Plans for the week

 Building on my success in Comparative Cultures last week, this week I plan to talk about the US education system in very broad strokes.  Many students are planning to become teachers, so I think this will be of interest to them.  I also think there will be some interest in the different approaches students have back home compared to here.  

I've been told not to worry about students complaining to me regarding grades or if assignments are unreasonable.  It's just not something they do here.  I contrast that with many faculty experiences in the US where the only interaction you have with some students is when they question your grading and are asking for 1 more point back on this problem.  I know most of us wish students would just stop with that complaint.

Separately, though maybe related in some way of thinking in my mind, since organized religion really isn't a thing here I think the concept of a parochial school may be interesting.  What role does religious belief play in how people think about education?  We obviously have the whole evolution hubbub in the States.  There is also the question of sex ed.  Arguments against including both of these in public education blur (or attempt to erase entirely) the line separating church and state.

I need to work up some reasonable questions to ask them so they can do some writing and discussing.  I have some time, though.

I came up with 10(11 after talking with Thao this afternoon) color-based sayings for my Tuesday, Intercultural Communications class.  Feeling blue, seeing red, white as a sheet, green around the gills, being yellow, black hearted, blue blood, the red eye, a red flag, and rose-colored glasses.  Add "There's nothing but blue skies."  For English speakers these are easy enough without being in any sentence.  I am asking them to try to guess what they mean (assuming they have not encountered them before), then we'll talk about them.  In speaking with one of the other professors here (Kaoru Tanaguchi) it occurred to me that I should ask these students to tell me color-based Japanese sayings.  So, I'm also requesting they write a few of these in Japanese, then do a word translation -- not one based on meaning.  I will then attempt to guess the meaning of the saying.

We'll see how it goes.

As an aside, the hike yesterday was more than just the distance.  The vertical change did some extra work on my calves.  The first few steps after I get up are a bit rough today.  Stretching without over-exerting is the name of the game.