Media as a Part of Life
Social Community
WeChat, Line, Facebook are the top social media that I have been using daily, and which shapes my lifestyles and builds up connections with people all over the world. I have to say, that I spend most of my social time on WeChat, which is an online Chinese community. With a group of my Chinese friends, I am feeling secure and be cared for, as I am alone in this country without any connections except for church friends. When I am thinking about community, I expect it is a place for everyone to grow by supporting each other. I know Vancouver already has done a great job on building multicultural community by facilitating colorful multicultural programs. However, let’s look at another side of Vancouver: the cost of living is increasingly out of reach for low-wage workers who are mostly new immigrants.
Vancouver is a place having special privileges for people who have potential networking connections for local people. Discrimination in employment still exists. In my first job, I didn’t get the same pay as other local people. But with the same qualifications, I am competent for a professional job in my homeland. Hence that makes me rethink citizenship as concept.
I do have some friends on Facebook, but not as many as my Chinese and Taiwanese friends. The goal for me in this year that to make more connections with local people and learn to overstep the cultural barrier. As an Art and Home Economics teacher Candidate, I should lead my students to accept multicultural differences in positive ways. So now, leaving all the negatives and fears behind, I am pursuing the goal of being a great teacher.
News
It has become my habit to check CBC and BBC news daily after this Education program start, since I just realized I have had no paid enough attention to social movements that have significant influence on not only education but also our kids’ mindset. To know what they care about is to know how to lead them beyond the classroom.
I am choosing two channels to look at because I know different countries or parties hold different point-of-views on a same issue. Britain has a stronger connection with China, since Hong Kong was a part of their territory. BBC obviously reports more about the mainland, and relationships between it and Taiwan or Hong Kong. BBC also has stronger sense on art, history and culture which Canada is really short of. I enjoy reading BBC news from wide variety of areas, despite their narcissistic or overly proud tone about their rich history.
CBC, on another hand, delivers the same political tone as America and moves at the same pace. For example, America started to issue 10 year visas for Chinese residents, not long after, Canada made the same action. Canada follows America closely behind, but America is more aggressive than Canada in terms of military engagement on foreign soil.
Learning Tools
Learning is a life-long process, a quest of self and a journey to the unknown world. Basically, I keep an English dictionary and online open-learning courses in my smart phone. The dictionary helps me with instant-translation and memorizing English words by mnemonics. Open-learning courses provided by universities around the world opens my mind of knowledge of interdisciplinary and intercultural education, which could be beneficial to my lesson plan for Art. For example, political, historical and social factors all have impact on Art movements. To let students be aware of these underlying factors is to help them understand how and why art streams are formed at a particular time. Therefore, artistic thinking is not separate from daily life, but rather can enrich every aspect of one’s life. The goal of Art education is more the spirit than the mechanical skills.
Spiritual Supply
Staying in tune with God’s word each day is essential in my life. After I open my eyes in bed, I turn on the radio at the channel of daily devotion and let God’s words to wake me up. That is where my daily strength comes from. His infinite grace supplies me to teach with passion and love.
Reflection
- Social media is like a mirror reflecting who we are and whom we want to be. With more connection with Canadian people, I will be more like a Canadian. However, there must be cultural conflicts over self-identity, beliefs, and ethics. For people who speak English as their second language, they are likely to distant themselves from original ethnics once they have been assimilated, or even start to discriminate who are less Canadian, or in the other extreme, live with their ethical groups without attempts to learn new culture. Look at how hard indigenous people try to blend themselves into White culture, it is still controversial to say they gain or lose.
- Be aware of how social media has cryptical strength to influence and control people’s life. Every day we are exposed to explosive news, advertisements, and theories of mind. We will be drowned by these ideologies if we are lacking in great discernment.
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