Reflection on online education

广东 李奕群

1At a session in Davos, Salesforce.com (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff and Sean Parker of Facebook (FB) and Napster hosted a round table.Then someone asked me whether online education would have broadened my childhood horizons.

2I had to answer, “No.”What was really important in my education was that at key moments,I was able to predict the next step.And usually I did it with the help of a mentor, or at least someone who'd taken that next step before I did.If online education is going to change outcomes on a global scale, we must think more broadly about students' actual needs.We need to think about their entire educational journey, not just the content or the classes we provide.

3Every student needs the following three things.

4First, the plan.Imagine a child in a poor area trying to make an educational plan out of a series of online courses.It's impossible.In addition to building online classes, some of that money should go toward helping students make plans for their education, with help from advisory staff or current students.

5Second, the peer group.If students don't have peers struggling with the same material at the same time, they're likely to feel lonely and hopeless.Online educational software must become more social, immediate and fun.Imagine what a gift it would be to a student in rural area to connect with other students studying the same material in other parts of the world.

6Third, the mentors.Last fall, I helped create WitsOn, an online community connecting 500 professional women with thousands of college students.Students asked the women questions.Interestingly, we saw many of the professionals eagerly learning from the students.This suggests a giant network of learners, with mentors and mentees learning.

7I'm a big fan of learning online.But computers are not going to help most of people.Education is more than lectures, assignments and exams.It's a means to imagine a different life from the one you're living.Let's give every student a shot at that.

Reading Check

1.What was most important in the author's education?

A.Predicting the future.B.Forming the habit of reading.

C.Receiving online education.D.Meeting some excellent teachers.

2.Where should money go toward according to the author's opinion?

A.Opening online classes.

B.Hiring advisory staff.

C.Donating money to schools.

D.Helping students make plans for their education.

3.What is paragraph 6 mainly about?

A.The problem of the students.

B.The suggestion of the professionals.

C.The disadvantage of the online community.

D.The necessity of building a network between mentors and mentees.

4.What is the author's attitude towards online education?

A.Objective.B.Doubtful.

C.Negative.D.Positive.

➢语篇解码

本文是一篇说明文，讲述我们在推行网络教育的同时，还应该思考学生们的真实需求。

➢语言学习

Ⅰ.语料荟萃

语篇单词host v.作为主人组织；主办predict v.预言；预测outcome n.结果broadly adv.宽广地entire adj.全部的；整个的journey n.旅行advisory adj.顾问的；咨询的staff n.全体职工current adj.当前的peer n. 同辈；同伴；伙伴struggle v.奋斗；努力software n.（计算机）软件rural adj.乡村的；似农村的professional n.专业人士；专家eagerly adv.渴望地；热切地giant adj.巨大的；伟大的lecture n.演讲assignment n. 分配；工作____________means n. 方法

（续表）

Ⅱ.语句分析

1.Then someone asked me whether online education would have broadened my childhood horizons.然后有人问我，线上教育是否会拓宽我童年的视野。

【点石成金】本句中，whether引导的是一个宾语从句，意为“是否”。

2.What was really important in my education was that at key moments, I was able to predict the next step.在我的教育中，真正重要的是，在关键时刻，我能够预测到下一步。

【点石成金】本句由两个从句构成，what 引导的是主语从句，that 引导的是表语从句。

➢语言运用

Ⅰ.例句仿写

1.我来看看她是否在家。

I'll see _________________________________.2.更重要的是我能学到很多的知识。

_________________________________I could learn a lot of knowledge.

Ⅱ.写作实践

假定你是李华，你的好友John发邮件向你询问你对网络教育的看法，请你给他回一封邮件。内容包括：

1.网络教育的现状；

2.你的看法。

注意：

1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear John,

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua