Message from sspringer

[Anonymous]

Here are some of my thoughts. As China becomes more of a global power, business and social interactions will increase between our two nations. With the upcoming Olympics, interest in Asia has soared within our general population. Family discussions, summer school classes, and conversations amongst friends now include information and questions about China. The changes happening in China will make them a powerful player internationally in the years to come. Our students need to be educated and equipped to work with the Chinese and / or compete with them for their working lifetime. As teachers, we can encourage our students to learn and appreciate the Asian cultures and plan for success in the future. We begin this learning in the elementary school classrooms with the "safe environment" to learn new ideas and cultures through classroom discussion, encouraging multicultural activities and learning all year long instead of just during a multicultural month, reading libraries showcasing different cultures, guest speakers, and starting this past year some school districts offered free Mandarin lessons in the after school programs. The programs were sectioned at 2-3rd grade and 4-6th grade. The bi-weekly sessions included reading, vocabulary, simple sentences, art, music, and culture. The classes were taught by native Chinese teachers, funded by a Chinese organization. Similar lessons for children and adults were offered by some cities with a fee attached. I thought (you) secondary teachers may find this interesting.