Job Discussion Forums

[MyTurnNow]

Teecher,
perhaps I misinterpreted your earlier post. If so, it sounds like you are walking a very thin line, but are walking it skillfully.

Another surprisingly good class for some of these discussions is Business class. If I have some extra time I start a debate on Capitalism...they know all the platitudes but they love money, and it really gets them talking and even THINKING in the classroom! No small feat...

Like Teecher, I help prepare Chinese students to study abroad. I do these (very general) political things in a framework of telling them that when they reach another country, they will encounter an unexpected diversity of opinions, and find ideas that they have always taken as true getting seriously challenged. If they actually believe those ideas, they need to think them through and be prepared to defend them. The class always ends with a lot of thoughtful expressions...

MT

[TEECHER]

HI MY TURN, I wish that I could sit in on one of YOUR classes!! Those "thoughtful expressions" that you mention are what make it all so worthwhile. Bye for now.

[arioch36]

I think the important point has been made that there is an important, though sometimes fine, difference between criticizing your host government, and discussing in a thoughtful manner issues that effect all of us.
You can talk about religion and politics. To say otherwise is blatantly untrue. However, in every country, including the US, UK OZ SA, etc you have the same problem, students who are too ignorant, and students who become too emotional. If either is the case, it is counterproductive to talk about either of these issues in the classroom. Talk with the motivated students outside the classroom.

The book talks about Martin Luther king junior, forced busing, unequal treatment for blacks? I draw analogies to modern Chinese problems ( Better schooling for minorities, poor rural children). Books often talk about important Christian days, such as Christmas I talk about it in the classroom ( I don't preach in the classroom, that is a private thing) I have a Jewish teacher come in and talk about Honnaka (forgive my spelling)

Do I ever talk about Tiananmen in the classroom...Never. Even if allowed, it would serve no purpose. And the students can get in trouble for talking about such a thing, more them then you.

I often feel there is more freedom to talk about important subject here then in the US where evrything becomes washed and faded to the point of no longer having any meaning thanks to the lens of PC, both liberal and conservative PC

( See John Slat's excellent thread about PC run amok on the general discussion forum)

[chinasyndrome]

[quote="Roberto Azula"]