You Teach as You Are.
I taught a very interesting class today... I thought I'd share it with everyone.In my Newspaper Reading class we did a section on reading Entertainment News today. I've found that what I teach in this class is pretty subjective to my own personal wishes since a Newspaper is pretty much full of all kinds of content. I give them articles to read, some stratagies to read it, and then proceed to teach whatever I want concerning the content in which they are reading. I'm pretty big on entertainment, art, and other such matters. In addition, I've been shaped to be the kind of person who is deeply concerned with cultural analysis, multiculturalism, urban/sociological issues, and other topics of more eternal value. As a result, I teach what I care about. Today was a prime example.
I began class with a lecture about how Entertainment can act as a window into seeing glimpses of what a culture values as important and ideal. I also made a point as to how many aspects of culture and the news that reports it, (whether it be sports, entertainment, or fashion) tend to carry the feel of a "search for perfection."
Second, I had students read and discuss an article on Jay Chou's significance to current Chinese Pop trends: how his music highlights a gradual move away from mindless imitation of western styles into a distinctive Chinese fashioned R&B. I continued by introducing an article about the figure of Kanye West and his influence on Hip Hop in America, moving it away from 'gangsta' into a more paradoxal conglomerate of honesty and concern drenched in equal doses of arrogance and cool. Then I had students compare and contrast the two artists and their influence. I even played them one of Kanye's songs about Dad's Son Walking. They couldn't follow the lyrics I printed out for them to save their life, and of course I had to explain a few select terms, but I explained some of song's details afterwards. I hope it got them thinking.
For homework I gave them an article about "Memoirs of a Geisha," the new Hollywood film about Japanese culture with an all star Chinese female cast (Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh). Talk about a cultural blend, I'm looking forward to leading a discussion about it next week.
And yes, my students managed to do most of this in English. They're skill levels are pretty high, eh? I know I certainly couldn't do any of this stuff in Chinese, not yet. ^_~
And no, not all of my classes are this err... in depth.
Oh... and Happy Thanksgiving everyone =)
posted by Unknown @ 11:39 PM
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