Censorship and The Arts

"The mass decapitation on the Great Wall was the ultimate act of censorship. Together with rigid and traditional conservatism which shut out the world, that barbaric act deprived China of intellectual motion; of continuing education; and left her millions to wallow in unchanging ignorance and misery for centuries to come; until about 1912, as a matter of fact. That was the price of China's insular wisdom and paranoia."

A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market, is a nation that is afraid it's own people. President Kennedy

Reference: Censorship and The Art; The Signet Book of American Essays Edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss

I want to study in US but I have no $$$ then this message is for you.

How to Apply

Some friends in Burma asked me how to get into the US college and university. So I decided to write a post so that I don’t have to write email to individual but referring to this blog. And I also thought this information would be helpful for those who are trying to apply US colleges and universities. I know how stressful it could be. I was blessed by my friend, Maran Zau Seng, for these processes. He not only wrote a letter of recommendation for me, he also edited essays and monitored the whole processes. I’m always thankful for that. So I would like to share the blessing with your all. These are the steps he leaded me through, and it works. I have some more tips to share with you all but I saved it for next post since this one is getting too long. Please come back and get more information later. Thanks for now and best luck. Above all, enjoy the following steps.. Make sure you dance the right steps though...:)

Step I. Decide Where to Apply

There are over 2500 colleges and universities in the US. The following factors should inform your choices of colleges:

1) Does the school offer an attractive financial aid package?

a. Tuition fees for US colleges are very expensive ranging from $3000 to more than $20,000 per year. A few colleges offer large financial aid packages to international students. Ideally, you should apply to schools that offer full, or nearly full, assistance to international students. Note: the funding available to domestic and international students varies greatly. When researching a school make sure you do not confuse the two.

b. There are some supplementary grants available to students from Burma who do not have full financial support. These generally amount to only several thousand dollars. If you are accepted to a good school and additional funds are needed we may be able to find a private sponsor or negotiate some arrangement with the school. Unless you have your own sponsor, however, you should not apply to a school unless it will potentially offer a scholarship to cover at least 75% of tuition and living costs. Information on aid packages is available in the tables provided in the book on financial aid for international students.

2) Can you meet the school’s admissions requirements?

a. What tests are required? Schools require standardized tests in addition to the TOEFL. These may include the SAT I, the SAT II, and or the ACT. While the better schools often require these, they are difficult and require lengthy preparation. If you are not prepared to invest the time and money to take these additional tests you should not apply to schools that require them.

b. Are your scores high enough?

• i. Some schools indicate a minimum score that is necessary to be considered for admission. If your scores are more than a few points below this minimum, you should not bother applying.

• ii. Other schools provide average or median scores of successful applicants. You can use these statistics as a rough measure of your likely success. Remember, applicants’ scores were both higher and lower than the average, and schools consider a range of factors in their admissions decisions – test scores are only one of the important elements of an application. So, if your score is not dramatically lower than the average you may be accepted. But the higher is the better. Try your best if you were preparing for the standard exams.
  

3) Does the school have a good reputation?

a. The better the reputation of your school the better the chances you will receive a good education, that you will be able to find additional outside funding, and that you will be issued a visa. A school’s reputation may also affect your future job prospects.

b. The more competitive the school the tougher the admissions criteria.

c. One way to assess a school’s reputation is with the Barron’s Guide, which ranks schools as “most competitive”, “highly competitive”, “very competitive”, “competitive”, “less competitive” and “non-competitive”. You should aim at least for schools that are “competitive” or better, although you may wish to apply to one “less competitive” school as a safe school.

4) Does the school offer a program of study that interests you?

a. In particular, does the school offer the major that is of interest to you?

b. Another factor to consider is the student faculty ratio, whether the school has a religious affiliation (if this is important to you), whether the school is coed or single sex, and the school’s educational philosophy (liberal arts colleges, for example, generally offer a much broader educational experience and more individual attention).

5) Is the location convenient?

a. If you have relatives or friends in the US, or if you wish to be near a Burmese community, location may also figure in your choice of schools.

b. If you have a wide range of choices you may also wish to consider whether the school is in the country or a city, and the area’s climate.

Step II. Get Applications and Additional Information on the Schools that Seem Most Interesting.

You can get additional information on schools from several sources:

1) The Internet.

2) At the American Center; library. The American Center; library has lots of school catalogs in their library. Note: If you get an application from the American Center; library; ensure that it is for the correct year. Applications often change and it looks very sloppy to use an application from a previous year.

3) By sending a letter or email to the school. If you request a school to send you information be sure to request that the mail 1) an application for international students, 2) financial aid information for international students, 3) a catalog. It may be helpful to indicate in your letter that Internet access in Burma is very slow and that you are thus unable to use the Internet to get this information.

How many schools should you apply to?

