今年的国庆7日秋令营，我会用提供发言模板的形式，鼓励学生们上台发言，发号施令，对营地大小事务进行自我管理，就如同编程一样。
先不要急着评判，觉得老师给学生写一个发言模板是在限制孩子讲话的思维。我这里的开会发言主要是参与营地管理，不是演讲，也不是写作文，需要涵盖很多孩子不熟悉的领域，靠他自己去想去发挥，暂时还不到那个阶段。
什么是发言模板?
就是这样的(孩子自己把括号里的内容填满):
……
Good evening，
我叫()，()岁，我来自()。多谢()的推荐，今天晚上的辩论赛由我来主持，做得不好的，有主持不公正的现象，希望各位原谅，毕竟我也没什么经验，大姑娘上花轿，头一遭。
今天是()月()日，星期()，现在是晚上()点()分，我们的辩论赛在()点结束，请各位在辩论的时候想清楚再说，不要耽误大家的时间。
尊重别人主要是尊重别人的时间。
辩题大家提前知道了，正方观点是()，组成正方阵营的辩手分别是()，请大家都坐在这边来，一辩坐这头，二辩在这。。。反方观点是()。。。
辩论赛的基本规则如下:
……
你看，有了这么一套模板，胆小的孩子也可以主持了。ta如果想自由发挥，完全可以插入进去。
有时候，教孩子写作文，我也会在ta卡壳的时候，念一段开头，让ta直接记录下来，写进作文里，即使家长老师知道这不是ta自己写的也不要紧，这样的抄写也是一种学习，他可以在没有思路可以行走的地方看到一条思维路径，以后就熟悉了。
我们的线下辩论赛之所以受家长学生欢迎，也许最重要的一点是家长和老师混合组队，带领学生进行辩论。我指导学生写作文也比较成功，也是这个道理。
我们的夏令营和周末营每天都会有一个孩子当营长，营长选一个副营长当助手，孩子多的时候，营长再选一个安全员，分工负责整个营地的管理。
每天三餐饭之前先开一个会，一是对当天的活动进行总结，二是对英语进行回顾，这些孩子每天三次发言，都会用到一个不同的模板，对不同的内容进行交代，很完整，不管是发言者还是参会人员，都可以学到很多实用的知识。
山水学堂今后的管理也会继续这样的模式，以各种基于流程和规则的发言模板和会议来对学堂的日常管理进行规范，提高效率，避免遗漏，避免交代下去没有结果。很多会议，孩子们今后可以自己组织，不需要老师参加，更不需要老师来组织。
还是那句话，发言模板其实就是一套电脑程序，可以提高开会的效率，乃至日常生活的效率。
一个国家有自己的法律，一个企业有自己的章程，一个营地也有自己的营规，但是这些规矩离我们的日常生活还是挺远的，一般人都不知道具体内容。如何将这些营规融入到学生在营地的每一天呢？这些发言模板就是一个很好的嵌入途径。
外国商人和混血孩子的父亲：对失败的中国教育的观察
有一个来自美国，在中国一个大城市做交换学生的高中生在中国的高中学习了一段时间后，在博客中写道：“我感觉自己被无数的僵尸包围了，这些中国学生毫无活力，疲惫不堪，每天要学习十几个小时。。。”
根据中国英国教育部门联合进行的一项针对中国小学生的大范围调查，得到了下面这些数据：
翻译如下：
- 81%的中国小学生很担心自己的考试成绩不理想；Eighty-one per cent worry ‘a lot’ about exams,
- 65%害怕被老师处罚；63% are afraid of the punishment of teachers,
- 44%的学生在学校受到过其他同学的欺负，其中主要是男生；44% had been physically bullied at least sometimes, with boys more often victims of bullying,
- 73% 挨过家长打；and 73% of children are physically punished by parents.
- 三分之一的孩子有过心理问题症状，每周至少发一次；Over one-third of children reported psychosomatic symptoms at least once per week,
- 37% 出现了头痛；37% headache
- 36% 肚子痛；and 36% abdominal pain.（都与心理症状有关 All individual stressors were highly significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms.）
来自外国驻华商人 TSO 对失败的中国教育的观察
I have lived in China for 4 years now and here are a few observations: （截止到2013年），我已经在中国呆了四年了，下面是我的一些观察：
我和一些孩子聊过，问过他们是不是喜欢他们的学校，所有学生都会回答，我很讨厌学校。every single child I spoke with and asked about how they liked school admitted they hated or at best disliked school. 原因是，大多数学生每天都要花十个小时以上上学和做作业，除此之外还要上各种培训班，目的都是尽量减少玩耍的时间。Most children I know are not only forced to spend 10+ hours a day in school / doing homework, but must also attend all sorts of private tutoring classes and schools all in the philosophy to leave as little time as possible for play.
