Schools

Chinese Delegation Learns About U.S High Schools at Metea

Art, music classes provide different kind of education for Beijing visitors.

Wednesday morning students at Metea Valley High School were singing and performing as they normally do in orchestra or vocal classes. Other students were learning about physics or practicing Chinese.

To the average visitor the classes seemed ordinary enough, but to a team of officials visiting from Beijing, the classes and the students were of great interest.

High school students in Beijing rarely participate in art, music or physical education electives because they are more concerned with academics as they prepare for a college entrance exam.

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Students attending elective classes or doing normal teenage things, like dressing more expressively or wearing different hairstyles were differences that stood out as the delegation observed classes during its visit.

A group of 15 officials from Beijing participated in the event. The team is spending three weeks in the United States, according to a few members of the delegation. Along with the Chicago area, the group is visiting New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Metea was the only school being visited during the trip.

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The delegation was split into groups for the tour Wednesday, which took them into a variety of classrooms including Chinese language, early childhood education, art and physics.

Each tour group included the Chinese officials, a student representative, translator, teacher and community member. Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner was on hand for part of the tour.

For three members of the delegation, Xueming Zhang, Shaopei Yang and Chuntao Du, the tour began in a Chinese III language class. The men saw students participate in a memory game conducted only in Chinese. Teacher Rachel Cheng spoke to her third-year students only in Chinese.

The group then moved to physics where the discussion was about kinetic and potential energy. Next came early childhood education, art rooms and a brief tour of the school.

Ricky Peacock, a junior from Naperville, helped assist with tour. In his second year studying Chinese, Peacock did his best to translate for the group when needed. Cheng acted as the group’s interpreter for most of the morning.

Peacock said that he decided to study Chinese to stay away from the “same old, same old.” His friends chose to study Spanish.

“I wanted to do something different,” he said.

His interest in Asian cultures also spurred his desire to study Chinese. And, if the language is offered when he goes to college, he plans to continue to pursue Chinese.

Peacock said having the Beijing delegates learning about school life at Metea was “cool” and added, “It’s an honor to guide them around.”

Art teacher Karen Popovich took the three officials around the school, showing them art classrooms, the auditorium, swimming pools and other classrooms.

The three members appeared most interested in the music classes. Later they explained through Cheng’s interpretation that electives never used to be an option for students, but now they are offered in Beijing high schools. Even so, very few students take the courses because emphasis is placed on preparing for the college entrance exam.

Students in China have a lot of pressure to do well, particularly when they are the only child in a family, the men said.

Other differences the men noted were that students wear uniforms, don’t chew gum, wear slippers or perm/color their hair. They were also perplexed about students who were sitting on the floor in between classes.

Popovich explained that students have study hall periods where they can study or seek guidance from counselors. The men, however, still seemed confused about the students who kick back on the floor.

Kathryn Birkett, superintendent, said that the delegation was most interested in early childhood education and music classes.

"They are looking at the whole child more than ever before," Birkett said.

Sharon Tan, president of the 21st Century Institute, and a Naperville resident, was instrumental in bringing the group to Metea Valley.

Tan explained that normally schools in China are huge, so Metea was similar in size and similar in student population. Also, it is a newer school, which provided the group a view into what is offered.

“Education is a very big issue in China and they want to learn from us,” Tan said.

Some of the key distinctions are class size and teacher-student interaction, she said. Classes are typically much larger. The men had explained earlier that usually 40-45 students are in a Chinese high school class, compared with the normal 30-35 at Metea.

Also, in China teachers talk, students listen with no discussion, questions or chit-chat among students, Tan said.

The delegation was impressed to see the music classes, she said. During stops in the orchestra and vocal classes the members were busy snapping photos.

After the morning tour the groups sat down to discuss how things differ and how they are the same.

Chuntao Du asked Ricky Peacock in Chinese if he played video games. Peacock said he did play the games. Du explained that his son played video games and though he didn’t really allow him to use them much, his son would spend hours and hours playing.

The group agreed: Some things are no different whether in China or the United States.

 


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