我的广州一土之旅
几天前,我和我的小伙伴在一个初夏炎热的午后第一次去广州的一土实验班参观。虽然天气燥热，但我们的注意力很快就被转移了，因为我们意识到这所学校是多么地独一无二。
到达教室时，已经是中午1点多，从教室窗外望里看，映入眼帘的是孩子们一个个在自己做的纸屋前忙里忙外的身影。“为什么孩子们中午不休息呢？”我们不禁好奇地问道。“孩子们在赶工呢，6月1号他们要去植物园向公众展现自己的项目成果——关于竹子是从哪里来的探究。”广州一土校区的校长李志伟笑着回答到。孩子们展现出来的这种自驱力、主动性、专注与投入，是传统的基于课本的教学很难带给孩子们的。
而这个研究竹子的项目，其实是都始于去年寒假，一位一土实验班一年级孩子的好奇心。当时他的帽子被风吹到植物园里高高的竹枝上，当妈妈帮忙把帽子取下来后，他问道“竹子是从哪里来的？”当时妈妈和他都不知道答案。开学后，孩子在班上分享这个经历的时候，全班同学都很激动，他们也很想搞明白到底竹子是从哪里来的。确实，好奇心极具感染力。一土的老师们当场就决定放弃之前所有的关于健康主题的教案，转而把新学期的研究主题定为竹子。因为这个主题是孩子们提出来的，他们会有主人翁精神。在一土，给孩子们自主决策的空间比方便教师教学更重要。老师们连忙开始设计关于竹子的项目制学习方案，在支持孩子们解开“竹子从哪里来的”的奥秘的同时，将数学、科学、阅读和写作等教学内容全部融入进来。
在一土,孩子们的自驱力很大程度来自于他们的好奇心和自主决策权。在科学方面, 孩子们被要求使用"科学探究方法"来解答竹子来自哪里这个问题。首先孩子们要提出自己的猜想，有的认为竹子是从竹叶种出来的，有的认为是竹竿，有的认为是竹茎…接着孩子们就真的开始种竹叶、竹竿、竹茎等。可想而知，他们没有一个人成功种出竹子来。即使这样，孩子们也还是学到了其中一个重要的道理——失败乃为成功之母。这是大概是目前大多数学校都缺乏的东西, 学校规定什么是正确的,而你必须找到正确答案才能得分。在我的理解里,一土真正关心的是给孩子选择的自由，让练习独立思考及自主决策，只有这样他们未来才能掌控自己的人生，而不是一切都被安排好。这基本上是他们所有课程设计的顶层逻辑。不要扼杀孩子们的好奇心，让他们自由选择，带着好奇去学习。如果孩子自己很好奇，还需要担心孩子学习没动力？还需要逼着孩子学？
来来，看看孩子们的作品吧，你是不是也跟我一样，觉得自己瞬间被“秒”了。
除了感受一土的魅力之外，此次来一土参观最让我开心的，就是认识了广州一土的李校长。曾是公益项目美丽中国志愿教师的李老师,几年前回到北京工作,从事创客教育的他被一土北京的小月校长所感染，成为北京一土早期的教师以及现在广州一土的校长。他跟我们分享了一土的教育理念与方法。除了教育理想以及对学生满满的爱，一土在培养学生方面的成就在于它的坚定和专注。一土非常注重教师的素质, 而且坚持教师的精力应该重点放在课程设计和课程交付上,所有分散教师精力的行政运营类事务，则交由运营人员接管。某种意义上说,一土采取了企业的管理方法来管理学校,因为角色的职能是被清晰定义和聚焦的,这种聚焦则带来了效率和效益。
一土的另一个独特之处，是他们玲离尽致地开展项目制学习(Project-based Learning, PBL)，并专注于理论知识在真实世界的应用。每次项目制学习大概需要3月(一学期左右)，每个学期都会围绕一个特定的主题。比如这学期，这些一年级的孩子们需要在真实情景地挑战下完成相关调研工作,比如孩子们在学校的院子里挖竹子，种竹子，就得自己写申请书并得到校长签字及同意；比如到华农采访大学生；比如计划在广州植物园如何面向公众做展示等。所有这些都是PBL 必备的元素，包括真实性、背景设定、技能培养和自我反思等。
广州的一土实验班目前只有一年级的学生，但今年秋季这些学生将升到二年级，同时开始招收一年级新生。我们非常期待看到这所学校继续成长,因为我们看到了一个更光明的未来,一个孩子会幸福成长的未来。
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P.S.附上一些我对一土的观察、分析和总结:
孩子参与: 在一土的班级里, 孩子参与的程度比传统班级要高得多。
教师的角色: 一土通过设置运营人员，减轻教师的行政压力，使教师有更多精力关注课程的设计和交付。这样做的目的是让教师集中精力做他们真正擅长真正该做的事情,并为他们提供各种学习机会,更好地根据孩子的需求来定制和设计课程。
教师的专业发展和职业规划: 在一土, 教师的发展路径分4级，从助理教师一直到专家教师, 为他们提供了一个清晰地晋升通道，也鼓励老师们对自己的教学水平不断精益求精。而在许多传统的学校里,晋升是基于你的教育背景(获得硕士/博士学位) 或往行政管理方向发展。
教学排课: 一土的教学进度和排课有较多灵活空间, 可以根据孩子的选择和方向进行定制。
课堂人数: 一土的班级人数是在12～20人之间。这样是教师能够给到每个孩子足够的关注，这当然是和传统公立学校里的一个班三四十个孩子是截然不同的。
教室设置: 教室内没有固定座位, 可以灵活根据需要给孩子们提供做项目所需要的空间。教师和助教在教室不同角落来回走动,以支持孩子完成他们的项目。很多项目成果都需要通过ipad上传,孩子可以上传他们最后的项目成果,以方便老师评分。
方法论和深度: 一土提倡的是项目制学习, 将理论与实践相结合。而项目主题也会根据孩子兴趣而定制, 教师则负责设计在某个特定主题内，如何将不同的学科学习融入项目里。
项目成果与演示: 最后的项目将展示给相关的真实世界的观众, 如去逛广州植物园的市民们。
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A learning adventure to ETU (English version)
As we made our first visit to ETU on a hot sunny day in Guangzhou, we realized that this school was unique. It wasn’t something that the traditional school systems taught most kids as they were actively involved in their projects. It all started with a curiosity brought up by a student at ETU one summer day, when he found his hat stuck on this exquisitely tall branch. He wondered, how tall did it grow and asked his mother where did bamboo branches come from? Curiosity was contagious as he spread the news around the class when he got back. It was then the ETU teachers decided that the topic of the semester would be about bamboo. They started to integrate a cross curricular design with mathematics, science, reading and writing in order to solve the mystery of where bamboo came from.
