https://youtu.be/dMoyeTGCVI4
2017年9月3日星期日
2017年8月12日星期六
“华文教育.华文教师证书”青岛班结业典礼发言
尊敬的青岛市人民政府侨务办公室的领导陈书记，青岛大学的领导仪书记，青岛大学华文学院的领导于院长，印尼全国华文教育协调机构的领导郭老师，青岛华文科技专科学院领导蒋院长，我们最亲爱的德高望重的周教授，同学们你们好！
我叫史静梅，来自美国马里兰州哈维中文学校。很荣幸能在这里谈一点自己参加《华文教师证书》青岛班的感受。我于2014年被国侨办评为“海外优秀华文教师”，参加了2015年国侨办在西安组织的“华夏行活动”。今年美国春天的最后一个长周末我在马里兰大学参加了一次为期三天的《华文教师证书》培训班。有幸聆听了暨南大学副教授童盛强，暨南大学马新钦副教授的演讲。可惜时间太短暂了，让我感到意犹未尽，也感觉到自己的不足，特别想利用暑假期间好好回国充充电。
我就申请参加了“华文教育.华文教师证书”青岛班。同时，我的同事也向我推荐了“华文教育.华文教师证书”广州班，并给了我广州的联系人和微信号。这时我收到了倪阳老师的及时回信，并加上了我的微信。让我心灵的天平，一下子倾向了青岛。倪老师真诚温暖的话语，因为我们黑白颠倒，无论黑白天的联络，她马上有问必答。而且倪阳老师的缜密阳光的话语中透出让我佩服的信息。倪老师正能量的气场感染着我，即便是晚了，我还是毅然决然地选择来到了青岛。
来到青岛，我才发现我们来自19个国家，107名同学都尽在倪老师和她的团队的关照之中。因为我晚来两天，第三天我们安排的是去游览青岛博物馆，崂山。出发的时候倪老师特意给我发微信告诉我应该上哪量车？亲自下来查看我是否找不到自己的小组？我心里很感动。等到第四天该上课了，倪老师又发信息给我说，让我在宾馆大厅等她，因为她怕我不知道要去那个教室听课，她要亲自带我走过去。你也许会觉得这是一件小事，管理工作就是透过这些琐碎的小事，才能看出管理者的周全缜密。你知道我心里是怎么想的吗--祖国好温暖。在美国老师带学生是和中国不同的，学生只要在学校，任何时间都要在老师的视线范围内，老师不但要传授他们知识，也要陪伴学生课间活动。以确保孩子的安全。如果老师没注意到孩子打架或受伤，将是老师的责任。所以，国外常常是两个老师带一个班，但是如果是一个老师带一个班的话，老师是不可以把学生放在教室里，自己去厕所的。现在年轻的倪老师和她团队的四个Teenager (青春少年) 代纪涛老师，孙晟嘉老师，徐涛老师，毛森林老师让我们调位体验。多年照顾惯了国外学生的我们，成了备受关照的学生。他们让我们倍感祖国大家庭的温暖！
不仅如此，倪老师还为我们选出了6位聪明能干漂亮又有感召力的组长，他们牺牲了大量自己复习和休息的时间，为大家热情服务。是他们的付出让每个小组都快乐，友好，团结，紧张地完成每一个学习计划。就拿我们二组来说，我们的组长罗雪梅老师她和倪老师徐涛老师一起，为组里解决了一个又一个组员的突发状况，无微不至地照顾生病的同学。帮助他们尽快好起来坚持学习并顺利完成考试。
同学们无论老幼，无论国籍看到倪老师夜以继日地为我们工作，都异口同声地说：倪老师我们爱你！
在学习中，让我印象最深的是蒋丽院长，她每天都和学员一起走进教室静静地坐在后面，全程和学员一起听老师讲课。对学员的学习状况明察秋毫，发现问题及时解决。蒋院长的身先士卒保障了培训的顺利高效进行。还有一位让我敬佩的人是印尼全国华文教育协会的郭美华老师。她带领一支浩浩荡荡的中文队伍，和我们一起学习。她的严于利己，体谅他人将是我终身学习的榜样！每天我都会看到她用各种方式积极地协助组长，协助老师工作，帮助印尼的老师们；然而每天她也是我看到最早走到教师准备好上课的学员。她做领导一言九鼎，雷厉风行是老师的最得力助手；她做学生静如秋水，专心致志是我们大家学习的样板。我也利用这次学习机会和许多印尼老师交流，了解到许多印尼华文教学的情况。我会把他们的故事带回美国，带给我的学校，这些英雄们的故事，将是激励我和我的伙伴们华文教学的动力和榜样！
在这里，我最想感谢的是德高望重的周继圣教授，高珊老师等等这些辛辛苦苦为我们上课传授知识的老师。老师们给我们传授了最精准的汉语知识和最现代的中文教学方法。给了我们一把海外汉语传播的金钥匙。我们可以拿着这把青岛牌的金钥匙，去开启七大洲各种各样的芝麻大门，知识大门，更能开启海外汉语交流的大门。不但如此，有照片为证，给我们授课的邓红枫教授在美国担任孔子学院院长期间，就同我们二组组长罗雪梅老师是并肩作战过的战友。他们的邂逅相遇，更让人感到“因缘而聚
