With the four syllabi needed for my doubled, diversified course load, this semester has certainly proven to be busy. Although I am still enjoying every minute of it! I have been putting in the hours these first six weeks in order to allow smooth sailing from here on out. Today I have officially finished each courses' lesson plans for the remaining 14 weeks, including the final exams ready to be sent to the print shop. I even prepared all the lessons for tutoring my primary students over the next three months. I am feeling accomplished.
The main challenge was preparing a syllabi for my newly added classes in the International College where I teach non-English majors whose skill level is quite low. Some of the students speak only as well as the children I tutor. I have taught beginners before but only in small groups in which I can provide one-on-one attention. Unlike my first college Spanish course, there are no text books, university-run online learning programs or guidance given to the instructors. After a lot of student evaluations and research, I finally feel as if I am running a professionally informed classroom fully equipped with valuable visuals and student materials.
Despite my preparedness, I still face the obstacle of getting the class to participate. I have learned that the International College isn't a department of the university for students wanting to study abroad. Rather, students who did not do well enough on the college entrance exams to be accepted into Yangtze University attend the college instead or in hopes of eventually being admitted into the university. So while the two schools are affiliated they are, in fact, separate. Frankly, the students come from more privileged families who can keep them in school. For most Chinese students who don't pass the entrance exam, they have to return home to work. After my first few classes, I become very frustrated with their behavior and poor work ethic. I have never encountered such problems with my university English majors and so was taken by surprise. It seems many do not care for be there. I have some that always sleep and many who just don't pay any attention. When asked to turn in a very short, easy in-class assignment today, 10 out of 30 did so before leaving. So now I am devising methods to keep them interested and attentitive that doesn't involve babysitting. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Mountains and Monkeys
During the Chinese National Week holiday (the first week of October) I traveled to Zhongjiajie, a city on the border of Hubei and Hunan provinces. The city itself is very much like any other in mainland China. The attraction is the Zhongjiajie National Forest Park, which is where the movie Avatar was filmed. If you are familiar with the movie, I saw the pillar-like rock structures that the main characters climbed and flew around. Unlike in Avatar, however, the rocks are not floating among the clouds.
When we first entered the park there was a sign that read "Do Not Touch the Monkeys." We had a good laugh, thinking that not only was such advice silly but also pointless. How would a person even be able to attempt to pet a monkey? Halfway up our first trail, we soon learned why such a warning was valid. There were monkeys everywhere, and they were fearless!
Evidently they've become accustomed to being fed by tourists so they linger near the trails. After watching for awhile, I continued hiking and began to eat an apple. Soon enough, two monkeys literally ran onto the path in front of me, standing on their hind legs and eyeing my snack. I felt obligated to share. My friend was walking ahead and was able to snap the photo below. While it is definitely a cool picture, their aggressiveness was unnerving. After giving one a small bite, I got too nervous and threw the remaining apple into the trees, sending both running after it. I still cannot believe how close the monkeys will come to people!
Frankly, the interaction between people and monkeys there is borderline dangerous. To make matters worse, the park actually sells sling-shots. Sadly, there was a little boy who was slinging stones at the animals! Of course, I yelled "Stop that!" But his parents or any other adults around didn't seem to care one bit. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if some day in the future newspaper headlines read "Chinese family attacked by monkeys at Zhongjiajie National Forest Park!" So I offer warning: If you ever pay a visit to the park be wary of the primates because apparently the Chinese tourists don't take any precautions.
The other highlight was making it all the way to the top of a mountain! Such a spectacular view! My friends and I hiked about eight miles each day. Good times.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
White Noise
When I arrived in China, one of the biggest adjustments I unexpectedly had to make was getting use to the noise pollution. If you thought New York City was loud, come take a walk through Jingzhou.
Cars and motor bikes honk obsessively. Even if there is nothing in their way, they still continue to honk as if asserting their authority. Chinese talk louder than the average American and, if there's no one to converse with, people boast their singing voice. (Although, I do find the love of song endearing.) Most shout into their cell phone as oftentimes the reception is horrible. My conversation with friends has been drowned out by the loud, one-end phone conversation of the passenger sitting behind us on the bus. When shopping, every store blares it's own music at top-volume, seemingly unaware that their playlist can't be distinguished while it just adds to the chaos of sound bombarding the sidewalks - which also includes street vendors shouting at you. Everywhere you go there seems to be construction so the clinking and clanking of large machinery rings in your ears. Currently, they are repaving the road near my apartment. (China is certainly changing and developing quickly.) At night, you can hear the barking of stray dogs and an occasional shout from local folk walking through campus.
Admitedly, I still have not adapted to all this noise. But just when I think I have managed to ignore the constant humdrum of life in China, allowing it to fade into white noise in the background, I hear the firecrackers. The local residents here LOVE firecrackers! They set them off daily for no apparent celebratory reason. On more than one occasion, I have awoken early in the morning to the echoing blasts somewhere outside my window. The first time it happened, I jumped out of bed alarmed at the racket. Just today in class, I had to stop teaching for five minutes as we waited for the boom of firecrackers to cease!
Cars and motor bikes honk obsessively. Even if there is nothing in their way, they still continue to honk as if asserting their authority. Chinese talk louder than the average American and, if there's no one to converse with, people boast their singing voice. (Although, I do find the love of song endearing.) Most shout into their cell phone as oftentimes the reception is horrible. My conversation with friends has been drowned out by the loud, one-end phone conversation of the passenger sitting behind us on the bus. When shopping, every store blares it's own music at top-volume, seemingly unaware that their playlist can't be distinguished while it just adds to the chaos of sound bombarding the sidewalks - which also includes street vendors shouting at you. Everywhere you go there seems to be construction so the clinking and clanking of large machinery rings in your ears. Currently, they are repaving the road near my apartment. (China is certainly changing and developing quickly.) At night, you can hear the barking of stray dogs and an occasional shout from local folk walking through campus.
Admitedly, I still have not adapted to all this noise. But just when I think I have managed to ignore the constant humdrum of life in China, allowing it to fade into white noise in the background, I hear the firecrackers. The local residents here LOVE firecrackers! They set them off daily for no apparent celebratory reason. On more than one occasion, I have awoken early in the morning to the echoing blasts somewhere outside my window. The first time it happened, I jumped out of bed alarmed at the racket. Just today in class, I had to stop teaching for five minutes as we waited for the boom of firecrackers to cease!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Cross-Cultural Crash
My students turned in their final papers a few weeks ago. With 130 papers to get through, I got started immediately. I was soon reading information that was written with a style and diction that was beyond their evident ability and expertise. So I started Googling... Plagiarism plagued the research papers. I further discovered that even the papers that appeared as if they were written at the same skill level were copied from blogs and amateur websites. Of all my students, fewer than ten wrote their own paper.
I felt awful. What had gone wrong? I devoted most of the semester's last two months to final paper preparations. At the start, I even discussed the definition of plagiarism, the importance of giving credit to authors and how it is a serious offense in Western universities. An entire lesson was devoted to avoiding it by practicing paraphrasing and reviewing the use of quotations. The criteria sheet I handed out also stated in large, bold print "Purposeful plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment and possibly a failing grade for this class."
After some online reading and talking with others, I then learned that plagiarism is actually very common, labeled by some as a problem with Chinese academia. Several Chinese professors have plagiarised the works they published in academic journals. Chinese friends informed that even graduate students oftentimes copy their thesis. Some stated that when they turned in papers, they hoped that their professors did not even read them - an idea that my Western perspective blocks me from grasping. Such news caused me to conclude that I was encountering not only lack of effort and sincerity on the part of my students but, moreover, a cultural barrier.
While I consciously did my best to not become angry, it proved difficult. My students are fluent English speaks for whom which a lack of understanding was not the issue. The issue seems to have been the disregard of my expectations and guidelines. However, then I reminded myself - How can I blame them for doing what they have been taught and following the examples of their teachers? Culturally, Chinese are taught that to copy the works of great artists is the best way to improve oneself and eventually become great too. Hence the strong emphasis on studying the Chinese classics in all subjects.
Obviously not going to fail everyone, the final papers couldn't be graded. After much deliberation, I decided to just make the mid-term exams worth a larger percentage of their course grade. I sent an e-mail to all students informing them about the change and expressing my disappointment. Because many of them had mentioned that they want to attend graduate schools in the U.S. or Britain, I reiterated the Western stance on plagiarism and warned that it would cause them to lose all potential for acceptance into any program. After spending a long time on my wording, I hit "Send" and hoped that they would understand I simply cannot issue grades for papers they didn't write. Surprisingly, I only had five or six responses, most of which offered apologies. Interestingly, a few seemed to acknowledge that we were facing a cultural difference, which just made me wonder why these seemingly self-aware students didn't bring such important information to my attention earlier.
