Tomorrow will be my last class of the semester-one more chance for my students in the video class to try to make connections between American TV sit-coms and their lives. I think there are similarities-more similarities than differences. How to bridge the cultural differences between the US and China is still an unanswered question. But, by communicating, asking questions, trying to discover what is real-we all make progress.
Last classes are at times sad-I may never see most of them again. And, I'm thinking-how can I convince more students to speak about what they see in the video. I've told them there is no wrong answer in the class-and to ask questions. In February I will be teaching this course again-two groups of 60 students-each for 8 weeks.
Today a student sent an e-mail regarding her grade. She received an 80, another student a 90. Before I had responded, she also sent a text message that she'd sent an e-mail. Very impatient for an answer. How do you tell a student that they are "average"? That they have to be interactive in class? That there is more to a presentation than memorization? That's against all they've learned in their Chinese education. I can't change what they've learned for 23 years. All I can do is suggest other approaches.
And how to remember them all? Thirty-five Phd students, 120 MA students, 50 Phd students in American Culture and 120 MA students in Video.
Moving right along....