因情而暖”，冥冥之中志同道合的英雄总是有共同成就大事的机缘。祝福他们健康幸福，快乐地完成他们共同的汉语事业！
我们在坐的，来自19个国家的107位学员。是海外教学一线的教师。也是中华文化的播种机。我们都是因为热爱祖国文化才拿起粉笔，是因为传承汉语言文字造福华裔子孙才从教的。在我们从事自己事业中并不是一帆风顺的。我们不同的过度，不同的文化背景，会出现不同的这样和那样的问题。会遇到许多预想不到的阻力和干扰。祖国是我们心中克服困难的定海神针，祖国的繁荣昌盛是我们勇往直前的坚强后盾。印尼老师面临的困境大家有目共睹，俄国关闭孔子学院的事件也为大家所熟知。其实我们汉语文化交流的障碍还有来自海外华人的法轮功和藏独，台独分子。他们对我们工作的负作用，也是不可小视的。比如，7月4号，是美国的独立日大游行。我们哈维中文学校的游行队伍和教师腰鼓队，在烈日炎炎下精神抖擞，鼓声响亮，就是要压过法轮功的游行队伍，就是要向更多的美国人传播中国文化正能量。。。
在我们教授美国文化背景的孩子中文的过程中，时常会有美国家长拿着法轮功的大型歌舞《神韵》的广告来问我们，听说这些演员都很专业，这是否对孩子了解中国文化有帮助？我们会告诉家长，这是法轮功办的，他们和中国政府是对立的。我们不建议我的学生去看，但美国是一个自由的社会，您愿意的话，可以带您的孩子去看。但是您和您孩子如果去看的话，请不要在公众场合说我们是他的老师；也不要说他是我们学校的学生。由于长期的努力，我们已经在当地的华人和美国人心中建立了信誉。所以即使是美国家长也非常信赖我们。他们会说：那我们就不去看了。家长的信赖更增添了我们的历史使命感。我们会积极努力给这些孩子创造观看中国文化表演，和展示孩子学习中国文化的表演机会，回报家长们无私的支持！
感谢我们伟大的祖国的强大！感谢国侨办给我们广大海外教师的厚爱！感谢青岛大学给我们加油充电，给我们新的生机。
我怀揣着1981年版的黄伯荣廖序东《汉语语法》来到青岛回炉，我将带着倪阳老师帮我购置的新版黄伯荣廖序东《汉语语法》，脑袋里装着周教授，高老师等等传授给我们的崭新的知识百宝箱，满载而归。
去继续我们的历史使命：通过我们一代代的努力，让我们的华裔子孙通过学习中国文化找到民族归属感。让这些孩子长大后有快乐幸福的人生！让非华裔的孩子积极健康阳光的了解真正的中国文化，让他们长大成为中国人民的朋友！
未来让他们和中国人民一起维护世界和平！相关电子相册
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2017年1月16日星期一
学习马立平中文第五册《西游记》后...
我教过马立平老师的西游记。是在夏令营和家教的时间段。我是从兴趣点着手引导孩子阅读。最后以怎样借鉴西游记人物的性格意志品质特点和为人处事，来修正自己的现实生活结束。我的学生告诉我唐僧虽然没孙悟空有本领，但他是有好心有礼貌遵守社会秩序的人，他做领导，管理有本领但不遵守社会秩序的孙悟空。他们说对待工作要像孙悟空那样，不怕难。不能像猪八戒，碰到困难就想跑，还偷懒。交朋友要交孙悟空那样的朋友，他有担当，对老师尊敬忠诚。不要交猪八戒那种朋友。但是工作时还是要有团队精神，即使猪八戒这样的工作伙伴，也必须团结。只有和沙僧一心，共同帮助团结八戒，服从懂得法律社会规则，
有知识有品德的老师唐僧的管理，共同努力才能实现目标，取回真经。让自己修成佛。
2016年6月20日星期一
精彩瞬间
史静梅
美国孩子的公益心培养
美国孩子的公益心培养是一个社会工程。陈老师的学生小z
父亲节分享小朋友的好父亲！
“你有爸爸吗？”晓霞老师的儿子来到学校，三年级小朋友
想汉办蔡老师
一年级的考岚：史老师，我哭了😢。 为什么？你摔倒了？没有。我不想蔡老师走。他走了，我难过，我哭。宝贝，我也难过。我也不想蔡老师走。但我们别哭了好吗？蔡老师以后还会回来看我们的。我再过三天我就要去中国了！你是说三天，还是三年？我说的是三天，三天就是明天完了，是后天，然后是第三天。我去中国！（我有点儿信了。惊喜地）问：你和谁去中国？他认真地说：爸爸，妈妈，我，还有陈老师。（我一听陈老师，就知道这是孩子的美好愿望了）我的内心深处好酸......
