Final Reflections

[Richard Cate]

The USC US-China Institute is how professional development should be done. Given by people who are passionate and knowledgeable about what they are talking about. Treating us like interested participants in a shareing experience. As a result we learn so much we can't process it the first time. Most classes we take the feeling is how soon is this ordeal over with and I can go home and forget everything I was forced to listen to. The US-China Institute's seminars are quite the opposite, it is oh, no it's over! 

There are so many ways I can incorporate the information into lessons for my students. I look After the Thanksgiving Break we will be focused on China for the remander of the semester, followed by Japan and Korea to begin the next semester after Winter break. I think they will get a kick out of the East Sea/Sea of Japan issue and it will provide the chance ot spiral outward for many discussions and essays. The last few years it has become increasingly difficult ot get the students to  invest themselves in what they are learning (after all they have all answers in the world, to any problem they might encounter sitting in the palm of their hands on utube, why bother to tire themselves out putting it in their heads--or am I sounding cynical?) 

I refer back to things from different cultures as we go through the year, trying to have them understand there is no one way to look at things, no one right answer, and that we all do better if we learn to respect other cultures and ways of doing things. The etiquette of Japanese business as a point of interest but to help teach them about our culture's standards of etiquette. How diferent places and situtations call for different standards of behavior. I might have them do an assignment on how their own cultural behaviors compare, I think they might find that there is situational behaviors in their own culture as well.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to participate in this experience. I look forward to joining you again on my quest to learn it all. It was wonderful! 

Richard Cate