( The high school guy is telling a story)
On May Day,there were about 60 students who had participated in the English Speech Competition in Shaoguan City Library.There are 2 groups of the competitors, primary school group and middle school group. The first round was the oral presentation of each competitor’s self-introduction.the final round was the story telling from a picture they picked up from the panel’s materials.After the story telling,each competitor had to answer 3 questions from the panel head. ( More photos ) ( story ) (fables from China)
Chinese Traditional Mid-autumn festival is approaching.In our Chinese lunar calendar, it was called the festival of the 15th day of the 8th month in a year.This year Mid-autumn festival is on September 18th,2005,it’s the important holiday in China.People send gifts to each other the popular food is moon cakes.
The story of Chang’e Ben Yue
CHANG’E FLIES TO THE MOON(Chang’e Ben Yue)
Houyi (see further on the story Houyi She Ri), seeking perpetual youth, obtained the elixir of immortality from Queen Mother of the West who lived in the Kunlun Mountains. Returning to his palace, he confided the good news to his wife Chang’e, a lady graceful of carriage and unparalleled of beauty, very much loved by her husband.
One day, when Houyi was out, Chang’e secretly swallowed the potion in the hope that she would become immortal. The result was quite unexpected: she felt herself becoming light, so light that she flew up in spite of herself, drifting and floating in the air, until she reached the palace of the moon.
She is regarded by later generations as the goddess of the moon.
This beautiful story has always been liked by the Chinese and provides a favourite allusion for poets and writers.
Chairman Mao Zedong’s poem in memory of his martyred wife Yang Kaihui has these well – known lines:
The lonely moon goddess spreads her ample sleeves
To dance for these loyal souls in infinite space.
Here, in the Chinese original, the name Chang’e is used instead of “moon goddess”.
The figure of Chang’e, a beauty dressed in the elegant garments of a bygone age floating towards the moon, naturally supplies unending inspiration for painters and sculptors.
Pen Pal Program Has Far-Reaching Implications By staff reporter XIANG JING (China Today Magazine September issue ,1999 )
FOUNDER:
SOONG CHING LING (MME SUN YAT-SEN) (1893-1981). PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE CHINA WELFARE INSTITUTE IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, ARABIC AND CHINESE.
“Dear Pen Pal, ( feedback )
It is kind of weird to write a letter to someone when you don’t even know what his or her name is. Do you have any brothers or sisters? I heard that in China you can only have one child per family. Do you believe in God and Jesus? I do. Do you have the Internet at your school or home? How old are you? Are you a boy or a girl? I am 10 and I am a boy. I have a dog named Mickey. Is it true that you eat cats and dogs? I also play soccer. We had a game last night, and we won by one point. I scored a goal. Do you play any sports?”
Tad Allen, a student of the Cater Elementary School, Temple City, Texas, wrote this letter to his new Chinese pen pal at the Zhenjiang No. 1 Elementary School in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province. Chinese students at Zhenjiang began exchanging pen pal letters with foreign students in 1995. Since then, the children have been exchanging letters and ideas with three different foreign elementary schools: the American School Foundation of Monterrey in Mexico, the Cater Elementary School in Temple City, and the Shields Elementary School in Victoria City, Texas.
Like Tad, Chinese pupils fill their letters with all manner of questions. To illustrate, Ling Jie, a girl in the Zhenjiang No. 1 Elementary School, wrote to her American pen pal, Brittany, “We’ve been pen pals for some time, but I still don’t know when is your birthday and what is your favorite color. I like green. What are your hobbies? Do you like to sing, or play basketball, or play electronic games? I do. Do you have to take tests and exams in your schooldays? We have countless tests. By the way I like the Backstreet Boys combination very much, especially Nick Carter, he is so handsome, what do you think?” Although Ling has already graduated from Zhenjiang No. 1, she still keeps in touch with three of her American pen pals.
Chen Siya, another Zhenjiang student, wrote to her American pen pal, Cene Navarro, “I have a lot of questions to ask you, I hope you don’t mind. How do you celebrate the Halloween and Easter festivals? Do you have China Town, Wall Street, MacDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken in you city? It’s such a pity that we don’t have these things in Shaoguan, maybe because our city doesn’t have an airport. Have you ever been to Houston? It is a petroleum city and I hear that people will feel dizzy when they first go there. Is it true? I do want to know what you look like; can you give me one of your photos? By the way, do you have daydreams? I do. And I even suffered from insomnia these days and I don’t know why. You are my only girl pen pal in the US and I hope our friendship will last forever.”
