American High School Homework · English Paper

Author: Gong Ang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: High school is not only a cradle for nurturing scientists and writers but also a fertile ground for cultivating engineers and accountants. The real world provides us with a vast examination hall, and we must score high in this hall. Why did the University of Hong Kong reject 11 top mainland college entrance exam candidates? Because world-renowned universities admit well-rounded individuals, not just high scores. From simple assignments to a massive 500-hour project, as we complete each task, we grow and mature. Reading Gong Ang's book My American High School cover to cover was a great experience. It helps Chinese students understand how American students learn and is also valuable for teachers. With China currently implementing new curriculum reforms that promote inquiry-based learning, many teachers struggle to understand it and don’t know how to design an inquiry-based lesson. Gong Ang’s book provides numerous examples. Inquiry-based teaching may seem chaotic on the surface, lacking systematic foundational knowledge, but is the knowledge students gain through such exploration truly insufficient? In this engaging atmosphere, where they collect materials and explore independently, can the knowledge they acquire not be solidified? Can their personality and innovative abilities not develop? I’m truly impressed that they can introduce first-year middle school students to Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Monet, and Picasso, and help them understand their styles and appreciate the beauty of their paintings—it’s truly hard to fathom. American High School Assignments introduces the various assignments Gong Ang completed in high school, how teachers required them, and how students completed them. In my view, this series is not only suitable for middle school students but also for teachers. In inquiry-based learning, many teachers don’t know how to design inquiry-based instruction or how to unleash students’ subjectivity and initiative. I believe that reading this series would provide great inspiration.
—Professor Gu Mingyuan, President of the China Education Society