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VOA慢速英语--学习不该停止--新冠疫情期间的教学

时间:2020-08-30 23:47:17

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(单词翻译)

Learning Should Never Stop - Teaching in a Pandemic

Teachers everywhere are facing the new school term with one big problem: how to teach students safely in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.

Hamisu Hamisu Haruna teaches English at Al-Qalam University in Katsina, Nigeria. He says that when the pandemic came, he did not hesitate, or slow down, to make changes to the way he was teaching.

"I believe one thing - that everything imaginable is attainable2, and there's no word, ‘impossible.' What matters is trying. You try and try until you get the right thing. So, although progress is coming steadily3, but surely nothing is impossible for me. And that's why when this issue of coronavirus came and all lives are shifted to online, I didn't hesitate starting it."

Haruna added that he told other educators about online programs, occupational training, and conferences to help them move their teaching online. He himself learned new skills from the U.S. State Department's E-Teacher program. It offers free online classes for teachers outside the United States in cooperation with U.S. colleges and universities.

High cost of data

One of the biggest problems with going online in Nigeria is the cost of data for cellular4 phone users. Haruna noted5 that one way teachers deal with that problem is by combining two methods of giving lessons. One is synchronous6 learning – where the teacher and students are present together online at the same time. That is in addition to, and helps support, asynchronous learning – where the student goes online to get the teacher's lesson at a later time.

"...And in order to come up with a solution to the problem of that high cost of data, we usually use WhatsApp platform by recording7 our lectures and sending the lecture to them."

Haruna said that after teachers record two lectures and publish the recordings8 online, they often use video conferencing to talk with students.

"For example, we use both synchronous and asynchronous online learning. We use Zoom9 as part of the synchronous one where we schedule meetings with the students just for 30 minutes to serve as a discussion meeting. ... And the purpose of organizing, of scheduling this meeting is just for the students and the teacher to interact by asking questions. ... They can use the 30 minutes to ask the question to the teacher and the teacher can easily respond."

Haruna reports that both students and their parents have reacted well to this method of teaching.

"So, by so doing we were able to achieve quite a lot and the students are really following the classes. And they are really appreciating the classes because it serves as something which is new to them. And they really accept it. And even the parents also contribute immensely by cooperating. Some parents even used to give their children their phone for them to use for the sake of the classroom."

Making CDs for students

Another teacher who took part in the E-Teacher program is Egypt's Shereen Mohamed. She records her classes by using an interactive10 device at school. Then, students have two ways to get the teaching materials. They can watch them on YouTube, or for those lacking an internet connection, the school provides a compact disc (CD) or a data storage device with the recordings.

To make sure her students are learning, Mohamed says they have to take tests that she creates on the Quia website or on Quizlet. Yet she warns that it is not wise to only use these online platforms.

"I think it will be very difficult to make some assessment11 for my students. They must have some exams, real exams, to evaluate their progress. How can I evaluate it online? It will be very difficult, but I think I should send them an interactive worksheet to answer it during the online session to check their understanding. ... If it is difficult to answer the questions, I should return back to the lesson and re-present or make a different presentation about the item."

In the new term, Mohamed plans to use Flipgrid, an app that can help students make videos to share with their teachers and classmates. She hopes this software program will give students a chance to talk about the things they are learning.

The head teacher at Mohamed's school has asked her to train other teachers in using technology for their classes.

Learning should never stop

In the Philippines, the new school term has been delayed until October 5. Glen Cortezano teaches at the Los Baños campus of Laguna State Polytechnic12 University. She said she led an online class to help teachers move "to the new normal."

"We know that learning should never stop, right, and we should always find ways, we always find ways, even if we cannot meet face to face."

She added that her university is using a modular approach to educate students who have no internet at all.

Cortezano is part of a team of Curriculum Checkers. They examined the education program of all the teachers.

