I've just finished reading chapter one of Steven Johnson's latest, The Invention of Air. This follows my recent completion of The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, where Leonard Mlodinow eloquently explained the mathematical concepts behind random actions. Both books deal with the matter of how events often develop out of thin air (much more so than we could ever imagine). In particular, both writers discuss how great leaps forward in conceptual thinking are typically the result of sheer luck -- being in the right place at the right time.
Which is not to say that people aren't deserving of their fame and legacy. It's just that in addition to having a good dose of smarts, it never hurts to have the good fortune of being in a time and place where someone else recognizes your genius. It's safe to say that there have been many more geniuses in the history of our world who didn't benefit from such luck, and therefore did not grace us with whatever insights they may have developed. But that's just the way it is. Occasionally you hit in a game of roulette; more often, you miss.
On a personal note, in recent days I've run into two situations that seem to be pure cases of randomness. First, a buddy of mine suddenly contracted a bacterial infection in his elbow that, if not for quick action by doctors, would have led to flesh-eating disease. The doctors had very little explanation for the way the bacteria in his arm all decided to congregate and attack his elbow. But that's something that will happen at random. We all have bacteria in our bodies, and usually we handle them just fine; for some reason, the bacteria in my friend's body turned on him. There's probably no point looking for a reason. It may have just been a random (bad) luck of the draw.
The other incident took place at a bookstore in Seoul this past weekend. While browsing for a good book to buy (the one that eventually became The Invention of Air), a young Korean man who had been standing next to me for a few moments suddenly asked if I worked for JLS. Since I do, I said yes. He then asked if my name was Phil. I was clearly surprised, and I went on to learn that he had been in a class of mine some four or five years earlier. He was now a student at New York University who was doing a summer internship in Korea. So, in a city of over ten million people, a guy I met maybe a dozen times in a writing class years earlier now recognized me. Seems almost bizarre on the surface. But I would have to guess that the odds of such a meeting are not that astronomical since I have taught thousands of students in my years in Korea. In spite of aging, at least one of those students was bound to know me, and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
For the past couple of days, I've wondered what (if any) significance there is to be gleaned from this chance encounter. Perhaps it comes in the comment he made that despite the fact many of the students in that class were being ignorant and inattentive (paraphrasing), he personally liked the class. Over the years, there have been certain classes where I've been so turned off by the general apathy of the students that I've forgotten that one or two of them may actually have been getting something from the course. In other words, this encounter may have been my wake-up call to not throw in the towel when I get frustrated with a class. Not all of the students are wasting their time, and it is my responsibility to reach those who care. Well, okay, it's my responsibility to reach ALL students -- I know, I get that. But I shouldn't lump them all together.
And this leads me to some thoughts about another book I read recently: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. He gained fame a few years ago for his Pulitzer prize-winning memoir Angela's Ashes. In Teacher Man, McCourt tells of his 30 years as a teacher in New York City high schools, of his struggle to reach students under difficult circumstances. It is a wonderful ongoing story that is easy to relate to for any teacher. Some of his thoughts, gleaned from in-the-moment situations, particularly struck me: "If you bark or snap (at the students), you lose them. That's what they get from parents and the schools in general... If they strike back with the silent treatment, you're finished in the classroom... They have you by the balls and you created the situation." Yikes! And so true.
Teaching... history... randomness... the future -- what does it hold?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Michael Jackson
It has taken some time for me to write anything about Michael Jackson, given his recent death. Truthfully, he's not the kind of artist I normally give much thought about, and his actions over recent years make him somewhat harder to stomach.
Nevertheless, the truth is that he's a global icon, and likely to remain so in death in much the same way that Elvis continues to hold our imagination. I would be remiss to ignore something of such obvious importance to so many people.
I first heard of Michael Jackson around 1983 or '84, when I received the Thriller album from my cousins for Christmas. I liked it. Of course, I didn't have much of a discerning taste for music, which is not to take an unnecessary stab at Michael Jackson. Rather, at that point in my life, I was acquiring new music approximately once every 6 months, so I was pretty happy for anything. This was it. Besides, the guy's music videos were everywhere, and he was in the news so much that I figured it was a good bandwagon to hop aboard.
Honestly, though, I got over my interest in the Thriller album fairly quickly once I started becoming more of a fan of hard rock groups like Van Halen and Whitesnake in the following year. And when you said you were a fan of metal, you could never acknowledge an interest in pop. It just wasn't done. So, goodbye, Thriller album.
Michael went on to make a few more albums that were pretty successful, although I couldn't tell you what most of them are called because I never acquired another one. No, Michael became more and more infamous for his crazy obsession to mess with his biology through ongoing hormone treatments and plastic surgery, eventually becoming physically unrecognizable. (I wonder how many people came up with the same joke, as I did, that Michael Jackson's body had appeared to begin decomposing long before his death).
I thought about going into some of the crazier aspects of his life, but they are far too numerous for me to even attempt.
Memorials have been held all over the world for Michael Jackson. His funeral takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7th. Thousands of people want to attend. It's a circus.
There isn't much more to be said, is there?
Nevertheless, the truth is that he's a global icon, and likely to remain so in death in much the same way that Elvis continues to hold our imagination. I would be remiss to ignore something of such obvious importance to so many people.
I first heard of Michael Jackson around 1983 or '84, when I received the Thriller album from my cousins for Christmas. I liked it. Of course, I didn't have much of a discerning taste for music, which is not to take an unnecessary stab at Michael Jackson. Rather, at that point in my life, I was acquiring new music approximately once every 6 months, so I was pretty happy for anything. This was it. Besides, the guy's music videos were everywhere, and he was in the news so much that I figured it was a good bandwagon to hop aboard.
Honestly, though, I got over my interest in the Thriller album fairly quickly once I started becoming more of a fan of hard rock groups like Van Halen and Whitesnake in the following year. And when you said you were a fan of metal, you could never acknowledge an interest in pop. It just wasn't done. So, goodbye, Thriller album.
Michael went on to make a few more albums that were pretty successful, although I couldn't tell you what most of them are called because I never acquired another one. No, Michael became more and more infamous for his crazy obsession to mess with his biology through ongoing hormone treatments and plastic surgery, eventually becoming physically unrecognizable. (I wonder how many people came up with the same joke, as I did, that Michael Jackson's body had appeared to begin decomposing long before his death).
I thought about going into some of the crazier aspects of his life, but they are far too numerous for me to even attempt.
Memorials have been held all over the world for Michael Jackson. His funeral takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7th. Thousands of people want to attend. It's a circus.
There isn't much more to be said, is there?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
When social networking and political protests collide
In 1989, two major democracy movements arose and brought about two very different results: the pro-democracy uprising in China, culminating in the Tienanmen Square massacre, reaffirmed the dictatorial regime's authority, and; the collapse of the Iron Curtain, climaxed by the falling of the Berlin Wall, brought an end to Soviet-backed communist governments in Eastern Europe.
I remember both events for the tectonic shifts in international politics that they necessarily inspired. I remember, in particular, the way that western media outlets like CNN and BBC, trapped amid the chaos of the revolt in Beijing, managed to capture and broadcast images of the Chinese army gunning down hundreds, if not thousands, of its own citizens... people who had desired more political freedoms in a changing Chinese society.
This was the iconic image from Tienanmen Square -- of one man standing up to an army. It was exactly the kind of media moment that threatened the survival of the communist government. The PRC's response: to finally crack down on media access within the country, and to eventually begin a campaign of historical white-washing. My point is that media was at the threshold of a landmark political moment, but ultimately failed to push it over the edge.
Meanwhile, events in Eastern Europe later that year began to unravel the grip of the communists. It began with the government in Hungary announcing it would remove its physical border fences with Austria. This led 13000 East German tourists to escape to Austria, setting in motion a chain of events that were aided by television broadcasts from West Berlin, and finally brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In both cases, the the media played an important role in how events played out.
