Beijing-based Tsinghua International School and Shanghai-based Fudan Internatinal School on Friday jointly established a new scholarship for those overseas students studying at their respective schools. Totaling 10,000,000yuan ($1.5million), the scholarship aims to provide tuition fees to the students. （China Daily 2009.3.22）
MORE than 250 high school students from home and aboard have gathered in the city of the Model United Nations conference, held in Shanghai for the first time.
Sponsored by the Fudan International School, the 2007 Fudan Model United Nations conference invited students from 19 Chinese high school and peers from the United States, South Korea and Japan for the three-day conference that started on Monday.
Participants play the role of diplomats from different countries to discuss global topics such as energy shortage and nuclear proliferation by representing their assigned nation’s policy.
All conferences debates and voting will be conducted in English and teams will compete for different titles, such as the best speech award and best manners award, after the conference ends today, organizer said:
“The Model United Nations is more than a simple test o students’ English ability, manners and knowledge. It challenges young people’s analysis and ability to think fast,” said Cai Defeng, the conference’s organizing committee head and Fuandan University vice president.
Started in the US 50 years ago, the Model United conference has been held in about 35 countries. More than 400similar conferences are held throughout the world each year, attracting 200,000 high school and university students.
Zhang Shida, a student at the High School affiliated to Fudan University, said the activity made participants understand UN operations better and boosted their communication skills.
At a show at Fudan last night, the students showcased some of their countries’’ culture with singing and dancing.（Shanghai Daily 2007.2.7）
IN a classroom dotted with colored ribbons at Shanghai Fudan-Vanke Experimental School, first-grade pupils are busy building “skyscrapers” with paper and scissors. But what makes their architectural endeavors different id that they are trying to work out how to make their buildings withstand strong earthquakes.
Such a task presented a demanding challenge for the seven-year-olds, far beyond the usual paper-cutting exercises. These endeavors, however, are fairly common for younger children in most schools in learning though experimenting and in working with different material and resources.
What’s unique about this kind of hands-on learning is that it’s conducted without a clear division of subjects and is extended throughout all grades – it is also an education model that the new Fudan International School is about to introduce into its primary school curriculum.
“We are interested in taking in the teaching methods of integrated learning,” said school Director Lucia Buchanan Pierce. She added that the integrated curriculum led to a wiser, sophisticated and more successful student.
Initiated by the New York City-based Bank Street College of Education, the education method is exemplified by experience-based, interdisciplinary and collaborative classes for children to learn from their own discovering experience.
For students at Bank Street school, which dates back more than 90 years, cooking, block building, dramatic play, lab work, painting and field trips, among other, are regarded as basic life experience from which understanding and knowledge can be constructed.
For instance, that building making class at Fudan-Vanke teaches students to think about and work out solutions to comprehensive problem, taking in aspects of physics, architecture and city planning.
Older students might learn about politics by being asked to organize parliamentary debate – something interdisciplinary but also tangible in a students’ daily experience.
Stan Chu, a Bank Street School professor in New York, said teacher acting as guides and facilitators for the learning program were recently invited to give a demonstration class in Shanghai. Fudan official said that they were planning to follow the social studies-centered education, carrying out a curriculum without clear division of subjects during the primary school education stage. The courses will be organized around a theme, such as diplomacy or environment, in a single school year.
“When children go into the future or employment, things never break down onto disciplines,” said Wu Xiaoxin, deputy principle of High School Affiliated to Fudan University. “They have to solve problems with their own integrated and critical thinking.”
He added that the education model also posed a big challenge for the school and its faculty. Only international department are able to tae risks against traditional Chinese education that works for high academic scores.
Jointly established by the High School Affiliated to Fudan University and Columbia University, the school’s international department has offered high-school classes since September. A primary school is scheduled to start this September.（Shanghai Daily 2007.1.17）
Parents looking to enroll their children in international schools in Shanghai often seek established curriculums which balance both teaching in Chinese and foreign cultures. They might be pleased to learn that when the next semester starts in September, the International Division of the High School Affiliated to Fudan University (ID of HSAFU) will provide a brand new curriculum for the first two classes it recruits – with support from both Columbia University and Fudan University.
From next semester, ID of HSAFU will recruit more than 40 international students. As with other international schools and international divisions in elementary and middle schools, only children whose parents are citizens of foreign countries will be eligible to enroll.
English will be the language of the international schools, but in this case Chinese courses and subjects on Chinese culture are also required by the school. “This is the first tome an international school in Shanghai has launched such a project,” said Wu Xiaoxin, deputy principal of HSAFU. “Students will meet some teachers from both foreign countries and China. They will experience different methods of study.”
Supported by Columbia University and Fudan University, he said the school would offer a wide range of subjects, most of them unavailable in either international schools or local middle schools.
“I have visited many international schools in Shanghai. To my surprise, students in those schools are taught by teachers from foreign countries in foreign languages,” Wu said. “Few Chinese courses of subjects involving Chinese culture are taught. Students would hardly know they were in China.”
Wu said he knew many Chinese who had migrated to foreign countries. “They run their business’ in Shanghai and hope their children will not forget Chinese when they study in international schools,” he said.
Many parents, including foreigners and Chinese, hope their children will continue their studies in a Chinese university after graduation from an international school, he said. “But some fail to be admitted because they were taught so little about China when in school.”
In March, Wu and Xie Yingping, principal of HSAFU, went to New York and visited Columbia University. Both the Teachers College (TC) and the school of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) were interested in the idea of founding an international division in HSAFU and help it to set up an integrated curriculum.
“The ID of HSAFU is in a unique situation as it develops an innovative international program that will serve as a model for China and the rest of the world,” said Francisco Rivera-Batiz, program director at TC of Columbia University. He pointed out that TC has never conducted such a program before.