汉办蔡胜凯老师：谢谢史老师。
您发的故事很感动，我会继续关注这群孩子的进步和成长。感谢群里曾经帮助我进步的每位老师，人走了但缘还在，珍惜在BIA时的点点滴滴，关注BIA将来的辉煌业绩。“梅花妆”
今天是BIA的最 后一个完整教学日。老师们都去外州开会，小学部就剩下伙和陈媛媛老师。TOM老师和初中部的杨老师，龚老师都来帮忙。孩子们混编在一起。让我有机会把二年级以上
2016年5月8日星期日
以海疗伤
静梅的话：文章是舍妹新近所写，家人推荐给我阅读，说她写出了我们以
王姝
出行山东前的准备工作是琐碎而且繁重的，但是我却充满干劲儿，想着一年的努力就要圆满成功了，累点儿也开心！其实掐指计算，这个日子从见到这个地方开始，我实实在在盼望了四年，而向上追溯，又怎能不说是我自三十年前的梦想呢！
自从初二那年的暑假之后，就对大海产生了极度的渴望。心里学家说每个人内心深处都住着一个小孩，我也一样，她是一个向往大海的小孩。
从小，母亲培养了我喜欢读书的爱好，课余时间除了和邻居一个叫小明的女孩跳跳皮筋就是窝在沙发上看书。小说，散文，童话统统全收！做中文老师的姐姐要求我每日背一首古诗，恰好兴趣所在，我也罕见地乖顺服从。记得母亲为我订阅的一期《少年文艺》中，刊登了一篇叫做《赶海》的卷首，配图是一幅简笔画，一个头扎羊角辫的女孩光着脚丫，荡着肥肥的裤管，拎着竹篓在沙滩捉蟹！当年物质的贫乏却无法阻滞我脑海丰富的想象，内心深处对海的期待拉开序幕……我还喜欢写作，（那可能也不能称之为写作）。尤其老师在作文课上诵读我的文章，我便总是沉浸在自己的故事里，让灵魂翱翔……
至今我还非常清晰地记得，那一年我的语文老师姓唐。他的音容并不是我记录的重点。某一天的语文课，他腋下夹着教案，一本正经地踩着钟声走进教室，照例屏息凝神侧目扫视大家一番，宣布了一个令我热血沸腾的消息——征文比赛！至于是什么级别的比赛我已经记不清了，那时的小孩子，也并不关注这些，让我激动的是比赛的奖品，优胜者可以参加暑期的北戴河夏令营，每个班级只有一个名额！
我不敢说胜券在握，但是冥冥之中的第六感觉似乎非我莫属，姐姐很关注我的征文，总是想给我建议或者帮忙修改，我一概婉拒！这是我的比赛，如果那样会让人觉得胜之不武，再说大赛不限题材，正好可以发挥我无尽的想象空间，这个享受的过程怎能让给别人？一番精心选材，反复字斟句酌，我上交了一篇小小说。剩下的时间就是忐忑的等待……
不久，学校印刷了优秀征文作品选发给大家，我的文章被赫然排在第一篇！那时的喜悦可能是我一生中最幸福的几个时刻之一了。要知道，在那个年代，家里人口众多，温饱尚且难以达标，怎有闲钱用作旅行！接下来的两天，在极端美好中度过，我甚至开始梦想在海滩上赤足赶海的情景，想象插图中的主人公将变成自己，想象怎么搞到一个背篓装我捕到的螃蟹！
然而骨感的现实击碎了我夏日的梦想，唐老师又一次踩着钟声走进课堂，他公布的结果是我意外之外的意外！当然，优胜者不是我！之外的意外是胜出的文章竟然是一篇我以为既无新意，又无文笔的泛泛之作！我忽然想起来，这篇文章就排在那本油墨印刷的作文集第二篇，原来结果早就有了，我只是空欢喜了两天……
我已经记不清当年的心情是怎样一种沮丧，希望破灭的挫败感席卷着我！我找不到任何一个给老师用于说服我的理由，当然，老师也无需给我什么理由！很长时间，我默默地伤心，不敢声张，仿佛我很看淡这场失败，仿佛面对这个结果，我可以潇洒的呵呵而过！
假期过后的某日，我因自习课与同学“交头接耳”被班长斥责，以我的性格当然不服，班长严厉且鄙视地说道:“一个破征文还至于抄袭，哼！”我的大脑顿时空白，原来老师认为我的文章来自抄袭！
这是个可以说服那个年纪的我的理由！我偶尔遗憾自己为什么没有勇气去与老师沟通，是骨子里逼人的骄傲，还是怕人发现我悲痛的内心？
但是自从那个夏天，我对大海的渴望变如安全气囊般膨胀起来！我很感谢班长当时对我的不屑，那个结论保护了我对文学的热爱，肯定了我努力的结果，以至于延续了我写作的习惯。
高中，我随父母调动转学石家庄。我的语文老师姓黄，在她的推荐下，我参加了当年的全国中学生作文大赛并取得了二等奖。老师告诉我，河北省我是唯一获奖的同学，我为学校挣得了荣誉！我的心里只嘀咕了一句:“又不能去看大海！”
很奇怪我从来没有过当作家的愿望，我心里的那个小孩一直与大海有关！
三十多年过去了，几次出国旅行，我都选择了海岛，巴厘岛，马尔代夫，塞舌尔，毛里求斯，我成为一个彻头彻尾的海岛控，就连三亚的蜈支洲岛，我迄今登岛三次也不嫌多……
年愈不惑，我不再追究唐老师曾经给予关注者的理由的背后有多少值得推敲的地方，那个年纪不明白的真相，如今也显然不再重要。北戴河也不再足以召唤我前往，我没有成为作家，对我来说，作家的吸引力远远比不上大海！周国平说，儿童之所以尊重老师，是因为儿童的内心有对荣誉的向往，而老师恰好有分配荣誉的权力……
时至今日，我胶东的家已经圆满！炎炎夏日，我可以躺在阳台的摇椅上透过鸥鹭群飞的湿地遥望北方的海……三亚的家交工在即！三九严寒，我可以倚在主卧的飘窗旁攬望南方的海……当这一切即将达成的时候，我发觉我已没有了追求，原来自己竟是如此胸无大志，而内心的那个因海受伤的小孩，从此要用余生以海疗伤了……
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| 作者王姝（左一）和母亲，大姐 |
2016年5月2日星期一
Report on 2016 Hanban-Sponsored Chinese Language Test Spring Camp for BIA Chinese students
Gong,xiaoli (译)
Baltimore International Academy, Maryland, USA, invited by Hanban
Test Center, successfully organized the first trip to China for the Chinese program’s students.
Please watch this historic video recording the partnership between our school and Confucius Institute/Hanban: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/pEe5k0V1uDM/
The video was made when our school was two years old. It shows our students’ performance during the Chinese Bridge Competition organized by Confucius Institute of University of Maryland, College Park. The performers were only five years old back then. Eight years later, two of the students, Dontae Ryan II and Kolby Lewis, now 13 years old, participated in the trip, recommended by the same Confucius Institute.
