Today is the day why a group of Nebraska educators feel they came to China – to visit schools, talk to teachers, learn about the Chinese education system and most importantly see classrooms with children! Today we visited four schools all affiliated with Xi’an Jiaotong University. We were guests at the kindergarten school of 1400 students. We saw and heard 5 – 6 year olds singing, dance and speak perfect English. We then went to primary school, grades 1-6, of over 1200 students. We walked into a class of 64 (count them 64) happy, smiling second graders.
We hopped on the bus again and took a 15-minute ride to the most prestigious high school in Shaanxi Providence, affiliated with Xi’an Jiaotong University. Over 2200 students, grades 10 – 12 attend this beautiful new campus that includes over 16 science labs, an under construction sports complex, and even a dormitory that houses 1000 students.
Our final school stop was the middle school. We arrived after 5 p.m. and saw their students body energetically involved in their after-school clubs, athletic teams, dance teams, ping-pong, English clubs, and robotics club. We then observed a teacher led discussion with approximately 50 8th graders. The discussion centered on decision-making and moral judgment. We even took part!
Our day concluded at a local restaurant hosted by our new friends who we met during the day. Through interpreters we had great discussions about the current state of education in our two very diverse countries and educational systems. We talked about assessment, teacher evaluation, curriculum reform, parent involvement and even the use of cell phones.
We enjoyed the interaction and realized the importance of creating strong, professional relationships in this global society. When you see us, ask us about the Fox and the Grapes…it had a very different ending in Xi’an!
Bill
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