Zhang Fang: Experiment in "Gifted Education

Zhang Zheng has developed a teaching system that is very different from the current educational philosophy, and his son is his first experiment

In 1987, a young boy named Zhang Fang shocked the education world in Shanghai: at the age of just 13, Zhang Fang was admitted to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Wang Qiande, the deputy mayor and director of education in his Luwan district, bowed down and asked young Zhang Fang, "Who taught you?"

Zhang Fang told him, "It was father."

In 1964, when Zhang Fang was born, his father, Zhang Zheng, was working at a stall, shouting and looking around to see if there were people without red armbands coming over, without any sign that one day he would be the father of the "child prodigy".

Zhang Zheng used to be a people's teacher, but at that time, because of the family composition is not good, and have relatives in Taiwan, was treated unfairly. The family was forced to leave their original home and live in a small attic, where the family relied on Zhang Zheng to sell homemade shavings at a small vegetable stall.

When Zhang Fang was a child, his father's "dishonorable" background often led him to be chased and beaten by children in the streets. The teacher was indiscriminate and punished all the fighters together, and said to him in a conspiratorial manner, "Xiao Fang, you'll grow up to be just like your father".

Zhang Fang often tearful pleaded: "Dad, I do not want to go to school." When Zhang Zheng saw his son hanging in tears all day, he was so protective of his son that he decided to let Zhang Fang stay at home, behind closed doors, and pass his son's time with historical stories from the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Records of the Grand Historian, and philosophies from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War".

There are few opportunities for Zhang Zheng to substitute for a teacher, and when there are, Zhang Zheng takes Zhang Fang with him. He wanted his son to listen to the lessons while knowing that his father was an honorable people's teacher, in addition to being a hawker and a cleaner.

The turnaround that changed Zhang Fang's life path, as well as Zhang Zheng's, came precisely from a piece of information that Zhang Zheng got when he was substituting for a teacher at the Workers' and Peasants' Accelerated Learning School. This is a U.S. Academy of Sciences Education Division Holmz children's education conference document summary, the author is a world-class education expert Benjamin S. Bloom.

In his article "The Educational Process", Bloom argues that children can be taught difficult, even advanced, mathematics by choosing the right path.

After reading this article, a thought came to Zhang Zheng's mind that he could not accept the conventional classroom education, and had no connection to the path of the sun, so why not find a way to do it alone?

With years of experience as a teacher, Zhang Zheng found that adults have a blunt sense of mathematical symbols, spatial concepts, childhood is the greatest learning potential of the gift of plastic period. In the existing teaching system, elementary school math education is limited to teaching the four operations, in his view, this is a great waste of children's intellectual resources.

The traditional teaching materials of the time were "step-by-step" in the historical order of the subject, which resulted in a secondary school graduation at the level of medieval math, so is this "step-by-step" scientific?

Zhang Zheng argues that our national education philosophy is based on the model of the Soviet educator Kerov, and that this understanding of the principle of gradualism in the education process is too mechanical, and not based on the process of the development of the child's logical thinking. He was very dissatisfied with this, and he himself studied mathematics, science and chemistry, so he tried to follow a certain main line, the three disciplines together.

Zhang Zheng treasures his son's nature, and he feels that the so-called "talent" is first a "person", and then a "talent". So, how to not go against the nature of children, and the difficult concepts, complex methods to teach children, so that their ears and eyes?

With years of experience, Zhang Zheng figured out a set of teaching system that is very different from the current concept of education, and then patiently, one by one, to do a try - his son is his first experiment.

Zhang Zheng's educational approach to Zhang Fang is, first of all, the way to tell stories to Zhang Fang with pictures, and so he sat down, and then teach some interesting physics problems, such as "Hercules lying on a hundred nails on the nail plate and two hundred nails on the nail plate, which is more painful?" Physics is taught a lot, complex enough to require calculations, before the math of calculus, but to learn calculus, the previous algebra, trigonometry, geometry have to know. Therefore, Zhang Zheng is elementary school, middle school, high school and college calculus of math at the same time to start teaching.