It is expensive and time consuming to apply to college. Moreover, many schools only offer admission once per year. Nor are there any guarantees that anyone school will accept you. With that in mind, it is wise to apply to several schools to maximize your chances for success. It is also good to apply to a “safe school” – that is, a school for which you easily meet the admissions requirements.

On the other hand, many schools require special essays, application fees generally are $35 to $50 each, and you will need to send each school official copies of documents and TOEFL scores. For these reasons, you will probably want to limit the amount of schools to which you apply. At a minimum, I would apply to three schools.

May you get there soon...
~~~~~Best luck with your searching and endurance~~~~~
Great thanks to Maran Zau Seng who leaded me to master those steps.

The Change through Teaching...

I decided to post this comment for I wanted to share Owe Wai's great thoughts with you all . And I don't think you would go through all my comments; even me, I just found it out today, March 27. If you wanted to read the original comment, you could click on here or A Glimpse of Apprenticeship under my label link .

Great thanks to Owe Wai. OWe Wai brought out many great points. Please read the following message, and leave us your thoughts too. I really think engaging conversation is the key point of teaching and learning. I'm looking forward to hearing more comments from you all. Let's converse what kind of educational system we should have if you thought current educational system is not working or even you though current system works, you could enlighten us why you think so. I would welcome both sides.

owe wai said. .

I agree with the point you stand on. of course, we have many serious problems which have been facing. Poverty and Health related issues (HIV/AIDS), lack of infrastructure and environmental issues. Our country's situation is still in a very critical situation which is down siding in every thing. We can't say even it's a transactional period.

If we think those all issues at the same time, we may think, things seems too difficult to be solved. As the nature of the Issue Attention circle, if we think the cost to solve them is too high and need serious sacrifices, people might be reluctant to make a change.

And then, every one talks big picture but no one finds the way to begin and all are fail to make a difference and then lead to the Tragedy of Commons. In this situation, to begin to bring some small changes is somehow effective.

I used to work as a reporter. always struggles with the censorship and most of the times, the news did not reach to the public. I did not say those are in vain because somehow we are pushing the boundaries the censorship board set for the local media. But sometimes, i feel discouraged. So, I went to the monastic educational schools and taught children. And worked for the HIV kids in Mon state. So, I was satisfied with the work I can. Because i can make somehow contribution for the children's education. I value my profession as a journalist.

On the other hand, I see teaching kids and sharing what I learned with them is really essential and very fundamental what we can do. Let say, you simply teach children.. but at the same time, you are teaching the whole community. Kids are going back to their home and they are spreading the education you give.

Basically, we can make children aware about why we save the use of plastic bags and how it effects to the environment and how's the HIV/AIDS problem is serious and how we should behave well and how we should take care the patients. And even, we can teach them.. what are the basic rights, a person must have.

We don't need to ask them fight for their rights. Just need to let them know the things. It's the very basic thing we all can do it.

Unseen Tears

Unseen Tears


I lost my virginity last night.
Can any one help me find?

They say life is all about choices.
Do I really have a choice?

My parents’ living and brothers’ education are more critical than any in my life.
What should I do?

I have been looking for a job.
Do you know any?

Please do not mention the job qualifications; all I have is my body.
Can I get a job?

Finally, I found a job last night, and I lost my virginity.
Can any one help me find?

I look around for help, but only sorrow and rejection reply me.
Hello...can you hear me?

My life has been dictated by shame, ignorance, and loneness.
Are you all deaf and blind?

I am just what they want me to be.
Do I have any future?

If I ever had an opportunity, I would ask for my virginity.
Is that too much to ask for?

Note: I got some email comments for my last gender post from some friends. They said my topic is not hot in Burma but sex workers. I agree with them although I see sex workers’ issues is directly related to my topic. Since then, I have been thinking about sex workers to write something on it, but I couldn’t come up with something. It’s not because I don’t care their lives, yet it is so difficult to see their inside since I haven’t really had friends or done research on this area. But here it comes. This poem may not completely reflect sex workers’ lives. What I hope is that showing my genuine understanding and respect for their lives. I hope I can take some pragmatic actions soon too. Above all, I want to send a message to sex workers that I love them.

A Prisoner

TO forgive is to set a prisoner
free and discover that the prioner was you.

Lewis Smedes

Oh My Beloved Country

Burma I love you

because that is where I feel home

and you offer me a family that

I can feel love and belongingness

that was enough for my childhood but

You forget to give me confidence and skills that

I need to face the world and now

I hate you the fact that

You put me in a cage.

Burma I love you

because your garden is colorful with

different ethnic flowers which

have a different unique fragrance

I used to be fascinated by the divergent dances that

I saw on the TV on the union day but

You forget to enlighten me about the wars that

are going on in the rural areas which

wipe out some of the blossoms.

Burma I love you

because you are ceaselessly depositing

the secret of life in your slacks and

forgetting it is there and sitting down on it like

there is peace with you but

