Wednesday, August 4, 2010
JiangNing High School Features MRHS Visit on their Website
JiangNing High School Campus in Nanjing hosted staff from Marvin Ridge High School and the UCPS Central Services in June 2010. Pictures taken by the host school are featured on their school website. Visit http://www.nsfz.cn?Press?Show.aspx?PressOd+2717
UCPS visits Jiang Ning High School Campus in Nanjing
UCPS was very fortunate to be invited to visit the Jiang Ning High School Campus in Nanjing. The school sets in the high growth area of the Economic and Technological Development Zone in the outskirts of historic Nanjing. The school is affiliated with Nanjing Normal University. It is a private school with grades pre-k through high school. The day we visited, the seniors had just received their college entrance exam scores.
We were welcomed graciously and toured the campus visiting classrooms and the grounds in the pre-school, elementary and high school wings. Thanks to Kim Warr for creating this Animoto slide show with musical accompaniment.
We were welcomed graciously and toured the campus visiting classrooms and the grounds in the pre-school, elementary and high school wings. Thanks to Kim Warr for creating this Animoto slide show with musical accompaniment.
UCPS Trip to Nanjing Province - Animoto
Visit Nanjing with us, the capital of Jiangsu Province, south of Beijing and near Shanghai. 'Nan" means 'south' and 'jing' means 'capital'. Nanjing was the capital of China before the capital was moved to Beijing. 'Bei' means 'north', thus Beijing is the northern capital. Thanks to Kim Warr for creating this Animoto videoclip.
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Chinese School Visit and Confucius - "The Great Teacher"
Our group of North Carolina educators arrived in Nanjing after a two hour flight from Beijing. Each county’s personnel set out to meet their future school partners in China. We four were fortunate that we did not have to travel out of Nanjing. We were invited to a Chinese dinner at the hotel. Our hotel was in an urban area so after dinner we walked past storefront neighborhood businesses that were still open: bakeries, bedding stores, optical shops, a pharmacy, computer supply stores, restaurants, candy shops, hairdressers and even watermelons for sale from a truck bed. There was a light breeze that cooled us in this summer humidity.
This morning we were picked up by a driver from the school in a private car. He spoke no English so all I could think to say was to name the country names of the different cars seen on the road: fa guo (French Peugeots and Citroens), de guo (German VWs), mei guo (US Chevys), etc. He elaborated about each car, which I did not understand, while I was privately thrilled that he understood my single word “conversations”. The school sits quite a way out of town as Nanjing expands and modernizes. We drove down wide, landscaped boulevards to a spacious campus.
It has been fun to try to use my Chinese.... but like all second language students, I wish I had learned more and could remember more. I remember studying vocab for weather, clothes, sports, etc... but do you think I can remember them when someone mentions those topics? Oh well, at least no one has seemed offended by what I think I said actually meaning something terrible that I didn't intend.
The modern nature of China and the infrastructure for growth continues to amaze me. There is a lot of modernization here. We toured a local, private pre-school through grade 12 facility on many acres built in 2003. It is residential for 90% of students and teachers. We met a jubilant senior who broke into very good English when she met us telling us how wonderful her school was and how great the teachers were. She was there with her mother to take a large bouquet of flowers to the headmaster as a gift of thanks. High school seniors received their college exam grades just last night. We also saw a three-year-old pre-schooler stand up to lead the songs "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and “Ten Little Indians”.
Then we went to a Confucius temple /museum in the heart of the old city. The area reminded me of downtown San Antonio, Texas, with a landscaped narrow river, boats, restaurants, shops, etc... It was very pretty with flowers blooming along the edges and colorful Chinese ... modern and ancient at the same time. Tomorrow we go to the mausoleum honoring Sun Yat Sen ... who is revered in both Taiwan and Mainland China. Back to Beijing on Sunday.
Links:
1. Confucius Temple http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=confucius+temple+nanjing+china&FORM=IGRE&qpvt=confucius+temple+nanjing+china#
2. Dr. Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum, Nanjing http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/jiangsu/nanjing/sun.htm
3. Sun Yat Sen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yat-sen
Understanding with The Center for International Understanding
Thus far, we have left North Carolina in four groups, two from Raleigh and two from Charlotte. In total, we are 33 with the Center for International Understanding, all going to Jiangsu province after Beijing to visit our partner schools and to meet the school leaders. The time in Beijing permitted us to get used to the time zone and to get a feel for China as it is in 2010. After passing through Newark or New York airports we joined together in Beijing becoming part of 413 people on the 2010 China Bridge Delegation. Educators from across the US were divided into various groups headed off to different provinces after our intro group intro to Beijing. Jessica Garner, NC Teacher of the Year, and Dr. Bobby Hobgood of LearnNC, were headed to Jilin, north of Beijing on the Korean border.
