OKI PODOKI

High School students on the Stanford University campus participated in writing activities during the intensive summer journalism program conducted July 8-12, 2007. Organized by Gill Chesterton, award-winning, retired journalism adviser from Beverly Hills High School, the teaching staff comprised of writers, journalists, high school teachers, and a computer graphics expert, included Jon Rochmis, Olga Kokino, Candy Carter, and Nick Carter. Students came from as far away as Florida, South Carolina, and Nevada to attend the 35th annual Newspaper By the Bay program.

Click on the title "China Delegation" to see the slideshow.

INTRODUCTION
Our Chinese hosts formally welcomed the educators attending the People to People Ambassador Program with an Opening Ceremony at the News Plaza Hotel in Beijing. Over 300 educators from China and 26 different states, representing public school administrators, teachers, counselors, and university professors, attended the 2006 U.S.-China Joint Education Conference. The professional exchange included research papers presented by our American and Chinese participants, and visits to primary, middle, and secondary schools. The cultural component featured a rickshaw tour through the back alleys to visit a family living in the hutong preservation area, as well as tours of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, the pearl market, a cloisonne factory, and the Friendship Store.
My flight on Cathay Pacific departed from LAX to Hong Kong punctually at 10:20 p.m. on Nov. 10 , connecting by Dragonair to Beijing on Nov. 12 and arriving at 11:20 a.m., a marathon trip. Upon arrival, our flag-waving guides met us, recognizable by our distinctive P2P delegation badges, and they escorted us to our hotels for our orientation meeting and buffet dinner. Fifty educators comprised the biggest group of Reading & Literacy, joined by groups representing Social Studies & Business, Child Development, Math, Librarians & Computer Science, Gifted, Physical Education, and Counselors. Following the speeches and papers delivered in the News Plaza Ballroom, we departed for the cocktail party, dinner banquet and performances at the Great Hall of the People to conclude our first professional day.

SCHOOL VISITS
By far the most thrilling aspect of my trip to China, next to the experience of seeing the extraordinary cultural attractions, was visiting the school classrooms. At the Beijing Primary School, the day began with over 1000 students lined up in the school quad doing calisthenics to exercise music. Children wearing red and white jogging suits observed the teacher on the stage as he gave instructions and also called upon student volunteers to lead exercises which lasted about twenty minutes. Then students returned to classrooms for their lessons. Students later had free time on the quad, playing volleyball and other sports much like our recess. In the afternoon, students participated in extra-curricular activities, such as dance, music, reader's theater, drawing, singing, photography, calligraphy, chess, and even tutoring.
Yumin prides itself on its experimental classes and innovations, along with its dedicated teachers, "who record both high moral traits and professional proficiency" in national and local teachers' contests. There is a strong emphasis on students' moral education and upon physical culture, so that they acquire "wisdom enlightenment," focused attention, and team spirit. Students participate in the Festival of Happiness, the Festival of Reading, the Festival of Science and Technology, and the Festival of Sports. The students and teaching staff are very proud of their many successes in various competitions and performances. The school motto is "Diligence, Civilization, Vivacity, and Vigor." Principal Zhai Jinghua's philosophy has brought the school recognition as a model of education with top achieving, gifted students.

The photo shows students doing morning exercises in the quad at Yumin Primary School in Beijing, China.

Come see my first podcast experiment recorded on a Blue Snowball microphone made in Latvia. Feb. 15, 2006, LACOE, Downey, CA. For questions, email me at okdelph@aol.com.