“批判性思维”到底是什么？

11月28日晚，在万科双语学校剧场举行的VBS家长学生辩论赛给出了最好的答案。

本场辩论赛特邀凤凰卫视主持人周明主持。 

What is actually critical thinking?

 VBS held a debate on 28th November at the school theatre to give out the best answer.

 The debate was moderated by Mr Zhou Ming from Phoenix TV.

批判性思维：精确的知识，反思的意识，独立的人格

 Critical thinking: Precise knowledge, reflective awareness and independent characters

你家孩子沉迷于手机、平板吗？

孩子使用手机平板时间与学习效度成负相关性吗？

你是否在孩子智能产品使用过程中与孩子发生过争执？ 

Is your child addicted to phones and gadgets?

Is your child's study negatively related to the time he/she uses electronic devices?

Have your ever quarrelled with your child on using electronic gadgets?

在大多数学校里，在校学生都被统一规定禁止携带手机和平板等智能产品，而在VBS，却以辩论会的形式，把这个敏感的话题摆到了家长和学生面前。

In most schools, students are disallowed to possess electronic devices such as phones and gadgets. Yet VBS brought up this sensitive issue in front of parents and students in the form of debate. 

万科双语学校秉承“让学生站在未来中央”的办学理念，用线上线下结合的课程和基于网络的学习方式努力为学生营造贴近未来环境的学习，培养学生自主学习和终身学习的意识。

Based on 'Let the students experience the future' philosophy, VBS combines online and offline curriculum and network-based studies to create a conducive learning environment for the future and nurture their ability to do independent studies and lifelong learning.

在线上与线下相结合的学习模式的推进中，学校同样遇到了题记中的问题。“学生使用ipad学习是否能达到自控”这个问题引起了家长和老师们的关注。孩子在使用电子智能产品辅助学习的过程中，出现了部分无法自控的现象，家长们感到十分困扰。

As this pattern proceeds, the school encounters the issue mentioned above. The issue on whether students exercise self-control upon learning via iPads catches the attention of teachers and parents. Some have demonstrated inability to focus on studies which troubles parents. 

在此过程中，家长、学生分别该怎样解决这些问题？

八年级几位学生找到杨帆校长反映自己的困惑，这立刻引起了杨帆校长的重视。当她了解到孩子与家长正面临的困扰时，就决定以万双的方式解决这个问题，开展一场基于平等对话、沟通交流的家长与孩子之间的辩论赛。

于是，这场主题为“中学生使用电子产品辅助学习是弊大于利，还是利大于弊”的辩论赛应运而生了。

How should students and parents tackle these issues?

Several students came to Principal Yang to explain their which caught Principal's attention. As she came to know that parents and students had worries on this issue, she decided to hold an open and equal debate to solve this in VBS way.

Hence this debate themed 'Does the cons outweigh the pros in using electronic products to complement studies for Secondary School students' was set up.

孩子们有话语要倾诉，家长们有观点要表达。

Students had something to say, but parents ought to express their opinions.

孩子们在课下根据老师的指导设计问卷，调查统计，课下采访，收集素材。孙晓萌老师对学生和家长进行了辩论赛的规则的培训。家长、学生都为此次争取话语权积极备战。家长们在课堂后分别两次聚首，协商沟通，安排任务，分工合作。经过两周的培训和磋商，双方都积极为辩论赛的来临做好了充分的准备。

Guided by teachers, students conducted interviews and investigations on the issue to prepare for this debate. Ms Monna Sun set up workshops for parents and students for the rules. Both students and parents spent two weeks for this debate well. 

必胜队VS美少女战士队，谁与争锋？

Who was having the upper hand?

这场“没有硝烟的战争”在正方一辩刘美麟爸爸有理有据的陈词中拉开了帷幕，他从“游戏让人沉迷的设计的原理，学生智商阶段性发育的特点，以及学生自律性弱”等方面阐述了智能产品带来的弊端，铿锵有力——“学生能在玩IPAD的同时认真学习吗？不，他们只会被学习以外的事情所吸引，从而注意力被分散，不能专注学习。长此以往，会很严重的影响学生的学业积累。”

This debate started with the opening by Liu Meilin's parent who explained the harms electronic gadgets could bring to students, 'Can students study and play ipad at the same time? No! They will only be distracted by things outside studies so that their work is severely left behind.'

