Mr. White's update
The day really was another one that made quite an impression on the group. These school visits make the Pathways to China program so unique. We are representing our country at these Chinese schools, and making friends with other teachers and students. We left the school yesterday articulating the hope that as time moves forward, we hope these students, the future leaders of our countries, will remain friends and maintain peace in the world
When we arrived at the school, we were greeted formally and brought to a function room where the headmaster and principal welcomed us in Chinese; the English teacher at the school translated. Then, the students sang, showed us their artwork, and demonstrated the art of Chinese paper cutting. Some of our students sang for them, including Martha who is very talented! We were given free time, and as Martha and Emma indicated, we were pulled into classrooms. I was brought to a classroom in which there was no teacher, apparently he was on break. The students were left to sit for a period alone...and so they put me up on the platform in front of the room and asked me to speak. They hung on every word I said. They are so curious about Americans, and they love to hear the English language spoken. Even more, they love to hear us sing. So I sat there in the front of a room with about 40 students all pleading with me to sing. I don't sing. But, they would not take "no" for an answer, and soon I was singing round after round of "Happy Birthday," plugging in random names of the Chinese students. Frankly, I felt like an idiot, but they cheered as though I was a superstar. I don't think my classes in Reading would appreciate it nearly as much.
It was then time for lunch; they have an hour and a half. . .this is something we need to adopt in our school. There were over 2,000 students all eating at the same time. It was interesting to see how unstructured the time was. They were allowed to eat outside, in the classrooms, or other places on the campus. The free time is important because they have a very long day. Although their day is longer, they do have much more free time. They have an hour and a half for lunch, plus a physical ed. class, and recess time. When I consider how many students in Reading are involved in after school clubs and activities that extend beyond the school day, I do not think we are as behind the Chinese in terms of the time we put into education as I thought coming into this trip. Students are certainly dedicated to their work, but I saw more balance of down time and work time than I expected. A major difference I saw is that only a small population, which is made up of the most gifted, are afforded the opportunity for an education. I also saw a lot of lessons that involved workbooks requiring answers to be filled in. There is not the discussion or student centered process of constructing knowledge that I see in our school system. I am proud to be a part of a system that works with the entire population, and not just those considered smart enough. I have seen so many of my students come into their own late in their high school education. We are very fortunate to have the system we do. I think they students on this trip now realize how fortunate they are to have the opportunity to receive an education and pursue their dreams. I wish I could channel this understanding to some students back at home who do not see how fortunate they are.
Later in the day we visited a Muslim Mosque. I did not realize that there was a Muslim population here, but apparently some settled here during the thriving silk trade. The Muslim Market in Xi'An is a place I could walk through for hours. . .there is so much to see and eat!
Info on the Mosque: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/great_mosque.htm
We went to bed early Wednesday night because we were up at 4:30 Thursday morning. I thought teens were in rough shape first period; 4:30am took it to a whole new level. Zombies making their way through the airport.
We arrived in Shanghai and took the "bullet train" from the airport to the city. It took us only 7 minutes because the train goes 267 miles per hour. It is the fastest train in the world. We went to a demonstration on silk making, which was fascinating. And then more food and entertainment. We boarded our boat at 7pm for an evening river cruise. The view of the city captivated us all. The architecture here is stunning. The lights on the buildings were like fireworks splashed across the skyline. What a great way to end the night.
