Class Participation and SMU
So Jac posted this documentary of SMU (made by SMU) about the issue of class participation. Or at least it meanders around this issue and never actually gets a point. I suppose it tried to find some balance in the entire thing by showing both the pro and con side (and sticking some predictable ‘think about it’ on the video site), but seriously, if you want to fit something as broad as ‘class participation’ into a 15 minute documentary, everything is going to turn out shallow. Pick one aspect of class participation and run with it, not fit the 5W’s into the whole thing.
I’m reacting a bit more aggressively than I should be doing, which is something much to my surprise… I guess this whole participation thing is something that I do take grave issue with, and the assumptions that people have about it. I don’t like the Singaporean way of thinking that speaking up in class = good thing for ‘personal growth’, whatever that means, because we’re still falling behind this idea that we’re obliged to do something not because of interest, but because we’ve gotten this assumption that class participation means… what do they call it? A better interview spot?
We’re paralleling this whole Science/Arts debate all over again. The general idea is that taking Science leaves one open for more opportunities while Arts closes them. So we take Science, not because we are genuinely interested in Biology or Chemistry, but because there’s always this threat that in the event you really, really want to be a rocket scientist, you don’t have to look back and say, ‘WELL, SHIT’. (I’m of the opinion that if you’re not interested in physics at 15, you sure as hell aren’t going to be interested in physics at 30, but there are always the obvious exceptions, etc etc).
I get it, I really do. My issue is that they’ve generalized ’speaking up’ so broadly it hurts to look at it. Has SMU actually read any data that shows a correlation between speaking up in class and doing well in interviews? Have they done any research that shows that speaking in class is a skill that, when successfully taught, that can be generalized to any situation? Have they done any research to show how reliable their assumptions are in determining why people don’t speak up in class? Do they really fare any worse or better, in a personal sense? Have they done any research that shows that SMU cranks out ‘different and/or better people’ (whatever that still means) than NUS or NTU? Have these people done any research whatsoever that the sole skill in speaking up actually influences their graduates’ hiring rate? (I also like the irony that, according to the SMU Wikipedia page, that all the statistics showing SMU to be the better school stems from SMU itself, and not a independent organization. Also, one of the links are dead.)
And the laughable surveys with the funny looking balloons are just… so incredulous to take seriously. What was the question asked? What was the sample size? Who were the people surveyed? Did you check for any bias, or did you just run around the school yelling for opinions and compiling them in Microsoft Excel? There were so many things they left out (partially because, yet again, it’s only 15 minutes. I don’t know if they were doing this on their own watch or maybe it was some class assignment thing, but whatever) that you just cannot take the data seriously.
I especially liked the bits where they interviewed professors and students alike, and everyone just pulled these assumptions out of their ass (I guess that’s why they call it assumptions) and threw their own theories as to why kids don’t like to speak up (DATA, PEOPLE, DATA. You have a damn Psychology department; get your information there!). I especially like the complete contradiction at the end where ‘being yourself’ means ‘if you’re introverted, you still gotta bypass that shit and SPEAK UP’, as if talking is some sort of inherent personality trait in everyone THAT NEEDS TO BLOOM LIKE A PRETTY FLOWER. I got so furious with Mr. American Professor Who Was Talking with Kirpal Singh because he spouted so much nonsense I wanted to punch my screen in (of course, this is only a matter of personal opinion and experience, and absolutely nothing to do with his pretentiousness).
… And yet again, we still hold America as the epitome of progress and whatnot. I don’t get the Singaporean system, quite honestly. We adopt a British education system for the first 12 years and then you except the students to automatically adjust to a system that is so radically and structurally different (read “Sponsored and Contest Mobility and the School System” by Ralph H. Turner if you’re interested in the differences between the American and British systems of education. In short, education is not an independent faction and is generated by the cultural values in any given society) in university. You cannot expect us to be raised in a culture founded on elite values (nitpick with me about this and I swear I will cut you) and then suddenly say ‘okay, we’re all equal and we always need to stay on our toes and be competitive!’ and expect us to change our ideas like that. I feel SMU seems to have meshed these two ideas together, except now you’ve generated a student population that competes with the world while believing themselves to be superior to their own people. Not exactly a good thing to discriminate against your own, sweets.
Yes, the professors can blast away on their high horses that Singaporean culture prohibits kids from speaking up, but I ask again: where is the data? Is there a correlation between being obedient and not speaking up in class? This in itself even seems to operate on the assumption that speaking up in a classroom environment automatically constitutes challenge. What about comments? Questions? The latter was addressed (albeit briefly) in the documentary, and this already shows that it’s not about ‘traditional culture values’. It’s ‘we’re afraid to look stupid’ - a societal value. Is SMU going to change a societal value by implementing an system exclusive to themselves?
I want to share my own experiences in studying in an American institution. If any of you know me, I was born an American, and predominantly raised in Singapore for most of my life. I do consider myself more Singaporean than American. As usual, there is always the obligatory disclaimer that these are my opinions and my experiences, and it cannot be generalized to anyone else. My TL;DR thoughts are my own.
Class participation, to me, is a load of bullshit. That’s the short answer. There is the extremely long, long, LONG answer behind the cut, so be warned.
ARGH@!#*&!#*(
Well, the hot water in my apartment is out. Again.
Fuck this shit.
