ITEM CHINA Module 2010 BLOG #2 - March 19, 2010
(in 'pictures' : click 'Dalian')
‘Life in Jinsitan, Dalian’: a Message from Faculty Associate, Catherine Johnson
It has been 3 weeks now since we arrived at the Dalian Maple Leaf School in Jinshitan at Golden Pebble Beach, a seaside community one hour from Dalian in Liaoning Province. We'd like to share with you some of our ‘day to day’ experiences thus far. We are fortunate living here at DMLS for many reasons, one being its location along the coast which enables strong prevailing winds to eliminate any smog or air pollution. In this government-designated tourism and education zone, there are summer homes/condos, golf courses, tourist attractions and convention centers that abound. Eerily, they lie closed for the winter awaiting the warmth of spring that will bring tourism back to the area. Nearby are many modern colleges (Modeling, Animation, Kung Fu!), museums (The Mao Button Museum and a Wax Museum) and amusement parks (DiscoveryLand – Chinese Disneyland) all built within the last 5 years. Intel has its massive new building in our area – a horseshoe the size of a mountain. The boardwalk along the ocean makes for a pleasant destination for a run or walk, if temperatures rise above freezing. A new LRT system links our community with the neighbouring development city where many teachers shop and live. It is a modern, dynamic area.
On the other hand, the local town of Manjitan is a typical small Chinese town with a daily market and a handful of restaurants and stores. No English is spoken so it is fun (and challenging) to run errands or order food with gestures and broken Chinese. We are often rescued however by ‘friends’ of the school – such as Stan and Susan who are owners of Susan’s Pizza (Stan is a retired DMLS librarian) and 'Fairy' of the Blue Phoenix Reflexology and Travel Agency - who are kind to us and offer us translation when needed. Dalian Maple Leaf School in Jinshitan is actually 2 schools – the older boys’ campus and the brand new girls’ campus - which are boarding schools, across the road from each other. It is a short, brisk walk between classes and campuses. We love our ‘boys’ or ‘girls’ depending on our placement. Now, the module members are fully integrated in their classrooms, working with their school associate mentors who guide their planning and teaching and give them the ‘authority’ to teach their classes. It has been a bonus to work with many new teachers (2 to 6 years of teaching), and all teachers here are engaged in the inquiry process of refining their practice, are energetic and fun, and are part of a community that lives and plays together!
1) Experiences with ESL Learners by Jon Peters and Wes Liu
The term ESL not only means that English is not a student’s mother (first) tongue but it also means that these students are immersed in a second culture and way of thinking. This circumstance is definitely the case here at DMLS where students are schooled using a combination of Western and Chinese teaching methodologies, and are taught by Canadian teachers. Therefore, as Canadian teachers, we need to be meticulous in our use of explanatory language but must also anticipate intercultural misunderstandings. Often, we take this for granted.
There are two ways which can help us achieve this goal. In terms of directions given -both verbally and modeled - teachers ought to explain why they are doing a certain activity (which are unfamiliar to the students). If the students know the intentionality of the activity, they are more likely to participate keenly. This is especially true for practices such as peer collaboration/teaching, an educational feature which is not highly utilized in China. Here at DMLS, the students we teach come from a different culture background than we do. They have not heard the same stories, do not know the same history, have not seen the same pictures, nor have processed the same ideas. Many of the students have never left China nor do they know anything of the world beyond their border. These complexities make the teaching of Humanities even harder. So, while scaffolding for language comprehension, teachers must ensure that they structure their course material so that the students can GRADUALLY understand it.
“Simplification” is the key we have learned to use when teaching ESL learners. Breaking lessons into simpler steps unlocks the puzzle of motivating students towards progression. In PE12 boy’s volleyball class, we have been working on our spikes and down ball attacks. It is essential that each step be broken down and explained with patience and detail – speaking slowly. What is a spike? Well it is when you are on offence and you strike the ball with the palm of your hand. Then they will ask: “What is offence? What is the palm?” When teaching ESL learners, it helps to be visual as well. When explaining underhand serves, we used visuals to explain the motions and techniques - e.g. associating motions they are already familiar with: underhand, like when you go bowling (that is if they know what bowling is). If not, find some other vocabulary they are familiar with. Explaining unfamiliar key vocabulary is essential for ESL understanding. If they don’t understand the vocabulary, your instructions are futile. Start with simple building blocks. Remember - the Great Wall of China started with a single brick!