The video, however, only marked a beginning for our students. From then on, our students have been participating in the Chinese Bridge Competition and demonstrating their high proficiency level. Over the past few years, Hanban has also been continuously supporting our school in various ways such as assigning Chinese guest teachers and donating books. With Hanban’s support, we have eventually succeeded in sending our students to China, making an unforgettable life experiences to them.
In reflection, the following four areas have contributed to the success of this trip.
Made Thorough Preparations Before the Trip
Since the invitation was confirmed by Hanban Test Center, with the leadership of Principal Mr. Enkiri and the school’s administration team, several discussions regarding the details of the trip took place to ensure the smoothness of the students’ first overseas trip. Eventually, the school decided to assign the Chinese Department Chair, Xiaoxia Zhang, and two teachers, Xiaoli Gong and Jingmei Shi, to chaperon 14 students on the trip. To relieve parents from the stress of applying for visas by themselves, Ms. Zhang drove to Chinese Embassy to help students and parents to apply for visas, while Ms. Gong devoted time to preparing documentations required of the trip such as camp and visa application forms.
Set Strict Discipline Delivered by the Conscientious Teachers
From the morning of March 23rd at BWI, the three teachers made
the students’ safety the top priority. With Ms. Zhang overseeing the trip, Ms. Gong keeping communications open with parents through the Internet, and Ms. Shi mainly taking charge of discipline, the teachers guided students to present themselves as dignified, respectful, open-minded, and as caring individuals and a team. To help the students reflect, every day before bed, the students and teachers got together to summarize what was learned during the day and what could be improved. To keep students’ spirits high, if there was any problem, solutions were presented and delivered immediately.
Managed the Students by Keeping Their Needs in Mind All the Time
Our students are in early adolescence and tend to rebel. To help them overcome jetlag and avoid problems, the teachers took turns waiting in hallways, even after midnight, to make sure that all students stayed in their rooms to sleep. As a result, during the eight-day trip, no student became sick, and all were in high spirits.
Took the Opportunity to Make the Camp Educational
The teachers used the trip experiences as teachable moments. Preparing the students to become ambassadors for a peaceful world, the teachers helped the students to understand the cultural sites the group visited and to acquire perspectives on
the culture.
