VOA慢速英语2020--社区中心和博物馆变成了学校

To ease social distancing and reduce health risks linked to in-person learning, school administrators¹ are getting creative about finding more space.

In the United States, some schools are setting up outdoor shelters and making use of other empty spaces, like museums.

In normal times, people get married at a large convention² center in Hesston, Kansas. Businesses hold training programs for workers at the convention center, while Christian³ groups use it for religious events. But during the coronavirus health crisis⁴, the building has become a schoolhouse for middle school students.

Megan Kohlman teaches literature and writing inside one of the rooms. Her class is separated from a math teacher's space by only a thin piece of plastic.

For Kohlman, this class is an improvement from distance learning last spring. "Everyone just really believes in the power of having kids with us as much as we can," Kohlman said.

As infection rates rise across central Kansas, some education leaders say they wish more schools would consider different approaches to learning.

Joseph Allen is an associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts. He says the costs of keeping children out of school are "devastating⁵." He believes that more creativity is needed in how schools work during the coronavirus health crisis.

"With schools, we seem to be stuck in this closed mindset where it is only in schools or in the existing setup or it is not going to happen," Allen said.

In New York City, Council Member Ben Kallos pushed for unused stores and buildings to be used as classrooms, along with libraries and senior centers. But the idea did not go far because of concerns about laws, costs and other issues.

Kallos said that New York had many empty stores before the health crisis. That problem has only gotten worse.

"It seems only natural that the city could have activated⁶ each and every one of these spaces to serve our children in this time of need. It is disappointing and .... irresponsible that the city didn't do it," Kallos said.

However, some 1,100 New York City schools have been approved to spend part of their day outdoors. The city's schools have enough indoor space for social distancing but are also using other spaces, such as closed streets. That information comes from Katie O'Hanlon of the New York City Department of Education.

Nationwide, many school systems have moved classes outdoors or are making plans to do so, said Sharon Danks. Danks heads Green Schoolyards America, a California non-profit group that works in support of outdoor education.

In New Orleans, the Louisiana Children's Museum has been used as a classroom for about 60 students. Young children from Langston Hughes Academy can spread out among the indoor exhibits. Outside, there are flower gardens and trees.

"If this building were empty day in and day out, it would just be depressing," said the museum's chief Julia Bland⁷. "The teachers have been totally engaged by this. They say they have never been so excited about going to work."

Samantha Keppler is an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's business school. She wrote early this year that schools could use the power of relationships with religious groups and other organizations to add space to make school reopenings safer. She said it has not happened as much as she had hoped.

Words in This Story

museum – n. a building in which objects of artistic⁸, cultural or scientific interest are stored and shown to visitors

kids – n. children

approach – n. a way of doing something

mindset – n. a particular way of thinking

setup – n. the way that something is done or organized

library – n. a building containing books, magazines and other publications for people to read or borrow

senior – adj. involving or related to older people

disappointing – adj. causing someone to feel unhappy

exhibit – n. an object or a collection of objects that have been put out in a public space for people to look at

excite – v. to cause or fuel strong feelings

1 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

2 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

7 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

8 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。