Job Discussion Forums

[Roger]

[no_exit]

This group of kids that I taught did go to the best school in the province, and were fairly bright and motivated, so maybe they were better than the rest. I've seen the geography textbooks that the students use, and they DO include facts about China's climate, the topography, the major lakes and rivers -- the same things I learned about the US in 7th grade geography.

It isn't that these things aren't taught, it is more likely that Chinese students, like students in other parts of the world, have little interest in learning about the world outside their immediate scope of reference. Most of my classmates thought geography class was boring in middle school, and I bet Chinese kids feel the same way.

It must be because I live in a border region, but a lot of people around here know a bit about the neighboring countries in South East Asia, and are fairly familiar with China's Minority groups, especially the ones native to Yunnan. Again, people are interested in what concerns them directly.

Still, yesterday I had a ten year old tell me the exact land area of China, and a couple months ago a thirteen year old boy labeled the entire map of Asia for me without any outside help (!!). Geography geeks, young geniuses? Whatever the case may be, my students manage to surprise me with their knowlegde (and disappoint me with their lack thereof as well) all the time.

[KWhitehead]