Which brings us to June 2009, and the so-called "Twitter Revolution" in Iran. Actually, Twitter is just one communications tool being used in this amazing uprising by Iranians seeking change within their society (amid a hotly disputed election outcome). Social networking tools such as Facebook and YouTube, along with Twitter, have given a voice to the protesters themselves. Whereas the traditional media outlets find it hard to get the reports out, people on the street are spreading the message to the outside world via cellphone. And the message is largely uncensored -- people are being shot and killed, and these images are finding their way to people's computers. Even the news networks are using some of the footage to supplement what they themselves can broadcast.
On YouTube, we can see the intensity of the protests from street level. On Facebook, supporters of the opposition candidate are gathering images, videos, and reports of protests and violence. And there is Twitter, where people are spreading the word in short spurts, helping to galvanize the protests even as the government threatens a violent crackdown. Social networking is fueling this democratic uprising. Where will it end?
I wish the protesters well, and I hope this new media aids them in their cause.
P.S. It's not just the Western world that is following events in Iran. The Arab Street is also using social networks to learn some lessons from their Persian neighbours (with whom they traditionally have a tense relationship).
I remember both events for the tectonic shifts in international politics that they necessarily inspired. I remember, in particular, the way that western media outlets like CNN and BBC, trapped amid the chaos of the revolt in Beijing, managed to capture and broadcast images of the Chinese army gunning down hundreds, if not thousands, of its own citizens... people who had desired more political freedoms in a changing Chinese society.
This was the iconic image from Tienanmen Square -- of one man standing up to an army. It was exactly the kind of media moment that threatened the survival of the communist government. The PRC's response: to finally crack down on media access within the country, and to eventually begin a campaign of historical white-washing. My point is that media was at the threshold of a landmark political moment, but ultimately failed to push it over the edge.Meanwhile, events in Eastern Europe later that year began to unravel the grip of the communists. It began with the government in Hungary announcing it would remove its physical border fences with Austria. This led 13000 East German tourists to escape to Austria, setting in motion a chain of events that were aided by television broadcasts from West Berlin, and finally brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In both cases, the the media played an important role in how events played out.
Which brings us to June 2009, and the so-called "Twitter Revolution" in Iran. Actually, Twitter is just one communications tool being used in this amazing uprising by Iranians seeking change within their society (amid a hotly disputed election outcome). Social networking tools such as Facebook and YouTube, along with Twitter, have given a voice to the protesters themselves. Whereas the traditional media outlets find it hard to get the reports out, people on the street are spreading the message to the outside world via cellphone. And the message is largely uncensored -- people are being shot and killed, and these images are finding their way to people's computers. Even the news networks are using some of the footage to supplement what they themselves can broadcast.
On YouTube, we can see the intensity of the protests from street level. On Facebook, supporters of the opposition candidate are gathering images, videos, and reports of protests and violence. And there is Twitter, where people are spreading the word in short spurts, helping to galvanize the protests even as the government threatens a violent crackdown. Social networking is fueling this democratic uprising. Where will it end?
I wish the protesters well, and I hope this new media aids them in their cause.
P.S. It's not just the Western world that is following events in Iran. The Arab Street is also using social networks to learn some lessons from their Persian neighbours (with whom they traditionally have a tense relationship).
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Zeitgeist - June 2009
It occurred to me that with a number of interesting world events taking place right now, maybe it would be fun to place The Brain of Phil in context. So, here is the zeitgeist of June 2009.
In Korea:
In Korea:
- a former President, Roh Moo-hyun, committed suicide after being targeted for questioning over allegations of receiving bribery money.
- North Korea tested a second nuclear bomb in an underground test, raising tensions once again on the peninsula (and scaring my family back in Canada yet again)
- swine flu has caused a minor hysteria in Korea; a language school nearby recently shut its doors for a week, and my own employer has taken some rather unprecedented measures to prevent staff and students from catching the pig sickness -- but will these measures be enforced?
