session 4 readings

[Anonymous]

Today in lecture we discussed the hierarchical structure in Asian societies. They display similarities with the Latino culture. Similar to the Latino culture, the role of the female is to be passive and to adhere to husband's family, perform domestic chores, and take care of the children. The role of the male is to provide for his family. Additionally, similar to Asian customs, the importance of family is an essential key that children learn at a very early age. Although the dynamics of female and male roles has changed over the years, especially with immigration, the Latino culture continues to have the shared belief with Asian cultures of the importance of family.Teaching in a large Latino community, I try to find ways in which I can have students bridge connections with the Asian culture and appreciate their customs.

[Anonymous]

I want to comment about our speaker’s insight on openness versus xenophobia. Prof. Ye mentioned that when a country is confident they will welcome everyone into their country. When the country become unconfident, this is when the country will use scapegoat tactics and practice xenophobia. Xenophobia has affected several countries throughout history. Allowing students to bridge a connection with the politics and conflict countries face and xenophobic actions can provide a space in which they can analyze how dehumanization is due to insecurity.

[Anonymous]

I was very impressed by professor Yeng Ye’s chanting. I had never considered the separation of poetry and music or how the author wanted his writing to be read! His lesson made me think about the process of melding of cultures, specifically in his explanation of chanting as a development from the Buddhist practice, as well as the use of music for the preservation of culture. During the lecture, the professor said that poetry is meant for the ears and should be less focused on the meaning. He also said that in poetry, “the lines come to an end, but the meaning lingers.” Although I find these to be two contradicting ideas, I agree with both. While he was chanting, I was reminded of my ethnomusicology class on traditional slave music during the time of slave labor in the U.S. I wonder how it is that this these similar tones and sounds have moved across cultures? The professor was worried about the loss of chanting through generations; have the meanings and the sounds conveyed by the experiences of slaves as well as the ancient Chinese traditions been lost or do they remain in our music today?

[Anonymous]

Bcenteno, I was also thinking about his comment on xenophobia after the lecture. I agree with your comments. I am taking my students to the Museum of Tolerance this week, and I think this is the perfect place to talk about open/closed door policies and confidence in the nation. I am glad that now knowing the information we received during this seminar, I have another example to expose my students to in reflecting on our current political situation.

[Anonymous]

The written Chinese language looks very complicated. There are many intricate details. Through my English/Spanish bilingual perspective I consider English to be a complex language. I’m curious on how educators in Asia progress through language development.

[Anonymous]

I was fascinated to learn a little about the Chinese alphabet. I found it amazing and complicated. I can't even imagine having to learn how to write all those characters. I enjoyed Professor Ye's explanation on how certain symbols represent different words, and that even if you slightly take off a certain curve or mark, it can lose it's whole meaning. Even when the mark stands alone, it may not mean anything at all or make sense. My question is how long does it take a child to learn all these characters? At what grade or age is this introduced to children?

[Anonymous]

I was impressed with Professor Ye's chanting. I have always considered chanting more like a cheer or a cadence, similar to a military chant. I never thought of chanting a poem nor really consider how the poet would want me to read their poetry. In language arts, we put more focus on the meaning or message of poems and stories; however Professor Ye explained that the "meaning lingers." I enjoyed hearing him chant, and seeing and feeling his passion in teaching Chinese history during his lecture. I will definitely implement chanting in my lessons especially in poetry or even in a small passage where students can make a personal connection to what they are reading to their own experiences.
edited by cseman on 3/3/2016

[Anonymous]

Session 4 began as though I thought it would, yet ended on a very differing note. The chant which Professor Ye denoted was fascinating to me and unlike anything I had heard prior. I was very curious as he explained and expressed during his lecture about how a chant is unlike a poem or a song, yet very much like both. I couldn't quite put my finger on what tea meant, until he provided his example at the close of the class session. You could hear in his voice and see in his expression how much the chant meant to him and brought him back to a place of childhood through memories of his youth and of his father. Though I knew nothing of what he was meaning through the chant, I created my own impression of what he was saying. It was beautiful and engaging. I was very glad that he expressed himself in this way during class because it gave such a deeper meaning to the lecture he had just disclosed and to the concept behind the class as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Professor Yang Ye's lecture was insightful as a history teacher because it helped me get a historical scope of the different time periods and dynasties before diving into the poetry and lyrics he introduced. I would love to bring in these poetry and lyrics into a lesson, and have students break them down and analyze them, by having them make connections to the current dynasty/time period in China we are addressing. In terms of the readings for this week, I found the "women and the problems they create" reading an interesting one, that students could critically analyze to look at gender roles and perceptions during the Song times. Students could compare and contrast excerpts of this reading to our society today, and discuss any similarities or differences in a whole class debate/discussion.

As Kriztian mentioned above, it was beautiful to hear Professor Yang Ye chant "My Hearts in the Highlands." I would love to have students be able to do this as well in groups and present them to the class. Possibly even make their own chants based on the content/dynasty they are learning at the moment.

[Anonymous]

Poetry is expression.: sung, chanted, rapped, or said. I perform poetry every week and I find that my expression differs with every venue and every mood. Just like expression is multi-faceted so it poetry. I disagree that poetry must only be chanted or that it is only for the ear. It is for the eyes, the sight, the touch, the taste as well. Poetry is performed for all senses. Just like it can be written for self reflection-- in the quietude of thought. Poetry is life and ideas manifested through words.