A Welcoming and Inviting Beginning
The tone of the trip was set when the whole group was going through Chinese Customs. The officer looked at Ms Shi’s passport and asked her: “Are you a teacher? ” She responded: “Yes, I am a Chinese teacher.” He continued to ask her: “Are those your students?” After Ms Shi answered positively, the officer praised her: “You have done a good job getting the in line and waiting quietly.” Ms. Shi responded sincerely, “Thank you. I would like them to be friends to Chinese people.”.
After walking past the gate of China, the whole group was greeted by the warm-hearted tour guide, Mr. Zhang, Nan, who had been waiting there for us for a long time. Later, we arrived at Beijing Language and Culture College and were greeted again warmly by Ms. Zhang, Ai. She assisted us until midnight in assigning rooms to each student. Over the next few days, the dormitory management team, chefs, and teachers of culture lectures and language classes all made their best efforts to make our stay as meaningful and comfortable as possible.
Our tour guide Mr. Zhang Nan was very patient with our students. He explained the cultural sites in various ways to engage the students. When he found that our students were interested in Chinese-style shuttlecock, he bought a few for them to play with. His sense of responsibility and caring attitude touched our students’ hearts. They told him on the bus in Chinese,“We like you”.
When we visited Hanban Headquarters, Hanban presented a big welcome sign stating “Warmly Greet 2016 Spring Camp Test-takers from Baltimore International Academy, USA.” Later, we found pictures of Dontate Ryan II and Kolby Lewis as kindergarteners at five years old, and everyone was so excited!
An Educational Process
During the trip, we paid visits to cultural sites such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. Seeing the spectacular architectures has enriched our students’ knowledge and perspectives, and also inspired them to inquire deeper into the Chinese culture. Through visiting the Temple of Heaven, a site where the former emperors prayed to the God of Heaven for a good harvest, the students learned the meanings that various colors in Chinese culture represent: Red is for good luck, green is for fertile fields, while blue represents infinite sky, and yellow the power of emperors. However, after the visit, our IB students, who are used to asking why, were discussing what colors Chinese people do not favor. Ms. Shi wanted to guide students to inquire. She told them that the meaning every color associates with has to be put into context. In a different context, the same color may represent a different meaning. Chinese people actually favor all colors. A student then asked her: “But Ms Yang told us that Chinese wear white on funerals. “ Ms. Shi then said “It is true that Chinese people use white to show condolence and sorrow whilst Americans wear black on funerals.” However, it does not mean that Chinese people do not like white. Ms. Zhang and I both have white dresses because we adore the color. This told our students that not everything is black and white. They need to inquire deeper to get a whole picture of certain cultural perspectives.
Our students also revisited the concept of being open-minded and used their language skills to communicate. At several sites, without asking, several Chinese tourists would hold our students’ hands or shoulders to take pictures with them. They would also comment on our students’ hairstyle and skin color. Because our students totally understood the comments in Chinese, they felt frustrated, disrespected, and upset. To guide students to walk out of the shadow, we talked with the students about this part of Chinese culture: Mostly these people adore you and therefore want to have pictures with you. Also, they are probably from smaller places of China and have never seen a lot of international citizens so they are too curious. Maybe you could tell them in Chinese: “if you want to have pictures with me, could you please ask me first?” Their parents also told them to be open-minded and not to be upset over this. Gradually, over other visits, our students started talking with tourists and were received as polite and cute. Wherever they went, they were very popular as people always wanted to take pictures with them. They even kicked a Chinese style shuttlecock with Beijing natives in a park, attracting a big crowd to watch. All of them felt like stars. In conclusion, during the trip, our students
were able to adapt to a new environment fairly quickly because the teachers guided them appropriately and because our school has cultivated to become ROCK students. Their actions show their respect for the Chinese ways of “love” and “communication”.
Another real engagement with Chinese culture happened during our visit to the Temple of Heaven. The students experienced Chinese people’s implicit way of expressing affections. By the Temple of Heaven, there was a couple dressed up taking photos. Ms. Gong told the students that they must have just got married and were taking nice photos to celebrate, but the students firmly told Ms. Gong that they were only modelling. Their evidence was that they witnessed the woman pushing the man’s hand away when he wanted to hold her hand. It proved that the lady did not love the gentleman. Gonglaoshi then encouraged them to ask about it in Chinese. So, Janiya asked the photographer in Chinese “Are they married?” The photographer held up his hand with a big OK to say, “Yes, they are.” This caught all students by surprise. Seeing their confusing looks, Ms. Shi made this a teachable moment. She told the students that this showed the different ways of expressing affections in Chinese and American culture. Chinese people think that love lies with the depth of their hearts but not on their lips. Therefore, they do not publically show their affection as a way to show respect for others. Therefore, Ms. Shi, Ms. Zhang, and Ms. Gong never tell you “I love you” with words, but you all feel that we love you with our lives! You will never see us show affections with our family in front of you, because we want to show our great respect for you. Meanwhile, we respect that your parents show affection more directly because we respect American culture.