- In Cairo, Barack Obama made his speech to the Muslim world in an effort to heal centuries-old wounds
- an Air France jet crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
- In Bangkok, David Carradine accidentally offed himself (it would seem) while engaging in some kinky self love
- Roger Federer FINALLY won the French Open, largely thanks to Rafa Nadal bowing out of the tournament early
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Web Cram Schools: Education in Korea
The New York Times has an article today about the growing trend in South Korea toward online supplementary education. It talks about how Koreans are spending a fortune (yet again) on online courses offered by places like MegaStudy. They cite the number "20 trillion won" (roughly $20 billion) spent last year in private education expenses by desperate parents as clear evidence of a rather nasty, and nutty, reality for Korean students -- one that often leads them to late nights of additional learning instead of something so trivial as sleeping.
In truth, this is merely the latest iteration of a phenomenon that has long existed in Korea -- the obsession with education in order to get the highest scores on college entrance exams. The concept of meritocracy exists as much here on this peninsula in north-east Asia as anywhere else on Earth. And now the country is pouring additional government funds into upgrading an already impressive broadband network.
Look, you don't have to convince me of the merits of online education. I've done it (thanks, University of Phoenix). I've also watched a language academy I worked for during the past decade develop an online curriculum to supplement its in-class courses. I'm a believer. Making education and training available online, 24/7, with a smorgasbord of course offerings is the ultimate democratizing of learning.
It is interesting how much money is to be made by teachers and company owners by these online educational ventures -- some teachers are raking in millions of dollars annually, according to the NYTimes article. That's in a country of 50 million people. What about India or China? How much could the same companies make in those countries, with 20 times the population? Ch-ching!
In truth, this is merely the latest iteration of a phenomenon that has long existed in Korea -- the obsession with education in order to get the highest scores on college entrance exams. The concept of meritocracy exists as much here on this peninsula in north-east Asia as anywhere else on Earth. And now the country is pouring additional government funds into upgrading an already impressive broadband network.
Look, you don't have to convince me of the merits of online education. I've done it (thanks, University of Phoenix). I've also watched a language academy I worked for during the past decade develop an online curriculum to supplement its in-class courses. I'm a believer. Making education and training available online, 24/7, with a smorgasbord of course offerings is the ultimate democratizing of learning.
It is interesting how much money is to be made by teachers and company owners by these online educational ventures -- some teachers are raking in millions of dollars annually, according to the NYTimes article. That's in a country of 50 million people. What about India or China? How much could the same companies make in those countries, with 20 times the population? Ch-ching!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
70-30
In September, I begin my B.Ed. program at the University of Toronto. In May of next year, I will be finished. Then I'll need to figure out what to do.
The options are stay in Ontario and try to get a placement in a high school, or come back to Korea and see what options there are at international schools. Of course, if I do come back to Korea, I could also put in time at a university, a language academy, or maybe even a Korean public school while I wait for a position at a place such as K.I.S. to open up.
Right now, I'm leaning 70-30 to coming back to Korea. The reasons are numerous, but among them are the fact that my family will be here, and Heather will hopefully have a secure job, something which eluded her in Canada. There are other less important factors such as climate and travel opportunities that favour coming back to Korea. I think, though, that during my return to Korea this summer I've realized that I'm happier here. I'm working at my old school, seeing many of the people I had gotten to know during my previous stint here, and I just feel much better about myself than I did back in Ontario. This really is a second home for me, but perhaps it should be my first home.
After reading The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, I came to the conclusion that it is no longer necessary for students to get their education in Western countries in order to achieve future success. This inter-connected world of ours permits the sharing of knowledge and employment opportunities that weren't possible before the Internet age. Kids who grow up studying in Korea, China, India, and in every other part of the globe can still access the level of education that Canadian and American kids have long accessed. Furthermore, the kids in the non-Western countries usually study harder and achieve more than their Western counterparts. And taken one step further, they usually learn multiple languages. So I'm actually starting to believe that my kids will be better off staying here in Korea.