One thing is clear - next semester's syllabus will need a lot of adjusting. I am quite certain that I will not be assigning research papers. I can't break down educational and cultural barriers in a four-month term. But I can definitely craft other practical lessons that will benefit them in the future. With that said, I still think that many of my students are incredibly smart and wonderful. Live and learn. Taking all the experience I've gained so far, my goal will be to reconstruct the class to hopefully create a classroom in which both the students and I can appreciate our cultures and engage in valuable learning (& teaching!) - living and learning.
I felt awful. What had gone wrong? I devoted most of the semester's last two months to final paper preparations. At the start, I even discussed the definition of plagiarism, the importance of giving credit to authors and how it is a serious offense in Western universities. An entire lesson was devoted to avoiding it by practicing paraphrasing and reviewing the use of quotations. The criteria sheet I handed out also stated in large, bold print "Purposeful plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment and possibly a failing grade for this class."
After some online reading and talking with others, I then learned that plagiarism is actually very common, labeled by some as a problem with Chinese academia. Several Chinese professors have plagiarised the works they published in academic journals. Chinese friends informed that even graduate students oftentimes copy their thesis. Some stated that when they turned in papers, they hoped that their professors did not even read them - an idea that my Western perspective blocks me from grasping. Such news caused me to conclude that I was encountering not only lack of effort and sincerity on the part of my students but, moreover, a cultural barrier.
While I consciously did my best to not become angry, it proved difficult. My students are fluent English speaks for whom which a lack of understanding was not the issue. The issue seems to have been the disregard of my expectations and guidelines. However, then I reminded myself - How can I blame them for doing what they have been taught and following the examples of their teachers? Culturally, Chinese are taught that to copy the works of great artists is the best way to improve oneself and eventually become great too. Hence the strong emphasis on studying the Chinese classics in all subjects.
Obviously not going to fail everyone, the final papers couldn't be graded. After much deliberation, I decided to just make the mid-term exams worth a larger percentage of their course grade. I sent an e-mail to all students informing them about the change and expressing my disappointment. Because many of them had mentioned that they want to attend graduate schools in the U.S. or Britain, I reiterated the Western stance on plagiarism and warned that it would cause them to lose all potential for acceptance into any program. After spending a long time on my wording, I hit "Send" and hoped that they would understand I simply cannot issue grades for papers they didn't write. Surprisingly, I only had five or six responses, most of which offered apologies. Interestingly, a few seemed to acknowledge that we were facing a cultural difference, which just made me wonder why these seemingly self-aware students didn't bring such important information to my attention earlier.
One thing is clear - next semester's syllabus will need a lot of adjusting. I am quite certain that I will not be assigning research papers. I can't break down educational and cultural barriers in a four-month term. But I can definitely craft other practical lessons that will benefit them in the future. With that said, I still think that many of my students are incredibly smart and wonderful. Live and learn. Taking all the experience I've gained so far, my goal will be to reconstruct the class to hopefully create a classroom in which both the students and I can appreciate our cultures and engage in valuable learning (& teaching!) - living and learning.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Mmmm Food
Being in mainland China, there are not many meal options beyond Chinese food. Only in the bigger, coastal cities will you find any international cuisine. The three Western restaurants here are McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut, all of which are expensive by Chinese standards. There is one Korean restaurant near the campus, but its menu has maybe five entrees. As for grocery shopping, there is one super market in Sha Shi (the neighboring city) that has a few western items, including butter, cheese, french bread (which is usually stale) and spaghetti.
So I've been eating lots of Chinese food! That means I eat rice just about everyday. The basics are rice, meat (chicken, beef or pork) and vegetables. The most commonly eaten veges are cabbage, peppers, onions and tomatoes - you find at least one of these in almost any dish. My favorite food here (which was new to me four months ago) are lotus roots. Everything is cooked. When I explain how Westerners eat uncooked veges (i.e. salads), people are just aghast!
Some other new and weird foods I've eaten: duck blood, milk bean soup, rotten tofu (called "stinky tof"), donkey, snake, chicken feet, and pigs blood, ear, tongue and balls (yes, balls...)
The spiciest Chinese dishes come from far Cantonese south or Sichuan province but, in general, Southern China is known for spicer foods relative to Northern China. So many dishes here are quite spicy. Most, especially meats, have chili peppers and/or peppercorns in them. Even now with it being 90 degrees and high humidity, people still indudge in these hot dishes. Us foreigners just get uncomfortably hot and sweaty!
Chinese do not consume a lot of dairy. Many of them have never even tasted cheese and most don't drink milk. Yogurt cups are very popular, but the servings are only a couple ounces. I assume the lack of calcium is why they are all so small, and why three of my students had broken bones this semester. Milk is sold warm in cardboard boxes. Frankly, I don't like it and I miss my 2%.
At restaurants the food is served family-style. Everyone shares the dishes, picking up the food with their chopsticks and placing it in their bowl of rice. Below is a pic of a typical dinner. The middle dish in the back is lotus root.
All in all, I really enjoy the food here but, admittedly, I sometimes overwhelmingly crave non-Chinese foods. I took it for granted that in America people can eat any ethnic foods they want. Within just a few blocks from Bren's & my apartment in Chicago we could go to a Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, Ethiopian, Irish or Middle Eastern restaurant. Awhile back I actually had a recurring dream about eating a taco....
So I've been eating lots of Chinese food! That means I eat rice just about everyday. The basics are rice, meat (chicken, beef or pork) and vegetables. The most commonly eaten veges are cabbage, peppers, onions and tomatoes - you find at least one of these in almost any dish. My favorite food here (which was new to me four months ago) are lotus roots. Everything is cooked. When I explain how Westerners eat uncooked veges (i.e. salads), people are just aghast!
Some other new and weird foods I've eaten: duck blood, milk bean soup, rotten tofu (called "stinky tof"), donkey, snake, chicken feet, and pigs blood, ear, tongue and balls (yes, balls...)
The spiciest Chinese dishes come from far Cantonese south or Sichuan province but, in general, Southern China is known for spicer foods relative to Northern China. So many dishes here are quite spicy. Most, especially meats, have chili peppers and/or peppercorns in them. Even now with it being 90 degrees and high humidity, people still indudge in these hot dishes. Us foreigners just get uncomfortably hot and sweaty!
Chinese do not consume a lot of dairy. Many of them have never even tasted cheese and most don't drink milk. Yogurt cups are very popular, but the servings are only a couple ounces. I assume the lack of calcium is why they are all so small, and why three of my students had broken bones this semester. Milk is sold warm in cardboard boxes. Frankly, I don't like it and I miss my 2%.
At restaurants the food is served family-style. Everyone shares the dishes, picking up the food with their chopsticks and placing it in their bowl of rice. Below is a pic of a typical dinner. The middle dish in the back is lotus root.
All in all, I really enjoy the food here but, admittedly, I sometimes overwhelmingly crave non-Chinese foods. I took it for granted that in America people can eat any ethnic foods they want. Within just a few blocks from Bren's & my apartment in Chicago we could go to a Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, Ethiopian, Irish or Middle Eastern restaurant. Awhile back I actually had a recurring dream about eating a taco....
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Going to the Country
Every Sunday Keith and I tutor four primary school students in oral English. This past weekend one of our students, Gary, invited us to spend an afternoon in the countryside at his home. We loaded in his father's van and headed out of the city. It was wonderful to breathe fresh, sweet-smelling air. The city is rather polluted. In China, Gary's family would be considered "rich peasants." Their newly built two-story home has the kitchen in another small building separated by a narrow courtyard from the main house. In the courtyard is the pig pen and chicken coop - but the chickens roam throughout the entire yard.
After a few hours of playing with the kids (none of the adults spoke any English), we had a huge feast prepared by Gary's mother and aunt. It was so lovely to have a home-cooked meal! I never cook at my apartment and eat out almost every evening. It was one of the best meals I've had since arriving in China, particularly the duck legs. After eating like it was Thanksgiving, we returned to campus.
We walked through the garden and around the rice paddies where we met Harry the water buffalo. I helped Gary feed the chickens and we played with their new puppy, DuDu (which sounds like "doo doo"). I told them they should get another dog and name him PeePee! Despite his English being quite good, I was surprised that Gary actually understood the joke...When I was checking out the pig, I nonchalantly shooed a chick away who was getting to close too my face. I had failed to notice five other chickens sitting in a nearby basket. When they saw my hand swing over them, they all flocked towards me in panic. I shrieked loudly and hurried away swinging my arms to fend off the chickens! I caused such an uproar that Gary's grandmother came to see if everything was OK!