The next culture class happened during a break of a crafts-making workshop. By accident, some students saw some women’s undergarments hanging over a balcony in a residential building next to the teaching building of the college. It took them by surprise again. Teachers explained to them that many Chinese families do not have dryers so they hang clothes under the sunlight for sterilization. They nodded their heads and showed understanding. Kolby Lewis even said he would buy dryers for Chinese people when he grows up. The experience taught our students to be culturally tolerant and understanding.
The eight-day trip has also taught the students to be responsible. By American habit, our students won’t eat food that they do not like. Therefore, when they first tried the buffet and did not know what some authentic Chinese food tasted like, they ended up wasting a lot. The teachers told them that in Chinese culture, there should not be too much food left in plates because Chinese people do not appreciate wasting food. Later, they began to take less food at one time and tried to finish their plates. When Hanban informed us that we would visit the high school attached to Capital Normal University, we were a little worried. The typical Chinese way of learning and teaching could be a challenge to our students. What if they could not sit still for the period? Before the visit, we stressed with the students that their behavior would represent Baltimore International Academy and even the United States. During the visit, our students sat through a period of ancient Chinese language class and a calligraphy class and participated politely in the latter class when asked to. After lunch, our students played basketball with the high school’s students and won the game 7 to 2. Some also talked some Chinese students into playing soccer with them.
What made us really proud is our students’ ability to bargain in Chinese at Beijing Tianyi Market. Without any help from us, our students bargained with different businesses. Their Chinese proficiency and intelligence “shocked” many sellers, but pleased us.
By showing great respect for Chinese culture, our students gained a more objective and positive understanding of the culture. Before leaving China, they were joking that they did not want to come back to the USA. After coming back, they were repeatedly asking when they would get invited again. Our students and parents are grateful to Hanban for the invitation and on-going support. This unforgettable experience will enhance the bridge between China and America because it conveys the genuineness of the Chinese people and affords the students a more personal understanding of the culture. It is predictable that they would act as the ambassadors between the two cultures and contribute to building a more peaceful and better world.
Reflection
First of all, we deeply feel that chance favors the prepared mind. With Principal Mr. Enkiri and the administration’s dedication to our students’ education, we earned this opportunity and tested our students’ language proficiency in real life. The director of the spring camp in Beijing Language and Culture College told us that our management of the camp was the best to date! We were also the only group that did not need translation. We are proud of this recognition for our school, students, and teachers. Then, this trip has also reflected some areas for improvement. Some students could not manage their belongings well and therefore often lost things. The teachers often had to of help them look for their personal items. These students also became negative once they lost anything and showed the need to better solve problems. Some students tried to get out of their dorm to talk with their classmates in the early morning or even at midnight, and this it made them sleepy the next day and even caused them to be late for classes. To ensure that they could get enough sleep, the teachers took turns to stay up late to watch them in the hallway.
Some students were wasteful but improved in this respect after the teachers talked with them. A few students threw tantrums when they were disciplined due to their behaviors. Last, because the students liked to play around, the teachers had to enforce discipline and to watch them carefully all the time.
Overall, a few flaws could not obscure the virtues. These problems are normal in an American society that emphasizes personal freedom. All of our students have improved themselves over the trip, especially Kolby Lewis, who helped his classmates and teachers a lot. He was always speaking Chinese and presented a very positive and sunny personality, making a deep impression on almost every one on the trip. Two students, Alton Foreman and Toni Anderson, represented all the students by giving speeches at the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively. Their fluent speeches were highly praised
by the host college. With all the efforts of our fourteen students and their teachers, we succeed on the trip!
Baltimore International Academy, Maryland, USA, invited by Hanban
Please watch this historic video recording the partnership between our school and Confucius Institute/Hanban: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/pEe5k0V1uDM/
The video was made when our school was two years old. It shows our students’ performance during the Chinese Bridge Competition organized by Confucius Institute of University of Maryland, College Park. The performers were only five years old back then. Eight years later, two of the students, Dontae Ryan II and Kolby Lewis, now 13 years old, participated in the trip, recommended by the same Confucius Institute.
The video, however, only marked a beginning for our students. From then on, our students have been participating in the Chinese Bridge Competition and demonstrating their high proficiency level. Over the past few years, Hanban has also been continuously supporting our school in various ways such as assigning Chinese guest teachers and donating books. With Hanban’s support, we have eventually succeeded in sending our students to China, making an unforgettable life experiences to them.
In reflection, the following four areas have contributed to the success of this trip.
