CafeScribe - textbooks for less - technology for students
Posted by admin on September 19th, 2008
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A short overview of how CafeScribe.com can help college students get smarter, faster, by offering the ability to upload, share, and annotate PDFs and other documents. CafeScribe also offers e-textbooks that are half (or less) the price of regular textbooks.
Duration : 0:1:54
Beijing University of Technology - Geng Dan College (Part 3)
Posted by admin on September 13th, 2008
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Third (and final) part of the wonderful teaching experience at the Geng Dan College (full Chinese name: 北京工业大学耿丹学院). Eventually I got off with the school not being a school but a mere diploma mill, bought a flight tiket, and left.
The 6 months [not working] here did allow me to see a huge chunk of China, but I am still unable to wrap my head around how insanely lazy and spoiled my students were.
It was a very interesting experience, but totally unnecessary.
Have a good day!
MORE DETAIL
Hi hi!
Obviously you care more than the average viewer because you are reading… So here is some more detail.
Some people replied to this video mentioning “youthful rebellion” and the like. The rebellion argument cannot stand. If someone is interested in rebelling, please leave the classroom. That’s it.
I started the course with textbooks I was given by the dean. They are actually an advanced coursebook, and the dean assured me that their English comprehension level is sufficient. That turned out to be less than true half the time, and is a failure of the school to effectively administer tests and determine who can be in which level.
A few weeks into the semester, after not having any sort of response from the students, I dropped the textbooks and started introducing more general and easier topics. eg.: “would you like an exciting or boring job? why?” No response, even when led into it. I would give them word lists and ask them to use the words to explain their stance. Nothing. Literally , no response.
I tried role playing. So in a lesson about “what makes a good policeman”, I had one student act as a cop, and another as a robber. They did nothing. Didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to do anything. After class the students went to the dean and told her that my classes are boring (huh!?!?!?!?! acting out robber and cop is boring? that’s a full opportunity for laughs and jokes…) AND some said that I was crazy because “why are we learning about robbers”?
They are spoiled little rich kids, not adults. They expect to be entertained, not trained. They want fun, no work. Jesus Christ, I cannot express that enough.
After that we started watching movies. James Bond, Bourne Identity, Lord of War. Typical fun stuff for Chinese boys and girls. Guns and action. The movies were a great hit, UNTIL I asked them to tell me “what does so and so do?” “who is this?’ “who is that?”. Silence.
Movie worksheet? Wouldnt even read it after I filled in the blanks.
So I just decided to go with the original diagnosis that I am dealing with lazy stupid children. I didnt sign up for special education, I signed up for university teaching.
The University charges parents money. Everyone who pays - passes. I heard this really stupid opinion MANY times in China: “a good university has no failures, because they have good teachers who do their job right”. True in a perfect world. In reality, many schools in China stop failing students because they want their enrollment to go up. This is one of the stupidest processes I have ever heard of my life. Education is no longer education.
In fact, Chinese teachers at the English Dept wouldnt fail students AT ANY POINT, because the dean would come down hard on them for being “bad teachers”. That’s not at all entertaining the possibility that the students are not doing their part.
A good university motivates the students by grading, and tests them to make sure they are performing well. At Geng Dan, neither were there, as no matter what the students did, they got the diploma.
Please do go to my Back to China (Part 
video, in there in about middle of the vid you will find scenes from a different school, the Heng Shui Highschool where I spent 2002 and 2003. Totally different experience, and it is a HIGHSCHOOL! Everyone is interested in learning, asking/answering questions, repeating answers, doing work, and having fun.
That “university” is one of those things that have to be seen and experienced to be believed.
Duration : 0:9:59
Beijing University of Technology - Geng Dan College (Part 1)
Posted by admin on August 27th, 2008
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A video showing my teaching stint at the Geng Dan campus of the Beijing University of Technology
(北京工业大学耿丹学院).
Geng Dan College is a Tier-3 school, meaning if you didn’t get into any good schools, and the not so good ones didn’t take you either, you came here, didn’t study, and somehow got a diploma anyway.
For the first month or so I thought the students were just “warming up” to me. But afterwards it becamse apparent that they did no work in any of the English classes, and that the whole university is more than less a joke. Cheating during exams was rife, and there are no consequences for whatever behaviour the “students” engage in.
The place is a sham, it is a diploma mill, no one studies there, and it was just a tremendous waste of time being there. The only consolation is that it allowed me to see a lot of China which I still believe is an AMAZING country and everyone should visit.
But the school BLOWS!
Part 1 of 3
This video is just some random class footage glued together to more than less tell a story and show a glimpse of what it was like. In reality, it is one of those things you had to see to believe.
MORE DETAIL
Hi hi!
Obviously you care more than the average viewer because you are reading… So here is some more detail.
Some people replied to this video mentioning “youthful rebellion” and the like. The rebellion argument cannot stand. If someone is interested in rebelling, please leave the classroom. That’s it.
I started the course with textbooks I was given by the dean. They are actually an advanced coursebook, and the dean assured me that their English comprehension level is sufficient. That turned out to be less than true half the time, and is a failure of the school to effectively administer tests and determine who can be in which level.
A few weeks into the semester, after not having any sort of response from the students, I dropped the textbooks and started introducing more general and easier topics. eg.: “would you like an exciting or boring job? why?” No response, even when led into it. I would give them word lists and ask them to use the words to explain their stance. Nothing. Literally , no response.
I tried role playing. So in a lesson about “what makes a good policeman”, I had one student act as a cop, and another as a robber. They did nothing. Didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to do anything. After class the students went to the dean and told her that my classes are boring (huh!?!?!?!?! acting out robber and cop is boring? that’s a full opportunity for laughs and jokes…) AND some said that I was crazy because “why are we learning about robbers”?
