西松高中第16屆英文資優班線上成發
Teacherfrog:
The world is changing…...beyond imagination. Ten years ago, when I first taught Independent Study, nobody at school really knew how to do research. My students and I groped along the dark alley, trying to get a little closer to the light of truth. Just when I thought I had gained a foothold in the field of the unknown, the tidal waves of the 108 Curriculum Guidelines came knocking me down to the stormy sea, along with all the guinea pigs struggling to survive.
It sounds depressing, yet exciting! On one hand, I take pity on my dear students buried in endless projects, reports, inquiries and practices, as well as the mandatory learning portfolios. On the other hand, I envy their opportunity to explore, experiment, and reflect. They are so unfortunate to face the chaos of education reform, but so lucky to step out of the trodden path to search for their own new way. It is exactly the spirit of independent study, isn’t it?
My belief was reinforced after the unexpected school closure due to the pandemic. It’s nothing less than an earthquake for all the teachers and students in Taiwan. “All of a sudden, my whole world changed. Life will never be the same,” one the my students wrote. They spent 2/3 of the semester learning how to operate the film making equipment, only to find themselves locked at home, unable to even shoot a scene. This time, they had to literally finish their final film project INDEPENDENTLY! I saw how my students revised their scripts, tried different methods, learned editing techniques all by themselves, while maintaining collaboration with their group members on the Internet. Though the final projects were nothing like their original plans, most of them were satisfied with the results.
I feel proud for them too. In the age of “slashies”, their original plan may be far less important than their ability to observe, analyze, and adapt. What matters most is not the knowledge they memorize in class, but the academic skills they cultivate at school. That’s why the final presentation of their research is titled “Academic/Pandemic (i.e. Academic over Pandemic).” I would like to borrow Charles Dickens’ words here--”This is the worst of times; this is the best of times.” I hope my students’ “slashes” will expand and go on and on in their future: academic/cinematic/economic/philosophic……
Before that, I just want to congratulate these would-be slashies on their hard work and persistence of the past year, and hope all the films will …… go viral 😉 !
2021.6.21