Made Thorough Preparations Before the Trip
Since the invitation was confirmed by Hanban Test Center, with the leadership of Principal Mr. Enkiri and the school’s administration team, several discussions regarding the details of the trip took place to ensure the smoothness of the students’ first overseas trip. Eventually, the school decided to assign the Chinese Department Chair, Xiaoxia Zhang, and two teachers, Xiaoli Gong and Jingmei Shi, to chaperon 14 students on the trip. To relieve parents from the stress of applying for visas by themselves, Ms. Zhang drove to Chinese Embassy to help students and parents to apply for visas, while Ms. Gong devoted time to preparing documentations required of the trip such as camp and visa application forms.
Set Strict Discipline Delivered by the Conscientious Teachers
From the morning of March 23rd at BWI, the three teachers made
Managed the Students by Keeping Their Needs in Mind All the Time
Our students are in early adolescence and tend to rebel. To help them overcome jetlag and avoid problems, the teachers took turns waiting in hallways, even after midnight, to make sure that all students stayed in their rooms to sleep. As a result, during the eight-day trip, no student became sick, and all were in high spirits.
Took the Opportunity to Make the Camp Educational
The teachers used the trip experiences as teachable moments. Preparing the students to become ambassadors for a peaceful world, the teachers helped the students to understand the cultural sites the group visited and to acquire perspectives on
the culture.
A Welcoming and Inviting Beginning
The tone of the trip was set when the whole group was going through Chinese Customs. The officer looked at Ms Shi’s passport and asked her: “Are you a teacher? ” She responded: “Yes, I am a Chinese teacher.” He continued to ask her: “Are those your students?” After Ms Shi answered positively, the officer praised her: “You have done a good job getting the in line and waiting quietly.” Ms. Shi responded sincerely, “Thank you. I would like them to be friends to Chinese people.”.
After walking past the gate of China, the whole group was greeted by the warm-hearted tour guide, Mr. Zhang, Nan, who had been waiting there for us for a long time. Later, we arrived at Beijing Language and Culture College and were greeted again warmly by Ms. Zhang, Ai. She assisted us until midnight in assigning rooms to each student. Over the next few days, the dormitory management team, chefs, and teachers of culture lectures and language classes all made their best efforts to make our stay as meaningful and comfortable as possible.
Our tour guide Mr. Zhang Nan was very patient with our students. He explained the cultural sites in various ways to engage the students. When he found that our students were interested in Chinese-style shuttlecock, he bought a few for them to play with. His sense of responsibility and caring attitude touched our students’ hearts. They told him on the bus in Chinese,“We like you”.
When we visited Hanban Headquarters, Hanban presented a big welcome sign stating “Warmly Greet 2016 Spring Camp Test-takers from Baltimore International Academy, USA.” Later, we found pictures of Dontate Ryan II and Kolby Lewis as kindergarteners at five years old, and everyone was so excited!
An Educational Process
During the trip, we paid visits to cultural sites such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven. Seeing the spectacular architectures has enriched our students’ knowledge and perspectives, and also inspired them to inquire deeper into the Chinese culture. Through visiting the Temple of Heaven, a site where the former emperors prayed to the God of Heaven for a good harvest, the students learned the meanings that various colors in Chinese culture represent: Red is for good luck, green is for fertile fields, while blue represents infinite sky, and yellow the power of emperors. However, after the visit, our IB students, who are used to asking why, were discussing what colors Chinese people do not favor. Ms. Shi wanted to guide students to inquire. She told them that the meaning every color associates with has to be put into context. In a different context, the same color may represent a different meaning. Chinese people actually favor all colors. A student then asked her: “But Ms Yang told us that Chinese wear white on funerals. “ Ms. Shi then said “It is true that Chinese people use white to show condolence and sorrow whilst Americans wear black on funerals.” However, it does not mean that Chinese people do not like white. Ms. Zhang and I both have white dresses because we adore the color. This told our students that not everything is black and white. They need to inquire deeper to get a whole picture of certain cultural perspectives.Our students also revisited the concept of being open-minded and used their language skills to communicate. At several sites, without asking, several Chinese tourists would hold our students’ hands or shoulders to take pictures with them. They would also comment on our students’ hairstyle and skin color. Because our students totally understood the comments in Chinese, they felt frustrated, disrespected, and upset. To guide students to walk out of the shadow, we talked with the students about this part of Chinese culture: Mostly these people adore you and therefore want to have pictures with you. Also, they are probably from smaller places of China and have never seen a lot of international citizens so they are too curious. Maybe you could tell them in Chinese: “if you want to have pictures with me, could you please ask me first?” Their parents also told them to be open-minded and not to be upset over this. Gradually, over other visits, our students started talking with tourists and were received as polite and cute. Wherever they went, they were very popular as people always wanted to take pictures with them. They even kicked a Chinese style shuttlecock with Beijing natives in a park, attracting a big crowd to watch. All of them felt like stars. In conclusion, during the trip, our students
were able to adapt to a new environment fairly quickly because the teachers guided them appropriately and because our school has cultivated to become ROCK students. Their actions show their respect for the Chinese ways of “love” and “communication”.