At ETU, it’s student driven (and in a large sense, out of their curiosity and choice). In science, students were asked to think about where it came from and using the “scientific method” to solve where these plants came from. They went about it by planting different parts of the bamboo, from leaves to stem to find out what worked. In the end, they all failed, but students learnt the fundamental lesson of all - that is failure breeds success. This was something that is lacking in most schools today, as schools dictate what is right and you have to score to achieve your learning. From my understanding, ETU is genuinely concerned about their student’s choice. It’s essentially what makes the backbone of their classes and also how their students learn. The fundamentals of learning really does kick in when you think about what drives us to learn? It’s curiosity and a matter of choice. That’s what defines what we learn and the methods are the ones that schools are suppose to help with that.
Amongst one of the many things that I’d like about the visit was ETU’s principal. Principal Li Zhi Wei, who was previously a teacher at Teach for China, returned to Beijing a few years back to work on a maker space project before becoming a full time teacher and principal at ETU. He shared with us his thoughts and insights about how ETU works. The beauty of the school is in it’s execution and focus. On the execution side, ETU focuses very much on the teacher’s quality by giving them a clear focus on course design and delivery, relieving them of any administrative duties which are to be taken over by the administrative coordinator (Florence). In a large sense, they take on a corporate approach to managing this school as the functional roles of each stakeholder are clearly divided, which is where the focus side kicks in.
Another unique thing about ETU is their learning methodology of using Project Based Learning (PBL), in this case focusing on real world applications. Their typical course takes around 3 months long (one semester) where they integrate the subjects focused around one topic/theme. In the case of the current class, students have to complete inquiry based activities from getting licensed by the school to cut down their bamboo tree (signed off by the principal), conducting experiments in the farm (to grow their bamboo) to demonstrating at the Botanical Gardens in Guangzhou. All of these are stages of PBL that contains authenticity, context building, skills building and reflection.
Classes at the Guangzhou ETU are now serving Grade 1 students, but soon to open up their Grade 2 year this fall. We very much look forward to seeing this school continue to grow as we see a brighter future for their students to grow along with it.
More research based analysis of ETU
⁃ Student’s engagement: At ETU’s classes, there is a much higher student engagement than traditional classes. You can observe this by taking a look at student outcomes, time spent seating around versus being hands on, questions asked and many more.
⁃ Teacher’s role: The way ETU is structured requires the teachers to focus more on course design ad delivery, relieving them of administrative duties (as this is given to an administrative coordinator to work on.) The plan is to have teachers focused on what they’re really good at and to provide them with the opportunity to customize and design the course according to the student’s needs.
⁃ Teacher’s professional development & career plan: There are 4 levels for teacher’s professional stages at ETU which gives them a progression and checkpoint for them to determine where they are. As compared to many traditional schools where a promotion is either based on your education (getting a masters/phd) or an administrative jump, ETU focused on a professional development jump whereby teacher’s get promoted based on their performance and experience.
⁃ Teaching schedule: One of the unique features at ETU is the teaching schedule which is apparently more flexible and customized according to student’s choice of projects and directions.
⁃ Class size: The current ETU class size is at a cap of 12 students, with a maximum cap at 20. This is essential for teachers to have enough one on one time with students, which is drastically different from the 35:1 ratio at traditional public schools.
⁃ Classroom setup: The class had no seats, mostly just space for students to work on their projects during project time. Teachers were spread across the classroom to support students in completing their projects. The basic technology used is through iPads, whereby students can upload their final project assignments to be graded on.
⁃ Methodology and depth: One thing that ETU commits to is using project based learning and applying it to a real world situation. The depth of the topic is customized according to student’s learning and teachers are involved with designing the tasks that needs to be accomplished alongside the different learning strategies.
⁃ Project outcome & presentation: The final project presentation is to be delivered to a relevant real world audience, such as the botanist at the Botanical Gardens in Guangzhou.
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