MURFREESBORO — As
they stepped off the bus Tuesday outside MTSU’s Kennon Hall of Fame, many
members among the delegation of 30-plus visitors from Hangzhou, China, had
their smart phones in hand to capture a slice of American culture.
They were met by plenty of smiles, handshakes and music as
band members and cheerleaders from Siegel High School, the Discovery School at
Reeves Rogers, Central Magnet School and MTSU performed along a balloon-lined
entrance to the Hall of Fame.
Once inside, MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee officially
welcomed the delegation of Chinese elementary and middle school children and
educators to campus. They are visiting to develop student exchanges and
cultural ties with Tennessee schools.
With translation assistance from Dr. Guanping Zheng,
director of the MTSU Confucius Institute, McPhee noted that the visit “is the
continuation of a partnership that began several years ago” when a former
president of Hangzhou Normal University visited schools in Murfreesboro and
East Tennessee to discuss collaboration between rural and urban schools in
China and the United States.
The goal was to “exchange best practices in teaching and
learning, to look at the resources and leverage the expertise of both the
United States, particularly Tennessee, and China, and it has resulted in a
wonderful partnership between Dongcheng Education Group, MTSU’s Confucius
Institute and the schools in this area,” McPhee added.
The Chinese students will be paired throughout the four-day
visit with Rutherford students who visited Hangzhou in July 2012. That visit
was facilitated by the Confucius Institute, which works to develop cultural and
educational ties between China and the United States.
Principal Liu Jinbin of the Dongcheng Education Group of
Hangzhou Normal University expressed appreciation for the hospitality shown
thus far. On Tuesday, that included some
light-hearted ice-breaking activities such as teaching the Chinese students the
Cupid Shuffle and a game of musical chairs.
“I see many familiar faces of those of you who visited China
last year,” Liu said. “Our visit is to further our collaboration and
partnership with Middle Tennessee State University and the school systems in
Middle Tennessee. It will help us get a better understanding of the schools and
education system.
“It’s my first time visiting the U.S., but I already feel
like I have a lot of friends.”
Sally Smith, a seventh-grader at Central Magnet School,
joined Central eighth-grader Eshan Patel in sharing historical and cultural
facts about the local community with the Chinese delegation as well as sharing
the group’s itinerary for the week.
Chinese students will visit the homes of local children,
tour historic and cultural sites in Nashville and Murfreesboro and participate
in educational workshops. Stops include the State Capitol Building, the Grand
Ole Opry, the Stones River National Battlefield and Cannonsburgh Village.
“It will truly be hard to live up to our visits to your
homes,” Patel said.
Elizabeth McPhee, MTSU’s first lady and a retired teacher
from the Discovery School at Reeves Rogers, was part of a committee of
teachers, parents and administrators that organized the cultural exchange
effort.
“The No. 1 thing we’re trying to accomplish is a merging of
the cultures, getting our kids to learn from the Chinese and getting the
Chinese to learn from us,” said Mrs. McPhee.
“It’s not just textbooks. Our students have had the
opportunity to go to China, and not just go as a tourist, but to go and
actually be in the homes of the families, and now we’re doing the same thing
(for the Chinese delegation). They’re going to come and be in our homes,
they’re going to go to some of our schools … and they’re going to see some of
our best practices.”
Area and Chinese educators will participate in roundtable
discussions about educational and leadership styles used in their respective
schools and systems.
Later this week, officials from Murfreesboro City Schools,
Rutherford County Schools, MTSU and the Dongcheng Education Group of Hangzhou
Normal University hope to sign agreements to formalize future cooperation,
including:
- promoting institutional
exchanges by inviting faculty and staff to participate in teaching and
research activities and in professional development;
- developing exchange
programs, such as summer camps, in both China and Rutherford County; and
- organizing symposia,
conferences, short courses or programs, and meetings on educational issues
or other topics of mutual interest.
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