Outdoor fun in Chinese

Before the weather became too cold, students at Kalona Elementary put their chinese direction skills to the test with a game of Blindfolded freeze tag.  Everyone was paired up and tasked with guiding a student around who was blindfolded while at the same time avoiding another group who would try to tag them.

  Mrs. Wood's 5th Grade 

Ms. Lehman's 5th grade

Here is a great report about online language learning.

Here is a link to a recent NPR episode about the importance of early language learning.  It also talks about other early language programs in Iowa.  Find it here at Iowa Public Radio "Foreign Language Learning in the Elementary"

A Great Opportunity for International Exchange!!

Calligraphy Class

Check out these photos from our recent calligraphy classes at Wellman Elementary and Washington Township with our 4th and 5th grade students!

The students are using special calligraphy brushes to write Chinese characters. 

They worked hard, and were very proud of their results!

Jean Lin Hussey

Don't forget us during conferences

One of the things I love most about conference time is that is gives me an opportunity to talk to both parents and students about foreign language in the schools.  Don't pass up the opportunity to chat with us about what your children are learning.  We love the chance to talk about them and we also love the chance to get your ideas about our programs in the district.

Chinese Mid Autumn Festival

Thanks to all those who came out for our Chinese Mid Autumn festival last Tuesday.  We had around 55 people attend and fun was had by all.  I want to thank the University of Iowa Confucius Institute for giving us a great selection of activities and speakers.  The students truly learned a lot and had a wonderful time.

Chinese Moon Festival at Kalona Elementary

It's time again for our Chinese Moon festival.  We are fortunate that this year visitors from the University of Iowa Confucius Institute will be coming to Kalona Elementary to show ALL Mid Prairie elementary students how to celebrate this wonderful time.  Please Join us Tuesday evening at Kalona Elementary!!!

It's Hot!!

This has been a tough week for teachers and students considering all the heat.  In spite of it all the students have done an amazing job practicing their Chinese.  I am always surprised to see how well they do in class, but this was really an amazing week.  Please give each kid a pat on the back for all the hard work well done.

School year 2013 has begun!!

Welcome back to another great year of Chinese at Mid Prairie Community schools.  We are going to be doing a lot of great things in all our Chinese classes this year from working with I pads, to having Skype sessions with other Chinese schools.  It is going to be an exciting school year as we have Chinese class in all our elementary schools, the middle school, and online for high school level students in conjunction  with Kirkwood Community College.  Please come back often to see what is going on and how you can participate.

End on a High Note

Another year down, another great experience teaching Chinese.  This year I was lucky to be able to teach K-10 Chinese in our district both online and face to face with students.  It was great to see how students learn at all levels from across the spectrum.  One thing that never changes...We all love to have fun.

Have a great Summer 再见!!!

Teach and Learn/Learn and Teach

For the past 16 weeks Kalona Elementary and Mid Prairie Middle School were very fortunate to have a fantastic student teacher from the University of Iowa.  Pei Huang came to us from China and spent time teaching her language and culture to every student from grades Kindergarten through Seventh grade.  The students and I learned many fantastic things and we all felt honored to be in her class.  I enjoyed the chance to pass on what I have learned in my short time teaching.  I can only hope that she picked up more of my good habits rather than my bad habits.  One of the best things about having a student teacher is it makes you be very reflective of your own teaching so as to make them the best examples possible.  I learned long ago we all teach as we have learned so I tried to be conscious of that point as I tried to be a fitting mentor.    
Seeing a new teacher go through all the steps of learning the craft, teaching students, and eventually moving on to their own classes is a heartening thing.  Pei will be moving to White Bear Lake Minnesota to start her own teaching journey.  I am sure those students will benefit from her as much as our own benefited here.

Students from Wellman and Washington Township Elementary Schools enjoy using iPads to learn Chinese, while also spending some time playing Chinese checkers--both on the iPad and the old-fashioned way, on a board!

End-of-year listening, reading, writing and speaking assessments begin this week.

Compare, communicate, enjoy!

This week we are starting our three week look at Chinese playground games.  This gives me an opportunity to have the students do some comparisons between their ideas of what a playground game is and what people in China may consider a playground game.  The students have been able to enjoy games both inside and outside in spite of some of the foul weather.  The experience seems to have been very good for some of the students and they have come up with some excellent comments.

Putting on a show

Sometimes I love technology and some times I want to hurl it at a wall.  However, there is no denying that when it works it can provide a great way to showcase student learning.  Recently, our Mid Prairie Middle school students have been learning how to introduce themselves in preparation for a classroom call with Cedarlane Academy in California and we used some class recorders to give then a look at what they really look like speaking Chinese.  It is a real eye opener for some students to see themselves on camera and it can be a great way to push some students to try a little harder or improve on their already great work.

Music concert!!

Every student at Kalona Elementary is involved in the Spring Music Program on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00pm in the Mid-Prairie high school Gymnasium.

Mark it on your calendar and get ready to enjoy the kids moving, dancing and singing!

5th Grade Tai Chi

In honor of our Live Healthy Iowa Challenge, 5th grade is learning Tai Chi in our Chinese class.  We were very lucky to have Joseph Wyse come and share his love of Tai Chi with the students. 

Washington Township - Year of the (Rattle) Snake!

Washington Township 4th graders celebrate Chinese New Year by making rattlesnakes in celebration of the Year of the Snake.

The snakes are resting on their shoulders.  Scary!

The students also had to come to the teacher and say one of these two expressions in Chinese to get their fortune cookie.

蛇年快乐!
Happy Year of the Snake!

蛇年好运!
Good luck in the Year of the Snake!

Washington Township kindergarten

Washington Township celebrates Chinese New Year, and kindergarten students develop their cross-cultural skills by using chopsticks to pick up Cheerios and mini-marshmallows.

Afterwards, they opened fortune cookies to get some advice as they start out the Year of the Snake.

UI Confucius Institute - Chinese New Year!

The University of Iowa Confucius Institute visited Washington Township on Friday, February 8, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

This is the Year of the Snake, but two Mid-Prairie staff members bravely donned lion costumes in celebration of the new year at the all-school assembly.  They had a good time learning more about this most important annual celebration in the Chinese culture.

Rhyming the Days of the Week

Wellman second graders are reading and rhyming the days of the week in the following video.

The students are showing their comfort with Chinese.  I hope you enjoy listening and watching them!

Great start to Year of the Snake!!

A special thanks to all students, parents, and community members who came out to our Chinese New Year celebration on February 7th.  It was a great time with students making New Year's decorations, and everyone learning how to make Jiao zi (potstickers).

Thanks again,
Mid Prairie Chinese Teachers

Chinese Club!!!