In the turbulent era of the Cultural Revolution, despite the difficult living conditions, Zhang Zheng had a grand vision, he wanted to teach middle school and high school math and chemistry to Zhang Fang, who was just old enough to go to elementary school, in seven or eight years.

In order to train his son, Zhang Zheng, who had been a middle school teacher, began to write his own textbooks, and he crossed the traditional teaching step-by-step system, integrating middle school trigonometry, geometry, algebra, and college math calculus, plus related physical and chemical knowledge.

"It's amazing what children can learn if they are interested!" It is this persistent belief that guides Zhang Zheng on the road to creating "child prodigies".

Zhang Zheng's discipline of Zhang Fang was very strict: when it was cold and did not want to get up, Zhang Zheng would lift Zhang Fang's quilt; if he could not memorize the formula for the next day, Zhang Fang would sometimes be slapped. Although Zhang Zheng said, teaching Zhang Fang to study does not expect to cultivate a teenage college student, just want to "let him go out and get into trouble less", but Zhang Fang y felt his father in the case of the future is hopeless, all the hopes pinned on him the kind of urgent feelings.

It wasn't until the fourth grade that Zhang Fang returned to school. A collection of analytical exercises by the Soviet scholar Jimmie Dovich, the level of the level of the university mathematics department, there are 4800 questions, he probably did 3800, the level of mathematics has been far above his peers, and even more than his teacher.

One day, Zhang Fang and his math teacher had a conflict that his parents still remember.

It was a question of solving the area of a trapezoid that Zhang Fang did, and the teacher made a mistake, so he took the paper and hoped that the teacher would change it back, but the teacher was just sarcastic. Zhang Fang then debated with the teacher, who said, "If it's wrong, it's wrong, and the marks won't be returned to you."

Zhang Fang was very unconvinced and spoke out against the teacher: "Can you do math or not?" Then he gave the teacher three high school math problems, and as a result, the teacher could not answer and blushed.

Ning Platinum was a familiar "China's first child prodigy" in those days, and Fang Yi, then Vice Premier of the State Council, met with him. At that time, the photo of Ning playing Go with Fang Yi became the headline of major media.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year in 1978, Zhang Zheng read the article in the wall newspaper column on the road. This made Zhang Zheng excited, the results of years of education finally have a use. So he wrote to the University of Science and Technology of China Junior Class, recommending his son Zhang Fang, who is the same age as Ning Platinum.

After receiving Zhang Zheng's letter of recommendation, the University of Science and Technology of China immediately sent people to Zhang Fang test assessment, a **** seven teachers from the University of Science and Technology of China came to Shanghai. In the school's conference room, Zhang Fang from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon, only an hour break in the middle.

During the exam, Zhang Fang encountered a question that required inductive parsing, and Zhang Fang, who had not studied induction, tried to talk to his teacher: "Teacher, can I solve this question in other ways?"

The supervising teacher agreed. Zhang Fang felt that the topics and thinking methods of university teachers are more diversified, so he is full of deep yearning for university life.

Waiting outside Zhang Zheng watched the time pass little by little, not only do not worry, but very happy, because so long did not come out, indicating that Zhang Fang certainly can solve their problems, the examination of the university has a chance!

Sure enough, it didn't take long for Zhang Fang to receive the admission notice.

In this way, Zhang Fang, who was less than 14 years old, passed the test at the University of Science and Technology, and entered the first Junior Class.

Zhang Fang was so happy to receive the acceptance letter that he rolled on the floor and asked, "Isn't college a big, fun place?"

Zhang Zheng smiled. Since his son's childhood, the "university" is the goal that he has always instilled in Zhang Fang, but at that time, Zhang Fang was too small, the concept of university is very vague, and thought that the university is a paradise.

That year, Zhang Fang became the first teenage college student in Shanghai, and the story went viral.

In Shanghai's education sector, he was a shining star, and was known as a "child prodigy". But Zhang Fang was not proud of this title: "Because I don't think I'm magical, I'm just a little bit better at reading than other people."

The students who came out of Zhang Zheng's "prodigy class" outperformed ordinary students in terms of academic performance and thinking ability

On March 8, 1978, the Junior Class of the Chinese University of Science and Technology (CUSTC) began. Due to Zhang Fang's family composition at the time, the political examination did not pass, and he was not allowed to enter the school.