几乎所有中国家长都承认他们的学校整个系统都很不合理 surprisingly enough almost 100% of parents agreed the school system is insane，对孩子的快乐是一个摧残，and destructive to their children’s happiness 但是这些家长无一例外在家里都会打孩子，或者责骂、威胁他们，让他们听话，老老实实呆在教育体系里。but would brutally (beating / yelling / threatening / blackmailing) enforce blind obedience and participation in the system.
每次我问家长，为什么会违背自己的意愿对孩子这样，When asked about why they would act in contradiction to their own expressed beliefs他们总是一句话they always answered：“这是为了孩子好 it’s for the “good of our children”.”。最让人不齿的是，我继续发问The most disgusting thing is that after a short discussion，将家长们逼到墙角之后 pushed against the wall，他们终于说出了不好意思说出来的真实原因 they would always admit the real reason is 为了减少来自学校老师的压力， to avoid social pressure from school employees / 还有社会压力，people in their environment：“等孩子将来参加工作之后，可以多赚些钱来养家糊口。。。and to maximize the potential future cashflow the children will be able to send home when they start working ”(这就是他们的逻辑：the logic goes: 考试好成绩 top scores on tests -> 最好的大学 best university -> 在公务员系统或者办公室有一份赚高薪工作 best paid bureaucratic / office job -> 每个月都可以多赚钱养家 most cash per month sent home)
– 中国的教育系统培养了一大批无可救药的无能的僵尸员工。Chinese school system produces the most hopelessly incompetent brain-dead zombie automatons. 中国员工没有能力解决任何他们不熟悉的领域或者不在职责范围内的问题。Chinese employees are not able to solve any kind of problem which is outside of the standard process they have written on their job instruction paper. 作为一个外国人，我在中国想去银行开户、As a foreigner try to open a bank account, 给手机上号、 get a phone number, 申请网络，apply for internet 都会遇到下面这样的情况 and watch what happens – 每一次 every single time 当他们碰到一种情况，when they encounter a situation 和常规程序稍微有点不一样的 slightly out of the standard workflow, 开始她们总是说不可能解决这个问题 first they say it’s impossible to solve it. 我和她们争，过了二十分钟左右，After 20 minutes of arguing 她身边会围上来好几个同事和上级，they gather up in a group of … 凑在一起解决，and start discussing the solution. 往往结果还是不可能，The result is it’s still not possible. 然后你就自己提出一个解决方案 Then you suggest a solution 这个方案你其实只花了五秒钟想出来的 which you came up with after using your brain for 5 seconds 然后奇怪的事情发生了 and magically 现在变得可能了 it’s now possible 可以解决你的问题 to arrange your request.
我也在这边做生意 I also run a business here 和中国供应商和服务提供商打交道真是一场噩梦，and dealing with Chinese suppliers / service providers is a nightmare. 总是有这样那样的麻烦，他们每次都会出问题，As a rule you can always expect them to fail every single time there is a potential for problem solving. 每次都是需要我自己来想变通的办法，然后和他们解释。Most of the time you have to come up with and explain the solution on your own. 作为一个老板，我永远不会雇佣一个中国雇员，她们都是失败的中国教育体系的产品，只能完成流水线上的组装工作。As an employer I would never-ever hire a “product” of the Chinese educational system other than for mundane automatic tasks.
虽然我说了这些难听的话，Despite the harsh words 但并没有歧视这里的广大员工的意思 I don’t mean to look down on the average employee here, 我只是想说明，my point is to show 依我看来 that in my experience 这里的学校培养出来的都是一批具有短期记忆能力的机器人，the school system creates short-term memory data regurgitating robots, 完全将孩子的独立思考能力、责任感、主观能动性给摧毁了。totally destroys children’s ability for individual thinking, initiative, responsibility and 一旦他们离开所谓的教育系统，对学习就会非常讨厌，creates people who feel disgust towards learning as soon as they leave the “educational” system, 他们没有多少爱好，have no hobbies and personal interest 将生活看成一把必须爬上去的梯子。and see life as a ladder that needs to be climbed.
I also met a lot of great entrepreneurial minded, enthusiastic, intelligent young people, but most of them lived or studied abroad at least for a short period of time.
我也碰到过不少具有企业家精神的、热情而聪明的年轻中国人，但他们几乎都在国外学习或者生活过一段时间。
中国的学校体系是一个巨大的失败案例，Chinese school system is a massive failure, 下次来中国，你可以亲身去体验一下。and you will find out first-hand during your next trip to China. 我衷心希望中国的孩子能够平安度过他们痛苦而无奈的学生时光。 I wish all the best to children here who have no choice now but to suffer through it.
一封来自美国国际交换生家庭妈妈的信
（看看这些中国的官二代富二代在美国是如何读高中的）
我接待过四个中国高中生住在我家里，Of the four I have hosted, 其中一个已经成为我的义子，第二个儿子，他读大学的时候每逢节假日都会回到我们这个美国的家。one has become my second son and comes home for holidays from university.
第二个我只接待住在家里两个月，The second, whom I only hosted for two months, 和我也很亲，also is very dear to me 节假日也会回到我这里来。and will be coming to our house for holidays.
