VOA常速英语2013--大学生激发孩子们的创造力

College Students Spark Creativity in Kids 大学生激发孩子们的创造力

Children in a Washington neighborhood are excited about building things they designed.

在华盛顿地区的孩子们对他们设计建造的东西兴奋异常。

They are participating in a hands-on learning workshop offered by SparkTruck, created by students from Stanford University. Last year, they launched what they call an educational build-mobile and took it on a two-month trip across the country, offering workshops to nearly 3,000 children along the way.

他们正在参与一个亲身实践的学习创作室,这是由斯坦福大学学生们创建的SparkTruck提供。去年,在推出了被他们称为构建教育的移动站之后进行为期两个月的全国旅行,为沿途的近3000儿童提供创作室。

Now, in their second year, they were joined by students from three other California colleges.

现在是他们的第2个年头,其他三所加州大学的学生们也加入其中。

“We are trying to bring creativity and design workshops to kids all over, and bring them prototype tools and materials," said Bengi Kuroda from the Art Center College of Design, "and show them that all these things are accessible to them even if they don’t have them at school.”

“我们正试图把创造力和设计创作室展现给孩子们,并赋予他们原型工具及材料,设计学院艺术中心的本格·克罗达说道: “并向他们展示,所有这些东西即使在他们的学校找不到也是随手可得。”

The children start by brainstorming 1 ideas. Then they build a prototype of whatever they've dreamed up.

孩子们开始头脑风暴。然后他们建造一个他们无论梦想出什么的原型。

“I made a flying cyclops, just one eye," said Owen Whitman, a workshop participant. "I had a lot of fun making new stuff and learning...how electricity works.”

“我造了一个飞行独眼巨人,只有一只眼睛哦,”创作室参与者之一的欧文·惠特曼说道。“制作新东西及学习电力如何运作带给我很多乐趣。”

“We are not perfect as we are not all designers. We are not all engineers," Kuroda said. "But we try to bring in what we feel is important as part of a curriculum, which is thinking creatively and not being afraid of making mistakes.”

“我们不是完美的,因为我们并不都是设计师。并不都是工程师,” 本格·克罗达说道。“但是我们试图将我们感到重要的作为课程的一部分,它就是创造性思维及不要害怕犯错误。”

Children get to control LEGO robots. They can also try out high-tech 2 tools including a laser cutter and a 3D printer, as well as traditional shop tools.

孩子控制乐高机器人。他们也可以尝试高科技工具,包括一台激光切割机及3D打印机,以及传统的购物工具。

“It is very nice, and I never even knew about like how the things vibrate," said  Fadilat Adefola Raji, who participated in the workshop. "And it was very cool being in here, and this is also a cool machine.”

“这非常漂亮,而且我甚至从未了解过其中的工作原理,”参加创作室的法迪莱特·阿德福拉·拉吉说道。“这里非常酷,这也是一台很酷的机器。”

Post-it notes cover the entire ceiling of the truck, documenting every design made by workshop participants. 

便利贴铺满了卡车的整个天花板,记录着每一位创作室参与者的设计。

Phyllis Klein, owner of Fab Lab DC, hosted the Washington workshop.

微观装配实验室的所有者菲利斯·克莱恩主办华盛顿创作室。

“I think what it does is sparks their imagination," Klein said. "It gives them a window into things they can do. It shows them what is possible." 

“我想所做的是激发他们的想象力,”克莱恩说道。“这为他们做想做的事情提供了平台。显示了什么是可能。”

While the SparkTruck team shares their passion for hands-on learning, they are also benefitting.

而SparkTruck团队分享他们亲身实践学习激情的同时也从中获益。

“I have learned about how to work with children," said Brittany Hallawell of Stanford University. "I have seen a lot of kids that were about to give up and ended up making something, which is just truly inspiring for me.”

“我已经学会了如何与孩子们打交道,”斯坦福大学的布列塔尼·哈维尔说道。“我见过很多想要放弃孩子最终做出一些东西,这真的鼓舞我。”

SparkTruck has been partly funded by Kickstarter, a website that raises money for creative projects, and corporate 3 donations. Although being on the road for two months can be challenging, the volunteers hope to share the road with additional SparkTrucks in the future.

SparkTruck部分一直是由Kickstarter资助，这是一家为创意项目及企业捐款筹集资金的网站。虽然两个月的路途非常具有挑战性,但志愿者希望在未来与额外的创作室分享这段旅程。