Sister School Delegation Arrives

The Sister School Delegation has arrived on schedule at Beijing Capitol Airport. They are now in the hotel and will head for dinner at 6:00.

Principal Shadowing and Teacher Confucian Group Arrives

The Principal Shadowing and Teacher Confucian group arrived in Beijing at 6:00 PM. The flight was delayed from Chicago by three hours. We had dinner and then went to the hotel. The delegation will visit the Ministry of Education and Peking University tomorrow.

I have reposted the flight itineraries below. Lou Pear has the locater codes for the PS/TC Delegation; Thaddeus Obielgo has them for the Sister School Delegation. Please go on line the night before your departure date and check flight status. And, make sure you are at the airport in plenty of time.

I leave for Beijing on Saturday morning, April 5, and will arrive on Sunday. On Monday I go to Jinan to meet with Mme. Duan and return to Beijing the same day. I will be staying in the same hotel we will all be staying in for our time in Beijing. I will meet both groups on arrival in Beijing.

Please have a good flight and most of all relax. See you all soon.

Itinerary for Principal Shadowing and Teacher Confucian Delegation, April 8-21:

April 8
Departure: BDL, UA 355, 8:26 AM
Arrival: ORD, 9:55 AM
Departure: ORD, UA 851, 12:43 PM
Arrival: PEK, 3:00 PM, April 9

April 21
Departure: PEK, UA 850, 4:10 PM
Arrival: ORD, 4:21 PM (Same Day)
Departure: ORD, UA 1234, 6:45 PM
Arrival: BDL, 9:53 PM

Itinerary for Sister School Delegation, April 11-21:

April 11
Departure: BDL, UA 355, 8:26 AM
Arrival: ORD, 955 AM
Departure: ORD, UA 850, 12:43 PM
Arrival: PEK, 3:00 PM (April 12)

April 21
Departure: PEK, UA 850, 4:10 PM
Arrival: ORD, 4:21 PM (Same Day)
Departure: ORD, UA 1234, 6:45 PM
Arrival: BDL, 9:53 PM

School Match Updates

Please look at the school matches as I have updated the postings. I now have the grade levels for all the schools. There are two schools that have changed -- Faiman, Sutman and Sumby. Bloomfield High School now has a high school in Jinan.

Hotels in China

Here is a listing of hotels in China. You can look the hotel up on the internet and get additional information.

Beijing:

Jiang Xi Grand Hotel Beijing
Add: No.8, Hen Yi Tao, Dong Tie Jiang Ying, Feng Tai District, Beijing
Tel: 011+86+10+6760 8866

Jinan (First Night):

Silver Plaza Quancheng Hotel
Add: No.2, Nan Men Da Jie, Li Xia District, Jinan 250011
Tel: 86+531+8692 1911

You local school will determine accomodations.

Jinan (After Return from the Schools):

Shandong Hotel Jinan
Address: No. 2-1 Ma An Shan Road, Jinan. Shandong 250002Phone: 86-531-82958888ZIP: 250002


Beijing Airport Pick Up Sign:

Please look for the sign of “Connecticut-Shandong Delegation” after exit immigration, pick up all check-in luggage and come out together as a group after exit customs.

Emergency Contact in China:

Peng Zhen, Tel: 011+86+13801389158 (C)
Please note that this is only for extreme emergency.

Seminar 3, Saturday, March 29

Location: Connecticut Association of Schools, Connecticut Principals' Center, 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire, CT

Directions: http://www.casciac.org/directions.shtml

Time: 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM

This will be our final meeting before departing for China. You will receive your gift packs, passports with Chinese visa and other important information related to beginning the process of building a relationship for your school in Shandong Province.