Harry
After a few hours of playing with the kids (none of the adults spoke any English), we had a huge feast prepared by Gary's mother and aunt. It was so lovely to have a home-cooked meal! I never cook at my apartment and eat out almost every evening. It was one of the best meals I've had since arriving in China, particularly the duck legs. After eating like it was Thanksgiving, we returned to campus.
Group Photo
The Feast (which I can't get to load right-side up)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Red, White & Blue
Last week I passed around a blank sheet of paper and asked each student to write any question they have about American culture, politics and society. So I knew this week that I would be discussing topics of interest on a subject I'm knowledgeable about. It was the best discussion all semester with some students actually participating!
Some questions were rather light and funny, while others were more inquisitive and serious:
"Does everyone have casual sex like they do in American movies?"
"How did Indians (Native Americans) influence American culture?"
"Are American housewives really like the characters in the show Desperate Housewives?"
"How old are women when they get married? How many children do they typically have?"
"Are Americans more accepting of black people after President Obama was elected?"
"What do American women look for in and find attractive about Chinese men?"
I made sure to discuss every inquiry. For a few, I had to do a little research in order to provide a good answer, especially one question in particular. Two students asked about my opinions on America "not thinking that Taiwan is a part of China" and the recent weapons sale to Taiwan. I was surprised to see these two questions written down. The issues surrounding the status of Taiwan independence are the Chinese government's Achilles heel. For example, China refuses to do business with any country that asserts Taiwan's sovereignty. A few other foreign teachers warned I would be entering dangerous territory, but I didn't want to ignore the students' questions after I encouraged them to ask whatever they wanted. Because of the sensivity of the topic, I had to be very careful in crafting my response.
I mostly quoted statements issued by both the Obama and Bush administrations, which essentially leave the American government's stance vague and arbitrary, causing my response to also be. In addressing the $1.6 billion sale of weapons, I said that it was an economic exchange, not a political move. One student then proceded to ask, "How would Americans feel if the Chinese government sold weapons to California?" I explained that wouldn't happen because California doesn't have it's own army (Taiwan does) and continued to emphasis economical reasons for the transaction. While this one student did seem to get aggravated, I kept the conversation from getting heated. My communications degree in rhetoric proved helpful in the situation. I made a conscious effort to avoid saying "Taiwanese government" or any way insinuating that Taiwan has a separate government. (Although Taiwan actually does - It has its own president, political parties, judicial system, tax system, etc. A Chinese passport isn't even valid for entry; Mainland Chinese have to purchase a visa).
So the class discussions went great even though I touched upon a very delicate issue. I succeeded in not angrying or offending anyone! Everyone paid attention and no one appeared bored. If only past attempts at encouraging student oral participation went as well. The students were also glad to not have to do any writing after turning in their preposterous final papers!
Some questions were rather light and funny, while others were more inquisitive and serious:
"Does everyone have casual sex like they do in American movies?"
"How did Indians (Native Americans) influence American culture?"
"Are American housewives really like the characters in the show Desperate Housewives?"
"How old are women when they get married? How many children do they typically have?"
"Are Americans more accepting of black people after President Obama was elected?"
"What do American women look for in and find attractive about Chinese men?"
I made sure to discuss every inquiry. For a few, I had to do a little research in order to provide a good answer, especially one question in particular. Two students asked about my opinions on America "not thinking that Taiwan is a part of China" and the recent weapons sale to Taiwan. I was surprised to see these two questions written down. The issues surrounding the status of Taiwan independence are the Chinese government's Achilles heel. For example, China refuses to do business with any country that asserts Taiwan's sovereignty. A few other foreign teachers warned I would be entering dangerous territory, but I didn't want to ignore the students' questions after I encouraged them to ask whatever they wanted. Because of the sensivity of the topic, I had to be very careful in crafting my response.
I mostly quoted statements issued by both the Obama and Bush administrations, which essentially leave the American government's stance vague and arbitrary, causing my response to also be. In addressing the $1.6 billion sale of weapons, I said that it was an economic exchange, not a political move. One student then proceded to ask, "How would Americans feel if the Chinese government sold weapons to California?" I explained that wouldn't happen because California doesn't have it's own army (Taiwan does) and continued to emphasis economical reasons for the transaction. While this one student did seem to get aggravated, I kept the conversation from getting heated. My communications degree in rhetoric proved helpful in the situation. I made a conscious effort to avoid saying "Taiwanese government" or any way insinuating that Taiwan has a separate government. (Although Taiwan actually does - It has its own president, political parties, judicial system, tax system, etc. A Chinese passport isn't even valid for entry; Mainland Chinese have to purchase a visa).
So the class discussions went great even though I touched upon a very delicate issue. I succeeded in not angrying or offending anyone! Everyone paid attention and no one appeared bored. If only past attempts at encouraging student oral participation went as well. The students were also glad to not have to do any writing after turning in their preposterous final papers!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Festivities & No School!
Last Wednesday was the Dragon Boat Festival and the first very hot, humid day in Jingzhou. Due to the national holiday, we had the day off school so I enjoyed a fun day in the sun!
Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated every summer in honor of poet Qu Yuan (340BC - 278BC) who lived under the Chu State during the Era of Warring States, a time period of warlord rivalry before the formation of the first dynasty in 221 B.C. The Chu State was actually centered in the city of Jingzhou. When Qu Yuan became shunned by the sovereign and too frustrated with the government that soon formed the Qin Dynasty, he drowned himself in the river. In old China, suicide was a traditional form of protest - and an honorable way to "save face" when one's reputation was ruined beyond repair. After the local people could not find his body by boat, they threw rice into the water to prevent the fish from eating his body, in hopes of preserving it for the afterlife. Because of this, the traditional food is sticky rice dumplings (zhongzi), which can be dipped in sugar or are filled with meat and vegetables, and are wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Besides eating zhongzi, the other major festivity is the dragon boat race. Dragon boats are traditional long canoe-like boats that are usually adorned with decorative dragon heads and tails. The boat is rowed by a dozen men while another man, sitting in front, beats a drum to keep the rowers in sync. About eight teams competed in Jingzhou. Unfortunately, the team representing Yangtze University came in last. Below is a picture of two teams rowing with spectators and a statue of Qu Yuan in the background.
Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated every summer in honor of poet Qu Yuan (340BC - 278BC) who lived under the Chu State during the Era of Warring States, a time period of warlord rivalry before the formation of the first dynasty in 221 B.C. The Chu State was actually centered in the city of Jingzhou. When Qu Yuan became shunned by the sovereign and too frustrated with the government that soon formed the Qin Dynasty, he drowned himself in the river. In old China, suicide was a traditional form of protest - and an honorable way to "save face" when one's reputation was ruined beyond repair. After the local people could not find his body by boat, they threw rice into the water to prevent the fish from eating his body, in hopes of preserving it for the afterlife. Because of this, the traditional food is sticky rice dumplings (zhongzi), which can be dipped in sugar or are filled with meat and vegetables, and are wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Besides eating zhongzi, the other major festivity is the dragon boat race. Dragon boats are traditional long canoe-like boats that are usually adorned with decorative dragon heads and tails. The boat is rowed by a dozen men while another man, sitting in front, beats a drum to keep the rowers in sync. About eight teams competed in Jingzhou. Unfortunately, the team representing Yangtze University came in last. Below is a picture of two teams rowing with spectators and a statue of Qu Yuan in the background.
Here's a close-up of Qu Yuan
Good times!
Other than watching the race, we simply enjoyed walking around. Like any other festival, there were tons of vendors and decorations. And, of course, I had dozens of pictures taken with random strangers who wanted to pose with a wei guo ren (foreigner). The pics above are friends though! It was a lovely day except for by sunburned shoulders!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Getting Physical
Students are incredibly active here and many exercise just about everyday. The most popular sports are basketball, football (soccer), badminton and ping-pong. All the boys LOVE the NBA and are huge Kobe fans and many are currently glued to the TV each night watching the World Cup. Girls tend to only play the latter two sports. However, I have two girlfriends who will play b-ball with me sometimes. Although most girls, I believe, find it too unfeminine. Because I'm female, most people are surprised to learn that I play basketball - with the boys! I decided I need to pick-up another one of the fav sports so every Friday I attend Tu's ping-pong class. I tease all the students by saying that I am practicing to compete in China's national ping-pong competition. They don't believe I am good enough.....yet.....