I found the lecture to be refreshing. I think there should be more performance in education. Professor Yang Ye rendition of Classical Chinese poetry allowed me to appreciate the intonations of speech. Though it also got me into thinking how Professor Yang Ye's relation to poetry was influenced by the framework that his father taught him. His father, he said, taught him that poetry is between speech and singing. Professor Yang Ye was able to provide some quotes from famous authors that agreed with this recipe of poetic expression. My question then becomes: why is this classification necessary?

I find it interesting that Professor Yang Ye kept comparing Chinese poetry to European poetry. It makes me think of how value is assigned to things in our American culture. Is it only valuable if it predates European "discovery" or "innovation?" Don't get me wrong, as a historian I agree that comparative histories give a frame of reference, as Jared Diamond might champion. But it is an interesting framework to be working in comparison to; considering that China is considered to have developed autonomously because of it's natural boundaries. How much are we still imprisoned by these accepted frameworks. There should be a comparative "human framework" that also takes into account mesoamerica, Africa, and the islands. Perhaps it is easy to compare to European history because that is the frame of reference that most of us are taught in our k-12 classrooms. Should we, then, reinforce this framework by continual comparison or should we broaden our definitions of existence?

[Anonymous]

Prof. Yang Ye
I enjoyed very much learning about Chinese literature. Learning the names of the different length verses was very interesting. Ignorantly, I thought the measures that I had learned in school were universal. It never occurred to me that Chinese poetry uses different names for its verses. Although, symmetry it looks somehow similar. As a Spanish teacher, I knew that poems are to be declaiming not to be read as any other article, but learning that the Chinese poetry is mainly written for the ears therefore, chanted it is impressive. Thanks for the performance Professor Ye.
edited by edelafuente on 3/6/2016

[Anonymous]

Professor Ye Yang provided a plethora of information regarding Chinese society transforming from a territory into a civilization. Before China could become a grand civilization three stages needed to take place to transform the citizens in China. Transformation began in academia and building strong institutes to educate the society.
The first era in the Qin dynasty emperor Juang Ti transformed the education system. He began by building hundred of schools throughout China. Academics included writing, and reading from books written by Confusious. Academia was focused on the humanities, focusing on the subjects of language, literature, religion, and arts. Poetry and calligraphy were also given an importance as scholars would need to display proficiency in all of these areas.
This structure in academia provided me with the idea of how education was built for the society. Education was given importance as institutions were built throughout China to provide the society a common knowledge that would enable the citizens to critically build and create. In our current education system, the importance of academia varies from culture to district. Within the state, instructors teach within the frameworks of California standards, however the literature varies from district to district. Scholars are not given the similar texts to learn or study from, causing an inconsistency within knowledge. Questions arise if this inconsistency causes problems or benefits for students within our educational system.

[Anonymous]

I gained so much knowledge and things to reflect upon after our fourth seminar. Professor Yang Ye was so insightful and full of passion for his content. I was really captivated by the many facts presented and how they relate to current situations. However, my favorite part was the section on poetry. I really appreciate the explanation of singing vs chanting. I didn't know the difference, and I appreciate Professor Yang Ye's demonstration and perfect memorization of the poetry pieces presented. It inspired to work in collaboration with the English teacher to work on a poetry unit where students will sing and chat poems to distinguish them. I would also apply the historical reasoning and the region that they came from to provide them with context.

[Anonymous]

Professor Ye’s discussion was very interesting. Being an English teacher, hearing all the poetry and chanting, was music to my heart and ears. I loved that during this time in China’s history poets had the opportunity to create and to record history in such a beautiful way. We can see China’s beauty and flaws though the eyes of these masterful poets. I also loved the references to American poets. To hear a poem I loved chanted in class. He has a beautiful voice. I never thought that poetry should and could be chanted in such a way.

He also talked about the middle period between these giant dynasties. Such a great time of peace and freedom in a nation that had gone through so much struggle and strife. A perfect time for Buddhism to enter into China. A religion that had been only in India and now had travelled to China. The age of enlightenment. Having that spiritual longing met. This time allowed such an opportunity for arts and creative ideas. A cultural revolution was taking place. Unfortunately those can never last. All the freedom and creativity can’t be controlled and there will always be a government that will come along behind it and change it to a more manageable system.

I am very excited to hear and see him when he speaks on calligraphy. It is such a beautiful art form. My sister in law created a piece of calligraphy with our family name on rice paper. It is beautiful. Excited to learn even more about the arts of China.

[Anonymous]

You make a very valid point about the framework in which we teach. In countless professional development meetings (especially in work with at-risk youth), we are instructed to make the material relevant to the student & scaffold by comparing the material to something the student may already be familiar with. However, recently, I listened to an African-American male speaking about his successful work with gang-affiliated and incarcerated youth who suggested we need to take the opposite approach as leaders & educators. Incorporating rap music into the lesson, for instance, might not be the best strategy. The students get this at home, with their friends, through various media outlets. Instead he proposed offering something they aren't likely to have encountered in their daily life. Give them something new to reflect on, build on, integrate into their own histories & experiences. It's in experiencing something for the first time, that we feel the thrill of excitement (and yes, possibly confusion as we process and sort the idea into meaningful knowledge). One of my biggest reasons for taking this class, is to expose myself to something completely new that I don't do justice to in my classroom because of lack of knowledge. I'm excited to present something shiny & new to my students & NOT filter it through how closely it resembles (or not) European history, practices, or ideologies. I want to give my students something completely brand new to pursue as they wish, to make links to their own experiences as they will, and to process according to the lesson's own merits without comparison to any other history they have learned

[Author]

Posts