now I realize you are consistently assigning

agonizing and your body is

being used by egotists; not even for your own goodness.

Oh my beloved Burma where

are you going and what

is going on with you please

please let Me know before too

late

because your existence is crucial for me and

I don't wanna be dispossessed..let me know...so that

I can find a good therapy to heal you

Burma I love you and you are my dreams.

let me carry on the dreams~~~~~~~~~~

Gender-based oppression and Education in Burma

Gender based oppression is on going issues in Burma. The society seems to see women as object instead of human beings. Media and commercial seem to force women to over spotlight on their appearance. In fact, women are force to become sexy. I do not truly understand what is meant by sexy though. I am not sure the rest of the women understand it neither.

I understand women and men are different in physically, but I do not believe men are stronger than women. Men seem to be stronger than women in term of physical, yet women are stronger in emotionally, spiritually, socially, and can do as good as men in intellectually. Therefore, I do not think men are more logical than women.

I believe, both men and women have abilities to lead and capable of making public decisions. I do see sharing responsibilities would maintain balance in the society. In fact, it is critical if we want to maintain harmony in the society.

Sadly, many women are suffering because of stereotype believes and patriotism.

Should we include gender education in Burma's educational system?

Note: I'm not a feminist.

Howard Gardner and Me

Howard Gardner is a contemporary writer and psychologist. Gardner was born to Ralph and Hilde Weilheimer on July 11, 1943, in Scraton, PA. He married Judith Krieger, a psychologist on June 9, 1966. He divorced her and married Ellen Winner on November 20, 1982. He has three children from his first marriage and one child from his second marriage. He studied at Harvard University and received his B.A. in 1965 and a Ph.D. in 1971. He went to the London School of Economics and Political Science for his M.A in 1966. He is a member of the Society for Research in Child Development, the Social Sciences Research Council, the Academy of Aphasia, and Phi Beta Kappa. He now serves as Professor of Education at Harvard University, Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, and Co-Director of Harvard Project Zero. He received many different kinds of awards in writing and research.

Gardner is famous for his multiple intelligence theories. He stated that “humans have seven intelligences that can be divided into three main groups: object-related intelligence, which includes mathematics and logic; object free intelligence, including music and language; and personal intelligence, or the psychological perception we have of ourselves and others” (Howard Gardner). All these intelligences are natural and everyone has them but different people have different levels of intelligence. As a result, students are learning best when they can use their strongest areas of intelligence to master new subjects or new things. He argues that although all students have these intelligences and can improve them, “Our education system is not prepared to address the needs of all these intelligences, thus neglecting to address the development of some of these areas” (Howard Gardner).

I agree with Gardner’s argument. School policies and teachers’ lessons should allow students to explore their own strengths and weaknesses so that students will gain success and enjoyment in the learning process. Consequently, students will enjoy their work and life. However, most teachers try to force students to do what they expect from the lessons, instead of allowing students to explore their interests and understanding in the subjects. Consequently, students start focusing on what teachers expect instead of finding the real meaning of the subjects. Therefore, teachers should help students to become more proficient in the subjects and apply them to the real world. In fact, teachers should help students to realize their abilities and help them to become independent learners in order to motivate their different areas of intelligence and give them strength to overcome their difficulties.

In addition, teachers’ lessons should encourage students’ curiosity so that they can explore their own intelligences. Therefore, when teachers prepare their lesson plans, they should include activities that students can apply to Gardner’s theories of the seven intelligences so that the lessons will help all students to master the subjects. In other words, teachers’ lessons should be able to connect students’ social and cognitive development and emotional diversities. In that way, students will easily understand the subjects.

Anyway

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway.

Mother Teresa

An Entreatment to the Creator

Pray accept our apologies, and lead us like a shepherd and carry us in your arms.
Pray take away our cloths of morning and clothe us with unity.
Pray teach us to be passionate, yet we may learn to use our heads as well.
Pray invigorate our leaders and bestow visions on youth.

Obvious Song

I chose the shade of this tree
to rest from all I will do
while I am waiting for you.

One who waits and only waits
lives out a time of waiting in vain.

Therefore, while I wait for you,
I will work the fields, and
I will talk to the men.

My body burned by the sun, I will drench it in sweat;
my hand will become calloused hands,
my feet will learn the mystery of the paths,
my ears will hear more,
my eyes will see what they did not see before,
while I am waiting for you.

I won't await you only waiting,
for my waiting time is
a what-to-do time.

I will distrust those who shall come to tell me,
in whispers and cautiously,
"it is dangerous to act,"
"it is dangerous to speak,"
"it is dangerous to walk,"
"it is dangerous to wait, in the way you wait,"
for those ones refuse the joy of your coming.

I will distrust those too who shall come to tell me,
with easy words, that you have come,
for those ones, as they naively herald you,
will first betray you.

I will be preparing your arrival
as a gardener tends to the garden
for the rose that shall come in the spring.

Paulo Freire
Geneva, March 1971
from Ana Maria Araujo Freire's collection.