大学英语综合教程BOOK2UNIT1DATE\@"MMMMd,yyyy"October6,2024UNIT1LEARNING,CHINESE-STYL=1,2,3,4,5,\*ArabicHowardGardnerForamonthinthespringof1987,mywifeEllenandIlivedinthebustlingeasternChinesecityofNanjingwithour18-month-oldsonBenjaminwhilestudyingartseducationinChineseKindergartensandelementaryschools.ButoneofthemosttellinglessonsEllenandIgotinthedifferencebetweenChineseandAmericanideasofeducationcamenotintheclassroombutintheloobyoftheJinlingHotelwherewestayedinNanjing.Thekeytoourroomwasattahedtoalargeplasticblockwiththeroomnumberonit.Whenleavingthehotel,aguestwasencouragedtoturninthekey,eitherbyhandingittoanattendantorbydroppingitthroughaslotintoabox.Becausethekeyslotwasnarrow,thekeyhadtobepositionedcarefullytofitit.Benjaminlovedtocarrythekeyaround,shakingitvigorously.Healsolikedtoplaceitintotheslot.Becausehistenderageandincompleteunderstandingoftheneedtopositionthekeyjustso,hewouldusuallyfail.Benjaminwasnotbotheredintheleast.heprobablygotasmuchpleasureoutofthesoundsthekeymadeashedidthosefewtimeswhethekeyactuallyfounditswayintotheslot.NowbothEllenandIwereperfectlyhappytoallowBenjamintobangthekeynearthekeyslot.Hisexploratorybehaviorseemedharmlessenough.ButIsoonobservedaninterestingphenomenon.AnyChinesestaffmembernearbywouldcomeovertowatchBenjaminand,notinghislackofinitialsuccess,attempttoassist.HeorshewouldholdontoBenjamin’shandand,gentlybutfirmly,guideitdirectlytowardtheslot,repositionotasnessary,andhelphimtoinsertit.The“teacher”wouldthensmilesomewhatexpectantlyatEllenorme,asifawaitingathankyou–andonoccasionwouldfrownslightly,asifconsideringustobeneglectingourparentalduties.IsoonrealizedthatthisincidentwasdirectlyrelevanttoourassignedtasksinChina:toinvestgatethewaysofearlychildhoodeducation(especiallyinthearts),andtothrowlightonChinsesattitudestowardcreativity.AndsobeforelongIbegantointroducethekey-slotanecdoteontomydiscussionwithChineseeducators.TWODIFFERENTWAYSTOLEARNWithafewexceotionsmyChinesecolleaguesdisplayedthesaneattiitudeasthestaffattheJinling