Comrade Fang Yi, then Vice Premier, was very concerned about the situation of the first Junior Class, and after learning of this situation, he gave Zhang Fang personal instructions: "Allow enrollment." Zhang Fang, who was two weeks late, was then able to enter CSU.

Among the students in the first Junior Class at CSU, the oldest is 16, and the youngest is only 11. In this tailor-made environment, Zhang Fang saw that his classmates around him were similar to himself, and he didn't think there was anything special, let alone anything he didn't feel comfortable with. So he had a wonderful time here. Zhang Fang later recalled, "Feeling a suitable environment for myself, and a group of partners of comparable level."

In his college days, Zhang Fang was still young and liked to play pranks. He sometimes caught a frog after class and put it in someone else's pencil case, and when they opened the pencil case in class, the frog jumped out. The professor in class laughed and asked, "Who did this?"

In 1978, the nation's demand for knowledge reached the level of hunger and thirst and fanaticism. The "prodigies" of the youth class became almost universal idols, and the whole country paid close attention to them and had high hopes.

These kids were the talk of the town. Zhang Fang said: "We received letters and gifts from all over the country every day: a school in Nanjing sent candy and peanuts; a People's Liberation Army soldier sent the diary obtained over the years to us as a workbook; and a deputy to the National People's Congress, I do not know what to call it, send money every month to ask the teacher to buy things for us to eat." In addition, there are many leaders and scientists went to visit and encourage them to study hard for the realization of the four modernizations.

More than a month later, this group of teenage college students were placed in various departments.

Zhang Fang chose to major in engineering thermophysics in the Department of Modern Mechanics, dreaming of a future in aircraft engine design and manufacturing. He said, "When I was a child, my father bought me a pencil case with an airplane printed on it, and I pointed to the pencil case and said to my father, I want to build big airplanes in the future."

After Zhang Zheng used his original teaching method to successfully send his 13-year-old son to the Junior Class of the Chinese University of Science and Technology, history quietly turned over the page of his work as a janitor, peddler, Zhang Zheng got the opportunity to show off his skills - he started a "child prodigy class".

This is the first time I've ever seen a movie with a girl who was a child.

When word of Zhang Fang's exploits spread, Zhang Zheng's Huangpu district gave him a teaching position. Zhang Zheng's bigger stage in the Luwan District, then deputy mayor of Luwan District and director of the Education Bureau of Wang Qiande visited Zhang Fang, asked Zhang Zheng whether it is possible to his education method from home education into the classroom education, Zhang Zheng said he was willing to try. The idea was supported by Shu Wen, then director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.

In September 1978, the first experimental science class in the history of Chinese education, which compressed the school system from elementary school to high school into eight years, was established in the first central elementary school in Luwan District. The only teachers were Zhang Zheng and two assistants, who taught math and physics, using textbooks written by Zhang Zheng himself.

Here's how Zhang Zheng's enrollment brochure reads:

Students: 6-7 year olds, recruited from the neighborhood;

IQ measurements: basically normal children.

If the experiment is successful, they will complete the entire 12-year primary and secondary school curriculum in six to eight years, and enter the polytechnic university for further study, and at the age of 20, they will enter the period of creation and invention earlier than normal people.

Zhang Zheng began to personally carve waxed paper, shaking the mimeograph, so that people can see for the first time his "secret recipe" for "making prodigies".

The "secret formula" tells people: the wisdom of the opening of the child to become smart, better than the teaching of knowledge, "child prodigy" does not lie in his extraordinary access to how much knowledge, but lies in his extraordinary access to knowledge and the use of knowledge, that is, to cultivate children's The first is to make sure that you have a good understanding of what you are doing and how you are doing it.

In the order of the preparation of the textbook, Zhang Zheng abandoned the practice of the historical order of the development of subjects, but according to the development of children's logical thinking ability. For example, in one step to complete the deductive reasoning to solve the problem, the original first-grade arithmetic, "evolution" for algebra or trigonometry; the original first-grade application problems to be solved, from the analysis of the problem to the solution of the problem needs to be two to three steps of deduction, he made it "retired".

