Finding Role Models in Books: 洪蘭：書讀得少 心中沒典範

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洪蘭：書讀得少 心中沒典範

【聯合報╱記者陳智華／高雄報導】2009/11/25

 中央大學認知神經科學研究所所長洪蘭昨天以「終身閱讀」為題演講指出，學生書讀得太少，沒有典範，才會沒有目標，不知要做什麼，閱讀不但可將別人經驗內化成自己的，用有限的生命去學習無限的知識，也讓人心中有典範。

My comments: Reading (auto)biographies helps find role models. I once read a simplified version of Benjamin Franklin's biography to see if it was at the right level for students to read as supplementary material and was amazed at what he accopmlished. No wonder his biography is regarded as one of the best.

洪蘭在98年度師資培育大學主管聯席會議作了以上表示。她說，21世紀知識相通，不分課內課外，只有有用與沒有用的，例如婚外情就是沒有用的知識。她也表示，現在學生英文不好、中文也不好。

My comments: Where have all these students' time gone? However, I know quite a few students who are good at both or at least one.

洪蘭指出，她曾接到一位教授的e-mail，寫道：「我是你先父的學生」，她非常訝異，最近有記者透過e-mail要採訪她，寫的是「你外子在做部長時」，但「先父」和「外子」只有她自己能用。

她又舉例，面試醫學生時問學生有沒有典範，有學生回答：「史懷哲」，再追問德國籍的史懷哲是那一國人時，學生卻答不出來。她又問學生中國醫生的典範，有學生回答：「國父」，另一人用比的說「這樣這樣的人」，洪蘭認為，書讀得少，沒有閱讀，心中才會沒有任何典範人物。

My comments: A NHSH graduate once came to my class to talk about how to prepare for the UEE. She suggested that the students familiarize themselves with at least one famous person--his life, his achievements, etc. so that they can use him/her as an example in writing. I still remember the example she used was Su Tung-po (蘇東坡). A very good suggestion!

洪蘭說，法官、老師與醫生是三個一定要進修的職業，尤其是老師會教出這三種人，更需要不斷的進修與閱讀。她強調，學校不可能把所有事情都教給學生，加上時代與知識不斷進步，如何教學生培養閱讀習慣以及如何思考非常重要。

My comments: I'm glad that I'm a teacher who enjoys reading. I'm eager to pass my passion for reading on to my students. Reading is a joy.

她也指出，說話是本能，閱讀是習慣，要從小培養，且是「悅」讀，小學一二年級是「learn to read」，也就是學習閱讀，挑喜歡的給他們讀，投其所好，三年級以後卻是「Read to learn」，孩子要靠著閱讀去學習。

My comments: Agreed!

她以自己兒子為例，小時候學校要求讀完「蒼蠅王」，老師出的功課男女生不同，要男生要把書中提到的島嶼製作成模型，她的兒子當時為完全解讀島嶼的地理位置，和同組幾位學生一共把書看了三遍。

My comments: What an assignment! William Golding's 1954 novel Lord of the Flies, according to Wikipedia, "was chosen [in 2005] by TIME magazine as one of the one hundred best English-language novels from 1923 to present.^" I didn't read the novel but saw the movie when I was studying at Illinois, Champaign. It was the first movie that stunned me to the extent that I stayed in my seat for quite a while after it was over, contemplating what it tried to convey. To me, it raised a question: How many of us can still stay "good" when there is no law to govern us? A thought-provoking movie, and book as well.