First with Mexican pupils, then with American pupils, children in Shaoguan No. 1 Elementary School have been exchanging letters with their foreign pen pals for more than five years. Mr. Wu Bingjian and three American elementary school teachers, Miss Rhonda Rolf, Mrs. Karen Jackson, and Mrs. Natalie Fikac, are responsible for the Sino-Mexican and Sino-American pen-pal programs’ success.
In the summer of 1994, Wu Bingjian, a 22-year-old English teacher at the Shaoguan No. 1 Elementary School, participated in an English Seminar sponsored by Shaoguan University. At the seminar, he met Rhonda Rolf, an elementary school teacher from Temple City. Both were enthusiastic about their work, and they had many experiences to share. After Rolf returned to the States, the two teachers kept in touch, even when Rolf moved to Mexico in 1995 to teach at the American School Foundation of Monterrey. In one of her letters to Wu, Rolf described her students, saying that although their native language was Spanish, they spoke English fluently. Apparently, the school sought to prepare students for study in the US. Mr. Wu’s students grew very curious about the Mexican children and asked Wu if he could help them become the Mexicans’ pen pals. Wu then contacted Rolf, and soon the two worked out a feasible pen pal program. Wu put much extra effort into the program, because unlike the students in Mexico, his students had difficulty writing in English. He had to help nearly every student translate his or her letters. Wu does admit though, “It was a very good beginning because not only did my students make precious childhood friendships with Mexican students, but also their imaginations grew.”
In 1997, Rolf returned to Temple City. To help Wu’s students contact American children, she introduced him to her former teaching colleague, Mrs. Jackson. Later, Jackson introduced a colleague of hers who worked at another school, Mrs. Fikac.
Mostly, the children’s letters have been about their school days, birthday parties, pets, family members, hobbies, festivals, favorite pop stars, religion, and current events they had seen on news broadcasts. Coming from two entirely different cultures, the children are very curious about each other. Sometimes with their letters, the children enclose small gifts such as photographs of themselves and their families, postcards, maps, paintings created by themselves, handicrafts, and reading materials that depict life in their countries. Of the gifts exchanged between the pen pals, photos account for the largest number, because photos most vividly illustrate their lives. Many Chinese children were amazed when they saw their American friends look so leisurely in their comfortable classrooms. The classrooms, elaborately decorated with colorful posters, writing samples, and maps were foreign to the Chinese students. The Chinese students were very excited when a Chinese map and Hong Kong emblem had been put up in an American elementary classroom. The American students may have also felt a degree of admiration for their Chinese friends’ strict and well-disciplined behavior in classes, as reflected by the photos.
“It’s wonderful that by writing pen pal letters, my students have improved their English skills and have gotten to see a side of other countries that they cannot learn from books. Also, I am happy to see that the children genuinely care about each other. In 1997, my students knew from television news that, because of El Nino, tornadoes and hurricanes had hit central Texas. They immediately wrote to their pen pals, expressing their deepest concerns. The next year, China was stricken by unprecedented flooding. As the Chinese had done a year earlier, the American students wrote to see how we were doing. I believe this is real friendship.”
“I think it’s good for these kids to reach beyond their own culture,” said Mrs. Fikac in an e-mail to Wu. Indeed, although the world is becoming smaller with improved communications and transportation technologies, different cultures that have evolved over hundreds or thousands of years still stand as barriers to mutual understanding and friendship. The questions exchanged between students may seem simple and naive, but they reflect the children’s true, earnest and unprejudiced desire to know about worlds outside of their own. Whether the students continue their pen pal friendships or not doesn’t really matter. The students will always remember the positive experience. Hopefully, when the students are adults, they will have an easier time to adjusting to our increasingly global society.
