I Am Still a Miserable Snark
Break-out Session 4, Day 2.
This morning, I am being told that language courses should be embedded in culture. He is a teacher of Chinese, so he'll explain how he helps his student learn about the world from a Chinese perspective. Yes! Go social studies! But what happens when the perspective is wrong? The modern Chinese perspective is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The modern Chinese historical perspective is deeply flawed and based on so many documented fictions. Should we teach our American students that Mao was just a misunderstood man who was warped and twisted by the power that was thrust upon him by sycophants and an adoring fan base? Or should we equate him with the others leaders of genocide from the 20th century?
(An American principal just busted in with this question: What is "human geography"? Really, buddy? As my business colleague just pointed out, even if you'd never heard the phrase before, you should be able to piece something together from knowledge of the two words. It's like asking what "international business" means.)
He's saying "China" tried to do this. "China" tried to do that. I believe what he means is Mao and the CCP. And the CCP comes directly from a Stalinist model. (And Marx was German.) So if we're talking culture, we're not really talking China. (The crazy thing about the language of the CCP is that all the names for the ruling bodies... are Russian. You have a staunchly nationalist language (the Chinese have not moved to the Roman alphabet even though it would greatly improve literacy rates), but the Party is controlled by the Secretariat and the Politburo. Doesn't sound Chinese to me, or anyone else for that matter.)
But, kudos to this dude for actually getting me engaged in his talk. Although, I do find my attention wavering...
To sum up: He refers more to ancient Chinese culture, he conflates the CCP with traditional Chinese culture, but it sounds like he's building a fairly interesting series of courses to help his students learn not just a language or just history, but to really immerse themselves in a culture. And I should allow him the chance to have his students play The Believing Game before playing The Doubting Game. Kudos to him for also making me play The Believing Game.
Break-out Session Five, Day Two
I walked in a little late, but the first words I heard were "my job is to reform schools that are having problems". I've done some reading and thinking about "failing schools" and that is a major red flag. Which side of the reform debate is he on? Is he going to blame teachers? Blame the education of teachers? Blame society? Support whole-sale firing of "poorly-performing" teachers or is he going to support teaching teachers to teach better.
(Aside: my Chinese principal, seated two seats away from me, starting looking off towards the left where there was the sound of chatter. She had the look of an adult annoyed with someone who was talking over a speach. But it's just the simultaneous translator in the little booth. Then she left.)
Dude's extended metaphor is all about bridges, complete with pictures of bridges from around the world and a story about a bridge that collapsed on the New York Throughway. Extended metaphors bore me.
Wait, everything here bores me.
And now he's reading us a poem. Not a good one. Not the "What do you make? I make a difference!" poem, but some smarmy, what I do in the classroom is the most important thing. How uplifting. Can you see the sarcasm dripping off my iPad onto the floor?
Now he's hauling out 50 Instructional Strategies That Work.
I need to stop listening now because this is just like every other staff development meeting I've been in and it will quickly piss me off. Disengaging in... Three. Two. One.
While Facebooking, I heard "Bla, bla bla son is brilliant. Bla, bla, bla, daughter started a library in Africa... didn't get accepted at Harvard. Yadda, yadda, yadda, my sister is researching... Bladiddity bla, my students are super high achieving. And here's another picture of a bridge."
But my friend Aimee asks the BEST questions. The answers might be lame, but she asks professional, relevant, but pointed questions. And to be fair, the presenter at least gave an honest answer, even if it wasn't particularly helpful.
Next, lunch. Then, when everyone else heads back to the school for an afternoon of student presentations (for the visiting teachers) and tours (nothing of which has been explained in any detail to any of us, including if we have any specific responsibilitities), I will use some sick time. It's amazing how sick Beijing can make you when you want it to.
But I survived, with both eyes intact. I consider that a successful symposium.
- Do you really care this was posted using BlogPress from my iPad?
Location:World Future Education Symposium, Haidian District, Beijing, China
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