NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
December 19, 2012 Walnut, CA 91789
Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909) 595-1261 ext. 31204
Walnut Elementary Educators Invited to Chinese Sister School Conference
WALNUT, CA—Last week, two Walnut Valley elementary teachers were doing what they do best – teaching – across the globe in Hangzhou, China.
Walnut Elementary School teachers Kelly Ebel, Title I and intervention, and Amy Wu, Dual Language Immersion kindergarten, were guest presenters at the annual 14th West Lake International Expo held December 6-13 held at Walnut Elementary’s sister school, the 1st Affiliated Primary School of Hangzhou Normal University.
They taught demonstration lessons and participated in a panel discussion during the conference attended by 300 teachers and principals.
Ebel and Wu taught fractions to fourth graders during a math lesson and fifth graders learned about sea otters in a science/oceanography lesson.
They taught in English using the repetitive and visual Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) strategies to about 20 Chinese-speaking students while conference participants observed, Wu explained.
Ebel and Wu used chants, input charts, and showed photos on their iPod. GLAD strategies are designed to help English Learners.
Last January, the sister school visited Walnut with 20 students. And the students have continued to be pen pals with their Chinese friends, Ebel said.
Both of the Walnut teachers were first time visitors in China
“It was freezing, but it was a great trip,” Ebel said.
“Hangzhou is beautiful – it’s like a resort,” she added.
“I believe the schools over there wanted to learn about how we teach our students in the States, They want to learn more about our progressive education,” Wu said.
“The teachers took turns showing us around Hangzhou and were very hospitable. We had a great time with them,” Wu said.
Ebel and Wu toured the Lei Feng Pagoda, Ling Yin Temple, and West Lake with their English teachers.
“I enjoyed every moment there,” Wu said.
“I enjoyed the Ling Yin Temple the best,” Ebel added.
“It is incredibly thrilling and an honor to have a real relationship with a sister school,” said Principal Janet Green.
“It’s not just on paper. They visited us last year, and now we’ve sent teachers,’ she said.
“They want to have teachers from both schools teach on the same topic and then share it,” Ebel said.
“They want to keep sharing ideas,” she added.
Ebel and Wu brought home tiny harmonica souvenirs for their students and green tea for Mrs. Green. Very fitting.
Shown:
Walnut Elementary teachers Kelly Ebel and Amy Wu were guest presenters at the annual 14th West Lake International Expo held December 6-13 held at the sister school, the 1st Affiliated Primary School of Hangzhou Normal University. Shown (left to right) Wu and Ebel demonstrate a lesson to Chinese students.
Teacher Kelly Ebel (at left) shown during the panel discussion.
Walnut Elementary teachers Kelly Ebel and Amy Wu were among 300 educators at the conference held at their sister school in China.