For students, the benefits of cross-cultural co-operation will not only be limited to the classroom. According to William Eimicke, director of the Picker Centre for Executive Education at SIP, the wide network of alumni and teachers will opportunities for involvement in various international activities.
“SIPA has current students and alumni from over 100 countries. We look forward to working with TC of Columbia University to assist the ID of HSAFU to develop a mentoring program through which college students guide high school students at ID and a coaching program through which working college graduates provide career guidance to the ID of HSAFU graduating students,” Eimicke said.
According to Xie, some renowned elementary and middle schools said that they would launch student-exchange projects with ID of HSAFU. “We are eager to receive 10 students from ID in the 2006-2007 academic year and we look forward to a time when our brightest students will study with students of ID of HSAFU at HSAFU,” William MacMullen , headmaster of the Taft School in the United States.
The school does not only receive support from foreign universities and schools. According to the Cai Dafeng, vice-president of Fudan University, the university is also happy about co-operation with ID of HSAFU. “Because our city has already become cosmopolitan, it’s necessary to help people, especially children to understand different cultures – wherever these children come from,” he said. “After the students are enrolled by HSAFU, those students are enrolled by the university – so the libraries, the labs, the classrooms and the teachers in the university are open for all students at HSAFU.”
Wu added that teachers at Fudan University will also help them. “Students at ID of HSAFU will not only take courses provided by foreign teachers. They will also have courses given by teachers at Fudan University,” he said.
“I realize that both foreign and Chinese educational traditions have their shortcomings – we will try to provide students with a better system. It can be seen as the first attempt of its kind in China and I believe we are heading in the right direction,” he said. （China Daily 2006.6.30）
상하이 엑스포 자원봉사자
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지난 14일 푸딴대 부속중학교 재학생들이 선생님들과 함께 新天地에서 자리한 커피숍에서 티타임을 가졌다. 이날 티타임에는 푸딴부중 교장과 입학담당자,현지 교사외에도 컬럼비아대학교 재단이사와 교수를 초대해 컬럼비아대 교과과정,학과 선정 등 입학에 관련해 의견을 나누었다. （Shanghai Edu News 2008.3.23）
中고등학생들 “외교관” 됐다!
250명 학생 푸딴대학 “모의 유엔회의”참가
외교관의 꿈을 가진 고등학생들이 모여 “유엔회의”를 개최했다.지난 5일부터 7일까지 3일에 거쳐 푸단대학에서 주최한 “푸단대학 국제고등학생 모의 유엔회의”가 푸단대부속중학교에서 열렸다.
지난 50년 동안 외국의 대학교 위주의 청소년단체에서 많이 진행해왔던 모의 유엔회의가 최조로 중국에서도 얼굴을 내민 것.
향후에는 1년에 한번씩 개최할 예정이다. 총 4회로 나뉘어져 열린 모의 유엔회의에서 지구상의 심각한 에네르기 위기,전쟁포로 학대사건,북핵 위기 등 국제적으로 이슈가 되고 있는 문제점들을 둘러싸고 치열한 정치적 공방을 벌였다. 회의에 참가한 학생들은 3-4명으로 팀을 구성해 임의로 나라를 선정하고 그 나라의 외교관으로 “변신”해 나라의 입장과 이익에 걸맞은 외교적인 발언과 주장을 펼쳐나갔다.
이번 모의 유엔회의에 참가한 학생들은 각 명문고등학교의 수재들로 6개월 간의 시간을 거쳐 최종 선발, 상하이를 비롯한 항저우,닝부어,창사,베이징,하얼빈,썬전,창춘 등 지역의 250명 고1,고2 학생들이 참가했으며 그 가운데는 미국,프랑스,멕시코 등 나라의 외국인 유학생들도 있었다.
일부 학교의 시험시간과 겹쳐 열려 한국유학생은 아쉽게도 불참. 하지만 상하이고등학교의 3명 학생대표가 한국외교관으로 “분장”해,이번모의 유엔회의에서 외교적인 행사를 “수행”하고 “최우수팀워크상” “최고의 열정상”등 우수한 성적표를 받았다.
（Shanghai Edu News 2007.2.11）
“아이들은 스스로 깨우친다”
복단부중국제부 초등부 시범수업 열려
지난 10일 복단부중국제부 초등학교 시범수업이 복단완커초등학교에서 열렸다.
복단부중국제부는 빠르면 2007년 늦어도 2008년에 1-6학년까지의 초등부 수업을 시작할 준비를 하고 있다.이에 협력할 교육전문학교 뉴욕 뱅크스트릿칼리지 스탠추 교수를 초빙해 시범수업을 실시했다.
이날 시범수업에는 지역학교의 교장과 교사 30여명도 참석해 참관했다.
스탠추 교수는 아이들에게 두 명씩 짝지어 종이로 건물을 만들게 했다.이후 아이들은 조용히 걸으며 다른 친구들의 것을 감성하는 시간을 가지고 다시 자신들의 건물을 보완했다. 교수는 각각의 아이들에게 건물이 어떻게 독특한지 짚어주었다.
자신이 만들 건물을 누가 볼 새라 두손으로 감싸는 아이도 있었지만 마지막엔 모두들 각기 다양한 건물을 만들었다는데 만족한고 안도 했다.
“경쟁은 늘 있지만 교실에서 그것을 부추기는 것은 좋지 않다고 봅니다.우리는 다른 사람과 협력해야 하고 서로에게서 배우는 과정 속에서 성장하니까요”라고 스탠추교수는 말했다.
국제부 피어스주임은 “협력하며 경험을 통해 스스로 깨우쳐 가는 것을 중시 여기는 뱅크스트릿칼리지의 이념이 우리와 동일하다”고 말했다.（Shanghai Time 2007.1.15） |
