Teaching continued:

So I like to keep them busy on multiple tasks, so most teaching is spent explaining all the little projects I want them working on....
I am under the impression that these students are accustomed to more lecture time in class so I am accommodating this slightly.
Thursday I spend about 30 minutes talking about culture and how important it is to be a cultural sponge----trying to pay attention to customs, habits, non-verbal communication, sub-cultures, aesthetics(my favorite!), values, social structure, etc., I try to emphasize that criticism of a culture's idiosyncratic (and terrifying) characteristics is somehow counterproductive. And in business, this can mean that you will not be successful. This is easy to talk about in Russia, given all the crazy differences.
My multitude of projects assigned in this class are as follows:
-They need to master the geography of the Americas and the Caribbean.
-I put them into groups of 4, assign them a country from the above area and ask them to prepare a 5 minute presentation on some cultural aspects of that place---to be done in the next class--this WED.


I also lecture on globalization in general. I am asking them to read The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman. It is not a perfect description of what is happening to our world, but I love his perspective---especially on how tech is changing us and how education(though certainly not in the direction the U.S. is headed) is so critical to climbing out of poverty. At some point I will likely give you my view on the "no Child Left Behind", "Common Core", Test, Test , Test  initiatives that we(Americans) are all swallowing like lemmings on the way to the ocean,; but I will spare you that today.Let us just say that I find Michelle Rhee to be despicable---sorry.


I assign them all a side in the debate on Free Trade/globalization argument, touching on some of the common arguments:Inexpensive everything? Peace dividend? Environmental degradation? Job Loss?
Coca Colaization of the entire world? Loss of languages, etc., etc.,
We will debate for a half an hour in the next class.


They'll also pick a basket of their choice of international equities(stocks), pretend to buy them, and track them over the course of the next few weeks.


All for now on class....I thought I would give a perspective. we are also likely to talk a lot about basketball. Several of my Chinese fellows love the NBA and I of course must indulge them!

First International Business Class on Thursday 2/6

I should briefly discuss my first teaching experience in Russia.
Thursday, February 6, was my first class. Starting time determined to be 3:20 PM and we would have two 1.5 hour sessions with a 10 minute break. These students have stamina. They seem to be in class from about 1pm to 6:30 PM almost every day, 1.5 hours at a time with 10 minute breaks. I know how difficult it is to stay engaged in these circumstances and I applaud them---they are very focused. I don't remember having that much energy. I think I remember beginning to squirm pretty quickly.


I always begin with explaining how important it is for me to learn names. When I began teaching, I simply memorized their names by the third or fourth week. Sometime around 2005, my kind and brilliant IT colleague, Robert Dusek, recommended his method---take a photo of the class. Take quick roll and write down on a little chart where they are sitting that day in the photo. Study it. You then know their names. This is much quicker---especially with the larger BUS 100 classes at NOVA-Loudoun. I did this with my class here in Saratov.
I must say, that linguistically, Chinese names are very difficult for Westerners, and so for my Chinese students, it is going to take a bit longer. They are very particular about pronunciation and such. Some have "Western" nicknames like Leon, Hattie, and Connie, but it always bothered me a bit that they feel they must do this.
Posting this now to recharge the laptop. will continue soon.

Very cool old wooden houses. I love these.

 

My books are here!

Yulia and Masha loading my books into the office.

I promise I was not gone on purpose! Thank you very much ladies!

 

Opening Olympic Ceremony Viewing at my Apartment

These are my Slovakian and Czech students and a great young man from Russia.

They are: Zuzanna(on rug), Matthieu, Magda, Katarina, Iveta, Artim(the very helpful Russian) and Natalia. I hope I got this right!

I made chicken wings and veggie plate, and we had a bunch of junk food.

Very nice young people!

My Students!

Students in my International Business class at Stolypin Volga Region Institute of Administration, Saratov, Russia.

Thursday 2/6

Yulia from the office brought pie(pirog) in today for the International Office. One was a peach and the other the most excellent meat filling. Absolutely delicious. Made my whole day as I had a 3 hour class 3:20---6:30pm. Compliments of her mother I think. Best food I've had in Russia yet!