Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I think I am getting punished for taking 2 days off during Chinese New Year. Just a lot of work. It was expected that January through March would be a hellish time at work. But other than the work scheduled, from time to time, there are also these "extra" work. Working on 2 textbooks at once is already a lot of work to do, the "extra" stuff are like pebbles people thrown at you while you are just trying to stay above water. 

I just don't get this. Can the management just plan things around holidays? Why are we always so busy during the holiday season? We need more respect for holidays! 

But I must give props to some of my colleagues who are like freaking rocks. 

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

近代 中史 教育 困難

[2001-03-12] 中史應切合需要增新元素

放大圖片

 (左起)趙雨樂、劉義章、周佳榮、梁操雅及何冠環正討論中史科的發展前景。

  【本報訊】為消除中史教師對課程改革的疑慮,香港教育圖書公司特地舉辦「探討中國歷史科的前景及路向」論壇,分析未來中史科的發展路向。席上五位學者一致 呼籲教育同工,不要再自怨自艾,反之應努力為中史學科加添新元素,令它兼備公民教育、培養民族意識的同時,亦能切合社會需要。

 浸大歷史學系系主任周佳榮指出,香港之所以能成為國際大都會,全仗具備多元化元素,切合社會不同 人士需求。究竟中史科合併與否,其實根本無關痛癢,最重要的是學校能發展出一套符合實際需要的中史課程。他更強調:「有人就有歷史,有歷史就需要有教師及 學者,故此根本不用擔心飯碗不保的問題。」香港教育學院社會學系高級講師梁操雅認為,究竟未來中史課程如何發展、評估以及教師以何種形式教授,實有賴教育 同工所提供的意見,他盼望教育署在本月底就中史課程改革諮詢公眾意見時,業界能踴躍發表意見。

 對於目前中史課程的編排,理大通識教育中心高級講師何冠環指出:「初中要由先秦歷史學到近代,中 四、五又要學多次,到預科更要學到第三次,試問如何能提起學生興趣?」此外,他又認為未來本港大學四年制、中學三三制的措施,乃大勢所趨事在必行,屆時中 史課程必須重新再作檢討。

 曾於中學任教多年的中大歷史學系副教授劉義章指出,目前大部分學校都是在「臨時拉夫」的情況下, 強迫其他老師兼教中史科,他們在缺乏本科知識的情況下,只能依書直說導致學生失去對中史的興趣。公大人文社會科學院助理教授趙雨樂則呼籲,教育同工要平心 靜氣地與政府有關部門,就中史課程的未來發展進行商討,以解決目前中史科所遇到的問題。


何榮宗﹕難為了近代史教師

(明報)7月21日 星期一 05:10

【明報專訊】我屬於殖民地後期接受教育的一代,中學時期憧憬着回歸祖國,經常思疑為何歷史教科書內,中國近代史就止於1911年的辛亥革命。記得老 師當時稱這是殖民地歷史觀使然,說到激動處,老師有一次還在我們面前憤而擲書。然而回歸超過10年,我發現目前在香港教授中國近代史其實跟以往一樣困難。

半年前我接受香港教育圖書公司委託,因應教局要求,更新高中世界史科當中的中國近代史部分,編審工作已經完成,惟過程中的一些發現,教我至今一直忐忑。

現在歷史教科書中涵蓋的時段明顯延長了,越過了辛亥革命,越過了1949年建國,甚至越過了1978年的開放改革,更提及了1992年鄧小平 南巡和1997年香港回歸。

不過我認為中國近代史其實最好止於78年的開放改革就算,之後事故比較適宜撥入通識課。這種「時間分工」當然是可以辯論的,但既然歷史教科書要把十多年前的事都納入去大書一筆,觸及了92南巡和97回歸,也就罷了,卻對1989年天安門 事件隻字不提,這明顯有違於鋪陳歷史大事件的基本原則,試問這是什麼歷史觀?叫教師如何授課?

再說一個實例。教科書中提到中國共產黨 「有效地領導抗日游擊戰」,此話字面上沒錯,但當中「領導」二字很容易令人聯想到共產黨「領導抗日」,而事實上,根據很多非官方媒體記載,早就說明了共產黨從未主導抗日,真正的抗日主力是國民黨 的軍隊。有關這方面實况,教科書未有弄清楚,香港教師亦較難接觸到第一手資料,討論這課題時就難有說服力。假如教師主動找些官方資料作教材又如何呢?結果是同樣有難處。

刪減《毛澤東 集》

據1976年中國共產主義研究小組刊印的《毛澤東集》,毛澤東曾在1938年10月的一次講話中提到共產黨人抗日應全力以赴,他說:「失敗主義是罪 惡,全力援助蔣委員長與國民政府是天職,是責無旁貸」,當中「援助」一詞明顯說明國民黨在抗日中的主導地位。這是官方媒體,又是毛主席說的話,教師可以用 作教材了罷?不然!再查一下2002年人民出版社出版的《毛澤東選集》,同一篇講稿,「援助」一詞不復再,同一句話縮短為:「失敗主義是罪惡,爭取抗日勝 利是責無旁貸的。」國民黨的部分被刪掉了。試問這又是什麼歷史觀?毛主席的同一番話,兩個版本,教師選哪個來教才好?

一個社會,連認清歷史、以史為鑑的基礎都沒有,教人民何以知興替?如何面對未來?那些仍影響着當權者因此而仍不斷在「變化」的史料,不教也罷。

作者是香港城市大學

應用社會科學系助理教授

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Art of Communicating

When does a person stop learning? Never.

Communicating is hard. Being an effective and precise communicator is hard. I have much to learn about being silent, when to speak and when to be quiet. I am a pretty quiet person already. Before I begin to speak, I usually think about it several times over, but still I have loose lips. Sometimes when I am in a mood or on a roll, on a certain topic-I just find it hard to restrain from speaking too much.

I like to be in control of my speech. Not to hurt anybody, yet at the same time have the courage to say what is needed to be said. Speaking is a fine art.

I don't think one ever stop learning how to communicate better.

Not too long ago, I actually don't care too much on how people might reinterpret what I say, but recently I realized that I need to be more assertive, more precise. And if I am not precise, I have to make sure, explain myself, what I mean so that would be no chance of misunderstanding. I just don't want any misunderstanding. There's enough of that already in the world, I don't have to create more.

But it's hard. I like to be care-free and speak freely. That's why you need close friends and family, people who you can speak more casual with. People who trust you and think well of you.

I don't like people with schemes and hidden objectives. People that I have to be on my guard when speaking to. It is just tiring. I wish everybody can be honest with one another. But that require trust and love (and probably more).

I don't like to be judged and stereotyped. That's belittling.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

First Entry of 2009 and ...

I think I am going to die tomorrow (not literally, no way!) . I seems to learn by hitting myself against the wall. I just put myself in difficult situations that can be prevented. But I don't, well, at least more than I would like to. Am I just stupid. The thing is that I don't know protocol. I am not raised in a family or environment that teach me a lot about the order of things. Like how to behave in an office or whatever. Maybe it is my care-free personality. Maybe it is something in gene that make me a bit rebellious with a maverick outlook in things: I am just different, I run by different rules.