Comments on: Vistior from Taizhong http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/ Chinese, Linguistics, Science, Cultural Observations and whatever else I feel like writing about Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:12:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/#comment-1160 Mark Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:31:33 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=153#comment-1160 Don't worry about it! It's a trackback, and I've set up my blog so that they're posted here. Don’t worry about it! It’s a trackback, and I’ve set up my blog so that they’re posted here.

]]> By: Patrick http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/#comment-1147 Patrick Fri, 24 Mar 2006 03:02:25 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=153#comment-1147 Mark, Sorry That my post got posted here... I am not sure how that happened. You'll have to give me a bit of a tutorial this Sunday ;) Please let me know what time you will be coming up. Why dont you give me a call when you finish tonight. Mark,
Sorry That my post got posted here… I am not sure how that happened. You’ll have to give me a bit of a tutorial this Sunday ;)
Please let me know what time you will be coming up. Why dont you give me a call when you finish tonight.

]]> By: The Nebulon Fry » Ceci n’est pas un blog post! http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/#comment-1122 The Nebulon Fry » Ceci n’est pas un blog post! Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:58:41 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=153#comment-1122 [...] I fell in love with this piece when I first saw it in an art book at my uncle JeanMarie’s house. I must have been 10 or 11. The unavoidable cognitive tension it produced sent me into a fit of giggles. I certainly wasn’t able to put it into words at the time, but it was as clear then as it is now. The painting invites us, quite abruptly, to deal with our perception of reality, the “genuineness” of it, the hierarchy of it. Which is more real? The painting? The meaning of the words? Or is it the idea of “pipe” in our minds? We are, most of us, predisposed to a certain arrogance concerning the real. This painting does what LSD should do, except better. It’s sublte and doesn’t leave that horrible metalic after-taste in your mouth while you grind your teeth for hours. I am not at all sure what made me think of this tonight as I was getting ready to comment on Mark’s last post and further developments on my side of things. Yes, I care about my work,which is something I didn’t do for many years. I feel like I’ve got some catch-up to do, which explains why sometimes I do things with a certain…fever.  A fever which is rarely shared by my co-workers. I try to put myself in their shoes, but they never quite fit. Last week, the other teacher who has some CALL classes (I am the coordinator for this department) came up with a good assignment for 2nd year students: A  powerpoint presentation on one or more environmnetal issues.  This will be the 2nd powerpoint presentation this year. I immediately thought it would be an even better idea if the presentation by the students is done during one of their ESL classes. The students use up precious CALL class time over the next 3 weeks–which is only 1 class a week–to get it all done, then use up 2 of the 6 weekly ESL hours some time in the future to do it in the swank audiovisual room, with a big screen,mike and dim lights. All the ESL teacher has to do is sit there and give them a grade. They can use it as their oral grade, which counts for 10% of some portion of their final grade (for a class whose grades everyone knows are meaningless, but my CALL class grades are even more meaningless…) This way, the kids will be motivated 10% instead of their usual 5%, and the teachers wont have to do those meaningless passage readings masquerading as an oral test. Well, the grumbling that ensued. Even the teacher who thought up the assignment grumbled, thinking she would get “stuck” having to help the other teachers set up in the audiovisual room. But, to give her credit, she did come round and help me “sell” the idea at our weekly staff meeting. So, as you can see, I am far from reaching my goal of implementing anything, except, it would seem, a hot poker up my co-workers’ pipe. Just like in the painting. [...] [...] I fell in love with this piece when I first saw it in an art book at my uncle JeanMarie’s house. I must have been 10 or 11. The unavoidable cognitive tension it produced sent me into a fit of giggles. I certainly wasn’t able to put it into words at the time, but it was as clear then as it is now. The painting invites us, quite abruptly, to deal with our perception of reality, the “genuineness” of it, the hierarchy of it. Which is more real? The painting? The meaning of the words? Or is it the idea of “pipe” in our minds? We are, most of us, predisposed to a certain arrogance concerning the real. This painting does what LSD should do, except better. It’s sublte and doesn’t leave that horrible metalic after-taste in your mouth while you grind your teeth for hours. I am not at all sure what made me think of this tonight as I was getting ready to comment on Mark’s last post and further developments on my side of things. Yes, I care about my work,which is something I didn’t do for many years. I feel like I’ve got some catch-up to do, which explains why sometimes I do things with a certain…fever.  A fever which is rarely shared by my co-workers. I try to put myself in their shoes, but they never quite fit. Last week, the other teacher who has some CALL classes (I am the coordinator for this department) came up with a good assignment for 2nd year students: A  powerpoint presentation on one or more environmnetal issues.  This will be the 2nd powerpoint presentation this year. I immediately thought it would be an even better idea if the presentation by the students is done during one of their ESL classes. The students use up precious CALL class time over the next 3 weeks–which is only 1 class a week–to get it all done, then use up 2 of the 6 weekly ESL hours some time in the future to do it in the swank audiovisual room, with a big screen,mike and dim lights. All the ESL teacher has to do is sit there and give them a grade. They can use it as their oral grade, which counts for 10% of some portion of their final grade (for a class whose grades everyone knows are meaningless, but my CALL class grades are even more meaningless…) This way, the kids will be motivated 10% instead of their usual 5%, and the teachers wont have to do those meaningless passage readings masquerading as an oral test. Well, the grumbling that ensued. Even the teacher who thought up the assignment grumbled, thinking she would get “stuck” having to help the other teachers set up in the audiovisual room. But, to give her credit, she did come round and help me “sell” the idea at our weekly staff meeting. So, as you can see, I am far from reaching my goal of implementing anything, except, it would seem, a hot poker up my co-workers’ pipe. Just like in the painting. [...]

]]> By: Kanwa-kyudai http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/#comment-1119 Kanwa-kyudai Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:49:46 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=153#comment-1119 Mark-san, One of my Korean-Chinese friends teaches Japanese at a foreign language school. She told me before that she didn't let her colleagues observe her classes, because her teaching method was her asset, and she didn't want to give the secret and tips to her rivals. I suppose there is another reason for it. She is shy about teaching Japanese before her colleagues. Although her way of thinking is understandable for me, I'm afraid it might not benefit both the students and teachers at her school. She speaks excellent Japanese. Mark-san,

One of my Korean-Chinese friends teaches Japanese at a foreign language school. She told me before that she didn’t let her colleagues observe her classes, because her teaching method was her asset, and she didn’t want to give the secret and tips to her rivals.

I suppose there is another reason for it. She is shy about teaching Japanese before her colleagues. Although her way of thinking is understandable for me, I’m afraid it might not benefit both the students and teachers at her school. She speaks excellent Japanese.

]]> By: Patrick http://toshuo.com/2006/vistior-from-taizhong/#comment-1088 Patrick Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:36:46 +0000 http://toshuo.com/?p=153#comment-1088 Mark, The vids are already up on the CALL website (on an unlinked page), but it seems There is a mp4 restriction imposed from the webmaster. I spoke to him about it and he says he would look into it today or tomorrow. I'll let you know. http://web.shinmin.tc.edu.tw/call/hfrb.htm Thankyou for your encouragement. It goes a long way, as I don't get much of it from the laowais I work with. Mark,
The vids are already up on the CALL website (on an unlinked page), but it seems There is a mp4 restriction imposed from the webmaster. I spoke to him about it and he says he would look into it today or tomorrow. I’ll let you know.
http://web.shinmin.tc.edu.tw/call/hfrb.htm

Thankyou for your encouragement. It goes a long way, as I don’t get much of it from the laowais I work with.

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