Duanesburg students visit with students from China
February 15, 2011--Students and educators from Tianjin High School Number 41 in China are in the United States on a two-week tour to visit a number of local schools and interact with students to learn more about the western educational system and academic programs.
The delegation of 32 students and four adults visited the South Colonie, Schodack, Schoharie and Bethlehem schools, as well as the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School in Albany.
Nearly a dozen Duanesburg class officers in ninth and tenth grade were invited to attend the tour at the Schoharie School District on Tuesday, February 15.
In preparation for the exchange students’ arrival, Schoharie Superintendent Brian Sherman shared a PowerPoint presentation from his, Duanesburg Superintendent Christine Crowley’s and other local administrator’s visit to China last spring where they visited schools.
“We wanted to learn how the Chinese education system works, share ideas and have serious discussions about where technology, such as teleconferencing in the classrooms, can bring us in the future,” says Crowley.
The students and educators from China began their tour of Schoharie at 9 a.m. where they were greeted by the district’s jazz ensemble that performed for them. From there, they were given a tour of the schools and participated in programs or classes. One group of students visited the gymnasium where they stopped in to play a little ping-pong and basketball—which is a favorite sport in China.
Another group of students were asked by a Schoharie elementary music teacher to sing a song for her class, which they did. The song was in both Mandarin and English.
A group of students also visited a computer lab, a Chemistry classroom and a physics lab where one student participated in a lesson on static electricity where she made “water dance” and a light bulb illuminate by touching her static electricity-fueled finger to the end of the bulb.
After a quick break of cookies, tea, and fruit (a traditional snack in China) students continued to visit more classrooms, the library and the elementary school where one second-grade class had been practicing how to say “Hello, welcome to our school” in Mandarin.
Duanesburg students participated in the tours and were able to ask the students from China questions about their school life.
“I learned that in China students attend school six days a week and for eight hours a day,” said one student. “Some students even sleep at their school if they have to travel far to get to and from school.”
“I found it interesting that in Chinese schools, the students don’t move from classroom to classroom, rather the teachers move,” adds another student.
“During the break I was able to talk more freely with some of the exchange students and I learned that they play sports in school, mostly basketball and tennis, they love American music, and many of them are planning to attend college in America,” says another student.
After the tour, the students and administrators from China hopped back on a school bus for their trip to another district.
For photos of students at tour at Schoharie, please visit our photo gallery.