"We will be checking the objectives, activities, the strategies, the lecture, the assessment... we reached out to our students and we had this survey. Who among our students do have the Internet access? Who among our students did not have it? Our university will be printing all our modules13 and they will also be responsible to deliver the modules to our students wherever they are."

The biggest problem, Cortezano says, is organizing classes that require special skills or equipment.

"How about the physical education subject? How can you teach swimming? How can you teach sports, dancing, and in laboratory, we have baking, and we also have food, nutrition and dietetics14. So, we were asked ... to give only the theories... It's actually difficult to ask them to do the experiment at home!"

The teachers worked together to create lesson plans for all their classes and have sent them to be reproduced and given to students. When it is time to return their work, students drop off each lesson at a government office, where it is sent to the university.

Helping15 other teachers

Glen Cortezano, Shereen Mohamed, and Hamisu Hamisu Haruna have all completed the U.S. State Department's E-Teacher Program. They lead training programs on using technology for teaching online.

For more information on the next 8-week summer program and events in the coming year, contact the U.S. Embassy near you.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Words in This Story

attain1 – v. to accomplish or achieve (something); to succeed in getting or doing (something)

steadily – adv. moving continuously or slowly

data – n. factual information or records

platform – n. an operating system

lecture – n. an educational talk

appreciate – v. to understand the worth or importance of (something or someone)

contribute – v. to give or donate

assessment – n. the estimation of the ability of someone or something

check – v. to look at or examine (someone or something) to see if there are any problems

access – n. the right to use something; a way of entering a place


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 attain HvYzX     
vt.达到,获得,完成
参考例句:
  • I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
  • His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。
2 attainable ayEzj8     
a.可达到的,可获得的
参考例句:
  • They set the limits of performance attainable. 它们确定着可达到的运行限度。
  • If objectives are to be meaningful to people, they must be clear, attainable, actionable, and verifiable. 如果目标对人们是具有意义的,则目标必须是清晰的,能达到的,可以行动的,以及可供检验的。
3 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
4 cellular aU1yo     
adj.移动的;细胞的,由细胞组成的
参考例句:
  • She has a cellular telephone in her car.她的汽车里有一部无线通讯电话机。
  • Many people use cellular materials as sensitive elements in hygrometers.很多人用蜂窝状的材料作为测量温度的传感元件。
5 noted 5n4zXc     
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。
6 synchronous bqswx     
adj.同步的
参考例句:
  • The message can be used only with synchronous operations.消息只能与同步操作一起使用。
  • Synchronous machines do not easily fall out of step under normal conditions.在正常情况下,同步电机不易失去同步。
7 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
8 recordings 22f9946cd05973582e73e4e3c0239bb7     
n.记录( recording的名词复数 );录音;录像;唱片
参考例句:
  • a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
  • old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐
9 zoom VenzWT     
n.急速上升;v.突然扩大,急速上升
参考例句:
  • The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
  • I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近,昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。
10 interactive KqZzFY     
adj.相互作用的,互相影响的,(电脑)交互的
参考例句:
  • The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
  • This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。
11 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
12 polytechnic g1vzw     
adj.各种工艺的,综合技术的;n.工艺(专科)学校;理工(专科)学校
参考例句:
  • She was trained as a teacher at Manchester Polytechnic.她在曼彻斯特工艺专科学校就读,准备毕业后做老师。
  • When he was 17,Einstein entered the Polytechnic Zurich,Switzerland,where he studied mathematics and physics.17岁时,爱因斯坦进入了瑞士苏黎士的专科学院,学习数学和物理学。
13 modules 0eb9b3af2e4a00837a1b1a854c9ea18c     
n.模块( module的名词复数 );单元;(宇宙飞船上各个独立的)舱;组件
参考例句:
  • The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
  • Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 dietetics mvDxS     
n.营养学
参考例句:
  • This book makes a significant contribution to dietetics.此书对营养学有很大贡献。
  • You have a bad diet habit and I don't think you know dietetics.你的饮食习惯很差,我认为你对营养学一无所知。
15 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

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