Zhang Zheng broke the boundaries between mathematics, science and chemistry. He taught trigonometric functions, physics, followed by the trigonometric analysis of force; physics, quantitative, area measurement, math, followed by decimal arithmetic; algebra ratio, chemistry, followed by molecular arithmetic.

What often causes Zhang Zheng's disgust is that traditional textbooks often let children to calculate the production team mu yield, factory productivity. He felt that in order for education to keep pace with the times, children should be taught modern, or at least recent, scientific concepts. He did not teach the four operations within 20 because he felt that children could learn those things in their daily lives, and his basic training was to let children enter the kingdom of modern science. Thus, in the textbooks he compiled, concepts appeared that people around him could not understand, or never dared to speak to children, such as linear programming, network matrices, topological transformations.

In Linear Programming Enlightenment, he asked the question: Lin Xiao has 10 cents and 4 cents, pencils 4 cents a pencil, erasers 2 cents a piece, how many ways to buy? The answer is given in coordinates.

In Network Matrix Enlightenment, his question was: there are multiple one-way channels between points A, B, and C in the diagram, and students were asked to store these channels in a matrix.

In the Topology Enlightenment, he draws a three-dimensional geometric figure and asks the student to draw it on a plane graph from a particular viewpoint.

In his second-grade physics class, Zhang Zheng started talking about abstract concepts like centers of gravity and fulcrums. He drew several drawings and asked questions through them: "Why doesn't an acrobat fall off when he walks a tightrope? Why do ducks fall when they are herded? Why is a dinosaur's tail as long as its head and neck?" The students actually understood.

Zhang Zheng named his textbook "Children's Higher Science Textbook", which is not only in line with children's psychology, but also belongs to the category of "advanced" subjects.

Five years later, the experimental class to participate in the city's unified examination of junior high school graduates, the results of the average score: 84 points in mathematics, 80 points in physics, 70 points in chemistry; "dispersive thinking" comparative test, the experimental class of children's thinking fluency, flexibility and uniqueness and the sophomore honors students.

In 1984, the Shanghai Municipal Government Education and Health Office decided: Luwan District, the first central elementary school "science experimental class" as "primary and secondary education system overall reform" research project, taken over by the Shanghai Normal University Institute of Education, assessment of the further integration, Systematization.

In 1985, Zhang Zheng "prodigy class" of 18 students were admitted to Jiaotong University, Fudan University, Shanghai University and other colleges and universities, at that time, the oldest of them was only 16 years old.

Zhang Zheng's "child prodigy education" was a complete success for the first time.

Because of his impulsive behavior, the "prodigy" Zhang Fang became a "second-class citizen" and had to work as a temporary worker

While his father's career was booming, Zhang Fang encountered a lot of unsatisfactory things.

Zhang Fang has always had a strong desire to engage in academia, do scientific research, and build "big airplanes", but he was unable to do so when he graduated. When he graduated, because he did not deal with the interpersonal relationship, Zhang Fang did not like many students majoring in aerodynamics was assigned to the counterpart research unit or stay in the school, the leadership of the department did not even arrange him to his hometown of Shanghai, but will be assigned to the professional not to match a refinery - Nanjing Jinling Petrochemical Corporation.

Zhang Fang said, "They said that Nanjing is quite close to Shanghai, and after work, you can also go to graduate school, I reluctantly agreed." Zhang Fang felt very dissatisfied, if he insisted like other students, it is likely to stay in school, perhaps on the road of academic research.

The unsuccessful graduation assignment is the beginning of Zhang Fang's "atypical" growth path.

In 1983, Zhang Fang took a sabbatical between graduation and work. Because he was dissatisfied with the work arrangements, Zhang decided not to report to work, hoping that his file would be returned to his place of origin and he would be able to return to his hukou in Shanghai.

It was during this time that he did what many people would consider the unthinkable - go into business.

At that time, the reform and opening up was not long, the status of self-employment is not high, not to mention that Zhang Fang is still a top of the "child prodigy" aura of the university graduates, business is definitely quite bold move.

