Counting my blessings….

At the risk of being very trite, I cannot believe it is December already.  It has been a very busy November that kept us moving every single day to something unexpected.  I can say that I am thankful for many things and one of them is that the familiar Holiday preparations has not been one of them this year.  Our Thanksgiving was just another Thursday, the busiest schedule of the week. 

I teach four hours, or two classes on Thursday morning catch the campus bus to the South Campus where I teach a three-hour Professional Development class on Thursday afternoon.  SCUT is launching a new program to imbed English in the regular core curriculum as well as the English classes.  I have been asked to work with professors, all PhD. or PhD. candidates from the Law school, Biological Sciences, Information Technology, Economics and Environment a wide variety of classes that are now being taught in English.  The professors are struggling; their students speak much better English that most professors speak.  My task is to help Professors introduce Western style presentations to their teaching methods as well as improve their English in five short weeks. The trip back to the North Campus where we live is another 45 minutes through the heavy rush hour traffic.  One of our BYU colleagues was presenting an English Lecture Thursday night at 7:30. So it was a very long busy day without any hint of a Thanksgiving feast. 

Thanksgiving isn’t about the food, however I did miss the Pumpkin Pie, but it is about the people you have the privilege of sharing that holiday with.  I have committed this year, when I return I will work harder at building relationships and spending meaningful conversations with people around me and not worry too much about the commercialization of the holidays.  We haven’t seen any of the usual holiday music, decorations, stressed shoppers or advertisements that accompany this time of year in the U.S.

Among my blessings, I am most thankful to be a wife and a mother. I have amazing adult children who are the parents of my ten grandchildren. I miss them tremendously, but I am confident they are taking care of the daily life adventures that support their children and family.  They each live in such different circumstances and each have made spiritual and academic choices to be successful contributing independent individuals and families. 

Mike and Jessica are working through some issues with Jessica’s father right now.  Richard had a serious accident about two weeks ago and remains in the hospital.  Mike sent us his thoughts and impressions when he arrived in SLC for his first visit on Wednesday.

“Life has a way of giving us burdens that we cannot, in our current condition, handle.  But we need not remain in that condition, we can rise and become better and stronger.  When they are needed, we find within us reserves of strength, compassion, and love we did not believe we had.  I watched Richard and Louise last night, and pondered the adjustments they have already made, and those that still lie ahead for the two of them.  I have no doubt they will rise to them because they are committed to one another.  I remembered that Henry B. Eyring said something about that during the last general conference; I looked it up this morning:

Heavenly Father has perfect foresight, knows each of us, and knows our future. He knows what difficulties we will pass through. He sent His Son to suffer so that He would know how to succor us in all our trials.

We know that Heavenly Father has spirit children in this world who sometimes choose sin and great unhappiness. That is why He sent His Firstborn to be our Redeemer, the greatest act of love in all creation. That is why we must expect that it will take the help of God and time to polish us for eternal life, to live with our Father.

Life in families will test us. That is one of God’s purposes in giving us the gift of mortality—to strengthen us by passing through tests. That will be especially true in family life, where we will find great joy and great sorrow and challenges which may at times seem beyond our power to endure them.

Around midnight, we left the hospital.  As I walked into the elevator it triggered a recollection of the times I had been to IMC to visit members of the Wilford Ward when I was Bishop.   I had forgotten about those visits, but being in the elevator (of all places) brought them back to me.   That was a time in my life when I was stretched beyond my current condition. 

I am grateful for my family, and for the family I was raised in.  You are all amazing people.  

Garrett and Cindi are preparing to leave San Diego for Islamabad, Pakistan next spring.  They are spending time with family and friends before they leave and making sure they secure those relationships before they leave the country.

Kaci and Ashley elected to spend the Thanksgiving holiday weekend together. A long six-hour drive from Newport Beach to Mesa, AZ brought the families together to share together time.  These efforts bring joy to my heart and comfort to my soul.

I am truly blessed to have the honor to call these four adults and their spouses my family. I am humbled by their goodness and care for each other and their families.  They are true humanitarians, guided by the spirit to bless the lives of us who stand in their sunshine. 

I must say I have much to be thankful for.

International Collaboration

Dr. Parley Jacobs, Principal of West High School in Salt Lake City requested before we left Salt Lake to arrange a video conference between the AP Chinese classes at West High School and English Language Learners at SCUT.  I have worked on that project for several weeks; this week it became a reality. 

A few weeks ago the computer system in my classroom did not respond to anything, not even the SCUT tech support team.  This was the second round of technology failure and yet another room change.  Little did I know that the blessings would follow my patience.  On the third round, I was moved to a room that had a new computer system and a 60” touch screen mounted on the wall.  It was magic, I could write on the screen, show video clips on the screen, Power Point presentations and it had access to the internet.  I was the perfect spot for a video conference to actually take place.