The basketball and badminton courts, the football field and the ping-pong tables are constantly crowded with people. The track (which is called the "playground") is overcrowded every evening from about 7-10 o'clock. Hundreds of students are running, walking or stretching. Several small groups of friends will just walk and talk. Just tonight I walked four times around the playground while chatting with my friend - better than talking over calorie-packed coffees or snacks I suppose. While American college students will go to the campus gym, it isn't considered a place to hang out and it isn't frequented by the majority of students. So, at first, it's surprising to see so many people running every night as their means of socializing. The playground is definitely a popular evening social event. As I have mentioned before, Chinese students don't party like American students do. So evidently when students don't drink beer, they exercise!
Tu & I
The basketball and badminton courts, the football field and the ping-pong tables are constantly crowded with people. The track (which is called the "playground") is overcrowded every evening from about 7-10 o'clock. Hundreds of students are running, walking or stretching. Several small groups of friends will just walk and talk. Just tonight I walked four times around the playground while chatting with my friend - better than talking over calorie-packed coffees or snacks I suppose. While American college students will go to the campus gym, it isn't considered a place to hang out and it isn't frequented by the majority of students. So, at first, it's surprising to see so many people running every night as their means of socializing. The playground is definitely a popular evening social event. As I have mentioned before, Chinese students don't party like American students do. So evidently when students don't drink beer, they exercise!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Good Thing I Teach on the First Floor
Since final papers are due next week, I just gave my students the class time to work and the opportunity to receive help or ask questions. I would periodically walk around to make sure they were working on their research papers and not other assignments, but mostly I just read if I wasn't assisting a student. Admittedly, class was less formal than usual as I did not have any lesson to give and I was quite laid-back. During my afternoon class today, I got absorbed in my book and looked up only because a female student coughed loudly (to get my attention). As I glanced in her direction, I saw one of my male students running down the hill outside. He had jumped out the window! Without thinking I uttered, "What the hell!" The entire class roared in laughter. After a good laugh, everyone calmed down and went back to work. Then not two minutes later from my peripheral vision I see another student, Danny, jumping out the window. Frankly, I was so taken aback I didn't even say something but just watched him follow the same path downhill.
I understand they weren't wanting to work on their final, but I still find it peculiar. I suppose this is a good example of foreign teachers not being granted the same respect as their Chinese teachers - whose windows they would certainly not jump out of to escape class early. Moreover, I assume being an entire four years older doesn't help in getting them to take me seriously. I was rather worried about that before the start of the semester so I've never told them I am only 24. While American university students can be apt to skip class or slack off, Chinese students are extremely studious and diligent. So attempts to leave or skip class are rare, especially through windows. Mostly, however, I find the incident rather hilarious. Next week I plan to write the definition of a door and a window on the chalkboard and give these two students a hard time. Perhaps I will get all the girls to applaud as they enter and exit through the doorway. And, of course, they lost some participation points today.
I understand they weren't wanting to work on their final, but I still find it peculiar. I suppose this is a good example of foreign teachers not being granted the same respect as their Chinese teachers - whose windows they would certainly not jump out of to escape class early. Moreover, I assume being an entire four years older doesn't help in getting them to take me seriously. I was rather worried about that before the start of the semester so I've never told them I am only 24. While American university students can be apt to skip class or slack off, Chinese students are extremely studious and diligent. So attempts to leave or skip class are rare, especially through windows. Mostly, however, I find the incident rather hilarious. Next week I plan to write the definition of a door and a window on the chalkboard and give these two students a hard time. Perhaps I will get all the girls to applaud as they enter and exit through the doorway. And, of course, they lost some participation points today.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Look - A Foreigner!
One thing that can be awkward or even annoying is being something of a novelty in mainland China. Because there are not many foreigners, being non-Chinese causes you to stand out in any crowd. As as result, most people will stare, point and shout at you. It is not uncommon to here people say, "Kan - wei guo ren!" (Look - a foreigner!)
Sometimes it even feels like I am a local celebrity. When walking down the street, groups of people, who are usually young, will excitedly ask to have their picture taken with you. I always wonder what they do with these photos. I imagine they post them on their QQ, which is the Chinese Facebook, with a comment declaring "I met my first foreigner today!" Once when I was with all the male teachers, a few teenage girls went into a frenzy, yelling, jumping and giggling as if I had been walking with Brad Pitt.
I am not too bothered by it, but some of the other foreign teachers find that, at times, it can make them uncomfortable. Don't come to mainland China without being prepared to receive a lot of attention - shy wallflowers will not survive! When someone is gawking, I will usually wave or shout "Ni hao!" at them, which causes them to become embarrassed and quickly look away. On a few occasions, an older man or woman (in their 70s or 80s) will approach me and just start talking up a storm. I will politely listen to them ramble for a few minutes without understanding a single word and then they just nod and walk away. Typically, however, the older folks do not come too close.
The only times that I do feel weird is when I go running on the university's track. Students will not only point, but stop and watch me. I am not sure what they are expecting to learn about Americans from the way I run. So I just turn up my music and do my best to ignore them. I tend to run later at night now in order to avoid those awkward moments.
On a few occasions, when I've been in a silly mood, I will point back at someone and shout "Kan - zhong wen!" (Look - a Chinese!) The stranger will either smile before looking away, understanding the joke, or just give a confused look.
Sometimes it even feels like I am a local celebrity. When walking down the street, groups of people, who are usually young, will excitedly ask to have their picture taken with you. I always wonder what they do with these photos. I imagine they post them on their QQ, which is the Chinese Facebook, with a comment declaring "I met my first foreigner today!" Once when I was with all the male teachers, a few teenage girls went into a frenzy, yelling, jumping and giggling as if I had been walking with Brad Pitt.
I am not too bothered by it, but some of the other foreign teachers find that, at times, it can make them uncomfortable. Don't come to mainland China without being prepared to receive a lot of attention - shy wallflowers will not survive! When someone is gawking, I will usually wave or shout "Ni hao!" at them, which causes them to become embarrassed and quickly look away. On a few occasions, an older man or woman (in their 70s or 80s) will approach me and just start talking up a storm. I will politely listen to them ramble for a few minutes without understanding a single word and then they just nod and walk away. Typically, however, the older folks do not come too close.
The only times that I do feel weird is when I go running on the university's track. Students will not only point, but stop and watch me. I am not sure what they are expecting to learn about Americans from the way I run. So I just turn up my music and do my best to ignore them. I tend to run later at night now in order to avoid those awkward moments.
On a few occasions, when I've been in a silly mood, I will point back at someone and shout "Kan - zhong wen!" (Look - a Chinese!) The stranger will either smile before looking away, understanding the joke, or just give a confused look.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Preposterous Papers!
A few weeks ago I handed out information on the final argumentative paper. The students were completely overwhlemed! They were actually going have to invest effort in this assignment! When I reviewed the five-page requirement, students' jaws dropped in astonishment. A few girls exclaimed, "But why does it have to be five pages!"
I understood when drafting the criteria that I would be challenging my classes; They are smart and certainly capable. All the students have written persuassive essays in the past, but those essays were not research-based. So we have spent a lot of time learning how to find, paraphrase and quote quality, supportive research. Beyond research, the students are at least familiar with the other requirements, of which we have had lessons covering all they need to know. I also devoted an entire class to constructing outlines and writing a thesis statement in order to make sure everyone had a good grasp of the basics.
I was also aware that I would be raising the bar for a class taught by a foreign teacher, which the students expect to be a blow-off course. (On that note: For anyone wanting to teach in Chinese colleges as a foregin teacher, you have to be assertive in establishing respect. While the students may be really talkative in your class, they are definitely not in their classes taught by Chinese professors.) So I had prepared myself for the dramatized reactions when I presented high expectations for their final assignment. Before discussing the requirements, I asked everyone to take a deep breathe and relax. "Even though the paper, at first, may seem overwhelming," I explained, "we have six weeks before these are due, which, trust me, will be more than enough time to complete your paper stress-free." Despite my assurances, I could still hear grieving mumbles. This final may very well effect my reputation among the students next semester... Hopefully they will say, "If you really want to learn a lot, take Ms. Lindsey's class!"...
With the papers due in two weeks, it seems all students are moving along smoothly. Everyone has completed a rough draft and is now working on a revision after we spent last class doing peer reviews. My only concern is that I have observed how the student's do not usually ask questions when they need help. (This has to do with the Chinese concept of "saving face" which maybe I will someday attempt to explain.) If a student does brave it and ask, it is after class in private. I have made a point to address such questions during the next class, assuming that other students don't know the answer either. I can only hope that the lack of questions means they are competently completing their final papers with ease!