In July of that year, Zhang Fang and his friends raised a few hundred dollars, wholesale electronic watches in Shanghai, and then ran to the streets of Anhui peddling. Zhang Fang just "earned a little money", was stopped by his father, Zhang Zheng: "That is not a waste of study?"

His father asked him to report to Nanjing. So, just one day short of the deadline, Zhang Fang rushed to the refinery.

Because he went to work as a front-line worker rather than a technician, and because the factory couldn't accommodate his request to go to graduate school, the 19-year-old Zhang Fang worked at the Jinling General Chemical Plant for only eight months. He knew nothing about the chemical industry and was dissatisfied, and his life in the factory was very unsatisfactory. Zhang Fang complained, "The smell of the chemical plant, the smell of the refinery is particularly strong, you can still smell that smell when you cover the quilt, it's the smell of hydrogen sulfide."

Once, the old staff told Zhang Fang to go to the catalytic workshop to check the catalytic oily tube, and let them climb in wearing masks. Seeing that the inside of the oily tube was covered with chemical dust, Zhang Fang was adamantly opposed: "I'm not climbing, I don't want to see it!"

Zhang Fang, who has lived in books since he was a child, felt a great contrast in the reality of the factory and the frustration he never had, and this young man, who has always been proud of himself, developed a great sense of rebellion.

Soon, the factory sent Zhang Fang to play the gongs and drums on New Year's Day because of his lack of knowledge of chemical engineering, and he became a member of the cultural squad.

In a fit of pique, Zhang Fang dropped his account and file and ran back to Shanghai without saying goodbye. This decision not only made him lose the "child prodigy" aura, but also made him become a "second-class citizen" without a household registration and file for the next 19 years. The most serious consequence is that Zhang Fang could not find a formal job in Shanghai, and could only work as a temporary laborer.

Zhang Fang initially thought of becoming a teacher, but without a hukou, he was unable to find employment on the streets. The first time I saw this, I had a chance to go to a few schools, and I passed the audition, but when I heard that I didn't have a hukou, I couldn't get a chance to go to a few schools. The company's main goal is to provide the best possible service to its customers.

The same in a school teaching, other people pay, he can only get a little bit of substitution fee, benefits are not even talk about, and even a status is not.

The original intention was to remain in the position of a substitute teacher, and Zhang Fang did not do so. Shortly after the start of the school year, the principal came to him and told him that his position had been filled by a regular teacher, and asked him to leave.

When the scenery is infinite "prodigy", because of the impulse, swallowed the bitter fruit. In order to live, Zhang Fang put down the frame of college students, as long as he can make money, he did everything.

Of course, this does not mean that Zhang Fang's life can not go on. 1984, Zhang Fang returned to Shanghai to some of the school substitute, and sometimes do tutoring, tour guides, and even do masonry, carpentry, welding, all willing to do, and almost tried to engage in the various industries, just never had the opportunity to develop aircraft engines.

In this way, just three months, Zhang Fang earned more than 800 yuan, bought a very rare refrigerator.

Zhang Fang felt very relieved: "My salary in the oil refinery was only 58 yuan, while I could earn more than 300 yuan a month." In comparison, Zhang Fang's living situation was even better than many of his classmates.

In 1985, Zhang Fang met with a few friends and raised more than $7,000 to start a clothing business in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province. They rode their bicycles and sold clothes from village to village. But his father, Zhang Zheng, was still fiercely opposed to the idea and asked him to go to graduate school.

It was at that time that Zhang Fang's university teacher invited him to engage in scientific research at Shenzhen University. At that time, Shenzhen was the frontier of reform and opening up, and people's thinking was emancipated. In the Energy Research Institute of Shenzhen University, Zhang Fang worked as a seconded researcher for more than a year, but due to the inability to solve the problem of archives, and ultimately failed to stay.

Seeing the difficulties in implementing the work, Zhang Fang decided to study abroad.

In 1990, Zhang returned to Shanghai to study English, after earning a fee.

In 1993, he passed the TOEFL exam. Zhang took going abroad as his only chance to change his fate. After getting admission to several foreign universities, he worked hard in Shenzhen to earn the necessary money to study abroad, working as an electrician in a hotel during the day and teaching financial English and advanced mathematics at night at Shenzhen University ***.

