十二月十日上午九点，华夏中文教学研讨会暨教师年会在位于费城的Convention Center Radisson Hotel Valley Forge（丽笙酒店）大会堂正式拉开帷幕。来自美国多个州市近四百名中外人士出席了会议. 除了华夏19个分校覆盖的康州、纽约、新泽西和宾州外，德拉华州，南加，北加，马里兰州和田纳西州等十余所学校也参加了会议。一位来自宾州的光华中文学校的老师感慨地说，“在东部从没有参加过规模如此之大, 培训如此正规的研讨会”。
华夏中文学校吕敏伟总校长首先致欢迎词并介绍了华夏的总体发展和规划，她说“虽然窗外寒冷，在这里，我们却是如沫春风。” 是啊, 中国驻纽约总领馆孙国强总领事夫人王敏，周立民副总领事，陈劭毅领事, 新泽西教育局长的代表Cheri Quinlan、West Windsor市薛信夫市长，新泽西州参议员Linda Greenstei，众议员Daniel Benson，马里兰州希望中文学校理事长梁康之，宾州West Chester学区的教育代表 David Ehrhart, 亚州文化中心新州主任燕南，美国华人全国委员会主席薛海培等代表各界人士出席了大会的开幕式并对大会的召开表示热烈祝贺。周立民副总领事代表总领馆发表了热烈致辞。中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会，中华全国归国华侨联合会，新泽西州州长Chris Christie，美国联邦参议员Pat Roomey，美国教育部等等也向大会致函表示祝贺。
大会在华夏中文学校副总校长丁如雷主持下, 紧紧围绕着教学本土化的主题和美国外语教学5C(即沟通-Communication、文化-Culture 、贯连-Connection、比较-Comparison和社区 -Community)的标准开办近40场专题讲座。把这所一贯以教学为本，注重教师培训中文学校, 推到一个新的高度, 并为华夏成为北美华文教育的‘藤校’迈出了实质性的一步。
这次会议聚集二十多位知名专家，教授和海外中文教学领域的领军人物。其中包括宾夕法尼亚大学中文部主任蒋冕华博士、耶鲁大学中文部前主任牟岭博士、卡内基梅隆大学现代语言系中文项目主任于月明博士等。哥伦比亚大学中文部主任刘乐宁博士针对目前海外中文教学 “教师” 、 “教学” 和 “教材” 的三大挑战特为大会制作了精彩的演说视频。
参加会议的三百多位一线教师兴奋地和他们教材的主编等面对面地进行了交流, 其中包括《马立平中文教材》主编马立平博士的编辑理念,《朗朗中文》辛思谦先生的中文阅读多媒体教学平台,以及格《美洲华语》和《新启蒙汉语》的独到之处。此外, 南加州千橡中文学校鲁芳、普林斯顿公立高中林淑芬等初高级中文教育第一线的老师们给大家做了极受欢迎的示范讲解。这次会议也给华夏传统交流项目- 教师教学经验交流、 校长论坛和教务长互联活动, 赋予了更新和更高的理念和创意。
华夏建校16年来, 已经发展成为注册学生逾七千人的学校。这一切, 离不开每位新老华夏同仁的无私奉献。会议在热烈的气氛中给本年度的各分校杰出贡献者颁发了证书。著名华人摇滚乐队“石器时代”专程赶来, 精彩的表演博得了全场喝彩。
十二月十一日会议在紧凑热烈气氛中胜利落下帷幕。老师们对会议的主题, 培训内容和方式给予了极高的评价。义务服务的组委员以及华夏最年轻的大费城分校为这次大会付出了巨大的努力和无私的奉献。 早在今年年初，华夏王东梅董事长就首先提出要加强老师培训，此提案得到了各方积极响应。在华夏董事会和分校的大力支持下, 组委会历时了3个多月的精心准备。
大会也得到了社会各方的支持和赞助。华夏感谢两位白金赞助商iTalkBB和朗朗中文（Yes!Chinese），金牌赞助商加州中文教学研究中心南海书店。同时对亚洲文化中心、金门超市、华语之桥等在此谨表谢意。
Pictures: http://2011hxcstc.shutterfly.com/
Huaxia Chinese School Teachers’ Conference Held in Philadelphia Dec. 10 to 12
Philadelphia, Pa—With thundering applauses from an audience as large as 400, the Huaxia Chinese School (HXCS) Teachers’ Conference kicked off in the Convention Center, Radisson Hotel Valley Forge, at 9:00am, December 10.
Speaking at the podium at the opening ceremony was the President General of HXCS, Ms. Minwei Lu, whose candid and inspiring opening remark caught the attention from every corner of the huge conference room. Among the audience were guests from China as well America, in addition to those Chinese teachers from the 19 branch schools of HXCS. “Outside, it is cold. But in here, we feel the warmth of spring winds because we are so excited to welcome you all—VIPs who love Chinese culture, experts in Chinese teaching, research scholars, and those who teach on the front line in so many schools,” said Ms. Lu, in a tone that was both excited and exciting. The audience again burst into applause.
VIPs were seated on the front, including Min Wang, the wife of Chinese Consulate General of New York, Liming Zhou, Deputy Consulate General of New York, Cheri Quinla, representing Director of Education Department of New Jersey, Shing-Fu Hsueh, mayor of West Windsor, Linda Greenstein, State Senator of New Jersey, Assemblyman Daniel Benson, Yannan Ren, Director of Asian Culture Center, and Haipei Xue, Chairperson of Chinese American Association, each of whom made a speech, congratulating on the opening of the conference and expressing best wishes for everyone present.
Those who were invited but somehow couldn’t make it to Philadelphia sent congratulatory messages, among whom were CPPCC (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Federal Senator Pat Roomey, Education Department of America, etc. Dr. Lening Liu, Director of Chinese Department of Columbia University, sent a video clip that was played at the opening ceremony, in which he discussed three challenges faced by Chinese teachers.
With so many influential VIPs attending and many fancy decorations, the opening ceremony, hosted by Dr. Ruleng Ding, Deputy President General of HXCS, already sent out a message that this conference would be different. “Our conference this year is different from the past ones in that it is bigger in width and depth. Our focus this time is on the so-called 5Cs, Communication, Culture, Connection, Comparison, and Community, all of which revolve around one theme, that is, how to make Chinese teaching more relevant to our local communities,” remarked Ms. Lu.
About 20 guest speakers were invited, all of whom are well-known experts and scholars in the field of teaching Chinese outside China. Liping Ma, whose textbook has been highly acclaimed in America, was one of them. Her speeches were so well received that some audience members had to stand due to lack of seats during the break up sessions. Dr. Mu Ling, former Director of Chinese Department of Yale University, made an in depth analysis of Chinese teaching in America. His remarks were so witty and humorous that they were often quoted by other speakers. Dr. Mianhua Jiang, Director of Chinese Department of University of Pennsylvania, also made a wonderful speech.
In less than two days, over 40 sessions were conducted, in which teachers from various Chinese schools expressed their points of view, postulated different theories, demonstrated different teaching styles. “This conference has broken two records: biggest number of experts and scholars, biggest numbers of teachers who are teaching on the first front. I’ve never attended a conference so big on the East Coast,” said one of the attendees after the conference came to an end on the afternoon of Dec 11. | |