-class discussionAfter-class discussion

►1.What kind of student is depicted in this 1.What kind of student is depicted in this story? Give your opinion about the two story? Give your opinion about the two professors in the text.professors in the text.

►What do you think of our own educational What do you think of our own educational system? Have you found similar system? Have you found similar problems with American educational problems with American educational system? If so, how should we solve system? If so, how should we solve them? them?