I understood when drafting the criteria that I would be challenging my classes; They are smart and certainly capable. All the students have written persuassive essays in the past, but those essays were not research-based. So we have spent a lot of time learning how to find, paraphrase and quote quality, supportive research. Beyond research, the students are at least familiar with the other requirements, of which we have had lessons covering all they need to know. I also devoted an entire class to constructing outlines and writing a thesis statement in order to make sure everyone had a good grasp of the basics.
I was also aware that I would be raising the bar for a class taught by a foreign teacher, which the students expect to be a blow-off course. (On that note: For anyone wanting to teach in Chinese colleges as a foregin teacher, you have to be assertive in establishing respect. While the students may be really talkative in your class, they are definitely not in their classes taught by Chinese professors.) So I had prepared myself for the dramatized reactions when I presented high expectations for their final assignment. Before discussing the requirements, I asked everyone to take a deep breathe and relax. "Even though the paper, at first, may seem overwhelming," I explained, "we have six weeks before these are due, which, trust me, will be more than enough time to complete your paper stress-free." Despite my assurances, I could still hear grieving mumbles. This final may very well effect my reputation among the students next semester... Hopefully they will say, "If you really want to learn a lot, take Ms. Lindsey's class!"...
With the papers due in two weeks, it seems all students are moving along smoothly. Everyone has completed a rough draft and is now working on a revision after we spent last class doing peer reviews. My only concern is that I have observed how the student's do not usually ask questions when they need help. (This has to do with the Chinese concept of "saving face" which maybe I will someday attempt to explain.) If a student does brave it and ask, it is after class in private. I have made a point to address such questions during the next class, assuming that other students don't know the answer either. I can only hope that the lack of questions means they are competently completing their final papers with ease!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Back With a Sack of Turtle Snack!
After a few weeks on a blogging hiatus, I'm finally back and with so much to share! Most recently, Roanne & I had dinner with a student, Emossa (which I thought the most unique but beautiful English name I have heard a student choose). We took her to a restaurant nearby campus in hopes of having their turtle soup. Unfortunately, the kitchen was out of turtles so Roanne & I would not eat turtle for the first time that night. But there was no need to be sad because Emossa claimed that her father's speciality was turtle soup and that she would have us try it that coming Saturday!
When I opened my door, Emossa was standing there with a bag. When I asked her why she would have soup in bag, she replied, "I brought you turtles!"
When I opened my door, Emossa was standing there with a bag. When I asked her why she would have soup in bag, she replied, "I brought you turtles!"
Literally, a bag of turtles.
Here's the conversation that then ensued:
Emossa: "Do you know how to cook?"
Me: "Uh no, I wouldn't say so."
Emossa: "Didn't Roanne say she is a good cook?"
Me: "Well, yes, but she also said that she's never eaten turtle."
Emossa gives me a confused look.
Me: "So what you're saying it that you just brought live animals to my apartment with no idea how to cook them?"
Emossa: "I'm not sure how you kill them."
Me: "Well do you have any idea about how to prepare them and what ingredients we should get?"
Emossa: I've watched my parents once before."
Me: "I guess we're cooking turtles!"
I immediately thought about my debate dilemma that I had encountered in my classes. This was another example of many of the student's lack of deductive reasoning. Regardless, it could work out well so we had some cooking to do....
I told Emossa that she would have to handle the turtles as I am used to only seeing the food I am going to eat after it is dead and pre-packaged. I told her the best method for mass turtle murder would probably be boiling. I know the following picture is rather morbid, but it pretty much sums up the night:
Emossa took over the entire kitchen and refused any assistance with prepping the vegetables or cooking the rice. We forwent attempting turtle soup and thought it'd be best just to cook it with veges and rice how other meats are commonly served up in China.
Turtle Sandwich
After nearly two hours, dinner was served. Frankly, it was absolutely disgusting. I am pretty sure that not ony had Emossa never cooked turtle, but she has never cooked once in her entire life. I am also pretty sure that she unknowingly threw away most of the actual meat because we were mostly served cartilage from under the shell - and the feet. My pic of the final dish is blurry but I think you've seen enough....
I asked Emossa to take the remaining turtles with her, but she left them. I quickly placed the bag on the balcony because I was running late to meet someone. When I returned home late that evening, I thought it cruel that I had just left the turtles in the bag, especially after their friends had been futilely sacrificed. So I filled a tray with water and lettuce and brought it to the porch so that they would be more comfortable. But there was only one turtle in the bag and I could have sworn there should have been three! Not thinking too much of it because it was late and I was tired, I went to bed.
The next morning I set the one remaining turtle free in the river. Then the following night, I had three friends over with whom I was sharing this story. As we were leaving, I suddenly shrieked and pointed at the turtle I saw in the corner of my doorway. I knew there were three turtles!! We soon found the third one under my couch. How they lived in my living room for nearly two days without being noticed is beyond me. But we finally set them free to go find their buddy.
I am currently unsure if I am still willing to try turtle again - at a restaurant, of course! I imagine I will, but I will need some recovery time before the second attempt.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Combating the 'Great Firewall'
Over the last few weeks, I have lost the ability to freely search the Internet. Because of the Chinese government's censorship, I must use a proxy server in order to access most preferred websites, including Blogger. Brendan had to post my last entry - Thanks Bren! For unknown reasons, my server has shut down and I have failed to reboot it. In my ongoing fight with China's Great Firewall, I am currently losing the battle. But I am working on new strategies. Hopefully I will be blogging more consistently soon!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Deadlock Debate
In order to get my students in the necessary mind frame for crafting an argumentative paper (their final), I had them debate last week. The debates also allowed me to keep from moving forward since Monday classes were canceled due to it being Chinese Labor Day. I had both classes address the same topics, the death penalty and the effectiveness of college entrance examinations.
Overall, the debates went well. Everyone had the opportunity to speak, remained respectful and presented his or her opinions clearly. For capital punishment, all the classic arguments were debated, including the value of life, governmental costs and whether criminals can be rehabilitated. Once the discussion was exhausted, we moved on to the second topic, which, unfortunately, hit the same wall in both classes.
The group opposing the use of college entrance exams would perform well at first, offering strong claims about how the exams are an inadequate tool for selecting which students will attend universities. Eventually, however, the group defending the exams would ask, “If we get rid of the exams, how will we determine who should go to college?”
Without hesitation, the opposing side replied, “The government will figure it out. That is their job, not ours”
The dispute essentially ended after that exchange. After the assertion that the government should establish a solution, the defenders of the exam would reply that the current system cannot be extinguished until another method is available to determine eligibility. The debate was stalemated.
The second time around, I warned the anti-exam group that their opponents will inevitably inquire about what other options are available to qualify students for higher education. I advised that they use some of the prep time to brainstorm other possibilities.
To my dismay, when asked about alternative college acceptance criteria, the group simply gave the same reply, asserting it as the government’s responsibility, implying that there is no need for their group to inquire about other options. I have to admit, I was rather disappointed. The debates provided another example of how Chinese aren’t educated to ‘think outside the box.’
I tried to be thorough and careful when lecturing on how to establish a strong argument and write a well-researched paper. I taught the basics of how to apply deductive and inductive reasoning to situations in general and to their research specifically. I also introduced Aristotle’s proofs (logos/logic, pathos/emotion, ethos/ethics) as the basic components of any means of persuasion. We then discussed how to research and what constitutes quality, reliable information.
Furthermore, I informed that if their thesis involves any need for a solution or policy proposal, they mustn’t assert that someone else needs to decide the answer. I understand that political debate is not completely tolerated in China but, in order to craft a sound argument, they must “pretend to be a government official whose responsibility is to present the argument to the court.” Without alternative possibilities, the argument will be weakened. If they don’t feel comfortable putting themselves in those shoes, I advised that they need to pick another topic.
I’ve got five weeks to guide them through the writing process, which will hopefully produce great argumentative, research papers!
Overall, the debates went well. Everyone had the opportunity to speak, remained respectful and presented his or her opinions clearly. For capital punishment, all the classic arguments were debated, including the value of life, governmental costs and whether criminals can be rehabilitated. Once the discussion was exhausted, we moved on to the second topic, which, unfortunately, hit the same wall in both classes.
The group opposing the use of college entrance exams would perform well at first, offering strong claims about how the exams are an inadequate tool for selecting which students will attend universities. Eventually, however, the group defending the exams would ask, “If we get rid of the exams, how will we determine who should go to college?”
Without hesitation, the opposing side replied, “The government will figure it out. That is their job, not ours”
The dispute essentially ended after that exchange. After the assertion that the government should establish a solution, the defenders of the exam would reply that the current system cannot be extinguished until another method is available to determine eligibility. The debate was stalemated.
