Research Update

   Informal:
     
    My topic is about the differences in curriculum in China and America an how it is taught differently. The reason I chose this topic wasn't because I am very interested in school systems, ect. but that it was very convent, with Kanis (exchange student) being here. As I started my research the only sources I got  were people arguing about one system being better than the other. This was a problem for me because I needed non-biased facts so that I could come to my own conclusion. Finally, I started to find what I needed on and off databases. By far Kanis helped me the most, I got to ask her my own questions so that I got exactly what I needed to tie together my research. What I found most interesting was the classes they took in middle school such as physics. They take full advantage of middle school, unlike in America where some students don't take school seriously until high school. That is the answer to my research question, Typically chinese students are able to excel in school because they fully use their middle school years with more advanced classes. However, the stress that is put on the students creates an unhealthy school and home environment that may not be worth the academic excellence.

Formal:

  The topic I chose to research is, how is curriculum taught differently China than in America, and how does that enable one system to be more effective than the other? During the research of this topic there were many irrelevant and biased topics that proved to be obstacles. However, eventually I was able to obtain facts that allowed me to come to my own conclusions rather than just accepting a previous answer. During the interview with a student from China, all of my question were answered and false facts were thrown away. She discussed her middle school curriculum, which was very different from the typical American students. After all of my research I came to the conclusion that China's education is superior because they fully utilize grades sixth through ninth (middle school) unlike many American schools, however the exorbitant amounts of pressure put on students in China results in un-healthy home and school environment making their levels of academic achievement not worth it.

Free Post: Reading Post

  For my free post this week I am just going to do another reading post. So, What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz is starting to get very interesting. Just to let you know, the Calvino family consists of a mom, dad, two daughters and a son. All of them have had different supernatural experiences but keep them to themselves. It is kind of like the parallel plot structure because I know that later in the book this "ghost" is going to attack them all at one time causing the plots to collide.
      I have to admit I never took this book for a fantasy horror story. To be honest,  I would rather the whole fantasy genre when it come to horror stories. I hate it when I am watching a movie and it is too similar to real life and I am freaked out for months on end. Anyway, what makes me so angry is that the whole Calvino family is keeping the crazy things that are happening to them to themselves because they are trying to protect each other or they think they are crazy. I sit reading these scary parts and my heart is pounding, what they don't realize is that the ghost doesn't want them to let the rest of the family know what is happening to each individual because that would ruin his plan. This book is full of dramatic irony and it makes me want to scream at the characters in the book and tell them exactly what to do. I also may have read the last page of the book, I couldn't help it! The suspension was too much, I just had to make sure the whole family lives which *spoiler alert* they do.

Research Topic

    My topic is about the differences of education systems are different in America and China. When I first started my research I was going to narrow my topic down to the faults in each of the systems mostly because I was having a hard time finding anything good about them. In class Dr. D gave me the key word "curriculum". Let me tell you, key words can make or break research. I immediately found tons of sources, looked in their bibliography's, and found more sources. Now my topic has moved towards the differences in how the curriculum of the two countries differ, and the differences in the way they teach.
   For my primary resource I am lucky enough to have Kanis, a chinese exchange student, answer some of my questions. I haven't interviewed her yet because I am going to do all of my other research first but I have a feeling she is going to be very helpful.

Reading Response

I was having trouble picking out a book to start reading. As a last resort, and last minute, I ended up looking through some of my older sister's books. After googling many of the books and reading summaries I chose What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz. I have never heard of this book, but from what I gather from google it is the second book in a series and it is a murder-mystery. All this to say, I have no clue what I am getting myself into.
    The whole book is very dark and disturbing, it is about a detective, John Calvin, who is investigating the murder of a family of four by the fourteen year old son. The boy's name is Billy, what the reader initially finds out about Billy is that he is a psychopath in a mental hospital for murder. The farther you read into the book that more common and flattering descriptions Billy is given, he was so smart he skipped two grade levels and throughout his hundreds of paperback books not a single one was a murder-mystery. Well, based off of Billy's "normal" self, I would suspect that I would murder someone before he ever did. That is one of the creepiest parts of the book so far. As the book develops the reader finds out that for some reason John has a feeling that his family too will be killed in a massive murder, later he does find pictures of him and his family on Billy's computer.
   That is as far as I have gotten. This book is so detailed, Koontz supplies the reader with vivid imagery by using measurements, colors, feelings, and smells, much to my dislike as he is describing a mastermind's killings. However, What the Night Knows seems to be foreshadowing events that will tie up the book in an amazing way, like maybe an Agatha Christie book?

Reading Times:
What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz:
1/13: 120 min.

Free post

    I love learning about different cultures from all around the world. To me the most interesting day during history class is when we get past the boring geography and government and actually learn about the people, it makes the whole area more real. It is no surprise that two of my longest, and best, friends aren't from the USA.  It is funny to me to see the quirks they carry from their own countries. However, culture all around America changes from place to place, Louisiana also having a very rich culture. I know about Louisiana's culture though, I am more interested in learning about other cultures.
   A few summer's ago I had a French exchange student, now for a few weeks I am going to have a Chinese exchange student. I am excited to learn about her culture because we hear so many de-humanizing things about China from the news, government, ect. I think this will give me a more realistic look into people's life in China.