They are spoiled little rich kids, not adults. They expect to be entertained, not trained. They want fun, no work. Jesus Christ, I cannot express that enough.
After that we started watching movies. James Bond, Bourne Identity, Lord of War. Typical fun stuff for Chinese boys and girls. Guns and action. The movies were a great hit, UNTIL I asked them to tell me “what does so and so do?” “who is this?’ “who is that?”. Silence.
Movie worksheet? Wouldnt even read it after I filled in the blanks.
So I just decided to go with the original diagnosis that I am dealing with lazy stupid children. I didnt sign up for special education, I signed up for university teaching.
The University charges parents money. Everyone who pays - passes. I heard this really stupid opinion MANY times in China: “a good university has no failures, because they have good teachers who do their job right”. True in a perfect world. In reality, many schools in China stop failing students because they want their enrollment to go up. This is one of the stupidest processes I have ever heard of my life. Education is no longer education.
In fact, Chinese teachers at the English Dept wouldnt fail students AT ANY POINT, because the dean would come down hard on them for being “bad teachers”. That’s not at all entertaining the possibility that the students are not doing their part.
A good university motivates the students by grading, and tests them to make sure they are performing well. At Geng Dan, neither were there, as no matter what the students did, they got the diploma.
Please do go to my Back to China (Part video, in there in about middle of the vid you will find scenes from a different school, the Heng Shui Highschool where I spent 2002 and 2003. Totally different experience, and it is a HIGHSCHOOL! Everyone is interested in learning, asking/answering questions, repeating answers, doing work, and having fun.
That “university” is one of those things that have to be seen and experienced to be believed.
Duration : 0:9:57
Re: Books and Non-Books part 1
Posted by admin on August 18th, 2008
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This is a response to Tom’s Books and Non-books: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12lEQZmRNnE
Here is the first part of my thoughts on books and non-books. I hope to have part 2 up in the next few days.
Most of the books/authors mentioned here (at least before the turn of the last century) can be found online through google.
St. John’s College maintains a list of Western classics that may be found here: http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/academic/readlist.shtml
and Eastern classics: http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/GI/SF/readlist.shtml
Plug for Hayao Miyazaki: http://www.Amazon.com/Nausicaa-Valley-Wind-Vol-1/dp/1591164087/ref=pd_sim_b_img_1
His work could not come more highly recommended
Duration : 0:8:49
Beijing University of Technology - Geng Dan College (Part 2)
Posted by admin on August 15th, 2008
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Part 2 of 3.
My 6 months “teaching” in China was spent here. This is the Geng Dan College of the Beijing University of Technology
(北京工业大学耿丹学院). I am not sure how I was teaching, because no one did any learning. All the students at this “university” were preoccupied with smoking, drinking, video games, mobile phones, and MP3 players, and acted like total vegetables in all English classes (not just mine).
Its a school where the rich folk send their spoiled little kids to pretend that they are getting an education.
Stupid.
This video is not really interesting if you havent spent time in China or taught ESL elsewhere…
MORE DETAIL
Hi hi!
Obviously you care more than the average viewer because you are reading… So here is some more detail.
Some people replied to this video mentioning “youthful rebellion” and the like. The rebellion argument cannot stand. If someone is interested in rebelling, please leave the classroom. That’s it.
I started the course with textbooks I was given by the dean. They are actually an advanced coursebook, and the dean assured me that their English comprehension level is sufficient. That turned out to be less than true half the time, and is a failure of the school to effectively administer tests and determine who can be in which level.
A few weeks into the semester, after not having any sort of response from the students, I dropped the textbooks and started introducing more general and easier topics. eg.: “would you like an exciting or boring job? why?” No response, even when led into it. I would give them word lists and ask them to use the words to explain their stance. Nothing. Literally , no response.
I tried role playing. So in a lesson about “what makes a good policeman”, I had one student act as a cop, and another as a robber. They did nothing. Didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to do anything. After class the students went to the dean and told her that my classes are boring (huh!?!?!?!?! acting out robber and cop is boring? that’s a full opportunity for laughs and jokes…) AND some said that I was crazy because “why are we learning about robbers”?
They are spoiled little rich kids, not adults. They expect to be entertained, not trained. They want fun, no work. Jesus Christ, I cannot express that enough.
After that we started watching movies. James Bond, Bourne Identity, Lord of War. Typical fun stuff for Chinese boys and girls. Guns and action. The movies were a great hit, UNTIL I asked them to tell me “what does so and so do?” “who is this?’ “who is that?”. Silence.
Movie worksheet? Wouldnt even read it after I filled in the blanks.
So I just decided to go with the original diagnosis that I am dealing with lazy stupid children. I didnt sign up for special education, I signed up for university teaching.
The University charges parents money. Everyone who pays - passes. I heard this really stupid opinion MANY times in China: “a good university has no failures, because they have good teachers who do their job right”. True in a perfect world. In reality, many schools in China stop failing students because they want their enrollment to go up. This is one of the stupidest processes I have ever heard of my life. Education is no longer education.
In fact, Chinese teachers at the English Dept wouldnt fail students AT ANY POINT, because the dean would come down hard on them for being “bad teachers”. That’s not at all entertaining the possibility that the students are not doing their part.
A good university motivates the students by grading, and tests them to make sure they are performing well. At Geng Dan, neither were there, as no matter what the students did, they got the diploma.
Please do go to my Back to China (Part video, in there in about middle of the vid you will find scenes from a different school, the Heng Shui Highschool where I spent 2002 and 2003. Totally different experience, and it is a HIGHSCHOOL! Everyone is interested in learning, asking/answering questions, repeating answers, doing work, and having fun.
That “university” is one of those things that have to be seen and experienced to be believed.
Duration : 0:9:59