We stayed at the Beijing Hotel that is very centrally located. In one direction, we could easily walk to Tiananmen Square where the Great Hall of the People houses their Parliament, where Chairman Mao lies at rest in a large mausoleum for tourists to visit daily and where two 10 x 60’ color digital screens advertize the world fair presently in Shanghai. In the opposite direction from the hotel is a main boulevard closed to through traffic. Lining the center of the closed street are exhibits and ads in honor of the World Cup in South Africa. The boulevard is a main street like the Champs Ellyssee in Paris or the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Cartier, Rolex, Gucci and other name brands span the door portals and large window cases. In second floors and basements are fast food restaurants including McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Dairy Queen. On the side streets are street vendors with meat, fruit and corn on a stick as well as tourist souvenirs of silk dresses, Beijing Opera masks, chopsticks, papercuts and Chinese brush paintings. The multi-lane boulevard includes late model BMWs, Hondas, Fords, VWs, Toyotas, Mercedes as well as Chevy sedans. There are pedestrians as well as bicycles, pushcarts, pedicabs, mopeds, motorcycles, electric buses and taxis.
Our first meeting welcomed us and introduced us to the upper echelon of Hanban and the sponsored programs: HS student summer study in China, teacher training for US Chinese and world history teachers; student scholarships, the China Bridge program teaching materials, etc. College Board also introduced key people in this Chinese - US collaboration that was envisioned just five years ago. The first China Bridge delegation came to China in 2006. Hanban and College Board spoke of their efforts and their shared vision that through people to people exchange that the US and China would better understand each other .
Our Beijing introduction to China included a visit to the Lama Buddhist Temple and the Confucius Temple, both within blocks of each other. The Lama Temple houses numerous statues of Buddha including one that is 59 feet tall and made from a single tree Confucius was born Kǒng Fūzǐ; in 551 BC and is revered as a great philosopher. He extolled the virtues of study is considered the great teacher. Hanban’s Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms are named after Kong Fuzi, or Confucius as the west calls him.
The evening event held a banquet of Chinese food and everyone learning to use chopsticks. Madame Xu Lin, Executive Director of Hanban welcomed us and spoke to the guests. Thomas Skipper of the Department of Public Affairs at the US Embassy also spoke, commenting on the divergent history and cultures of the US and Chinese people and their present efforts at mutual understanding. Entertainment by middle schoolers included singing in Chinese and English, a mini-opera representative of the Beijing Opera, calligraphy demonstration and playing the banjo-like instrument, the pipa. My favorite quote of the evening was Language is a bridge to enhance friendship. (yu yan shi zeng jin you yi de qiao liang).
Prior to departing for Nanjing, our group visited the Juyongguan Pass section of the great wall where the wall blocked the passage of invaders in a steep opening between the mountains. The steep incline was not for the week. Donna and Bill Cook were two of four in our Jiangsu group who made it to the top! As I descended, I ran into Bobby Hobgood of Learn NC and Jessica Garner of Union County pushing upward and counting steps “345, 346…”
Links:
1. Lama Temple http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Beijing_Shi/Beijing-1024960/Things_To_Do-Beijing-Lama_Temple_Yonghegong-BR-1.html
2. Confucius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius
3. Confucius Temple http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/confucius.htm
4. Madame Xu Lin http://www.enewsbuilder.net/iacusf/e_article001444976.cfm?x=b11,0,w
5. Hanban http://www.hanban.ca/index.php?lang=en
6. Great Wall- Juyongguan Section http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/scene/beijing/juyongguan.htm
We stayed at the Beijing Hotel that is very centrally located. In one direction, we could easily walk to Tiananmen Square where the Great Hall of the People houses their Parliament, where Chairman Mao lies at rest in a large mausoleum for tourists to visit daily and where two 10 x 60’ color digital screens advertize the world fair presently in Shanghai. In the opposite direction from the hotel is a main boulevard closed to through traffic. Lining the center of the closed street are exhibits and ads in honor of the World Cup in South Africa. The boulevard is a main street like the Champs Ellyssee in Paris or the Avenue of the Americas in New York City. Cartier, Rolex, Gucci and other name brands span the door portals and large window cases. In second floors and basements are fast food restaurants including McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks and Dairy Queen. On the side streets are street vendors with meat, fruit and corn on a stick as well as tourist souvenirs of silk dresses, Beijing Opera masks, chopsticks, papercuts and Chinese brush paintings. The multi-lane boulevard includes late model BMWs, Hondas, Fords, VWs, Toyotas, Mercedes as well as Chevy sedans. There are pedestrians as well as bicycles, pushcarts, pedicabs, mopeds, motorcycles, electric buses and taxis.