I made my request for a video conference call for students at SCUT and students in Salt Lake City. The Department Chair was hesitant to say the least.  SKYPE was on firewall list at SCUT and had not been made available to students or professors.  Raised eyebrows were the mild reaction.  It was clear again that “those foreign teachers” need close supervision.  About a week later my Department Chair came to my class to tell me that the Dean of the University had given approval to allow a video conference if I had a personal account that could be used and all of the questions were submitted in advance and approved by the Dean. Both of the conditions I could work with.  I contacted WHS, they immediately sent a list of questions, and my students created questions they wanted to ask then I submitted to the Dean our questions.

Next hurdle, I was informed that the screen would be made available and the Internet would be cleared to SKYPE, however there would not be a camera available.  I would need to provide my own camera. I only had two options, use my computer with the camera or purchase a camera that would work with their system.  Neither were great options.  I took my iPad to meet with the tech team, explained that was the only camera I had access to and walaa, a snazzy little video camera appeared in my classroom before the end of the day. 

We tried a practice run with WHS; everything seemed to work well.  Internet connection was easy and clear, both audio and video were smooth.  The time difference was the next huddle.  WHS students agreed to return to school at six o’clock Wednesday night, SLC time so the SCUT students would be in my class at 8:00 AM Thursday morning. The WHS students wanted to practice their Chinese, my SCUT students wanted to practice their English so we agreed on a 15 minute format of Chinese question and answer time then rotate to 15 minute of English question and answer time. 

Questions submitted by West High School AP Chinese 3 Class for Students at SCUT.

1. 申请奖学金有什么要求?

What are the requirements when applying for scholarship?

2. 课余时间你们都做什么?

What activities do you do during your free time?

3. 毕业后你打算做什么? 准备找工作吗? 找什么样的工作, 怎么找?

What are you planning to do after graduation? Looking for a job? What kind of job, and how are you going to find the job?

4. 大学毕业要求学生们一共修几门课?

How many classes are you required to take for graduation?

5. 申请大学的最后日期是什么时候?

When is the deadline for applying college?

6.  在中国大学，从申请大学到选专业/选课的过程是怎么样的？

From applying for colleges to choosing major/classes, what does that process look like?

7.  中国大学生是怎么申请奖学金的？

How do Chinese students apply for scholarships?

8.  中国大学里有没有各种不同的俱乐部或者组织？比如？

Do Chinese universities have many different clubs or organizations？For Example?

9.   住校学生的生活是什么样子的？

What does the life of resident students look like?

10.  中国大学里的老师和学生的比例是多少？

What is the ratio of teachers and students in Chinese universities?

Questions submitted by Master’s Candidates at SCUT for AP Chinese3 Students at WHS.

1.   How many years have you studied Mandarin Chinese?

2.  How do you study a foreign language?  How many hours a day?

·      Oral language

·      Written language

·      Reading the language

3. Are there native Chinese speakers in your school? In you community?

4. What courses do you take to prepare for university study?

5. Do you choose the university you will attend?

6. Do you expect to get financial aid to attend a university?  What kind and how much?

7. What activities outside of your classes do you participate like to attend?

8. Do you play any sports at your school?

9. What is your favorite class to attend?

10. How many students are in your classes?

11. Do you plan to travel to China someday?

It was a great opportunity to provide a global experience for students in Utah and China to have a real time conversation in two languages.  Students in both locations responded and were excited to actually speak to native speakers.  There seemed to be a trust level between students that exhibited international understanding.  It was fun to watch their surprise at the differences in their lives and their future expectations. 

The Dean and the Department Chair were both in my classroom when we spent our international hour.  They were very gracious when they left; I hope we will be able to do this again before the end of the semester.

Chinese students #2

Most Chinese students come from a single child family as outlined by the one child per family law in China.  So from the very vulnerable age of 14 or 15 students move to regional high schools to live in austere dormitory accommodations where their best friends become their fiercest competitors for that coveted high school, university or post graduate enrollment spot.

Chinese education is most definitely teacher/professor lecture to large classes.  English is required at all levels but never taught by a native speaker until post graduate levels when habits are set in concrete and difficult to overcome. Testing is the vehicle that propels student performance and teacher evaluation.  When a student graduates from high school the university they will attend is decided by their test scores and the major area of study, also decided by test scores.  Student choices and personal interests are never a consideration.  Students are so happy to have the privilege to continue their education they never ask or question what their major will be. Students may or may not receive a scholarship or financial aid depending upon; you guessed it, test scores.  Parents may be responsible to finance the entire education bill not all that different from student financing in the U.S.

My largest concern is the emptiness I sense in students.  The core values seem to be absent.  They are happy, easy to get along with, compliant with requests but there is an emptiness.  Being a mother I have to say they are missing a cohesive confidence that being part of a family or having someone care for you regardless of what happens.  It is that unconditional love piece that seems hollow.  We discussed international cuisine in class last week.  I asked students if they cooked any Chinese dishes, no were the answers.  I asked if they had any favorite Chinese dishes that their mother cooked, most students had a favorite.  I asked it they ever cooked or watched their mother cook dishes that they could make for friends or guests.  They all left home so early they only watched their mother as young children.  Only one or two students felt confident they could cook a dish from their region or family.

