Hi, Team – I’m addressing all of you because you really drew a lot of people together to present this report.

HotNewz.TV is airing just a slice of your report, because our newscast format cannot accommodate long reports; yours can be seen in its entirety here.

But we really appreciated this opportunity to see how American educational methods are being tried out in China.

You did a great job of placing your reporters, Zhang and Sun, on the scene – we could see that they really are there. And their on camera bridges are presented clearly and well – good eye contact with the camera. That was a neat bit, with the reporter opening the door to reveal the professor teaching in English. (And good use of natural sound from the scene of the class in progress.)

More good news: the editing was crisp, and I love the way you presented the identifying “lower thirds.” The scenes were well lit and framed, and again – your reporters looked good on camera.

The interviews with the students are terrific, and I love the range, from sincere to exasperated.

But… I think you missed some basics. The good old five W’s: “Who-What-Where-When-Why.”

Starting with who: who are these gifted students who are capable of, and interested in, attending classes in their own country, taught in a different language and style? And where in China is this school?

Your thoughtful interview with the educator did give us a why. It was really interesting to hear his thoughts about how Chinese education is geared toward gathering knowledge, while American education is geared toward learning how to think. Your reporter could have ended by pointing out that together, the two systems provide a powerful combination!

Using professional standards, we awarded you 132 out of a possible 160 points. That’s 82.5 percent! Great job! You can read your evaluation here. And, thanks for sending us this report.

Read the Student Evaluation Explanation for more information on how we score Training Reels.