The second time around, I warned the anti-exam group that their opponents will inevitably inquire about what other options are available to qualify students for higher education. I advised that they use some of the prep time to brainstorm other possibilities.
To my dismay, when asked about alternative college acceptance criteria, the group simply gave the same reply, asserting it as the government’s responsibility, implying that there is no need for their group to inquire about other options. I have to admit, I was rather disappointed. The debates provided another example of how Chinese aren’t educated to ‘think outside the box.’
I tried to be thorough and careful when lecturing on how to establish a strong argument and write a well-researched paper. I taught the basics of how to apply deductive and inductive reasoning to situations in general and to their research specifically. I also introduced Aristotle’s proofs (logos/logic, pathos/emotion, ethos/ethics) as the basic components of any means of persuasion. We then discussed how to research and what constitutes quality, reliable information.
Furthermore, I informed that if their thesis involves any need for a solution or policy proposal, they mustn’t assert that someone else needs to decide the answer. I understand that political debate is not completely tolerated in China but, in order to craft a sound argument, they must “pretend to be a government official whose responsibility is to present the argument to the court.” Without alternative possibilities, the argument will be weakened. If they don’t feel comfortable putting themselves in those shoes, I advised that they need to pick another topic.
I’ve got five weeks to guide them through the writing process, which will hopefully produce great argumentative, research papers!
Monday, May 3, 2010
What is Love?
Since the poetry went so well, I did one more lesson that involved introspective writing and another medium for self expression.
For the first half of class, we discussed the lyrics of three English love songs and then listened to them. We reviewed U2 "With or Without You", Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You", and Norah Jones "Come Away With Me". I chose these three songs because they are sung clearly and each offers a different message about love that helped stimulate discussion. I printed out the lyrics and we discussed the songs line by line. Everyone thought it was cool to listen to some of my favorite musicians.
During the second half of class, the students did a free-writing exercise in which they answered the prompt "What is love?" These were also enjoyable papers to read. Again, my students shared both personal and profound thoughts.
"Love to us is what water is to fish. We can't live without it."
"Love is amazing. It makes us show mercy to the poor, it brings peace to everyone's heart and it brings people together despite difficulties."
"I've learned that love can be romantic, but romance alone doesn't mean love. Sometimes I think I don't really how to love my boyfriend. I can feel that he also has the same problem. But neither of us give up. We just keep going and try to find more about each other."
"Love transcends material properties and social status."
"Love is mutual understanding and support. Love is forgiveness and sacrifice."
"Love is a weird thing. When you desire it, it won't come to you. When you despise it, it asks you to accept it."
"Love means to respect each other even if we have different opinions. Love means to sacrifice something. Love needs to be patient. Love is simple."
While not the majority, several students did write about patriotism. It was surprisingly less students than I had anticipated given the indoctrination that plays a large role in their earlier education and the vague praises I've heard about current and past political leaders. Here's one example:
"There is a kind of love that is country love. It is a great love that everybody should have. You will not have any love if you don't have country love."
In sum, it was another great week that the students really enjoyed. They certainly appreciate any opportunity to share their ideas and opinions.
For the first half of class, we discussed the lyrics of three English love songs and then listened to them. We reviewed U2 "With or Without You", Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You", and Norah Jones "Come Away With Me". I chose these three songs because they are sung clearly and each offers a different message about love that helped stimulate discussion. I printed out the lyrics and we discussed the songs line by line. Everyone thought it was cool to listen to some of my favorite musicians.
During the second half of class, the students did a free-writing exercise in which they answered the prompt "What is love?" These were also enjoyable papers to read. Again, my students shared both personal and profound thoughts.
"Love to us is what water is to fish. We can't live without it."
"Love is amazing. It makes us show mercy to the poor, it brings peace to everyone's heart and it brings people together despite difficulties."
"I've learned that love can be romantic, but romance alone doesn't mean love. Sometimes I think I don't really how to love my boyfriend. I can feel that he also has the same problem. But neither of us give up. We just keep going and try to find more about each other."
"Love transcends material properties and social status."
"Love is mutual understanding and support. Love is forgiveness and sacrifice."
"Love is a weird thing. When you desire it, it won't come to you. When you despise it, it asks you to accept it."
"Love means to respect each other even if we have different opinions. Love means to sacrifice something. Love needs to be patient. Love is simple."
While not the majority, several students did write about patriotism. It was surprisingly less students than I had anticipated given the indoctrination that plays a large role in their earlier education and the vague praises I've heard about current and past political leaders. Here's one example:
"There is a kind of love that is country love. It is a great love that everybody should have. You will not have any love if you don't have country love."
In sum, it was another great week that the students really enjoyed. They certainly appreciate any opportunity to share their ideas and opinions.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
First Time Leaving Jingzhou
Last weekend we traveled two hours west to Yichang, the closest city to the Three Gorges Dam. We packed eleven people into a rented van and headed out early Saturday morning. Yes, we fit eleven in there.
We opted not to see the Dam because it is rather expensive and we just wanted to hike. Instead, we visited The Three Gorges Household Scenic Area. First, we took a short boat ride to the mountain.
This girl, who directed us onto the boat, is dressed in traditional Tujia clothing. The Tujia people are the local ethnic minority in the small mountain villages just north of Yichang.
A group photo taken on the boat.
Once across the river, we rode a gondola up the mountain.
We then walked down the mountain. Some scenic views.
Halfway down there was a castle with people role-playing. The small mock village, castle and costumes were representative of the Chu State (which was centered in Jingzhou) during the Era of Warring States, a 200 year time period of warlord rivalry before the establishment of the first dynasty in 221 B.C. Here is the entrance.
He played amazing music on such a simple drum!
We watched a performance by fighters with their spears and swords.
Kung Fu Performance.
Tai Chi Performance.
The King watching his performers.
View of the castle from below.
After we made it back to the bottom of the mountain, we enjoyed a classical musical performance played with traditional Chinese instruments and traditional dancing.
Then, we headed back out on the boat to our van. We spent the night and Sunday afternoon in Yichang, which we discovered has no tourist attractions. It is simply where people en route to Three Gorges stay. So we went to some local bars, ate and walked around. For my first time leaving Jingzhou, it proved to be an enjoyable and wonderful weekend!
Then, we headed back out on the boat to our van. We spent the night and Sunday afternoon in Yichang, which we discovered has no tourist attractions. It is simply where people en route to Three Gorges stay. So we went to some local bars, ate and walked around. For my first time leaving Jingzhou, it proved to be an enjoyable and wonderful weekend!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Self Expressive Poetry
My students are great poets, and they didn't even know it!
My class activity went extraordinarily well last week. I had my students write "I Am Poems", which are basically fill in the blank. The first two words of each line are given and they complete the sentences in their own words.
I gave them 20 minutes to write their poems. Afterward, we wrote our poems on construction paper with bold markers. They did not have to put their names on their poems. We then taped each poem to the walls of the classroom to create an art gallery. Once all the poems were hung, we walked around to read the poetry and write comments. While the poets remained anonymous, the critics had to sign their name next to their comment. The commentary had to be positive. We had to tell the poet what we liked about their poem.
Due the anonymity, the students felt free to share personal thoughts and feelings. Most of the poems were very insightful and revealed a lot about the poet.
Here are two example poems written by my students:
Poem 1 (written by a female student)
My class activity went extraordinarily well last week. I had my students write "I Am Poems", which are basically fill in the blank. The first two words of each line are given and they complete the sentences in their own words.
I gave them 20 minutes to write their poems. Afterward, we wrote our poems on construction paper with bold markers. They did not have to put their names on their poems. We then taped each poem to the walls of the classroom to create an art gallery. Once all the poems were hung, we walked around to read the poetry and write comments. While the poets remained anonymous, the critics had to sign their name next to their comment. The commentary had to be positive. We had to tell the poet what we liked about their poem.
Due the anonymity, the students felt free to share personal thoughts and feelings. Most of the poems were very insightful and revealed a lot about the poet.
Here are two example poems written by my students:
Poem 1 (written by a female student)
I am creative and optimistic.
I wonder why I want to be a strong man.
I hear the birds singing in the sky.
I see this is a sea of flowers.
I want to travel around the world.
I am creative and optimistic.
I pretend to be your soul mate.
I feel lonely when you leave me alone.
I touch your smiling face to make sure you are real.
I worry that you will disappear someday.
I cry on your shoulder.
I am creative and optimistic.
I understand why I am dreaming all the time.
I say nothing until sunrise.
I dream to fly without being controlled.
I try to open my tender wings.
