Canoeing, cycling, running, and doing all this while teaching English - Norbu Dradul’s short online videos offer an insight into his unique approach towards education.
It is this fun and creative style of teaching that is the hallmark of his Dreamer education center in Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
After studying and working in other parts of China, Norbu, 30, returned to Lhasa and set up Dreamer in 2013, with the aim of ensuring that his fellow Tibetans can thrive in the competitive, modern-day job market.
While most Chinese parents look at extra-curricular activities as value-adds to formal classes and grades, the Dreamer center is hoping to make alternative education a mainstream among Tibetans.
「In China, parents believe they know what’s best for their children, even though they don’t know what’s best for themselves,」 Norbu says, touching upon Chinese parents』 obsession with grades.
At Dreamer, however, he wants students to explore their potential as they see it best. 「I really want everybody here to think about their dreams - why they are here; what they want to do,」 Norbu tells us, leaning back on a chair.
Norbu Dradul wants his students to explore their potential as they see it best at Dreamer.
But such exploration necessitates smaller class sizes, where students can enjoy individual attention and even engage in designing and improving the teaching methodology. For instance, students at Dreamer are encouraged to name the exercises that they participate in and their achievements are recognized via 「dream dollars.」
Students』 achievements at Dreamer are recognized via 「dream dollars」.
The aim, Norbu explains, is to shift from the rigid, traditional teaching methodology to a more open and organic learning process.
「If they (students) are not happy with the class they take, they are encouraged to talk to their parents and change to something else. Kids may be more talented if you let them do what they want,」 he says.
Norbu Dradul explains cultural knowledges to students in front of the Potala Palace.
But while in one way Norbu is looking to break from the past, in another, he is keen to preserve it. For example, cultural site visits are a key component of the education at Dreamer.
「When people know about themselves, they have more confidence to know the outside world better,」 says Norbu, outlining the philosophy behind the emphasis on cultural education.
Despite his Tibetan heritage, Norbu never really studied in Tibet. In fact, much of his schooling took place in Shanghai, Tianjin and Xi』an. The diverse experiences resulted in him developing a deep understanding of education in China.
Soon after graduation, Norbu joined an NGO working in Lhasa. The experience of working with those in need further strengthened his belief in the importance of quality education to address social ills.
Norbu Dradul talks to CCTVNEWS at the common room of the Dreamer, his education organization.
Slowly but surely moving ahead on the path to becoming an educationist, Norbu shifted to Beijing to train at the drama education center.
「Having all these experience as dots connected in my mind, I decided that I should go back to Tibet. I wanted to build my own place, my own school,」 he says, explaining how he ended up founding Dreamer.
But setting up an educational institute in Lhasa meant leaving behind the security of being an employee and venturing into social entrepreneurship.
Norbu, however, says that with the support that he received, the risk was not really something he worried about.
"We call ourselves Dreamer - if we don’t believe in dreams, who will?」 Norbu Dradul adds.
「Everyone in Dreamer is taking risks. They are very competitive people who can find a job somewhere else, which would be more guaranteed, but they choose to come here,」 he says.
「We call ourselves Dreamer - if we don’t believe in dreams, who will?」 he adds.
And those dreams are now being bolstered by enhanced Internet penetration, as Norbu and his friends are reaching out to the world online.
Leveraging his network of friends and technological advancements, he has begun online language teaching services using the voice recording facility on China’s most popular messaging platform WeChat.
Norbu Dradul and his collegue have a talk at the common room of the Dreamer.
It is this spirit of innovation in people like Norbu that is ensuring that the ancient land of Tibet continues to transform and adapt to modern times while retaining its unique cultural traits.
Click 「Read more」 for the Website of Voices of Tibet
點擊「閱讀原文」觀看Voices of Tibet 項目網站:
http://www.cctvnews.cn/voicesoftibet/