WAP #5 Student as Global Citizen

Pen Pal

      

      Our students are growing up in a very different world than we had. They are living in a globalization world, and this world will become more and more diverse. Foreign language class right now does not only play the role of teaching foreign language, but also play the role of helping the students become global citizens. 

      If I have a Chinese classroom, I will definitely build up relationship with the schools in China. This idea benefits at least two things: 1, It's a great way to open my students' eyes, learn from other culture and develop their global citizen awareness. 2, It's a great way to practice their Chinese. 

------------------ How to Build Up Relationship?  --------------------

ePals.

    This is a great platform that could find schools all over the world which are interested in the culture exchange/ pen pals programs.

      Through the ePals platform, I could easily find out a couple schools/classrooms that speak Chinese and would like to build up relationship with English speakers. This is an awesome way!

      But the disadvantage is, most of the schools here are private schools. If I want to build up relationship with public schools, I should use other ways, such like traditional way.

Traditional way.

     I will need to build up relationship with the schools in China or other Chinese speaking countries/areas.

     I will start from my own middle school and high school. I will also ask my mom's help to see is there any public schools are interested in my program.

    If I still can't find any, I will goole the public school's phone numbers and call them one by one. 

    Of course, in this way, I have to have my complete proposal ready. But I have confidence that a lot of schools will be very interested in it.

---------------- What Will the Program Look Like?  --------------

 The program includes three milestone events and daily pen pals communication.

Three milestone events:
First one: 
Time: In the beginning of the school year. 
Goal: Introducing each others. 
Form: Video record. Each teacher record a short introduction video and send it to the other teacher. The video might includes the greetings from the classroom, students' names, ages, hobbies...

Second one:
Time: Christmas and Chinese New Year.
Goal: Culture sharing.
Form: 
      Zoom. 
      During the Christmas time, the American classroom will open a Zoom meeting and use webcam to present the activity in the classroom. (20 min) The Chinese students could join the Zoom meeting and participate in it. (Chinese students will be in the evening and join it at home with parents. I have confidence that it's very easy for the Chinese students and parents to be cooperated.)
      During the Chinese New Year time (will be the end of the fall semester), the Chinese classroom will open a Zoom meeting and use webcam to present the activity in the classroom. (20 min) The American students could join the Zoom meeting and participate in it. (It will be a little bit changing for the American parents to be cooperated. So it will be a NOT must event.)

Third One:
Time: At the end of the school year.
Goal: Present their language.
Form: Video.
      Each classroom use the Reader Theater way to preform their language.


Daily Pen Pals Communication:
      The two teachers will pair up the students and have each student have one pen pal from the other classroom. Help them build up the relationship and ask them to write to each other in their second language. (American students write in Chinese and Chinese students write in English.) They also could make video at home and  record their voice.

      When they receive letter from their pen pals, I would like them to help correct their friends' grammar, mark them down, make a copy and send back to them with a new letter.

-----------------  Concerns...  ------------------

1. Time.
     The time is tricky. The time lag between China and east America is 12 (or 13 in winter) hours. Which means some students have to attend to the Zoom meeting in the evening.

2. Too many students.
    Although Zoom is an amazing tool. But if we have too many students, the quality becomes a concern. Especially the Chinese classroom might have 20-30 (private schools) or even 40-60 students (public schools).