The numbers are staggering by American standards.  Primary schools with over 5000 students, sometimes nearly 60 in one classroom, spreading out over 10 acres, with one mission in mind:  to learn.  Nutter Fort Intermediate Principal, JoDee Decker was one of eight educators who travel to China to emerge themselves in an  experience they will never forget.  The Bridgeport resident, along with former BHS teacher, Debbie Nicholson , were the only ones from Harrison County in attendance, but the representatives from around the state made for eclectic traveling companions for the 12-day trip.

 

“The trip to China was made possible entirely by funding provided through the Confucius Institute in China,” said Decker.  “It was the opportunity of a lifetime and we plan to are hoping to use the information gathered there to enhance the classrooms here in Harrison County.”

 

Led by Dr. William Riley of West Virginia University, the team began with a tour of Tianjin University, who partners with the WVU Finance Department.  Following some classroom observations and lectures, the group proceeded to visit the Coca-Cola plant and a noodle processing plant to learn more about Chinese industry procedures. 

 

“Prior to going on the trip, we were given a crash course in the etiquette and protocol of China,” said Decker.  “That came in handy during dining experiences, but there were a few times where we just had to laugh at ourselves as we fumbled through what to do with some of the food.”

 

Currently, Harrison County has one Chinese teacher, housed with RESA 7, who teaches Chinese via distance learning to several parts of the state.  Decker and the team are hoping to expand those offerings and utilize the teacher through elementary art, language and music programs.    Through this trip, they saw first hand how important it is to teach the most used language in the world.

 

In Tianjin, the team was able to experience writing in Chinese calligraphy, which has over 4000 characters.  They also had the opportunity to taste an array of 15 types of dumplings and learn about the ancient culture that is so beautifully preserved. 

 

“Because it is a port city, many immigrants settled in Tianjin.  We visited the “5 Cities” within the city, which represented citizens whose origins are in Germany and Italy, among others,” Decker said.  “We also got to see the city lit up at night as we cruised on a boat tour around it.”

 

Each of the West Virginia schools represented on the trip were partnered with sister schools in China.  They visited their sister schools and were able to interact with the students who were eager to demonstrate their English.  “At the end of the day, they practically mobbed us for autographs,” said Decker. “It was so cute and they were so proud of their English skills.  They were so gracious and kind  to us as we visited.”

 

School in China lasts much longer in the day and sometimes even into the weekends, as the students prepare for their National Entrance Exams. Education is of vital importance, partially because not everyone is permitted to continue their education post secondary.  “The students are so well behaved and respectful and have a true love of learning,” Decker said.

 

The team toured the Forbidden City, which was once reserved only for Emperor.  They also took a cable car to the Great Wall of China, where they marveled at the shear mass of it.  “Every place we went, we had a Chinese teacher with us who had lived in West Virginia and could give us a personal tour in English,” Decker said. “This made the experience come alive for us and there were times it was surreal to be a part of something as ancient as the Great Wall.”

 

Next, they visited the Confucius Institute activity center, which was full of interactive displays and samples of teacher resources.  Grants are available to provide American teachers with the resources and to further educate teacher for free.

 

“We learned that the Confucius Institute will be offering an amazing opportunity for teachers in West Virginia.  They will offer free training to any West Virginia teacher at WVU and in Charleston.  The class will be offered two Saturdays a month and will certify teachers to be able to teach Chinese, all for free,” said Decker.

 

The cultural attractions the group witnessed were phenomenal.  “We went to the Temple of  Heaven where the Emperor would pray to the gods and to Tiananmen Square,” Decker said.  “My favorite part was when we got to see the famous Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian.  The first one was discovered in 1972 and only one has been found completely in tact.  Archeologists from all over the world are working to put them all back together and artifacts are labeled and spread out everywhere,”  Decker said.

While learning about the history of the warriors, they found that some are still left buried so they won’t lose their color.  Their original brass weapons were stolen during conflict and no details of the warriors was recorded because they were designed to protect the Emperor in the after life and it was to be kept secret.

 

“It was fascinating to see over 8000 warriors and their horses, ranging in rank from common warriors to those of the highest ranking, who were each hand carved,” Decker said.  “As of now, the Emperor’s tomb still has not been disturbed and the history of the area was breathtaking to learn about.”

 

As they continued their tour around the country, they observed interactive classrooms who used techniques similar to American schools.  They also visited walled cities, museums, and attended an opera and a play about the history of Kung Fu.  They tried various culinary specialties and learned about the cultural differences and even took a little bit of the Mountain State there to share. 

“We took copies of Shinnston Author Leslie Hanning’s book to each of the schools,” said Decker.  “The book shows the Mountaineer traveling to all the parts of the state and gave a great snapshot of what West Virginia is all about.  We also handed out shirts, pencils and bracelets from our home schools to our sister schools and the kids loved getting them.”

 

Upon arriving home, some of the group went immediately into hosting students from China who spent a couple of weeks learning about our area at a Chinese Camp in Morgantown.  “The process is ongoing and our partnership with the Chinese schools in invaluable.  We hope to continue to find ways to expand the educational opportunities for students on both sides of the world.”