About a week ago, I met a young man, an overseas Korean now living here. He grew up in England and Kenya, and he speaks four languages (English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish). He told me that he sometimes feels like he has no real home in this world, no grounding in a particular culture. This is probably a common sentiment of students who grew up attending international schools in multiple countries, and at first glance it seems like a reasonable argument against the international school experience. Yet, I can't help but believe that these kids are best suited for the world of globalization. They don't necessarily see the world in nationalistic tones. They typically speak a variety of languages. And they make contacts with people from all over the world that ought to increase the chances of success when they finish with their formal education.
On a personal level, I have long felt a desire to travel the world and experience different cultures. I'll admit, however, that I'm more comfortable sticking close to Western values while living overseas. I'm stuck speaking English (although there is no better language to be stuck on), as I just find the study required to learn new languages too bothersome. But my girls are well on their way to being bilingual. I'd love for them to pick up Mandarin, maybe Japanese, as well as a European language or two.
Which brings me back to the question of the day: teach in Canada or overseas? Sure, there are good reasons to think about Canada (family and friends). But I'm thinking more and more with each passing day that I belong overseas. I love the energy of Korea, and I really like the fact that I'm in demand here. In Canada, I'm just another guy in a depression-hit country, competing with many people like myself. Not so here.
I might still change my mind a year from now, but for now I'm leaning toward returning to Korea.
The options are stay in Ontario and try to get a placement in a high school, or come back to Korea and see what options there are at international schools. Of course, if I do come back to Korea, I could also put in time at a university, a language academy, or maybe even a Korean public school while I wait for a position at a place such as K.I.S. to open up.
Right now, I'm leaning 70-30 to coming back to Korea. The reasons are numerous, but among them are the fact that my family will be here, and Heather will hopefully have a secure job, something which eluded her in Canada. There are other less important factors such as climate and travel opportunities that favour coming back to Korea. I think, though, that during my return to Korea this summer I've realized that I'm happier here. I'm working at my old school, seeing many of the people I had gotten to know during my previous stint here, and I just feel much better about myself than I did back in Ontario. This really is a second home for me, but perhaps it should be my first home.
After reading The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, I came to the conclusion that it is no longer necessary for students to get their education in Western countries in order to achieve future success. This inter-connected world of ours permits the sharing of knowledge and employment opportunities that weren't possible before the Internet age. Kids who grow up studying in Korea, China, India, and in every other part of the globe can still access the level of education that Canadian and American kids have long accessed. Furthermore, the kids in the non-Western countries usually study harder and achieve more than their Western counterparts. And taken one step further, they usually learn multiple languages. So I'm actually starting to believe that my kids will be better off staying here in Korea.
About a week ago, I met a young man, an overseas Korean now living here. He grew up in England and Kenya, and he speaks four languages (English, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish). He told me that he sometimes feels like he has no real home in this world, no grounding in a particular culture. This is probably a common sentiment of students who grew up attending international schools in multiple countries, and at first glance it seems like a reasonable argument against the international school experience. Yet, I can't help but believe that these kids are best suited for the world of globalization. They don't necessarily see the world in nationalistic tones. They typically speak a variety of languages. And they make contacts with people from all over the world that ought to increase the chances of success when they finish with their formal education.
On a personal level, I have long felt a desire to travel the world and experience different cultures. I'll admit, however, that I'm more comfortable sticking close to Western values while living overseas. I'm stuck speaking English (although there is no better language to be stuck on), as I just find the study required to learn new languages too bothersome. But my girls are well on their way to being bilingual. I'd love for them to pick up Mandarin, maybe Japanese, as well as a European language or two.
Which brings me back to the question of the day: teach in Canada or overseas? Sure, there are good reasons to think about Canada (family and friends). But I'm thinking more and more with each passing day that I belong overseas. I love the energy of Korea, and I really like the fact that I'm in demand here. In Canada, I'm just another guy in a depression-hit country, competing with many people like myself. Not so here.
I might still change my mind a year from now, but for now I'm leaning toward returning to Korea.
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