A Boy’s Thoughts On His Coming Of Age

hailanzhiguang

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Monday March 24, 2014 · 2:20 PM PDT

2014/03/24 · 14:20

Kuang(12-year-old) ) was giving the speech

I held a nice Coming of Age Ceremony for my 12-year-old son Kuang on Feb.9, 2014, one of a day in the Chinese New Year Celebration. It was in a conference room at Teachers College, Columbia University.

This happened after Kuang and his classmates celebrated their 12 years old birthdays. So far, he has received 4 invitation of Bar or Bat Mitzvah from his Jewish classmates. He had joined two and will go to the other two soon. Each ceremony was very big and had large parties. There were more than 100 guests, professional bands, and good food. The initial service was held in a synagogue. Then there would be a party in a hotel, restaurant or bar.

hailanzhiguang for Way of Dragon

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Tuesday August 13, 2013 · 12:07 PM PDT

2013/08/13 · 12:07

In 2007 my son Kuang was six years old and he was in first grade in China. One day, Kuang and a friend were playing outside. They saw a large group of sixth-graders playing with ants, drowning them using food coloring.. The sixth graders were laughing in glee about their scheme, not showing mercy to the dying ants below. The two small children were very sad, but, in the face of the far larger sixth graders, the two children walked away in fear. But this event deeply touched the two small children. So, the two small children established the: “No Harm to Ants Club”- this was the predecessor of NANP (the National Association of Non-Violent Peoples). A year later Kuang came to the United States and lost contact with his friend. The “No Harm to Ants Club” slowly faded into the background.

hailanzhiguang

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Thursday March 07, 2013 · 5:11 PM PST

2013/03/07 · 17:11

Last night was a big night for my son’s middle school: it was the annual Curriculum night and Auction night.

The Curriculum night started in the late afternoon. There are different activities and exhibits in every classroom for the parents to explore what the children have learned in school. I visited all of the classrooms. I was most impressed by the social studies, which related to American politics and human rights movement.

hailanzhiguang

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Monday February 11, 2013 · 6:53 PM PST

2013/02/11 · 18:53

Although Kuang-Ye is only in sixth grade, I need to consider his high school very soon. A Chinese middle school student has asked me how to apply for a high school in the US. Many readers of my column who are parents may also be planning ahead for their children, hoping to send them to the US to attend a high school, in order to avoid the misery of the Chinese education system.

There are eight special high schools in New York City. In order to attend one of these special high schools, students must pass the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). After some investigation of the high schools in New York City, I am somewhat unsure about which one would be good for Kuang-Ye.

hailanzhiguang

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Tuesday November 20, 2012 · 3:02 PM PST

2012/11/20 · 15:02

Is the US education system broken? Or is the Chinese system too rigid and smothers creativity? These questions have been hotly debated for a long time.

Below is translated from my Chinese newspaper column, which looks at these questions from a different perspective.

hailanzhiguang

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Friday November 16, 2012 · 6:05 AM PST

2012/11/16 · 06:05

For Chinese children, politics is boring lecture notes in the class. But for children in the U.S., it is an everyday real life experience. Here is an 11 year old Chinese boy's experience of the US presidential election. It is translated from a column I wrote for a Chinese newspaper.

Update at the end - thanks!

RSS

A Boy’s Thoughts On His Coming Of Age

My Sixth Grade Son’s Non-violent Organization

Curriculum Night and Auction Night ---My son won a meeting with a NY state Senator

Competing to attend a special high school - Fallacies of Chinese American approach to education

Different views of school tests between Chinese and American parents

(Updated) An 11 year old's experience of volunteering for Obama campaign