第三个被美国这边的高中开除了，One failed out of high school 因为他大多数时间都在和他的中国朋友玩游戏，玩到很晚才回家。because he spent most of his time staying up late into the night playing video games online with his Chinese friends. 他有能力，He had the ability, 但不够自律。but not the self-discipline to work hard. 即使他被开除了，Even after he failed at the semester, 他的父母还是让他呆在美国这边，his parents let him stay here, 他也想留在美国，and he wanted to stay 因为这边他更自由。because he had more freedom here.
最后那个The other, 很遗憾 unfortunately, 也马上要被学校开除了，is about to fail, 她估计要先去好好学一年英语语言，再来考一所学校。and will probably take a year of serious English study before trying to apply again. 当时在国内，留学中介告诉她的父母，先在美国读两年高中，把英语水平提高，Her parents were advised to send her to U.S. high school to improve her English. 中介向他们保证，两年后，她肯定会做得很好 They were assured that after two years, she would do just fine. 可惜，Unfortunately, 我们这边的天主教会学校没有专门针对外国人的英语课 our Catholic school did not have ESL, 所以她的英语成绩一直没有提上去，and she never did get strong enough in English 导致她跟不上班 to make it.
其他外国人对中国教育的评价，可能是学校里的外教
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中国的教育很腐败。The education system is completely corrupt. 家长经常需要给老师好处，Parents often “pay off” teachers with gifts 以便他们的孩子能够获得高分。to improve their child’s academic standing. 有些老师会收到汽车或者免费度假作为礼品。Some of these teachers receive cars and vacations. 这就充分说明了，一些中国家长为了孩子能获得高分，愿意走多远。This just shows you the lengths that some parents will resort to in order to attain better grades for their children.
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我的前妻是个中国恶婆娘
我的前妻是个中国人，My ex-wife is Chinese, 她也用异常严厉的措施，从身心两方面，逼着我们的两个孩子在学校获得高分。and she is driving our children with the same emotional and physical torture to get good grades.
我们刚结婚的时候，When we married, 我就和她说我想在家自己教孩子。I told her I wanted to homeschool our children. 刚开始还没问题（幼儿园是自己教的）This worked well 直到老大到了上学年龄until the first one reached school age, 她开始撒谎和刁难，when the lies and manipulation began, 只得离婚 and then a divorce 因为 based upon 我不想 my not wanting to 让孩子全托 use full-time daycare 既然我整天在家 while sitting at home.
因为我是父亲，法律将两个孩子都从我身边夺走，The bias against fathers was used to take my children away entirely, 现在他们两个每天都要花十二个小时上学和做作业，and now they both do the 12 hours a day in school and homework 除非是规定我可以见孩子的时间，她根本就不允许我和孩子说话。and I’m not even allowed to talk to them outside of my scheduled “visitations”. 这归根结底都是中国教育系统导致的。All because of the irrational attachment of a victim of the Chinese school system 一代又一代，都是受害者 to make more victims out of her own children.
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一名美国的培训班老师的话
我听到很多孩子和我说 I hear many statements from all of the kids 他们的家长移民到美国来that the parents deliberately came to America 主要是为了孩子 to raise their kids 因为他们不想让自己的孩子 because they don’t want their own kids 在一个经常处罚 in the punishing, 竞争激烈的系统里成长 competitive system 这些家长自己就亲身经历过 that they suffered through. 他们中有些人还提到 Some of them mention 自己的父母想让他们 that their parents want them 更有创造性 to be more creative or inventive, 他们知道 and they know 生活在美国 that living in America 会有助于达到这个目标 will help with that.
我们的培训学校里，很多都是来自韩国的高知移民后代，Within this pool of high-achieving Korean American students, 看着挺有意思的是 it is interesting to see that 那些最好的学生 some of the best achievers 同时也是 are also 我们这些美国人评价为德智体全面发展的孩子 what most of us would judge the most well-rounded kids. 他们的家长会鼓励他们培养那些和学分无关的兴趣爱好，These are the kids who are allowed (maybe even encouraged) to have non-academic hobbies. 他们可以使用电脑They are the kids who have access to computers (我的培训班的学生中大多数孩子没有电脑，most of my students don’t, 除非是很短的时间，有家长监督，并且做作业需要 except for very limited and supervised sessions in order to do homework); 他们根据兴趣阅读 they read just for fun, 绘画 draw, 搞体育 play sports… 他们相比而言更放松而开心。They seem more relaxed and happy. 有一个学霸告诉我，One of these non-stressed Korean American students told me that, 在韩国，in Korea, 她的爸爸是个异类 her father was a misfit. 被当地人叫做嬉皮士。He was considered a hippie.
我的孩子是在家教育的。I unschooled my own kids, 我让这些外国来的孩子大开眼界，and I bring a fresh perspective to these kids 和他们讲美国高考的真实情况 as I tell them truths about, say, the SATs 以及美国大学的招生办老师想在学生的申请材料中看到什么 and what college admissions officers want to see in the application essay.
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