However, he went to great lengths to get a guarantee and a passport, but for reasons such as "old age", the visa was denied. The three years of hard work were rewarded with three visa rejections, which completely killed Zhang Fang's hopes.

Zhang Fang later recalled: "I bought a U.S. guarantee, used up 2500 U.S. dollars, and then I did not have a penny." Zhang Fang, who had lost all his hopes, resorted to alcohol as a means of anesthetizing himself.

In 1997, Zhang got married, and his family lived in a public housing unit in an old lane in Xuhui District.

In 2002, Zhang Fang's account was finally transferred back to Shanghai, but it was too late.

By this time, the work environment had changed a lot, and there were many college students, so Zhang Fang no longer had the advantage he once had: no advantage in education, no advantage in age, and no advantage in specialization.

Today, Zhang Fang has taken up his father's work and is making a living with his father, Zhang Zheng, by running tutorial classes in his cramped home.

Zhang Zheng's "prodigy class" was a success, but due to controversy in the education community, it was not continued after one session. Now? Zhang Zheng has reopened the "Prodigy Remedial Class".

On weekends, six or seven children gather in an ordinary hut on Bijiang Road in Minhang, where there is only room for a table and a blackboard, to learn about aesthetics, philosophy, engineering mechanics, and so on.

"What is beauty?" As soon as Mr. Zhang asked, the children rushed to answer, "Beautiful clothes! Pretty toys! And pretty ......"

"So what does Dad think is most beautiful when he works hard to make money and can't be bothered to wear pretty clothes?"

The children froze for a few seconds before a little boy said, "Making money is the most beautiful." The classroom erupted in laughter.

After the children had talked about some more of the most beautiful things, Zhang Zheng summarized, "Gorky said that the ideal of perfection in life is the most beautiful."

The children cocked their little heads and seemed to be able to understand the meaning of this sentence. This children's aesthetics class lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with no break in between. Usually lively and active children are especially quiet here, always concentrating on the lecture.

Zhang Zheng stood in front of the blackboard vividly explaining astronomy, geography, math, aesthetics, energetic, so that people do not feel that he is a rare old man.

Teaching one after another "child prodigy" Zhang Zheng's heart is the most saddened than when the son of the famous Zhang Fang is still unemployed, can only "son of the father's business", to do tutoring for a living. For Zhang Zheng, he did not know who should be responsible for Zhang Fang's encounter, is life or fate. The old man in his seventies is often in self-blame.

Now, Zhang Zheng's only wish is that his son, Zhang Fang, can carry on the cause, and he is still working hard to integrate his own educational philosophy into classroom teaching. He often says to Zhang Fang, "Although I'm getting older, I still have you."

Zhang Zheng earnestly instructed his son, "I hope you can inherit this teaching research of mine and continue the teaching experiment that only takes six to eight years to reach high school level. Since none of the public schools have any plans to do so, I can only hope for you!"

Zhang Fang replied, "Dad, I don't have such a deep foundation in liberal arts as you do, and it's still possible to infiltrate your ideas in teaching science, but I'm afraid it's not realistic to take over the whole thing."

Now, the former "child prodigy" Zhang Fang is teaching his former learning methods to more students, Monday through Friday to prepare for the class, double off days to do tutoring.

In his small home, he is realizing his self-worth. If you want to measure that value in monetary terms, Zhang says, it's not as much as an entrepreneur, but it's "equivalent to the income of a few teachers," and it's enough to make ends meet for a family of three.

Zhang's biggest concern is social security, such as health insurance, pension insurance, and home mortgages. These issues are weighing on Zhang Fang as he gets older. He said: "I don't know now what I will do when I am old, who will support me? Pension insurance I now did not buy, and no unit to help me pay."

Even if the bumps in the road are like this, but looking back on this life, Zhang Fang still feel that he is very successful, in his own words: "I want to write a book in the future. I live according to my own ideas of real life, I can go to do what I want to do, enjoy the fun of free development. Even when I was working as a plasterer, it was clear to me that I was doing this to live and to prepare myself for a bigger goal."

The Gifted Education Experiment