Israeli teacher Mrs. Marsha Goren from Petach Tikva City is the Dream a dream sponor.Her peace dream project always attracts children from around the world. Chinese educators and teachers like Lilian You and Ann Hu and Pauline Bao are the dream partners.I feel proud of myself as a coordinator to share the exciting imformation from interactive activities. Marsha holding a Chinese magazine of China Information Technology Education, on the magazine there are 2 collaborative lesson plans.Haman’s Ears (Isreali food)about Isreali culture Purim Festival. and there is another lesson plan from Pauline Bao about Chinese culture(Chinese breakfast food: Youtiao) John Wu’s comment on those two lesson plans introduced collaborative learning across different cultures in China.
North Pole Solo Expedition (one project Marsha’s class participated in in 2004)
Thousands of students from around the world collaborated with Wave Vidmar — as he traveled solo and unsupported to the North Pole — and three lucky schools spoke to Wave live via satellite phone. Select a link below to view the video Dial-up DSL Cable Modem
Brussels, May 31 2005
Dear Mr Wu,
I duly received your letter of May 30 in which you kindly invite Her Majesty the Queen to visit your school in the Guangdong Province during their Majesties’ State Visit to the People’s Republic of China from June 4 to June 8.
Her Majesty the Queen was pleased to learn that the collaboration between your school and the Belgian primary school of Meulebeke is such a success. She asked me to sincerely thank you for your invitation. I am sorry, however, to let you know that the programme of the State Visit has been established long in advance and that it will, unfortunately, be impossible to put another visit on their Majesties’ busy schedule.
The Queen wishes you, as well as all the students of the Zhixin Primary School, a pleasant continuation with their Belgian peers.
Sincerely yours,
Caroline Vermeulen
Secretary to the Queen
Lieven Van Parys the Belgian ICT project educator had his project: Spacial Spinning Tower introduced into China.John Wu is his Chinese partner to promote the project.Zhixin Primary School kids are interested in such a project.As the Belgian King and Queen had a conference on digital education in the palace of Brussels on May 25. And the King Albert Second and Queen Paula would have a state visit to China in early June 2005,then John Wu sent out best wishes to Queen Paula and King Albert for their trip to China and also asked Lieven to diliver Zhixin Primary School children’s wishes.
the Innovative Teachers Forum 2005 in Stockholm. More than 60 selected projects from 29 countries of Europe, Africa and the Middle East participated this meeting.At the end of this forum the Microsoft jury gave 3 projects the Award of ‘Leading Innovative Practice’. Spacial Spinning Tower received one of them.g Albert and Queen Paula (May 25th,2005) Lieven talked to Queen Paula.
At the Belgian Palace in Brussels,Lieven was invited to meet the Queen Paula for his achievement on innovative project Spacial Spinning Tower.
Go-fourth project sponsor Mrs. Mary S. Wright was interviewed in her school classroom by NBC reporter in Rocky Hill School,East Greenwich Town,Rhode Island in the Unitied States of America. Mrs. Mary S. Wright’s great contribution to world peace education was recognized in many countries such as in Isreal,Russia,Romanian,China and also in the parts of the world.Mary S. Wright led Rocky Hill School delegation visiting China Zhixin Elementary School in Shaoguan City Guangdong Province in January, 2003. Mary S. Wright ’s go-fourth experiences in China were posted on Education-World.com.
Go-fourth project school partner from South China is Zhixin Elementary School of Shaoguan City in Guangdong Province. Go-fourth (Go For One United Respect Throughout Humanity).
The Project school partners usually have March Fourth walking a mile activity each year.The picture on the left was the of Zhixin Elementary school students walking along Zhenjiang River bank.
The project between Sino-US school was ever reported on NBC TV program.The project sponsor Mrs. Mary S. Wright in Rocky Hill School in Rhode Island.And the project coordinator in China is John Wu,the former fellow teacher in Zhixin Elementary School in Shaoguan City.
After Rocky Hill School delegation visited Zhixin Elementary School in January 2003, Rocky Hill School community had March 4th walking for peace in 2005. They were holding the Bilingual banner of peace.
For One United Respect Throughout Humanity “Zhu yuan Shi Jie He Ping”.
The picture on the right was Rocky Hill School peacemaking students walking on the sunny day in Spring of 2005.