I hope my dream can come true in the future.
I am creative and optimistic.
Poem 2 (written by a male student)
I wonder why I want to be a strong man.
I hear the birds singing in the sky.
I see this is a sea of flowers.
I want to travel around the world.
I am creative and optimistic.
I pretend to be your soul mate.
I feel lonely when you leave me alone.
I touch your smiling face to make sure you are real.
I worry that you will disappear someday.
I cry on your shoulder.
I am creative and optimistic.
I understand why I am dreaming all the time.
I say nothing until sunrise.
I dream to fly without being controlled.
I try to open my tender wings.
I hope my dream can come true in the future.
I am creative and optimistic.
Poem 2 (written by a male student)
I am considerate and curious.
I wonder why so many disasters have taken place in China.
I hear the crying of those victims.
I see the houses broken down by the earthquake and the arid land.
I want to help them even though I am not rich.
I am considerate and curious.
I pretend I could fly.
I feel blood boiling in my body.
I touch the hands of them.
I worry that we won't avoid such tragedy.
I cry for those people suffering.
I am considerate and curious.
I understand my work would not help very much.
I say we could make a great difference if we work together.
I dream that one day we live without any disasters.
I try my best to help them.
I hope my dream will come true one day.
I am considerate and curious.
I wonder why so many disasters have taken place in China.
I hear the crying of those victims.
I see the houses broken down by the earthquake and the arid land.
I want to help them even though I am not rich.
I am considerate and curious.
I pretend I could fly.
I feel blood boiling in my body.
I touch the hands of them.
I worry that we won't avoid such tragedy.
I cry for those people suffering.
I am considerate and curious.
I understand my work would not help very much.
I say we could make a great difference if we work together.
I dream that one day we live without any disasters.
I try my best to help them.
I hope my dream will come true one day.
I am considerate and curious.
The purpose was twofold. First, to encourage the students to indulge in self-expression, something for which many outlets are not provided in China. Secondly, to help them become more comfortable with sharing their writing with their classmates. After observing peer reviewing, it became evident that they’re uncomfortable marking other’s papers and offering direct feedback. So this activity provided the opportunity to exemplify how peer reviews can be encouraging and helpful.
Everyone had a great time doing the Gallery Walk! All my classes ran 20 minutes late because students wanted to make sure that they read every poem. For homework, they had to write 2-3 paragraphs about their experience. The writing prompts that were given were “What did you think about reading your classmates’ poems?” and “How did it feel to read the comments from your classmates?”
The feedback was the highlight of my week. Every single student absolutely loved the Gallery Walk! Many wrote that the comments gave them confidence, that if felt good to be open about their feelings and that they now want to write more poems. The multitude of responses were just incredible! Here are a few examples that made me smile:
"These words [comments] were the best rewards I've ever gained. No words can exactly express my joy when I read them."
"But many of my classmates' poems show that they are confused and have frustrated feelings too. Now I know that I am not alone in the world."
"Thanks, Ms. Lindsey, I really appreciate it!"
"Someone commented that I had a profound thought. Frankly speaking, I have never realized this before. I never thought myself profound. This comment helped me understand myself better."
"Writing poetry is such a pleasure. It helps us release our emotions. Poems make me think about the world. And I love it!"
"It's an awful thing to be misunderstood. When I see those encouraging words, I feel like crying. They have the same condition with me. They know what I am worrying about. They inspire me to work hard. In my heart, I am now eager to show my feelings to them."
"The comments gave me power and strength."
"Some classmates told me that I am very imaginative. I never thought of myself as creative. However, now I change my mind!"
I really enjoyed reading these homework assignments! It made me feel that I am really making a difference in the classroom!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Not the Ultimate Chinese Challenge
Surprisingly, the ability to speak Chinese is not a necessary survival skill for working in Jingzhou. Before coming here, I assumed that circumstance would create the need, but anyone can live comfortably only knowing a few words. Despite that few people speak English once you leave campus, it is not difficult to do simple tasks on your own, such as shop, take a bus or buy groceries. Although shopping can become overwhelming due to all of the store attendants that will swarm around you. Everyone wants to help the foreigner! So at least five women will bring numerous products to you, which are usually not what you're scanning the shelves for, while loudly and incomprehensibly speaking non-stop to you and the others in an attempt to determine what you need. It is always fun to communicate through language barriers!!
While not all of the university students speak good English, the majority, including non-English majors, do. And they want to take advantage of every opportunity to practice their oral and listening skills! As a result, most students will speak English with you. Given that I am hear to teach it and our conversation would be very limited if we spoke Chinese, I am not bothered.
Living in Jingzhou still provides a great environment to learn Chinese. (There is a dialect though. If interested in learning Mandarin, you would need to be in Northeastern China.) Nevertheless, you can easily manage without ever speaking it. Of course, it would be wise to learn at least a few words and phrases! Knowing different foods is helpful; otherwise, you will eat the same thing every time you go to a restaurant. Also, being able to tell the taxi driver where you live is key to making sure you get home!
Luckily, I have the opportunity to attend a beginner Chinese class that is hosted for a few foreign students. Since there are only 10 students in the class, the professor allows me to attend without having to pay any tuition or fee, as long as I "act like a student." So I had to buy the text book and I have to do the homework. While I could never become fluent in just one year (Foreign languages are not my forte. So Chinese is REALLY difficult, especially considering that I struggled to learn Spanish, a Romance language...), it will be nice to eventually form complete sentences beyond basic introductions!
While not all of the university students speak good English, the majority, including non-English majors, do. And they want to take advantage of every opportunity to practice their oral and listening skills! As a result, most students will speak English with you. Given that I am hear to teach it and our conversation would be very limited if we spoke Chinese, I am not bothered.
Living in Jingzhou still provides a great environment to learn Chinese. (There is a dialect though. If interested in learning Mandarin, you would need to be in Northeastern China.) Nevertheless, you can easily manage without ever speaking it. Of course, it would be wise to learn at least a few words and phrases! Knowing different foods is helpful; otherwise, you will eat the same thing every time you go to a restaurant. Also, being able to tell the taxi driver where you live is key to making sure you get home!
Luckily, I have the opportunity to attend a beginner Chinese class that is hosted for a few foreign students. Since there are only 10 students in the class, the professor allows me to attend without having to pay any tuition or fee, as long as I "act like a student." So I had to buy the text book and I have to do the homework. While I could never become fluent in just one year (Foreign languages are not my forte. So Chinese is REALLY difficult, especially considering that I struggled to learn Spanish, a Romance language...), it will be nice to eventually form complete sentences beyond basic introductions!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Formal vs Informal Writing
At the beginning of the semester, my students requested to learn some different writing styles, as they have only written formal papers. So our first big paper was a creative writing assignment. I taught how to use diction to create tone, sensory description to achieve vivid imagery and how to employ figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and personification. I used excerpts from famous American novels to exemplify great writing.
Unfortunately, half my students did not grasp the concept of creative writing. Each student chose a picture from which they were to construct a narrative using descriptive writing with the tools learned in class. They did not use any of the writing tools or did not describe the picture beyond it's colors. Moreover, many of them actually argued their opinion about what the picture was, turning the assignment into a sort of persuasive paper that lacked any story.
Notwithstanding, the other half of my students wrote beautifully crafted stories, which made me feel more positive about the results. Some great examples of description and figurative language:
"The park radiated with sunshine and was filled with an intoxicating aroma."
"The green grasses, like mischievous children, poked their heads above the Earth's soft, fertile soil."
"When I raise my head, a faint breeze touches my face, as soft as a mother's hands."
"The sunlight, shining through the looming trees, flickers across my eyes."
"Not far away, the zigzag path disappeared into the horizon, extending it's hands to the sky."
Initially, however, I was still frustrated, assuming my teaching was the sole root of the problem as to why so many students didn't successfully write a creative or descriptive story. After some inquiry, it became evident that writing persuasively as been drilled into them so much by their Chinese professors that it has impeded them from using their imaginations. They cannot break away from the habit of constructing an argument whenever they write any composition. With China's steadfast determination to grow economically, the education system does not provide much in the realm of liberal arts. Interestingly, lessons and encouragement in analytical thinking and the ability to "think outside the box" are limited - things that, as a Westerner, I consider necessary to produce a strong, solid argument in writing or speaking.
It seems that I would need an entire semester to successfully teach most students the art of creative writing or any informal writing style. It would take more than a few weeks to break down the barriers of a strictly technical education. Unfortunately, I do not have that time. I must move on to formal writing, which will benefit them more in the future. So research papers, business letters and resumes here we come!
