Collaboration with LeapFrog
Dr. Yong Zhao recently presented to officials at LeapFrog about the promising future for LeapFrog in China. Together, they are collaborating on an initiative to develop the Leap Pad in China. With the Leap Pad, children can learn music, math and science in both Chinese and English. LeapFrog board members showed a keen interest in opening a market in China with Sun Wah Education Foundation.

3E International Dual Language School Design
Representatives from the Center attended a 4-day conference at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California to further discuss the curriculum and building design of the 3E International Dual Language School which will open in Beijing in September, 2005. The focus of this conference was to identify exact and representative exhibits for the school and to generate ideas of building design (both interior and exterior) and playground design. The Center worked with Exploratorium experts to develop curriculum units using the identified exhibits, based on the curriculum framework. Representatives from the Sun Wah Education Foundation and TG Projects were also in attendance. The Exploratorium will send experts to China to hold a training session for new teachers before the school opening.

After their work in San Francisco, David Lustick, Gilbert Choy, and Simon Lee traveled to New Mexico to work with Anne Taylor on the design of the Beijing Pre-School. The group visited a number of children’s museums in Albuquerque and Santa Fe looking at how science exhibits could best be used in a school context. The trip was highlighted by a remarkable series of presentations by Professor Taylor’s graduate students who dedicated their semester to exploring and developing various spaces of the proposed preschool. Overall, the experience was very productive and will add to the quality of our curriculum development.

New Faces for Curriculum Design
In the last few weeks, several new people have joined our efforts in developing a truly innovative and exciting dual language – dual culture curriculum. Nicole Ellefson, Nancy Romig, and Wenying Zhou bring their elementary-level classroom experience to help create the initial units of instruction for the school.

Review of Chinese Teacher’s Research
The Center is conducting a literature review on Chinese teachers’ research practices, paying particular attention to how teachers in China reflect upon their own teaching and sharing with other teachers. We will try to locate 6 journals each in Chinese and English. These journals will be selected according to journal quality and will be categorized by target audience of the journals (i.e., for teachers, for researchers, and for teachers and researchers). We will provide you with updates on this project.

New Forum Opens for X-Pacific
The Center has refined the X-Pacific website. Efforts are underway to make the forum the focus of the project. A tentative protocol for creating weekly themes was developed. The first theme of the forum in April is on reading. Specific questions were sent to the participants of both Beachwood and Nankai Middle Schools. The next theme for the forum will be focusing on online activities. The new forum is available in both Chinese and English at the following site: http://ott.educ.msu.edu/x-pacific/english/forum/

Upcoming Activities & Events

• The introduction sections of the Chinese Math (K-12) and Science Curriculum Standards (6-9 grade) are being translated. These translations will help us better understand and analyze Chinese curriculum standards.
• “Hot Topics” is attempting to increase its readership by sending out invitations for subscriptions to more than thirty Chinese student organizations in the United State and China.