Hunger 1: Practical hunger to improve 務實求進的渴求

• practical hunger to improve
• intellectual hunger to learn
• emotional hunger to achieve
• fearless hunger to invent

Steve Jobs, the current CEO and founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, ended his Commencement address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005,
“Stay hungry; stay foolish”.
Source: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

“Be practical!” or “Be realistic!” always refers to a pessimistic expression. For instance, one may say before the exam, “Don’t aim at A. Be practical! We may get C most.” Of course, staying within the comfort zone without high expectations makes life easy. However, this mentality is a great hurdle for advancement. Strive for excellence is a long and tough journey in which we need to maintain high expectations.

During my first year of principalship in 2007, my school focused on two areas of concern, namely cooperative learning and class culture building. We believe that these two items are the practical and fundamental drive for learning. These two foci also echo the 21st Century curriculum trend.

Cooperative Learning is an effective learning strategy for students’ active participation through positive interdependence and individual accountability. Classroom instructions shift from didactic to interactive, from interactive to participative way. Students are arranged into groups and members perform different roles. Through a wide spectrum of coop strategies, such as jigsaw, rainbow grouping, butts-up, 3-step interview, envoy exchange ……., students are mobilized and active in learning. It is also a valuable opportunity of social skills development (a very important 21st Century skills) and respectful mind development (one of the 5 minds for the future illustrated by Howard Gardner, the founder of multiple intelligences).

Class culture building provides students with a positive learning environment. Every class is a family. Students determine their class rules, class motto, anthem, theme and logo. Their aspiration and goals are displayed for mutual encouragement. Through a lot of team building activities including candle lunch, class culture building variety show, caring angel and hundreds of others, a centripetal force emerges. The senses of security, belonging, uniqueness, direction and competence are cultivated. These 5 senses facilitate both academic learning and personal development.

Cooperative learning and class culture building serve as the backbone of students’ campus life. In the atmosphere of active learning and harmony, we believe that our students love inquiry, enjoy their peer accompany, respect each other and most of all, equip well for the future challenges.

Reference:
Arden, P. (2003). It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be. London: Phaidon.
Cruz, C. (2006). Once upon a cow: a story about eliminating excuses and settling for nothing but success. Brainstorm Press.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Harvard Business School Press
Email: patrick@patricklamhc.com
http://www.patricklamhc.com

 務實求進的渴求
 篤志勵學的渴求
 美滿成果的渴求
 勇於創新的渴求

蘋果電腦公司及彼思動畫製作室的創辦人及現任行政總裁史提夫‧賈伯斯（Steve Jobs）2005年6月12日於美國史丹福大學演說結束時，用以下句子來勉勵該屆畢業生：

「求知若飢、虛心若愚。」
資料來源：http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

「實幹點罷！」或「現實點罷！」通常是用作負面的表達。例如考試前說：「取得甲等簡直是妄想，現實點罷！我們最多只不過可以取得乙等。」當然，沒有高的期望往往令人們心情輕鬆一些，但是這想法妨礙了求進之路。畢竟追求卓越是條漫長及崎嶇的道路，亦需要時刻保持遠大的目標及清晰的願景。

在2007年我首年為校長，學校的關注事項為「優化合作學習以提升學習效能」和「建構優質的班級經營」。它們除了是學習的原動力，亦回應21世紀課程導向。

「合作學習」發揮同學的積極相互依賴（支持）及個人承責，以促進同學積極投入學習。學習模式由傳統的老師講解漸進為師生互動，由師生互動漸進為全民參與。同學們在班中分成小組，而每成員各按其職，共獻所長。透過如jigsaw, rainbow grouping, butts-up, 3-step interview, envoy exchange等等的合作學習策略，同學們躍動於豐富的學習歷程中。除此之外，這全動（不單是互動）的學習法不但幫助同學發展21世紀重要技能之一的協作能力，更讓同學培養尊重之心，此乃多元智能論之父哈沃德‧加德納（Howard Gardner）最近提出「邁向未來的五大能力」之一。

「班級經營」為同學營造正面的學習環境及氣氛。每一班是一個家，各成員共同制定班規、主題、口號、班歌、班徵等。課室亦張貼各家族成員的理想及目標以作互相鼓勵。透過多元化的班級經營活動，如燭光午餐、班級經營匯演、愛心天使等，建以班為核心的立凝聚力，從中亦發展同學的安全感、歸屬感、獨特感、方向感及能力感。此五感之發展對同學的學習及個人素質陶造是十分重要的。

合作學習及班級經營是同學於校園生活的幹脈。在和諧及愉快的學習氣氛裡，同學們喜愛探究、樂群成長、彼此尊重，最重要的是在各方面好好裝備自己，以迎接未來的挑戰。

參考書籍
Arden, P. (2003). It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be. London: Phaidon.
Cruz, C. (2006). Once upon a cow: a story about eliminating excuses and settling for nothing but success. Brainstorm Press.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Harvard Business School Press.

電郵: patrick@patricklamhc.com
個人網頁: http://www.patricklamhc.com/

林克忠 2011年8月