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VOA慢速英语--大数据帮助教育改革

时间:2017-04-06 23:19:29

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The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD is working with teachers and schools to reform education through data.

The OECD is over 50 years old, and has 35 member countries, including the United States. Its aim is to support policies that will improve the economic and social well-being1 of people worldwide.

The OECD's Program for International Student Assessment2, or PISA, is the largest international study of 15-year-old students. More than 500,000 students from 72 countries took the test in 2016. They answered questions involving three subjects: science, reading and mathematics.

The PISA results are informative3, but do not always lead to improvements in the classroom. The OECD hopes to change that through a program it calls PISA4U. It hopes the program will connect teachers in different areas and lead to exchanges of what it considers "relevant best practices."

Holm Keller is heading the PISA4U initiative4. He says the reasons for differences between high schools is something that teachers are best positioned to explain.

PISA4U is "aimed at empowering teachers to do what they can to substantially improve teaching outcomes5 in their expertise," Keller said. "There is a lot of potential for innovation6 in the teaching community, but it is not always easily shared."

Through PISA4U, the OECD hopes to share information about what makes some schools perform better than others.

The initiative has two parts. The first is an online program where teachers work in groups to create resources related to their area of specialization. These online and other resources are then shared with the 4,000 teachers involved in PISA4U. The teachers are asked to study and rate the information. Afterwards, the final version of the resources will be shared online to a larger community of teachers for free.

Basis Schools: managing by data

Another goal of PISA4U is to study successful education models around the world. One such model, the only one being studied in the United States, is the Basis school system. It is a group of independent and charter7 schools that have a record of high student performance.

Basis schools have receive a lot of recognition8 for their successes. In 2016, U.S. News and World Report magazine rated two Basis schools in Arizona as the number 2 and 3 "Best High School" in the country. The same two schools, plus another in Oro Valley, Arizona, were named as the top three U.S. charter schools.

These rankings are based on the school's student performance on state-required tests, as well as how well their students are prepared for college.

While Basis schools do have a history of success, another reason for studying them is their method of using data to inform teachers.

The Basis schools direct their programs with data from an electronic learning platform, called the Basis Educational Link and Assessment, or BELA. Mark Reford is the Chief Business Development and Brand Officer for Basis. In his opinion, the simplest way to describe BELA "is crowdsourcing curricular9 innovation."

At Basis schools, teachers never have a set curriculum10 or program of study. Instead, they are given "goals" of what subjects they need to present to students during the school year. Teachers put all the information about their classes, such as homework, study guides, or education goals, into the BELA database11. With this information, school administrators13 are able to see teacher's progress, which teachers have been successful, and what interesting things they are doing with their classes. That way, the administrators are able to share the information with other teachers and schools.

The database also can help teachers. Teachers can search BELA for curriculum and resource materials for their classes.

School innovation

BELA is not the only unusual thing about the Basis schools. According to Sean Aiken, Head of School for the Basis Independent School in McLean, Virginia, the schools have a one-of-a-kind model for teachers.

At the Basis schools, students do not have homeroom teachers, but instead have separate teachers for each subject. Instead of using teachers who are considered "generalists," the schools offer teaching positions to experts in the subject they are teaching. The idea is that whoever is teaching middle school biology should be an expert in biology.

Individuals being considered for a teaching position also required to complete a teaching demo with Basis students, who provide their comments to a school administrator12. That information is used in the-decision-making process.

Additionally, in Basis primary schools, groups of students are asked to work with a Learning Expert Teacher, or LET, who follows the students to their classes throughout the day. The LET then meets with the subject teachers to help make sure class time is well spent for the students.

A "culture of education"

Basis schools are said to support a "culture of education." School days are longer, and there are less breaks than at U.S. public schools. Advanced Placement, or AP tests are first taken in eighth or ninth grade. School work is also considered more important than sports or other extra-curricular activities. However Aiken says the main goal is to regain14 control of how students use their time.

"Do you want to be functioning in the top 1 to 2% of the world when it comes to your critical thinking, reading, writing and science? Yes... Do you also want to win the city championship for middle school girl's basketball? Yes... Those are not mutually exclusive15 goals. But now we need to be even more intentional16 about how we are using our time," Aiken said

Although difficult at times, the Basis model appears to be working for some students. According to Sayeed Akhtar, an 11th grade student at the Basis School in McLean, the biggest difference between his and other schools was the rigor17.

"I think the level of academic rigor at Basis is much higher than other schools in the area... I spent about six years in another school in the area and it was kind of like a country club. I think at Basis they have a much more serious approach to academics and they are functioning just at a higher level overall in terms of their curriculum," Akhtar said.

Akhtar is currently18 taking seven AP classes, something he says that not many students his age are doing.

But trying to meet high expectations at an early age is not easy, Aiken says. Some students find that balancing the work load at the Basis schools with other activities is difficult. Also, not all parents feel the model is right for their children, as it puts more pressure on them.

