2021-04-18

【Aiden in English】

〖What is fairness in the world? Is merit always the pinnacle of fairness in education? (800 Words)〗

        Somewhere along the road of early-grade gym class, I discovered that I wouldn’t be the fastest soccer player or the strongest batter. Consistently being picked in the final few during kickball would imprint those ideas in your mind; however, I felt unjustly robbed of the means of success on the playground. “Why can’t I shoot like him?” I would ask while staring upwards at the six-foot sixth grader.

        Fast forward half a decade. Shielding my eyes from the scorching sunlight, I walked past a dusty soccer field, watching young, barefooted children kick around a battered leather ball. A boy trapped the ball with his heel rolled the ball over and flipped it with his toes to his teammate with ease and skill. And I wondered, staring at the tattered ball and grassless field in the streets of Dar Es Salaam if anyone would ever reward that kid’s talents.

        I documented these memories in a blog, displaying the world to those who could not see it for themselves. While maintaining rigorous daily uploads on my journeys, I developed my writing skills through plenty of practice. Furthermore, as my blog’s viewership climbed into the thousands, then tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands, I realized that I was reaching people from all over the world, and I wanted to do more. Much more.

        In the summer of my freshman year, I opened a writing class at my local Chinese school. Many students who grow up in Chinese-speaking families struggle to break through the language barrier. Recalling the dusty soccer pitch, I imagined that the next great author could be someone who just needed the chance. Thus, I decided that a writing course for elementary students focusing on grammar and fundamental techniques could go a long way. I was surprised by the results from the first day of class. Indeed, certain students had shortcomings in grammar and spelling, but these skills were teachable. As I taught them the basics of grammar, I watched students blossom in a casual atmosphere. They wrote longer, more complex pieces, breaking past the boundaries of standard essay molds. When I listened to the kids read their final works for everyone on the last day of class, I wondered if every student was capable of writing without limits. Perhaps if they just received the tools, then they too could burst from their cocoons. 

        In my eyes, fairness lies only when these opportunities— the opportunity for an additional writing class, and the opportunity to be scouted by a college— are provided to everyone. Watching my students improve their writing, I also realized that merit is not always the pinnacle of fairness in the current educational system. Success derives from the opportunities granted to each individual: some kids grow up with magical soccer skills unseen by the world while others stumble into a writing class by the chance of going to the same Chinese school. Until these opportunities can be granted equally and in an unbiased fashion, merit cannot always be viewed as fair.

【红霞译文】

〖究竟什么是公平？择优学一定代表最公平的吗？(800字)〗

        记得小学时有次去体育课的路上，我发觉自己既不会成为跑动最快的足球运动员，也不会当上力量最强的棒球击球手，但凡赶上射杀点球，我常常是最后亮相的候选，我的取胜机会生生被不公正地剥夺了。“我咋就不能像他那样踢球呢？”当我抬头仰视身高六英尺的初一学生，我扪心自问。

        差不多五年多前，当炙人的骄阳挡住了视线，我走过尘土飞扬的足球场，眼见一帮孩童光着脚围着破烂皮球踢来踢去，一个小男孩用脚后跟挡球并倒钩抛起，然后再用脚尖轻而易举地将球传给队友。面对达累斯萨拉姆市区不成样子的足球以及赤地千里的操场，我纳闷是否有人赏识那个孩子的才华。

        我曾在博客里报道过这些旅行札记，将环游世界的所见所闻介绍给那些尚无身临其境的读者，借助实践性严格训练加速提高写作。长此以往，我的博客浏览量已从几千飙涨上万，再从数以万计攀至数以百万计，我意识到自己正和来自世界各地的网友接触，并希望继续发扬光大，再接再厉。

        从高一暑假开始，我为本地中文学校开设了英语写作课，班上不少学生都在说中文的家庭环境下长大，亟待突破语言障碍。回忆起土坯足球场景，我禁不住浮想联翩，没准下一位大作家正需要这种机会。于是，我为小学生写作课制定了长期规划，重点放在语法和基础技法方面，第一天上课令我备受鼓舞，虽说有的学生确实缺乏语法和拼写功底，但这些技能是可以教会的。我从基本语法讲起，同学们不知不觉地掌握了要领，文章越写越长，情节越撰越美，大大超越了标准文书水平。最后一堂课，当聆听他们演讲自己的作品时，我仿佛感到人人都能写好作文，只要把握学习方法，就会破茧成蝶。

        在我眼中，如果每个人都有像课外写作补习班、大学录取等诸如此类的机会，那么才有公平可言。亲眼见证自己学生的写作水平日趋提高，我更加体会到日前教育体系中择优学并非最公平，因为成功源于每个人的机遇：一些孩子技压群芳却无人知晓；而另一些孩子不经意上了同一所中文学校的写作班。除非机会面前人人平等，否则择优学永远不存在公平一说。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

Yo-Yo @ 2015 Lansdale Intl Fest(2015年兰斯代尔国际节抖空竹)

2014: Donation(义务捐款)

Textbook Pick-up for 2020-2021 Virtual Classes from North Penn High School During COVID-19

(北宾州高中·2020-2021年度新冠肺炎疫情期间领取网课教材 09/02/2020)

Crosslink(相关博文):

12th Grade(高中四年级)