VOA慢速英语 2008 0508a

Education Report - From Forester to National Teacher of the Year
Michael Geisen, a middle-school science teacher in Oregon, will spend a year as an international spokesman for education. Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
07 May 2008

 

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

A science teacher from Prineville, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, is the new National Teacher of the Year.
　

President Bush with the 2008 National Teacher of the Year, Michael Geisen

Michael Geisen is thirty-five years old. He was a forester. But he decided² he would rather work with growing minds than with growing trees. Seven years ago, he got a master's degree in teaching and a job at Crook³ County Middle School. Crook County has high rates of poverty.

He brought new energy to the science department. He also created school projects to get parents involved in their children's work.

One girl who was recently in his class said he could probably make it interesting to watch grass grow.

During lunch, his students come to his room to talk, get help, visit his turtle and sometimes join him in playing guitar. He writes songs and develops games about science. He says one of his goals as a teacher is to create people who will continue to learn throughout their lives.

Michael Geisen studied forest resource management and graduated with high honors from the University of Washington.

He says he tries to be creative with each activity. He does not like to use textbooks much. When students know that the work is local and useful to their lives, he says, they start to get interested.

On June first Michael Geisen will begin a year as a spokesman for education. The father of two young children will travel the country and the world.

The National Teacher of the Year program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, began in nineteen fifty-two. The winner is chosen from among state teachers of the year.

President George Bush honored this year's top teachers at the White House last week. He noted⁴ that in Michael Geisen's first two years as head of the science department, scores on a state science test rose sharply at his school. And they are still rising. The president's education reform law, the No Child Left Behind Act, expanded testing as a way to measure results.

But speaking at the White House, the new National Teacher of the Year said children are "not just numbers to be measured."

MICHAEL GEISEN: "Students need to know that we value more than just being right all the time. We need to really honor their creativity. We need to honor their desire to learn useful skills that are going to be relevant to the twenty-first century world.

"These are skills such as innovation and creativity, people-skills like compassion⁵ and collaboration⁶ and the ability not to just know the details but to really see how it fits into the big picture. This is our real challenge, is to educate the entire child."

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 crook   

v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处)

参考例句：

• He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.我骂他骗子，他要我向他认错。
• She was cradling a small parcel in the crook of her elbow.她用手臂挎着一个小包裹。

4 noted   

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。

5 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

6 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。