Time Travelers

Well, they are at it again! Some of the students who studied China last year and went on to participate in our digital storytelling class have been using photos from my China trip to create Time Tunnel Photos. Here's what they did:

1) Selected a site from the Google Map on this site.
2) Used Internet research to assemble a "quick fact" research sheet.
3) Put the facts together in first person form.
4) Assembled a period costume and took portraits of each other.
5) Looked through my collection of on line albums to find photos of the site they selected.
6) Created a timeline with several important events related to the site.
7) Used Adobe Photoshop Elements to get creative!

Above are several examples. Aren't these kids amazing?

China Forever

Hello Friends:

I enjoyed this beautiful video created by the Chinese Tourism Bureau. It provides a picture of just how diverse and breathtaking the country is. I recognized many places that I visited while in China. I thought that you might like to see them too! Turn up the volume on your computer so that you can hear the wonderful audio. And get comfortable...the video is about 8 minutes long. You are going to love it!

China Forever

Where In the World Was Mrs. Riddle?

Hello Friends:

What do you think that Marco Polo would have thought if he had known that it would someday be possible to travel over 22,000 miles during the course of five weeks?

I have had quite an adventure here on the Asian continent, but where, exactly did I go?

Take a look at this map. You can adjust the view by clicking on the arrows on the left. Click on the placemarkers to find out more about my visits.


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Let's Visit a Home

Hello Friends:

While in Beijing, I was invited to spend a day and a night in a Chinese home. I was hosted by two sisters, Mary and Cherry Liu. Mary is a student at Beijing Normal School, and her sister Cherry is a secondary school student. (We call secondary school "high school" in the United States).

Most Chinese children have no brothers or sisters. A Chinese law called "one family, one child" encourages only children. But there are some exceptions to this policy, and the Liu family is one of those exceptions. Both Mary and Cherry agree that they are very lucky to have a sibling.

Mary and Cherry live with their father, mother, and grandmother in an apartment on the 27th floor of a large building. Both Mother and Father work. Mr. Liu is an engineer, who travels around the world building bridges. Mrs. Liu is an accountant. Grandmother Liu stays home and keeps the household going.

Most Chinese families living in the city live in high rise apartments. Mary and Cherry's apartment is especially spacious. The apartment has a living room, a large dining room, a private sitting area, a kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large sunroom. The apartment is very clean and modern. It also has air conditioning!

During my time with the Liu family, we talked, drank tea, shared a huge Chinese dinner, looked at photographs, went for walks around the neighborhood, and met friends. We also exchanged gifts.

The Liu family was very curious about America and Americans. Mr. Liu wanted to know whether or not American teachers struck their students. (I was told that many Chinese teachers can be very strict.) I explained to him that American teachers care for their students, and that they work to gain the trust and affection of their students. The Liu family thought that this was very amusing.

We enjoyed a big family feast of delicious and spicy Chinese dishes for dinner, but Mrs. Liu wanted to prepare an "American style" breakfast for me the next morning. You can imagine my surprise when she set down a pound of fried bacon and six hotdogs!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this lovely family.

Take a look at the Liu home in Beijing:

Cool Slideshows!

School Days, Chinese Style

Cool Slideshows!

Hello Friends:

I have visited a number of schools while in China, and have spent time talking with teachers, students, and parents. I am impressed by the hardworking students and the interest of parents in getting the very best education possible for their children. But China has a problem. Even thought they are working hard to build new schools, there are not enough schools for all of the children in China. In fact, there are around 20 million children who are unable to go to school. Think about that for a minute. Imagine a life in which you would never have the opportunity to learn to read and write. Your math skills would also be very basic. Now, imagine trying to go to the store, trying to find your way around, select the right items, and pay the correct amount for your purchases. It would be very, very difficult to do.

Because there are not enough schools for the children of China, the competition to get into a school, and to stay in school, is very fierce. Chinese students attend school for nine hours each day, and many of them take extra classes after school and on the weekends. Middle school students have an average of five hours of homework each night. Students work very hard to make high marks on their exams, so that they will be able to go on to the next level of education.

There are no classes available for students with special needs, If you are physically challenged in any way, you will not attend school in China.

I met some very hardworking and bright teachers who are trying to make changes so that more children will be able to get an education in China. They are opening small schools, like the Dandelion School outside of Beijing, and are trying to get more people interested in providing education for everyone.

I also visited The Children's Palace in Shanghai. The Children's Palace is a place where children from the ages of 4 to 16 can take special classes like art, computers, dance, music, and foreign language. I visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the Palace was hopping! It is a wonderful way to provide rich and exciting learning experiences for the children of China.

No country is perfect. China has its challenges, and so does the United States. But I am very proud to live in a country that believes in education for everyone. I want every American to realize how important and essential it is! I appreciate my fellow teachers at Samsula Elementary, who put so much love, care, and effort into giving all of you their very best. And I love my hardworking students, who love to learn, and who always give me their very best.

Want to see more photos of the Dandelion School? Log onto www.dandelionschool.org

A Rural Village

Hello Friends:

I traveled four hours into the mountains of western China to visit the village of the Miao people of China. Most people in China are of Han descent; but there are 68 additional ethnic groups living in China today, each with their own customs, celebrations, clothing, and language.

The Miao people (pronounced Meow)live high in the blue mountains. The air is very clear, and the springfed river below the village is a beautiful clear turquoise.
Fields of rice, corn, sunflowers,and sweet potatoes spread out along the flatland beside the river.

The Miao people were excited about our visit. The villagers gathered by the road to wait for our bus to arrive, and greeted us with firecrackers, drinks, and music.
We walked up the stone path to the village square. Everyone was wearing their Sunday best! Some of the villagers performed dances, and one woman sang a Miao song for us.

Afterwards, we wandered through the village. I met a little boy, about seven or eight years old, who showed me his dog. She had four cute puppies! He also showed me the barn where the family water buffalo was penned. Water buffalo are very important to Chinese farmers. They are the farmer's tractor on hooves!

China is changing quickly. Villages like this will not always be here. I felt very fortunate to spend time in the world of the Miao people. I will always remember my wonderful visit to this beautiful place.

Let's Visit a Temple

Cool Slideshows!

Hello Friends:

Although China is officially a non religious country, it has many beautiful and ancient temples. Most of the temples that I have visited here are dedicated to the Buddhist religion. I have also seen a Catholic Church and a Moslem Mosque. There are temples dedicated to important teachers as well; I visited the Temple of Literacy, dedicated to Confucious, during my time in Beijing. The Temple of Literacy was built in 700 A.D. Later on, it became the first public library in China.

Some temples are located right in the heart of the city. Others are more remote. Yesterday, I climbed to the top of a mountain to visit a Buddhist temple from the 14th century. There were about 40 monks living at the top. They were very welcoming.

Sometimes, neighborhoods spring up around religious buildings, because they become the center of activity for that community. The Moslem Mosque, built in 1100 A.D. is like that. There is a whole neighborhood of homes, markets, and schools surrounding the mosque. The prayer hall can hold 10,000 people.

The Catholic Basilica is located in a busy part of Beijing. It is also quite large. The Catholic priests, who also run the nearby Chinese Studies School, told us that the basilica held over 30,000 people at Easter service.

I was surprised to see such a variety of religious places in a Communist country. Each temple, mosque, or church I have visited has been a place of beauty and peace.