刘美麟爸爸

反方一辩也不甘示弱，来自7C班的刘亦然同学分别从“学生使用电子产品的便捷性和趣味性、环保性”阐述了电子产品给学生带来的好处，并郑重其事地提到：“目前，全国的IT人才缺口大约1.5亿人，远远无法满足未来的物联网时代的需求。让学生更早且合理的接触电子产品无疑可以改善这一点。整个世界走上物联网的道路还很长，也很曲折，但却有无限的风光，无限的希望。家长不要太过悲观，太过担忧，从而让孩子无法站在未来的中央。”开拓性的视野和铿锵有力、大方自信的发言，赢得了学生热烈的掌声。

Liu Yiran from 7C countered with various benefits of electronic gadgets could bring to their users and mentioned about the shortage of IT talents in China, 'Currently China needs 150 million more IT talents, the society cannot meet the demand over the growth of IoT. There is still a long way to explore the infinite possiblities of IoT, but getting students to reasonably use electronic items can change this. Parents need not be pessimistic too much which could make students unable to experience the future.' 

7C班的刘亦然同学

家长们在为孩子有深度的发言感慨的同时，也客观理性地提出了“乔布斯等名人不让自己孩子在14岁一下使用iPad”的事例，同时补充了大量科学调查研究的数据，在电子产品大行其道的这些年，青少年各个维度的思考力、专注力、判断力、视力的数据都有下降的事实。虽然是理性的辩驳，我们也从家长们朴实的发言中，感受到父母对孩子的殷切关爱。

As parents were impressed by the statements made by students, they pointed out the fact that celebrities did not allow their kids under 14 to use iPads and supported their claims with scientific data proving that teenagers had been impaired by the using eletronic devices in terms of falling eyesight, focus, judgement and thinking. Such claims were filled with parents' love despite being true.

自由辩论环节，同学们和家长们踊跃发言，积极表达自己的见解。有帮正方家长的学生，提出观点，“学习的本质是专注，电子产品的使用只是看了这套题的形式，而没有进行深度思考，反而会破坏学习的主动性。”

As the floor was given to the audience, many parents and students actively took part in the discussion. Students in favour of parents said, 'Focus is all that matters in studies. Using electronic items just presents a way to look at the questions, but it does not offer thinking in a deeper level which will damage the initiative to study.'

有帮反方学生的家长，提出“既然我们期望孩子站在未来的中央，那么我们应该给予孩子更多的信任，我们当年也是从自己的父母的担忧中走过来的，当年的电子产品也被形容成洪水猛兽，如今我们在这种质疑当中变成了承担责任、中流砥柱的角色，当年的担忧也没有成为让人恐惧的事实，不是吗？”

Some parents supported students with statements, 'Since we expect students to experience the future, trust shall be given to them. Back in our time as students, electronic devices were demonised as well. Yet we have made it ourselves as parents, the worries back then are not relevant anymore, are they?'

整个剧场陷入了一个言语交锋、观点碰撞的高潮，自由环节结束时，仍有很多双手高高举起，迫切地想表达自己的观点。

The whole theatre went to the climax of arguing. When the session ended, many still craved for having a say on the issue.

最后，反方四辩，来自8C班的温思涵做了总结：“自律性是我们作为学生甚至是成年人至高的追求目标。一切问题归咎于使用电子产品上是不对的，而应该探求我们是如何教育孩子以及自律的表现。”

Wen Sihan made her closing statements, 'Self-discipline is the ultimate target that we, as students or even adults aim to pursue. It is unwise to blame everything on using electroic devices but to research on the ways how we educate children and on self-discipline behaviour.'

8C班的温思涵

正方四辩，来自7E班车宇涵家长做了总结陈词：“今天我们在一起，为了祖国的未来，擦出了爱的火花。我们选择了万双，是因为爱，我们在这里讨论是因为爱。我们希望把我们的未来交给真正能担负起重担的一代人，也是为了爱！”  她更希望孩子们“通过自己的亲身实践和感受去主动思考，去接触真实的社会，这样才习得如何应对和解决这个社会上各种复杂的问题。”同时她也期待这样的交流没有结束，大家一起探讨更好的解决办法。”

Che Yuhan's parent also made her closing statement, 'We gather here today to discuss the wellbeing ofour students. Because of love, we send our children to VBS to be groomed for the future,' she hoped students to take initiatives to think and experience themselves by getting in touch with society so that they could understand and solve complex issues in the society. She also anticipated more similar discussions to find better solutions.