Zhixin Elementary School principal Mr. Wang Xiangquan and Rockyhill School headmaster Mr. James Young from East Greenwich,Rhode Island,United States of America at the peace pole planting ceremony in Zhixin Elementary School campus on January 15th,2003
Two school headmasters children met under the peace pole.
Mr. Wang Zhixin Elementary School headmaster welcome James Young from American Rockyhi Hill Scholl in Rhode Island during the Go-fourth celebration in Zhixin school campus.Peace Pole planting ceremony,basket ball games,Chinese family visiting… It was amazing for this two schools to get together from two different continents.
( http://community.webshots.com/user/johnwuchina) celebration in the evening
Rockyhill School headmaster James Young’s letter (scanned by John Wu)
Dear Mr. Wang, (August 5th,2002 )
I am in receipt of your kind invitation to Rocky Hill School for a peace mission to China. We are most grateful that you have extended this invitation to our families and faculty. On behalf of Rocky Hill School, I wish to thank you for your efforts to bring our children and teachers together, face to face, to discuss the topics that stem from our “Go Fourth” curriculum under Mary Wright’s tutelage. As I am sure Mr. Wu has discovered in his correspondence with Mary, she is a very passionate educator and she has worked hard to bring children together around the hurtful issues of bullying and teasing.
Rocky Hill School is a country day school, set along the shores of Narragansett Bay in the smallest state in the union. Our current enrollment is 350 students within a Pre-Kindergarten through prep school continuum. In America, unlike Britain, a private school operates as a non-profit institution that is privately funded. Although we provide financial aid for those in need, and we have a somewhat diverse student body, most of our students hail from the upper class. Many of our parents work professionally in medicine, law and business. Our students are well educated and are future leaders of their communities. As a school, we believe we must do everything that we can do to promote respect for one another, not only throughout our own community, but wherever we travel. We have incorporated this social curriculum into our daily lives at school and, philosophically, we believe that, in addition to parents, we are in the best position to reach our young children before they learn to become intolerant of differences and disrespectful as a result of these attitudes. It is apparent that civility must be modeled at home and at school in an effort to teach children tolerance at an early age. At Rocky Hill School, we believe these teachings and open discussions among children, their families and teachers is more important than ever in a world where civility is fast waning.
We are delighted by the prospects of visiting China, and in particular, Guangdong Province, to participate in a forum with other families and teachers in an effort to discuss and, perhaps, resolve some of the issues that are inherent with growing up in a world full of conflict. Our students will enjoy having the opportunity to learn about life in China and how children learn to demonstrate mutual respect. We have a great deal to learn from one another, and perhaps your families and teachers would enjoy an exchange visit here some time in the future. We are in the process of arranging travel plans to China, the details of which will be communicated to Mr. Wu, as soon as possible. I know that you will understand that, as Headmaster, I reserve the right to cancel the trip at any time, if I believe that it is in the best interests of our families with regard to travel. As we have experienced last fall, no one can predict what the future holds, and I need to be as assured as possible, regarding the safety of Rocky Hill School families. With that thought in mind, we are proceeding with plans to be in China in January, 2003. We look forward to our visit and to meeting you, your students, teachers and parents face to face!
Kind regards,
James J. Young III, Headmaster
Email: jyoung@rockyhill.org
http://www.rockyhill.org
Chinese Teacher’s Day is on September 10th. The first Teacher’s Day was celebrated in 1985.On Teacher’s Day ,students usually send gifts to their teachers in the new semester. Students respect teachers and teachers take care of their students like a gardener for the flowers or candles for giving out light for children to read books in the evening.
September 3rd, 2005 by Administrator in Bulletin · No Comments
Welcome to Etip website:English Teaching and Internet Project! We hope you could find a way to connect a Chinese school class to communicate with.If you have a project or lesson plan and need Chinese teacher or students to participate in please email to the project coordinator John Wu. johnwuchina@yahoo.com
A successful project participation http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev047.shtml
Thanks a lot!
Prof. Sang Xinmin(left), John Wu(middle), Helen Halligan( ELT manager from BBC British Embassy in Beijing)
Professor Sang Xinmin in Nanjing University, China.
John Wu (primary school teacher from 1991 to 2001; ELT & ICT researcher since 2002)
Helen Halligan in charge of http://www.britishcouncil.org.cn/en/china.htm
