Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Yang Dan was 36; she was a staff member of Xing Hai Technologies’ sales department. She was also the mother of two children. Her oldest son was Chen Chen. He was 10 years old and currently in primary fourth grade. Her younger daughter was Xuan Xuan. She was eight years old and currently in primary second grade.
Last month, after their company product, the Little Star learning machine, was released and opened for pre-orders on the 16th, she used her one-month salary to buy two units, one for her son and one for her daughter. At that moment, her husband was furious. “The learning machine is so expensive, and you got two at one go, why can’t you buy just one? Can’t you be thriftier?”
“I’m spending my own salary, why are you even bothered?”
Her husband could not have a say, he just felt painful inside. “They’re almost $6,000 dollars each!”
A few days later, the learning machine was delivered. One for her son, one for her daughter, and they began using it. Yang Dan also taught her children how to learn using the learning machine according to the operating instructions in the instruction manual. In the process of guiding her children, Yang Dan discovered that the Little Star learning machine was way more useful than what her boss presented during the product conference.
It was the ultimate learning weapon!
The learning route formulated within the learning machine was quite different from textbooks in primary schools. The “knowledge checkpoints” within the machine formed a literal tree diagram from top to bottom.
On the “Tree of Knowledge,” there was a myriad of “knowledge checkpoints.” For example, the basic operations in mathematics. The approach was to learn addition before subtraction and multiplication before division. For geometric knowledge as well, the approach was to master the square, then the rectangle, then the triangle, trapezoid, polygon… in increasing complexity.
In language and English, the approach was to master pronunciation and phonetic transcription before going into individual words, grammar… it was a step-by-step process. Of course, the learning patterns to obtain any knowledge was overall the same. No learning goes from hard to easy. But the Little Star learning machine was more intuitive!
Via system evaluation, the Little Star learning machine could directly identify the student’s weakness and mark them red on the knowledge checkpoints on the tree diagram. Student’s would be presented the red knowledge checkpoints. After learning two times, the red dot would become yellow. Unless the student fully mastered the knowledge within the checkpoint thoroughly and become not likely to forget the knowledge, only then would the yellow dot turn green.
Yang Dan’s elder son Chen Chen was not very good academically. He was always positioned at the bottom of the class. Yang Dan was desperate, so she let her son do a system evaluation on the learning machine. The results shocked her tremendously.
On the learning checkpoints that should be mastered by fourth graders, for her son, most of them were presented in red, a small portion in yellow, and just a few in green. Even going down the tree diagram, the knowledge checkpoints for second and third graders were mostly red and yellow… not even half of them were green. The learning machine gave out its evaluation immediately; “A flunkie, systematic revision required.”
Yang Dan’s expression was awful as she immediately pressed her son against the learning machine. She started monitoring his studies and let him work his way up from the red and yellow dots from below.
As for her daughter Xuan Xuan, evaluation results returned as outstanding, a little genius, and that she could attempt the knowledge checkpoints for higher graders.
After more than half a month, her son did another system evaluation on the learning machine. Yang Dan smiled out of happiness. Her son’s score was above 70 marks, earning the title of an “Intermediate,” and was heading towards the “Pro” level. The more gratifying change was, Yang Dan realized that her naughty and hyperactive son actually became fond of learning. He was no longer opposing the Little Star learning machine.
“Mum, I think the learning machine was way clearer than my teachers in class, one time and it gets into me. And the teachers inside are so cute and their voices are great. I especially like to listen to the lessons here. If I don’t understand something, Little Star can answer every one of my questions!”
The thing that he liked the most was the “Homework Guide” function. He just had to scan the questions and within seconds, the workings and answer would be generated. Doing homework was so easy.
For Yang Dan, she used this function to implement her “Reward System.” She demanded her son to master at least five or more knowledge checkpoints daily, only then could he use the “Homework Guide” function to reduce his academic workload… to do less of that troublesome homework, her son Chen Chen could only learn more from the knowledge checkpoints.
However, as the knowledge checkpoints in front were more or less mastered, Chen Chen realized that the homework given by his teaches seemed to be not that tricky at all. Slowly, he was able to do a portion of his homework.
As for her daughter Xuan Xuan, Yang Dan shockingly discovered that a good half of the knowledge checkpoints for third graders became green.
…
Another half a month later, her son and daughter’s school held their mid-term examinations successively.
“Mom, mom, I got third place, I got third place in the class!” Her son rushed back home holding his examination slip with excitement.
“Mommy, the exam was so easy, I got first place again.” Feeling that the exams were not challenging, her daughter Xuan Xuan returned home listlessly. She handed in her papers early for the last few exams, which surprised quite a number of people.
“Third place in class?!” Yang Dan screamed out of joy, “Great job son! Come, mom is going to bring you to have some fun and eat McTucky!”
“No!” Her son shook his head and said, “In this exam, I am just five marks away from the first place in class. I think I can surpass him. I need to continue learning!” After finishing, once again, he picked up his learning machine.
Yang Dan could not say a word out of shock. The tone of a scholar-tyrant, the aura of a top drawer, was he… still her old son? However, after two days, her son’s class teacher called; only then did Yang Dan know that her son was choking with resentment!
It was because after the mid-term exam results were released, her son, who was usually at the rock-bottom, suddenly reached third place. Therefore, it raised a lot of doubts.
“Copied, he must have copied from others!”
“You cheated in the exams!”
Chen Chen’s face turned red as he was wronged. He refuted them and said he did not, but none of his contemporaries believed in him.
He could only hold his fist and tell his fellow classmates, “I want to get the first place next time to prove that I did not cheat!” But he only got ridiculed once again.
Even when the class teacher called Yang Dan, he vaguely questioned, “Did your son actually cheat?”
“No, absolutely, his results are completely genuine!” Yang Dan said loudly, watching her son, who stood by the door with red swollen eyes. He dashed back to his room and slammed the door. Yang Dan immediately realized the seriousness of this issue. She knew that if her son continued to be wronged by his classmates and teachers, it would inflict serious damage to him mentally.
On the second day, she took a day off from work and followed her son to school. After the second period of the class ended, she walked into the classroom, took out the Little Star learning machine from her bag, and spoke in front of the students and the class teacher who had not yet left the classroom. “Hello students, I’m Ou Xiao Chen’s mother. Chen Chen improved a lot academically as of recently. It is not because he cheated during exams. It is all because of the Little Star learning machine…”
As someone who was doing sales, Yang Dan had already trained her skin to be thick facing all kinds of customers. Her eloquence was not bad either. Within 20 minutes, she had clearly explained the advantages of the Little Star learning machine, making people nod their heads out of affirmation.
“Ou Xiao Chen, I’m sorry, I have wronged you, please accept my apology,” His classmates apologized to him.
“Xiao Chen, teacher is at fault too. I made assumptions before investigating the truth. Please accept my sincere apology.” His class teacher had an expression of guilt.
The teacher’s and classmate’s misunderstanding towards his son was successfully lifted.
After a few days, her son told her out of dismay, “Now seven or eight of my classmates have started using the Little Star learning machine. The guy who got second place in class is now using it too. Mum, why did you have to explain it to them, how can I get first place if you do this?”
Seven to eight people?
A flash of light appeared in Yang Dan’s brain! Now, she knew how to promote the Little Star learning machine!