Apr 25 2008
“Two Million Minutes”
Published by Jason Welker at 11:04 pm under
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Just how flat is the world? I was chatting with a friend from my youth via Facebook’s new chat feature last night. We went to Carmel High School together in the upscale suburbs of Indianapolis, Indiana, until I moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during my sophomore year. It has been 12 years since I had chatted with this friend. It turns out she’s become an elementary school teacher herself in Indianapolis, and she was surprised and excited to hear that I’d become a teacher and was working here in Shanghai.
Sarah directed my attention to a film she had just seen that she thought I might be interested in. I am posting the trailer here, because I’m dying to know if anyone out there has seen this film. I am particularly interested in it because it features students from both Carmel High School, where I did my first year and a half of my own “2 million minutes” (the name of the film refers to the number of minutes in the four years it takes to get through high school) before moving overseas as a 10th grader, as well as students here in Shanghai and Bangalore, India. The theme appears to be the vast divide in the content covered in the US vs. in developing countries with whom tomorrow’s graduates will be competing in the global economy.
Here’s the trailer. If anyone’s seen this film, please leave your comments here. I am ordering the DVD myself as I write this!
Two Million Minutes Trailer
About the author: Jason Welker is a teacher at Zurich International School in Switzerland, where he teaches Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Economics. Jason was an international school student in Malaysia before studying economics at Seattle University then earning his Masters in Education. He calls Seattle and Northern Idaho home. In addition to maintaining an economics wiki and this blog for economics student and educators, Jason also gives presentations on using Web 2.0 tools in education at workshops and conferences around the world. His economics wiki won the 2007 "Best Educational Wiki" award from the "EduBlog Awards". 
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I missed something. Did you provide a link on how to order?
Tim, sorry, I forgot about that… the link has been added above, thanks for pointing that out!
Jason
Wow , awesome use of rhetorical strategies in this trailer. Definitely going to watch this documentary.
Wow, awesome use of rhetorical strategies. Definitely going to watch this documentary.
Can’t wait to watch it.
Ms. Close
Can’t wait to watch it. My past students in the US should see this.
Ms. Close
Wow this is cool
Oooh this sounds really interesting. I love how the subtitles are completely off when the Chinese girl is supposedly talking about “time management” and going home and playing the violin when she’s saying that she has so much fun rehearsing and cooperating with her friends hahaha…
Echo to Kailin, that’s some really good use of rhetorical strategies. I think it’s kind of sad how the education system in the US does seem to be relatively laid back. This serious lack of education could lead to some problems in the future..
My youtube can only play it till when she says
“It looks like the American student’s life is like…” and then it stops…
I should try it nex time =[
I really enjoyed the overall idea of this documentary being in an American School in China myself I feel I kind of get the best of two worlds. Anyways this documentary definitely seems like a must watch! Can’t wait to see who will prevail in using their time the wisest!
My internet sucks so I can’t watch any videos from anything, but after reading the intro and what every one else said, I wouldn’t mind watching it.
This would be really interesting to watch.
Well first of all, i want to point out that the translations for the Chinese part is totally off. I think this would be an interesting video to watch.
although the video is still loading, but it sounds like an interesting movie to watch just from Welker’s introduction. I think I can find the “hacked” version on the internet
can we watch this in class after ap exams are over? it looks so interesting!
Aw my internet sucks. It’s taking forever to load this thing..haha i should watch it after my ap exams are over haha
I think those of us who have experienced different studying attitudes in the US and the rest of the world notice quite a large difference. I heard the Indian lady call the American syllabus “light” and I felt like I just got stabbed in the chest.
In any case, it’s the desperate (if that’s the right word) attitude of those in developing nations to improve their standard of living that drives them to do so well. I am sitting complacently in my comfortable room listening to music streaming from my laptop. Not to be elitist, but this whole onslaught of new, intelligent college applicants is starting to terrify me. I mean, high school already isn’t high school anymore thanks to overcompetetiveness that involves taking five college courses each year. Thanks guys, I owe the occasional white hair that sprouts on my scalp to you!
Well Chris that just the way some people are, but I agree with you theres quite a noticeable difference when talking with people of different nations. Studying abroad definitly changed the way I view the world but it doesn’t create a barrier between me and my friends back in Canada. This will be quite interesting to watch if someone gets a copy.
lets watch it in class!!! hehe or maybe in AP lang, since we’re all learning about rhetorical strategies in documentaries…
HAHA “I always try on glasses when I’m bored..”
I really want to watch this! Haha I wonder how Ms. Close’s former student…Tim?? will react to this documentary.
I’m scared. I think the US should wage war on the rest of the world, then scratch out its current education system, and replace it with a new one. Can and also can’t wait to see this.
This documentary is a good way to see into different cultures. Growing up in an international school, it’s always interesting to observe newly overseas classmates and their culture shock, then their understanding and embrace of the new culture. The Chinese girl in the trailer completes the typical Chinese stereotype - yes, we are all workaholics and know at least one instrument
Kidding…sort of.