Chinese and American Students Engage in Video Chats

On March 7th and again on March 14th, Connecticut Innovation Academy (CTIA) students used Skype to contact students in China. (Skype is a free download that lets you make Internet calls at no cost.) Both groups enthusiastically met the challenge of the language barrier, asking each other about school, sports, activities they enjoyed, and so on. The Chinese students knew some English and taught American students a few Chinese phrases. It was difficult for the Americans, especially with the four different tones used in the Chinese language to convey meaning, but they gave it their best effort!

During the March 7th meeting at IBM, Wonchi Ju, an American student who speaks fluent Chinese with her parents, helped to interpret. Many thanks! Chinese students were surprised to see an American male student with long hair and asked Jacob Silver if there was a person under all that hair. Jacob good-naturedly replied that yes, there was, and then proceeded to ask and answer questions. Chinese students smiled each time a CTIA student used an American expression, such as “Okay!” or “Sure!”

The universal language of dance was employed when American students demonstrated “Soldier Boy” during the March 14th video chat at Tunxis Community College. Chinese students danced a traditional folkdance in return. Dance and laughter proved to be common ground for both sides. The interaction was a wonderful cultural exchange. A group of students from Pathways in Hartford recently visited the students in China, an experience they will not soon forget. Students continue to interact through the Dragon NX forum, located under the E-Commerce forums in Moodle. Join the discussion to find out what life is like in China and share your American stories.

All CTIA students gave updates on their projects. In addition to developing the computer learning game for middle school students, teams need to be actively creating their company Web site, commercial, white paper, and elevator pitch. Set for May 9–10, the Connecticut Innovation Expo is less than two months away and Web sites must be uploaded to the server by May 5th for evaluation. On March 7th, Albert Schneider, Senior Manager of IBM Global Service, was able to offer teams immediate, constructive criticism. On March 14th, students received feedback from Michael Mino, Director, and Dan Cogan-Drew, Senior Online Development Specialist, both of 21st Century Skills at EDUCATION CONNECTION. Students also heard from speaker Paola Jaramillo about her educational journey, beginning at Norwalk Community College and finishing at Rutgers with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, Executive Director of the Connecticut College of Technology, reminded students that there are still some community college scholarships available. A community college is a great place to start your higher education.

For more information about CTIA or other CCC programs and courses developed and managed by the Center for 21^st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION, contact Michael Mino at mino@educationconnection.org or 860-567-0863, ext. 155.