Unfortunately, half my students did not grasp the concept of creative writing. Each student chose a picture from which they were to construct a narrative using descriptive writing with the tools learned in class. They did not use any of the writing tools or did not describe the picture beyond it's colors. Moreover, many of them actually argued their opinion about what the picture was, turning the assignment into a sort of persuasive paper that lacked any story.
Notwithstanding, the other half of my students wrote beautifully crafted stories, which made me feel more positive about the results. Some great examples of description and figurative language:
"The park radiated with sunshine and was filled with an intoxicating aroma."
"The green grasses, like mischievous children, poked their heads above the Earth's soft, fertile soil."
"When I raise my head, a faint breeze touches my face, as soft as a mother's hands."
"The sunlight, shining through the looming trees, flickers across my eyes."
"Not far away, the zigzag path disappeared into the horizon, extending it's hands to the sky."
Initially, however, I was still frustrated, assuming my teaching was the sole root of the problem as to why so many students didn't successfully write a creative or descriptive story. After some inquiry, it became evident that writing persuasively as been drilled into them so much by their Chinese professors that it has impeded them from using their imaginations. They cannot break away from the habit of constructing an argument whenever they write any composition. With China's steadfast determination to grow economically, the education system does not provide much in the realm of liberal arts. Interestingly, lessons and encouragement in analytical thinking and the ability to "think outside the box" are limited - things that, as a Westerner, I consider necessary to produce a strong, solid argument in writing or speaking.
It seems that I would need an entire semester to successfully teach most students the art of creative writing or any informal writing style. It would take more than a few weeks to break down the barriers of a strictly technical education. Unfortunately, I do not have that time. I must move on to formal writing, which will benefit them more in the future. So research papers, business letters and resumes here we come!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Zhanghua Buddhist Temple Complex
This weekend we visited a Buddhist compound in the middle of Shashi, the sister city of Jingzhou. It was the first time I felt like a tourist since I have arrived in China.
In Buddhism, the Arhat - translated into Chinese as Lohan - is one who has followed the Eightfold Path to achieve human perfection and deliverance from earthly existence, including karma and reincarnation. Many of Buddha's disciples came to be given set features and stereotypes that quickly became tradition and are played out in various legends and stories. All Lohans are known for their great wisdom and supernatural powers. According to tradition, there are 16 Lohans. Due to their abilities to ward off evil, they are present in all Buddhist temples. Here are the ones that I found the most interesting:
Long Eyebrow Lohan: Asita was born with two long, white eyebrows. His father was told that Buddha also had two, long eyebrows and, therefore, his son had the look of Buddha. As a result, Asita was sent away to a monastery to become a monk, eventually attaining enlightenment.
Open-Heart Lohan: Gobaka (literally means "man of heart") was a prince of an Indian kingdom. When his younger brother wanted to start a rebellion, Gobaka assured his brother that it would cause more evil than good. In order to convince his brother, he exposed his chest to show a buddha in his heart. As a result, his brother was touched and abandoned the rebellion.
I could not determine which Lohan this is, but it is cool-looking. The man is peeling off his old-aged face to reveal a younger-looking face beneath. Perhaps it is meant to symbolize disciples' immortality.
As you can see, the earlobes are always elongated to indicate that they are all-hearing and a reminder that heavy earrings weighed them down before Siddhartha renounced material things to seek enlightenment.
A shrine to an unknown god. 
Pagoda that we walked to the top of. Each floor had a Buddha shrine for praying.
View of the temple complex from the top of pagoda.The Four Guardian Kings are the protectors of the four cardinal directions. They are almost always found at the entrances of monasteries and temples.
Virupaksha, King of the West Dhritarashtra, King of the East.
Some more pictures
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Friday Night Lights
My friend, Rosie, is a member of the Yangtze University Student Union, which is divided into eight departments. (Rosie is a leader of the the department in charge of finance and fundraising) Every semester the departments compete to see which can host the most successful singing competition, which are held every Friday evening.
Rosie asked if I would participate. Not exactly sure what I was agreeing to (it is not always easy to understand accents over the phone), I told her I would love to. Once at the rehearsal, I discovered that they wanted to me to sing on stage! I had to decline since I am a horrible singer. But Rosie and her fellow department members pleaded that I sing, and attempted to assure me that I have a lovely voice. Still refusing, I had to explain that we were confronting a cultural difference.
The Chinese love to sing! Oftentimes, I hear people singing loudly while walking down the street or sitting in a park. Karaoke is extremely popular, whether it is just at KTV or on stage for a large audience. There is no concern about public embarrassment. Both awful and amazing singers will gladly get on stage and sing to their heart's desire. Everyone seems to think they are an excellent singer, or at least show no regard for how they sound. I explained that, in America, people who know they sing badly will generally avoid doing so in public. It is one thing for me to sing drunkenly in front of a few friends verses singing in front of hundreds of strangers!
Some students seemed to understand my dilemma, while others couldn't grasp my unwillingness to sing on stage. After some debate, we decided I would play a game with the audience - charades! I figured I was more comfortable with making an ass of myself intentionally rather than unintentionally while attempting to hopelessly sing in tune.
The students wanted me to act out things related to American culture. At first, I thought it would be simple to pantomime a few celebrities or movies, but I soon realized charades would prove difficult due to the cultural barriers. Eventually, I decided on four things that the students would pick-up and be able to guess: Michael Jackson (who is one of the most popular Western singers), King Kong, Titanic (which is still a very popular movie here) and a cowboy.
The night was fun! At the end of the show, I even got to present the prize to the winner. Hundreds of students attended, almost filling up the entire auditorium. It is a very popular event! I thought it interesting that their Friday night lights are on a stage, and not a football field or basketball court. There are sports teams, but attending the games is not a favorite college pastime. Proof of how popular karaoke/singing really is here!
Rosie asked if I would participate. Not exactly sure what I was agreeing to (it is not always easy to understand accents over the phone), I told her I would love to. Once at the rehearsal, I discovered that they wanted to me to sing on stage! I had to decline since I am a horrible singer. But Rosie and her fellow department members pleaded that I sing, and attempted to assure me that I have a lovely voice. Still refusing, I had to explain that we were confronting a cultural difference.
The Chinese love to sing! Oftentimes, I hear people singing loudly while walking down the street or sitting in a park. Karaoke is extremely popular, whether it is just at KTV or on stage for a large audience. There is no concern about public embarrassment. Both awful and amazing singers will gladly get on stage and sing to their heart's desire. Everyone seems to think they are an excellent singer, or at least show no regard for how they sound. I explained that, in America, people who know they sing badly will generally avoid doing so in public. It is one thing for me to sing drunkenly in front of a few friends verses singing in front of hundreds of strangers!
Some students seemed to understand my dilemma, while others couldn't grasp my unwillingness to sing on stage. After some debate, we decided I would play a game with the audience - charades! I figured I was more comfortable with making an ass of myself intentionally rather than unintentionally while attempting to hopelessly sing in tune.
The students wanted me to act out things related to American culture. At first, I thought it would be simple to pantomime a few celebrities or movies, but I soon realized charades would prove difficult due to the cultural barriers. Eventually, I decided on four things that the students would pick-up and be able to guess: Michael Jackson (who is one of the most popular Western singers), King Kong, Titanic (which is still a very popular movie here) and a cowboy.
Rosie and I on stage. She had to translate my introduction for the audience. I gave the audience a good laugh, especially when I acted out King Kong by pounding my fists on my chest! It was fun! The students who were picked from the audience received a prize if they guessed the answer correctly.
The competition lasted about two hours, which included an opening band and 15 competitors. All the songs were Chinese. I was expecting to hear the Titanic song, as it is really popular and Keith said he went to a competition last fall and at least three students sang it. I was told that while the students usually sing mainstream songs, they didn't for this particular competition. My friend, Erin, competed.
Keith and I were seated in the front row, next to the judges, and were served hot tea throughout the show because we were the 'guests of honor.'
A picture with all the student union members. As you can see, they gave me a bouquet of flowers! All the singers who competed were also given flowers during their performances. The students were pleased with their success. Rosie told me they were the first group to get a foreign teacher to participate, and I was the first foreigner ever on the stage! They were excited to see that all the foreign teachers attended and they made sure to get pictures with all of them in order to document it. Because of this, it is believed that they will have hosted the best singing competition of the semester!
The night was fun! At the end of the show, I even got to present the prize to the winner. Hundreds of students attended, almost filling up the entire auditorium. It is a very popular event! I thought it interesting that their Friday night lights are on a stage, and not a football field or basketball court. There are sports teams, but attending the games is not a favorite college pastime. Proof of how popular karaoke/singing really is here!
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