Another real engagement with Chinese culture happened during our visit to the Temple of Heaven. The students experienced Chinese people’s implicit way of expressing affections. By the Temple of Heaven, there was a couple dressed up taking photos. Ms. Gong told the students that they must have just got married and were taking nice photos to celebrate, but the students firmly told Ms. Gong that they were only modelling. Their evidence was that they witnessed the woman pushing the man’s hand away when he wanted to hold her hand. It proved that the lady did not love the gentleman. Gonglaoshi then encouraged them to ask about it in Chinese. So, Janiya asked the photographer in Chinese “Are they married?” The photographer held up his hand with a big OK to say, “Yes, they are.” This caught all students by surprise. Seeing their confusing looks, Ms. Shi made this a teachable moment. She told the students that this showed the different ways of expressing affections in Chinese and American culture. Chinese people think that love lies with the depth of their hearts but not on their lips. Therefore, they do not publically show their affection as a way to show respect for others. Therefore, Ms. Shi, Ms. Zhang, and Ms. Gong never tell you “I love you” with words, but you all feel that we love you with our lives! You will never see us show affections with our family in front of you, because we want to show our great respect for you. Meanwhile, we respect that your parents show affection more directly because we respect American culture.
The next culture class happened during a break of a crafts-making workshop. By accident, some students saw some women’s undergarments hanging over a balcony in a residential building next to the teaching building of the college. It took them by surprise again. Teachers explained to them that many Chinese families do not have dryers so they hang clothes under the sunlight for sterilization. They nodded their heads and showed understanding. Kolby Lewis even said he would buy dryers for Chinese people when he grows up. The experience taught our students to be culturally tolerant and understanding.The eight-day trip has also taught the students to be responsible. By American habit, our students won’t eat food that they do not like. Therefore, when they first tried the buffet and did not know what some authentic Chinese food tasted like, they ended up wasting a lot. The teachers told them that in Chinese culture, there should not be too much food left in plates because Chinese people do not appreciate wasting food. Later, they began to take less food at one time and tried to finish their plates. When Hanban informed us that we would visit the high school attached to Capital Normal University, we were a little worried. The typical Chinese way of learning and teaching could be a challenge to our students. What if they could not sit still for the period? Before the visit, we stressed with the students that their behavior would represent Baltimore International Academy and even the United States. During the visit, our students sat through a period of ancient Chinese language class and a calligraphy class and participated politely in the latter class when asked to. After lunch, our students played basketball with the high school’s students and won the game 7 to 2. Some also talked some Chinese students into playing soccer with them.
What made us really proud is our students’ ability to bargain in Chinese at Beijing Tianyi Market. Without any help from us, our students bargained with different businesses. Their Chinese proficiency and intelligence “shocked” many sellers, but pleased us.
By showing great respect for Chinese culture, our students gained a more objective and positive understanding of the culture. Before leaving China, they were joking that they did not want to come back to the USA. After coming back, they were repeatedly asking when they would get invited again. Our students and parents are grateful to Hanban for the invitation and on-going support. This unforgettable experience will enhance the bridge between China and America because it conveys the genuineness of the Chinese people and affords the students a more personal understanding of the culture. It is predictable that they would act as the ambassadors between the two cultures and contribute to building a more peaceful and better world.
Reflection
First of all, we deeply feel that chance favors the prepared mind. With Principal Mr. Enkiri and the administration’s dedication to our students’ education, we earned this opportunity and tested our students’ language proficiency in real life. The director of the spring camp in Beijing Language and Culture College told us that our management of the camp was the best to date! We were also the only group that did not need translation. We are proud of this recognition for our school, students, and teachers. Then, this trip has also reflected some areas for improvement. Some students could not manage their belongings well and therefore often lost things. The teachers often had to of help them look for their personal items. These students also became negative once they lost anything and showed the need to better solve problems. Some students tried to get out of their dorm to talk with their classmates in the early morning or even at midnight, and this it made them sleepy the next day and even caused them to be late for classes. To ensure that they could get enough sleep, the teachers took turns to stay up late to watch them in the hallway.Some students were wasteful but improved in this respect after the teachers talked with them. A few students threw tantrums when they were disciplined due to their behaviors. Last, because the students liked to play around, the teachers had to enforce discipline and to watch them carefully all the time.
Overall, a few flaws could not obscure the virtues. These problems are normal in an American society that emphasizes personal freedom. All of our students have improved themselves over the trip, especially Kolby Lewis, who helped his classmates and teachers a lot. He was always speaking Chinese and presented a very positive and sunny personality, making a deep impression on almost every one on the trip. Two students, Alton Foreman and Toni Anderson, represented all the students by giving speeches at the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively. Their fluent speeches were highly praisedby the host college. With all the efforts of our fourteen students and their teachers, we succeed on the trip!
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