Every Thursday afternoon,my art history class meets not in our usual lecture hall but in the Yale University Art Gallery.     We spend our one-hour class discussing two or three of the paintings,many of which are by artists that we have already studied in class.     The professor begins by selecting one work of art.After giving us a quick background on the artist,he'll open up for our class discussion.Everyone is strongly encouraged to give opinions about the work.Not every piece we study is necessarily famous or striking in appearance and subject matter.Yet we always manage to make some interesting observations.     In America,professors always take every opportunity to push textbooks aside and expose students to real world experiences.     With some creativity, almost any subject can be applied to such beyond classroom learning.My art history class trips to the gallery are but one example.     Many other subjects also offer opportunities to learn outside the classroom,such as business,psychology, art,journalism and biology.        A friend of mine from Yale taking an advanced psychology course spends every Saturday working with mentally disabled children.Her mornings are spent staying with the kids and studying their sometimes uncontrolled behavior.Then in the afternoon she writes a report on her observations.     Students generally appreciate these unique learning opportunities. They're almost always fun and interesting,and professors like them because students learn so much in just a few short months.     No one denies the value of classroom learning,but it can only take students so far.Slides and textbooks may do a good j ob of carrying facts and dates,but creativity and originality of thought cannot be taught.They can only be got through firsthand experience. In American universities, it is popular for professors to  _
create textbooks by themselves teach their lectures through real world experiences ask their students to memorize the texts share their experiences with the students