2) Teaching boys; Teaching girls by: Stephanie Krgovich & Parnaz Kashani
Teaching in a gender-segregated school has opened our eyes to gender differences. Whether it is learning styles, academic behaviour or personal interests, boys and girls seem to put their own twist on things. (It’s important to note that this is the first year these students have been separated at Dalian Maple Leaf.) While we are new to this separation, veteran teachers have expressed noticeable differences regarding the tone within the school. Here is a list of similarities and differences we have noticed during our first 3 weeks:
Girls tend to stay alert
Boys often fall asleep
Girls test uniform boundaries (wearing nail polish, fake nails and bright shoes)
Boys welcome the comfortable tracksuit uniform
Girls are well mannered and clean
Boys tends come up short in this department
Girls enjoy reading, are mostly auditory learners, and like ‘down time’
Boys like to be active and are often visual learners
Girls are very chatty
Boys are surprisingly affectionate with one another
Girls are very creative with schoolwork and projects
Boys cannot stop talking about computer games
Girls enjoy the boys company but are shy about admitting it
Boys are always willing to run over to the girls campus when given the opportunity
There are also many similarities we have come across. Both genders are very interested in the North American lifestyle. They are eager to learn personal information about their (student) teachers and share their stories with you. Both are curious and ask lots of questions. Some things that ‘we’ may think as personal, such as relationship status and age, both genders speak very openly about it and share their experiences. If you every get the opportunity to work in a segregated school, we encourage you to explore individual genders because they are both a delight to work with.
3) The Life of a DMLS Student by Jag Sihota & Sarah Jafari
As a student teacher in PDP, school life can be quite busy. Actually it is busy 98 % of the time. However, we need not forget about our student’s lives, especially in a private boarding school with the credentials and cost of Dalian Maple Leaf. Of course the true consumers in the equation are the parents of the students. Unfortunately, the parents were not available for comment. So we asked the students. What do they like about their school? What are their biggest challenges and how will their D.M.L.S. education help in their future plans? These questions led to some interesting and informative answers. One student liked the use of English as the language of instruction even though that was his biggest challenge. One young lady said she never felt the requirements to speak and learn in English were unreasonable although she admitted she would never speak English willingly with her friends. Another student liked the Canadian teachers. He thought they were special. A D.M.L.S. /UBC graduate, who is now a Maple Leaf employee, said that her transition into university life in Canada was greatly eased by her introduction to English and Canadian culture from D.M.L.S. She said she understood approximately 60% of her first year university courses. She did mention that taking notes during lectures proved difficult for her throughout her undergraduate years. A non-Chinese DMLS student thought it was fun here, and liked the size of the school. He was never bored (outside of class that is). The most varied answers came when the students were asked about their future plans with their education from Dalian Maple Leaf. One student remarked it allowed easier access to western culture while another thought they received lots of information about colleges and universities and the use of English helped prepare them for their future. It was a pleasure interviewing the students as their honesty and sincerity were quite impressive.
4) A day in the life of an ITEM student teacher by Sarah Stables, Kiran Gill & Kristy Barclay
6:00am: The alarm goes off. But what is that I hear? The sound of the day’s fireworks has already begun – perhaps at 3 am. Maybe it’s celebrating a birth? Or the opening of a restaurant? Maybe it’s because its the first Monday of the month? Or Lantern Day? Or maybe its just because they invented fireworks! “Do I have time for a run on the track before I dash off to school?”
7:40: School begins with the soothing melodies of the daily bell. Our students are already sitting in their desks as we arrive.
10:25: Flag ceremony. On Mondays, the Chinese, Canadian and Maple Leaf School anthems are sung (even in the freezing cold might we add). The students all stand in rows as the three flags make their way to the top of the flagpole. Other days, exercise occurs instead.
12:05: Lunch time! Teachers and students make their way to the HUGE cafeteria, where the abundance of Chinese food is unlimited. A plate full of food is only $1 CAN. If your not feeling in the mood for Chinese there are two western restaurants in the surrounding area where the delivery boy will ride his bike to and from the school multiple times a day to deliver lunch to the hungry students and teachers.
1:00: Back to teaching. An observation you say? A day is never complete without these observations from our SA or FA. Fortunately, our students offer us endless support with their politeness and eagerness to learn in the classroom.
3:45: School is done, but not for the student teachers. Extra-curricular activities fill our time, such as helping out in the English Arts festival, taking Mandarin classes, playing ball hockey with our teachers, or attending evening module meetings (but always with cookies and when were really lucky, cake). Dinner is a take out meal, a quick bowl of noodles or pasta, and on special days a meal at a nearby restaurant shared with someone from the module.
9:30 pm Evening study hall is finished for our students, and our daily reflecting and planning has concluded. Our students excitedly return to their dorms, from evening study hall, rushing outside for one last burst of fresh air until ‘lights out’. We also wrap things up so we can SLEEP be ready for the next chapter of ‘Student Teaching Adventures’ in CHINA ......... tomorrow.
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