Students have difficulty with critical thinking.  They have been taught never to question teachers or elders.  They never wonder if there is another way to do something, they merely do what they are taught unassumingly.  As a result, education has become listen to professors, take notes, read, memorize regurgitate information on tests, papers and presentations. It is not uncommon to see students outside buildings memorizing information mostly in Chinese, but sometimes in English. 

The most difficult question I ask my students is “What is your opinion?” They have been taught to only quote what they have been taught, not have an opinion.  I can almost see the wheels turn when students stand to respond to that question. Part and parcel of that syndrome is plagiarism.  The Chinese philosophy is copy the experts, follow the masters of your field.  Chinese students have difficulty with why plagiarism is a problem at all.  Why wouldn’t you want to use the information of those who are expert in your research field?   Eighteen years of educational format is very difficult to overcome. On a positive note, that would be the reason that the knock off market thrives, the Chinese are able to copy everything!

When all is said and done we hope to be able to support our students in their quest to be successful in the Chinese system, not to change the system but to participate in student success the Chinese way.  Even though there are vast differences in philosophy and values, I want to provide English learning opportunities for Chinese students.  Being a teacher is indeed a noble profession, more so now than ever before.

My Chinese Students

I have developed a great deal of respect for my Chinese students as I have become more knowledgeable about their circumstances and the Chinese school system inner workings.

I had the opportunity to implement a Mandarin Chinese Dual Immersion program in the last elementary school where I was the Principal. Utah made a decision to adopt Mandarin Chinese dual immersion in eight elementary schools along the Wasatch Front.  I volunteered Lone Peak Elementary to participate in that pilot program.  I was afforded the opportunity to partner with Brigham Young University and the Utah State Office of Education to design and implement this program.  It was decided that first grade students would begin the implementation with a 50/50 model.  That meant that Mandarin Chinese would be spoken in the content area for 50% of the day and English would be spoken for the other 50% of the day.  Native Chinese speakers would teach social studies, math, art, physical education and music in Chinese and the rest of the curriculum would be delivered in English.

I was selected by the State Office to travel to Beijing and Wuhan, China to observe Chinese schools and instructional patterns.  Visiting the schools was a great experience, however we were guided to only the schools that were selected for us to see model students doing remarkable work.  Very large classrooms 50—60 students with the teacher lecturing and delivering instructions to all levels. Never a behavior problem, never an attendance problem, students well prepared when called upon to respond to the teacher's query were the classrooms we visited day after day, in both cities. 

We requested to meet with the principal, some teachers and students to discuss school curriculum and protocols.  We were promptly told that principals never meet with students and furthermore we would not be speaking to the principal either.  We discovered later that Principals are appointed by the communist party and rarely deal with school issues. 

I hired my first grade native Mandarin teacher and launched a summer program to prepare for the implementation Mandarin Chinese in first grade.  I lost many nights sleep wondering if I would be able to fill a classroom of willing students and parents to speak 50% of their curriculum day in Mandarin Chinese.  School started with a waiting list of students to get in the program, the teacher I hired was a huge success and we were off and running.  We decided to treat the Chinese classroom as an island, only Chinese would be spoken in that room, attendance, lunch orders, bathroom requests, home work assignments the whole works were spoken in Chinese.  I expected to have first grade students in tears the first day of school because they were not able to understand anything their Chinese teacher said, but students were actually entertained and listened carefully to voice tones and directions.  They loved the Chinese program.  Long story short, that program now has a lottery every spring to accommodate the high demand for enrollment and my 1st grade class is now in 5^th grade speaking amazing Chinese.  They are above grade level in their subjects across the board. 

That is part of what brought me to China to teach at the University level. I have learned first hand about the Chinese school system mostly from those who have successfully navigated the system to a Master’s program at South China University of Technology. My students are respectful, they stand to speak in class, they arrive early, never a tardy problem.  My students are very bright and have survived a whole gambit of testing.  I remember being in schools when “No Child Left Behind” was introduced to public education.  There were complaints about the high stakes testing that was required.  That state and federal testing pale to the testing Chinese students are required to take.  Speaking of high stakes, if you do not score well on Chinese testing your school career is over; only the highest scores are allowed to advance to high school and universities.  Not surprising that students are respectful, attend all of their classes, and complete everything they are asked to do! They all recognize their own fragility in this system.

My Chinese students have lived in residence halls and eaten cafeteria food three meals a day since they were admitted to high school as freshman.  High schools are regional, only the highest scores are allowed to attend and they must live on campus sometimes a long distance from their families.  They have now completed their undergraduate and were admitted by their test scores to Master’s programs.  They have lived without a family for eight-ten years. Every freshman student, male and female is required to do military training at the beginning of the school year prior to attending the university.  Very thoughtful planning by the CCP, the best and the brightest of the entire country are not only well educated, they are military trained and prepared as well.