Our first meeting welcomed us and introduced us to the upper echelon of Hanban and the sponsored programs: HS student summer study in China, teacher training for US Chinese and world history teachers; student scholarships, the China Bridge program teaching materials, etc. College Board also introduced key people in this Chinese - US collaboration that was envisioned just five years ago. The first China Bridge delegation came to China in 2006. Hanban and College Board spoke of their efforts and their shared vision that through people to people exchange that the US and China would better understand each other .
Our Beijing introduction to China included a visit to the Lama Buddhist Temple and the Confucius Temple, both within blocks of each other. The Lama Temple houses numerous statues of Buddha including one that is 59 feet tall and made from a single tree Confucius was born Kǒng Fūzǐ; in 551 BC and is revered as a great philosopher. He extolled the virtues of study is considered the great teacher. Hanban’s Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms are named after Kong Fuzi, or Confucius as the west calls him.
The evening event held a banquet of Chinese food and everyone learning to use chopsticks. Madame Xu Lin, Executive Director of Hanban welcomed us and spoke to the guests. Thomas Skipper of the Department of Public Affairs at the US Embassy also spoke, commenting on the divergent history and cultures of the US and Chinese people and their present efforts at mutual understanding. Entertainment by middle schoolers included singing in Chinese and English, a mini-opera representative of the Beijing Opera, calligraphy demonstration and playing the banjo-like instrument, the pipa. My favorite quote of the evening was Language is a bridge to enhance friendship. (yu yan shi zeng jin you yi de qiao liang).
Prior to departing for Nanjing, our group visited the Juyongguan Pass section of the great wall where the wall blocked the passage of invaders in a steep opening between the mountains. The steep incline was not for the week. Donna and Bill Cook were two of four in our Jiangsu group who made it to the top! As I descended, I ran into Bobby Hobgood of Learn NC and Jessica Garner of Union County pushing upward and counting steps “345, 346…”
Links:
1. Lama Temple http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/China/Beijing_Shi/Beijing-1024960/Things_To_Do-Beijing-Lama_Temple_Yonghegong-BR-1.html
2. Confucius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius
3. Confucius Temple http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/confucius.htm
4. Madame Xu Lin http://www.enewsbuilder.net/iacusf/e_article001444976.cfm?x=b11,0,w
5. Hanban http://www.hanban.ca/index.php?lang=en
6. Great Wall- Juyongguan Section http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/scene/beijing/juyongguan.htm
Monday, June 21, 2010
Leaving the continent with Continental!
We are at the airport! We have found our delegation, and we're preparing to board the plane!
We are with people from Union, Currituck, Cabarrus, Asheville City, Buncombe, Guilford, Gaston, Rowan-Salisbury, Polk, and Swain counties.
Center for International Understanding as well as College Board leaders are here and fearless!
From this point forward, we will be attempting to post via email as Blogger is blocked in China.
We are with people from Union, Currituck, Cabarrus, Asheville City, Buncombe, Guilford, Gaston, Rowan-Salisbury, Polk, and Swain counties.
Center for International Understanding as well as College Board leaders are here and fearless!
From this point forward, we will be attempting to post via email as Blogger is blocked in China.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Who?
This blog is created by UCPS staff to share our experiences with China. In June, 2010, five of us will travel to China with a US delegation of educators. The trip is coordinated by the College Board and sponsored by HanBan, the Office of Chinese Language Council International. UCPS was invited to attend as members of the Asia Society's Confucius Classroom Network. UCPS was accepted as a member in 2010 as one of twenty school districts or schools in the US to serve as exemplars in Chinese language education.
UCPS staff will travel to Beijing June 21 for a formal introduction to the country. Then they will procede to Jiangsu province west of Shanghai to the city of Nanjing. In Nanjing, they will meet fellow Chinese administrators in their newly established partnership with a Chinese school. The collaboration with Jiangsu province is through a memorandum of understanding between North Carolina and the Department of Education in Jiangsu. The UCPS travelers form part of a delegation from across the state who also have school partnerships in Jiangsu province. This delegation is under the leadeship of the UNC Center for Understanding.
UCPS staff will travel to Beijing June 21 for a formal introduction to the country. Then they will procede to Jiangsu province west of Shanghai to the city of Nanjing. In Nanjing, they will meet fellow Chinese administrators in their newly established partnership with a Chinese school. The collaboration with Jiangsu province is through a memorandum of understanding between North Carolina and the Department of Education in Jiangsu. The UCPS travelers form part of a delegation from across the state who also have school partnerships in Jiangsu province. This delegation is under the leadeship of the UNC Center for Understanding.
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