Agenda

8:00 - 8:30 Arrival and Breakfast

8:30 - 9:00 Luggage, Gifting and Committees, Dan Gregg and Lou Pear

9:00 - 10:15 Language and Culture: Names, Money and Bargaining, Jeff Wang

10:15 - 10:30 Break

10:30 - 11:30 Journals, Ethnographies and Cultural Protocol in China, Dan Gregg

11:30 - 12:00 Making Connections, Ed Rybzek, U.S.-China Business Center, Connecticut State University

12:00 - 12:30 Lunch

12:30 -12:45 Fortune Cookies, Mary Goetter, International Services, LTD

12:45 - 1:30 Education Reform in China, Juefei Wang, University of Vermont

1:30 - 2:00 Final Preparations: Business Cards, Passports, Gift Packs

New Connecticut Shandong Powerpoint Presentation

The new version of Connecticut-Shandong PowerPoint presentation has been posted on the Asia Society website. The file is large so it might take time to open. Here is the link: http://www.internationaled.org/connecticutinchina.ppt

Professional and Cultural Protocol

The role of an interpreter/translator and research and evaluation specialist embedded in a delegation conducting field study in an unfamiliar culture can be culturally and professionally challenging. In both cases, if not handled properly, can create awkward situations that may or may not be understood by both sides.

When you visit your school and in meetings with government education officials an interpreter is really supposed to be invisible. While the interpreter will speak good English, keep in mind that he/she is conveying information for a school administrator or senior central/provincial government official. Questions and comments should be directed to the government official, principal etc. and not the interpreter.

In the school setting you will become close to the English interpreter(s) that will be assigned to you. It is important to be aware when you are in an official mode and when you are in a personal mode. All of this is a learning process when experiencing a culture very different than our own. You will make mistakes and both sides often have a good sense of humor about good intentions somehow not coming across they way one might expect. I will provide cultural clues as we experience Chinese culture in Beijing and when you are on your own with your sister school it is okay to ask your interpreter to advise on protocol when you feel the need. Humility and the attitude of willingness to learn is a very good way to begin the development of your relationship with your sister school.

We will also have an embedded research and evaluation specialist in our delegation who is very knowledgeable of Shandong and Chinese culture. You may be tempted to use the specialist as a personal cultural attendant or do some "work" for you. Please do not do that. It will become culturally awkward for the specialist and can interfere with the evaluation and research purpose. We know from a review of the literature that the research and evaluation we are doing is very limited. There are very different perspectives on "research" for both sides that can make it very challenging to conduct. Prior to our seminar on March 29 we expect to have an instrument for you to complete so we can begin, what I believe, can be very important to the Connecticut-Shandong relationship and for others who may wish to embark on developing relationships between two very different cultures.

Cultural and logistical questions related to our field study should be directed to me or Lou and we will do our best to provide you with information. You will find that we work closely with Peng by informing and sharing what we know in both formal and informal ways as we all experience Chinese culture together. It is impossible to know everything in 10 to 12 days. Most of all, I want you to keep an open mind, relax and absorb all you can from a culture that values social relationships, hospitality and order. At our next seminar I will provide a list of some cultural "no, no's" that I have collected over time so you can shock the Chinese with your sensitivity and expertise.

Sister School Matches (PS/TC Delegation)

Here are the sister school matches for the Principal Shadowing and Teacher Confucian Delegation. All schools have been notified by the Shandong Provincial Department of Education and are preparing for your visit. If you have an existing sister school, you can write to them to let them know you are coming. For existing schools, your school system should have address and contact information. I do not have it. If you are a new school, the school has been notified and are preparing for your visit. You do not need to be anxious about lack of contact before you go. For all participants, you must gather all contact information about your school during the visit to begin the process of building on the school to school relationship. I do not have the capacity to keep track of more than 90 school partnerships in Shandong Province.