Airplanes
Why do people serve coffee and tea in airplanes? Who in the right mind wants to stay awake during an airplane flight?
I personally skip sleeping the night before my flight so I knock myself out on the plane. It’s a good strategy.
Ramblings
This is a definition for ‘logical truth’ in my Philosophy class. I swear I can’t make this shit up.
A sentence is logically true if and only if it is not possible for the sentence to be false.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT.
Heh, I am struggling with Philosophy. It feels like something that I can’t grasp - I get it sometimes, but more often than not it’s out of reach. I’m in the process of converting the double negatives and weird definitions into something that I can understand, but… meh. I guess the process of logic just isn’t my thing (I AM SAD).
Steven Strait is tehsex. AND MARRIED. Who’s going to bet a divorce is in store within the next 3 years?
ETA: Zac Efron and Orlando Bloom battling to get the lead role in Prince of Persia? DO NOT WANT. Get Steven Strait!
Some LOL nonsense
I LOL’ed. ETA: In that vein… where=/=wherefore. It’s a hilarious read.
And the continuing saga of FIRE DOWN HIS PENIS:
[22:14] Elaine: should we be discussing some form of probably belle/anton sex in the future? xDDD
[22:14] Her: LAWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
[22:15] Her: do you want them to? **waggles eyebrows**
[22:15] Elaine: AHAHAHAHAHAHAH
[22:16] Elaine: i dunno! it’s real world, so it’s logical that they should (eventually), since zidane and gaston keep talking about getting laid and shit
[22:16] Elaine: but haaaay anton can’t function, can he? he’s got FIRE DOWN HIS PENIS
[22:17] Her: oh SHIDD not that again AHAHAHA
[22:18] Her: wouldnt that make him more..i dnno.. powerful?
[22:18] Elaine: OMG STOP IT xDDDDDDDDDDDDD
[22:18] Elaine: AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
[22:18] Elaine: OKAY I LOLED
[22:19] Her: AHAHAHA YOU STARTED IT :P:P
[22:20] Her: SERIOUSLY tho
[22:20] Her: XDD
[22:20] Elaine: belle: “HOLY CRAP YOU’RE SO BIG”
anton: “yeah… you know that champagne i had at gaston’s party? more powerful than you think.”
[22:20] Elaine: CHAMPAGNE: LIKE VIAGRA, IN A WAY
[22:20] Elaine: OKAY WE SHOULD STOP NOW
[22:21] Her: OMFGGGGGGGG
[22:21] Her: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
And thanks to this, I remembered turning “It’s a Small World” into a sex song in secondary school. I think I heard it from someone else, but I guess it was so hilarious it just stuck with me for the rest of my life.
It’s a fucked up world
Full of fucked up people
They do fucked up things
And they say ‘I’m fucked up’What the fuck can they do
But to say ‘fuck you’?
It’s a fucked up world after all!Chorus:
It’s a fucked up world after all (x3)
It’s a fucked up world~They do just one thing under open sky
What can they do besides fucking high
And the guy goes inside
And the girl says ‘yikes’
It’s a penis world after all!(Chorus until you’re ready to shut up)
Dear J’lia
I don’t know if hindsight makes one all the better, but I do feel that you should concern yourself less about what the authorities will do to you and worry more about your own mental happiness. It feels like… what’s that name. Learned helplessness? You are miserable in your situation and you do nothing about it. Certainly there are a bunch of other thought processes going on than comparing you to a dog in an electrified cage, but at least the basic rules apply that way, I feel.
You keep telling me that because I didn’t suffer any consequences when I quit my CCA is the reason why I’m encouraging you to do the same. It’s true, I suppose, but even without my experience I still don’t think the administration can force anyone to do anything they don’t want to. I mean, what are the consequences? Think about it for me. What can they do to you other than stuff you into another CCA? Just don’t participate in that CCA. What else can they do? Threaten to expel you because you didn’t participate? NUS doesn’t take into consideration CCA points when you apply either.
It’s my perception, really, that CCA hurts more than it helps. It helps you if you’re applying for a scholarship, but you’re in guitar, and that is not going to count very much. On the other hand, you’re here complaining to me that the teacher sucks, the hours are long, you don’t like the rigorous training, so what else can I say but stop doing it if it doesn’t make you happy? Why complain about something when you can just change it yourself?
I feel that you should be bold and take control on your own life. Stop worrying so much about whether or not it’s the proper thing to do - just do it.
I understand why you feel angry, and you’ve always have had a history of getting pissed at people telling you things that you don’t want to hear. I was your age before, and I know where you’re coming from, but I just wish you’d be more receptive to things that you rigorously believe to be true, however flawed they are. I think you think that CCA is very, very important, and I suppose I’m trying to convince you it’s not.
Now the problem is that because we disagree on this, you’ll never address this topic to me again. My anger threshold is only reserved for Psycho Couple and Bigfoot, so I’m not angry. I mean… I suppose I view everything as a rational discussion (when it’s not about me, heh) I’m worried that there’s one less thing to talk about, and well, it’s something major in your life.
I don’t know if I should just keep my mouth shut and let you go on to do what you do, because I’m quite sure you’ll come home crying more times than you should be, and I’m just… sad, I suppose, that I can’t be receptive to something that I can’t understand.
It just breaks my heart to see you miserable, and I don’t know how to fix it.