Basis schools are different, but it is their custom of using data to improve teaching that makes the schools a model of what PISA4U hopes to achieve. By sharing information, the hope is that eventually teachers around the world will have use of information on what really makes a school successful.

I'm Phil Dierking. And I'm Alice Bryant.

Phil Dierking wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Do you think using data to improve teaching is effective? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on Facebook page.

 

Words in This Story

crowdsourcing - n. the practice of obtaining information or input19 into a task or project by enlisting20 the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid21, typically via the Internet.

curriculum - n.

data - n. the courses that are taught by a school, college, etc.

database - n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer

function - n. a collection of pieces of information that is organized and used on a computer

initiative - n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem

online - adj. connected to a computer, a computer network, or the Internet

platform - n. a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs

practice - v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

primary - adj. most important

resource - n. something that a country has and can use to increase its wealth

rigor - n. the difficult and unpleasant conditions or experiences that are associated with something

substantially - n.very much, or, a lot


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 well-being Fe3zbn     
n.安康,安乐,幸福
参考例句:
  • He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
  • My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福,却被误解为多管闲事。
2 assessment vO7yu     
n.评价;评估;对财产的估价,被估定的金额
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何?
3 informative 6QczZ     
adj.提供资料的,增进知识的
参考例句:
  • The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
  • This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。
4 initiative m4iyL     
n.主动性,首创精神,主动权(的行动),倡议
参考例句:
  • He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
  • His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。
5 outcomes ada150cea270ef5267b5ef2ff2366846     
结果( outcome的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The two scenarios provide illustrations of consistent set of outcomes for range of possible policies. 这两个方案说明某一套可能采取的政策将会产生的一系列后果。
  • We analyzed all the possible outcomes of your mission, Commander. 我们分析过所有可能的结果,指挥官。
6 innovation 06Wxr     
n.改革,革新,新观念,新方法,新发明
参考例句:
  • There are all sorts of possibilities for technical innovation.技术革新的门道很多。
  • An enterprise should encourage innovation.企业应鼓励创新。
7 charter HrvzK     
n.特许状,执照,宪章;v.特许,发给特许执照
参考例句:
  • This new law amounts to a tax evader's charter.这项新法律简直成了为逃税者开的许可证。
  • We will charter a steamer to convey the goods.我们将租一艘船运送这批货物。
8 recognition zUYxm     
n.承认,认可,认出,认识
参考例句:
  • The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
  • A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意,表示认识对方。
9 curricular 2a777682d15b9a56e22cb270276dfa82     
课程的
参考例句:
  • She's involved in many extra-curricular activities . 她参加了许多课外活动。
  • She's involved in many extra-curricular activities, such as music, sport and drama. 她参加了许多课外活动,如音乐、运动、戏剧。
10 curriculum cYKzO     
n.课程,(学校等的)全部课程
参考例句:
  • Is German on your school's curriculum?你们学校有德语课吗?
  • The English curriculum should stress both composition and reading.英语课程对作文和阅读应同样重视。
11 database mvWzUj     
n.数据库 (=databank)
参考例句:
  • I discovered some new information in the database.我在资料库里发现了一些新信息。
  • We planned to build an online database.我们计划建一个联机数据库。
12 administrator SJeyZ     
n.经营管理者,行政官员
参考例句:
  • The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
  • He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。
13 administrators d04952b3df94d47c04fc2dc28396a62d     
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
14 regain YkYzPd     
vt.重新获得,收复,恢复
参考例句:
  • He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
  • The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。
15 exclusive Th7zy     
adj.不包括的,不算在内的,独有的,独享的
参考例句:
  • The hotel charges 6 pounds a day,exclusive of meals.这家旅馆一天收六英镑,不包括饭钱。
  • This bathroom is for the President's exclusive use.这间浴室是总统专用的。
16 intentional 65Axb     
adj.故意的,有意(识)的
参考例句:
  • Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
  • His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
17 rigor as0yi     
n.严酷,严格,严厉
参考例句:
  • Their analysis lacks rigor.他们的分析缺乏严谨性。||The crime will be treated with the full rigor of the law.这一罪行会严格依法审理。
18 currently SvMzI2     
adv.通常地,普遍地,当前
参考例句:
  • Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
  • Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
19 input X6lxm     
n.输入(物);投入;vt.把(数据等)输入计算机
参考例句:
  • I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
  • All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。
20 enlisting 80783387c68c6664ae9c56b399f6c7c6     
v.(使)入伍, (使)参军( enlist的现在分词 );获得(帮助或支持)
参考例句:
  • He thought about enlisting-about the Spanish legion-about a profession. 他想去打仗,想参加西班牙军团,想找个职业。 来自辞典例句
  • They are not enlisting men over thirty-five. 他们不召超过35岁的人入伍。 来自辞典例句
21 unpaid fjEwu     
adj.未付款的,无报酬的
参考例句:
  • Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
  • He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

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