The matches are:

1. Andrews, Mansfield Middle School,
Middle School of Taishan Teaching Academy, Taian (7-9)
泰山学院附属中学

2. Blake, Fairfield Ludlowe High School
Jining Experimental Middle School (10-12)
济宁实验中学

3. Boehme, Westbrook High School
Qingzhou Experimental Middle School (10-12)
青州实验中学

4. Buckley, Wesleyan University Upward Bound
Jinan No. 7 Middle School (10-12)
济南七中

5. Crossman, RHAM Middle School, Hebron
Zhangqiu No. 5 Middle School (7-9)
章丘五中

6. Dellinger, Amity Middle School, Bethany
Jinan No. 12 Middle School (7-9)
济南十二中

7. Faiman, Ramon E. Betances Elementary School, Hartford
Jinan Jingwulu Primary School (1-6)
济南市经五路小学

8. Giannini, Elmer Thienes-Mary Hall Elementary School, Marlborough
Zhangqiu Huiquan Primary School, Jinan (1-6)
章丘汇泉小学

9. Glendening, Henry James Memorial School, Simsbury
Middle School Affiliated to Shandong Normal University (7-9)
山师大二附中

10. Griffin, Andover Elementary School
Licheng Hongjialou Primary School, Jinan (1-6)
济南市历城区洪家楼小学

11. Homrok, Henry James Memorial School, Simsbury
Middle School Affiliated to Shandong Normal University (7-9)
山师大二附中

12. Marvin, Hebron Avenue Elementary School, Glastonbury
Zhoudian Primary School, Taian (1-6)
泰安周店小学

13. Pear, Connecticut Association of Schools
Middle School Affiliated to Shandong University (7-9)
山东大学附中

14. Robertson, Walter C. Polson Middle School, Madison
Taian No. 6 Middle School (7-9)
泰安六中

15. Schlamowitz-Burke, Woodstock Academy
Dezhou No. 1 Middle School (9-12)
德州一中

16. Reynolds, West Haven High School
Jinan No. 9 Middle School (9-12)
济南九中

17. Smith, Bolton High School
Jinan Steel Factory High School (9-12)
济钢高中

18. Veronesi, Gilead School, Hebron
Zhangqiu Shuangshan Central Primary School (1-6)
章丘双山中心小学

19. White, Beecher Road School, Woodbridge
Heze Experimental Primary School (1-6)
荷泽实验小学

Sister School Matches (Sister School Delegation)

Here are the sister school matches for the sister school delegation. All schools have been notified by the Shandong Provincial Department of Education and are preparing for your visit. If you have an existing sister school, you can write to them to let them know you are coming. For existing schools, your school system should have address and contact information. I do not have it. If you are a new school, the school has been notified and are preparing for your visit. You do not need to be anxious about lack of contact before you go. For all participants, you must gather all contact information about your school during the visit to begin the process of building on the school to school relationship. I do not have the capacity to keep track of more than 90 school partnerships in Shandong Province.

The matches are:

1. Zytka and Parks, Bloomfield High School
Jinan Middle School (10-12)
济南中学

2. Johnson and Lefebvre, Windsor Locks High School
Jinan Foreign Language School (10-12)
济南外国语学校

3. Demkiv and Izzo, Booth Hill Elementary School, Trumbull
The Primary School Affiliated to Jinan Teachers’ School (1-6)
济南师范附小

4. Gargano and Green, Derby High School
Shandong Experimental Middle School (10-12)
山东省实验中学

5. Obieglo, K. and Mullady, F., Pathways to Technology Magnet High School, Bloomfield
Jinan No. 2 Middle School (10-12)
济南二中

6. Mullady, W. and Obieglo, Hartford Magnet Middle School
Jinan Shungeng Middle School (7-9)
济南舜耕中学

7. Leclerc and Fers, Goodwin Elementary School, Mansfield
Jinan Xinyuan Primary School (1-6)
济南市新苑小学

8. Hiruo and Parvis, Newtown High School
Liaocheng No. 3 Middle School (10-12)
聊城三中

9. Sutman and Sumby, Old Saybrook Middle School
Jinan Oriental Bilingual Experimental School (7-9)
济南东方双语实验学校