Washington Elementary School (WES) is an inner city school in San Jose composed mostly of children from lower income, immigrant families. Hao Chong Elementary School (HCES) is a school in the village of Zhongshan, China, serving mainly factory and farming families. What do these two schools have in common? Skype!
Now in its sixth year, WES China Club and HCES English Club students, ranging from ages 7 to 12 years old, learn, share and teach each other their respective languages, and about their schools, families and cultures through Skype exchange sessions. These Skype sessions are a part of the Bridge to China exchange program sponsored by Microsoft, Rotary Club of San Jose and Rotary Club Kowloon Golden Mile of Hong Kong. WES and HCES students study Mandarin and English, respectively and each year, four students from each school are chosen based on their Mandarin and English skills to participate in an exchange program. This past April, four WES students and one teacher traveled from San Jose to Hao Chong Village to spend a week in a comprehensive Chinese language and cultural immersion program. In May, four HCES students traveled to San Jose for a reciprocal program highlighting the English language and American culture.
My students can’t wait to see their Hao Chong Elementary counterparts on October 22 for our first Skype session of the new school year. In the evenings, while everyone is having their dinner, my students will be greeting their friends in China from our classroom Smart Board. Watching the faces of the students as they perform for each other, is always memorable: we sing Patriotic songs; they perform Tai Chi; we recite poetry about Halloween and Christmas; they give us a virtual tour of their campus and show off their traditional dress. Even though we are 1/2 of the way around the world, students, teachers, parents, and friends develop fond feelings for each other and our respective countries.
Through these Skype sessions students, family members, and their communities get to learn and use the power of Skype. These students live on opposite sides of the world yet through our Skype sessions and exchange program, our youth come to realize that their world can be much bigger than their barrio or rural village. Skype is a powerful tool that enables my students to dream bigger, grow their language skills, make friends across globe and understand that they have more in common with their Chinese friends than they originally thought.