7E班车宇涵家长

主持人周明感慨地说道：“从这次激烈交锋的辩论当中，我看到了万科双语学校的孩子们自信大方的态度以及清晰严密的逻辑思维。家长们爱孩子，站在家长角度，希望孩子能进行良好的自我管理，健康快乐成长；孩子们希望得到理解和支持，争取自己的言论自由，言必有据。最终，孩子们也会慢慢长大，会变成勇于担责的父母，也会开始对自己的孩子有新的担忧，但是这份爱的传递始终没有变。今天在这场平等的对话中，我也思考良多，受益匪浅。”

The moderator said, 'In this debate, I see the confidence and logics. Parents love their kids and wish them to conduct self-management when it comes to using electronic devices. Kids hope to seek understanding and support from their parents to have a say on certain things. They will grow up and become responsibile parents and have worries for the children of their own. But the pass of love never changes. In this debate with equality, I have learned so much as well.' 

“我们今天的辩论赛没有输赢，”杨帆校长总结道，“今天辩论赛的目的，是希望通过这样的活动，搭建一个家长、学生吐露心声的平台，引发大家的积极关注和参与，彼此理性的理解和倾听对方发自内心的声音，促进家长、教师、孩子之间更高层次的心理沟通。” 

'We do not hold this debate to have winners today,' Principal Yang said, 'the objective is to set up communication channels between parents and students so that get everyone's attention on such issues and have a say. Trying to understand and listen to one another and facilitating the construction communications among parents, students and teachers.'

同时，杨校引用中国传统哲学观阐述道：“塞翁失马，焉知非福。批判性思维训练的最终目的是在不断听取他方观点，明晰主见，获得新的思维视角后，习得用开放、多元、包容的视角看问题的能力，最终达到和光同尘、平和处世的人生态度。未来是人工智能社会，让孩子站在未来中央，又不许孩子使用电子产品，是不利于孩子成长的。学校将通过召开教师、学生、家长三方圆桌会议，为这次辩论的问题确定解决办法。”

Principal also said, 'It is a blessing in disguise. The purpose of training for critical thinking is to absorb opinions from other side so that we are able to gain new perspectives and have the ability to see the issues in an open, multi-facet and inclusive way. Hence we will have the peaceful mindset to see the world in the end. The future is about AI, it is not good for students to grow if we prohibit them from using electronic devices to study as we want them to experience the future. the school will organise a roundtable panel among students, parents and teachers to find solutions for the issues discuessed during this debate.'

万小双说：

当今社会，从“知识就是力量”的时代进入到了“思维就是力量”的时代，教育的本质，不是让孩子习得各种“正确的标准答案”，更重要的是培养会思考的人。万科双语学校致力于培养学力卓越的孩子，其中能体现学生自主思考能力的批判性思维就是最为重要的能力之一。

在这次辩论中，孩子们无论在攻辩环节还是自由辩论环节，都显示出自主思考，透彻严谨的论证力。每一次清晰表达的观点，都赢得了在场学生热烈的掌声。

学校将继续探索培养孩子自主思考能力有效的机制，培养独立思考，不懈质疑，力行担责，同时也具有开放包容态度和自我管理能力的具有国际视野的中国公民。

VBS has something to say:

In modern society, we are transforming from the period of 'knowledge is power' to 'thinking is power'. Education is no longer about getting the right answers but producing someone who can think. VBS strives to develop students with academic excellence, as critical thinking is one of the key attributes to reflect students' independent thinking.

In this debate, students have demonstrated independent thinking, good flow of logic and arguments. Each expression gains the applause from the student audience.

VBS will continue to build up effective mechanisms to develop students' independent thinking so that our students are capable of raising questions and taking up responsibilities as they have the international horizons and self-management skills.  

文：郭鸾

图：燕子  车宇涵爸爸

版式：凯会

翻译：赖丁慈

Author: Glora

Photographer: Linda and Father of Che Yuhan 7E

Formatting: Judy

Translated by DC Lai