Elegant Lotus Blossoms in LA
Date: 2014/07/25
With the great speed of technology development in recent 10 years, the whole education system has been affiliated to change accordingly; consciousness of hi-tech in education sector also become aware and influenced apparently day by day. In view of this, OCAC and DEI of III jointly endeavor to develop and promote “Overseas Chinese Language e-Learning Center Promotion Service Program” domestically and overseas to assist in every grade and level of school institutes applying digitalization of Chinese language study. Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng is a teacher of South California Chinese School in PC team; she is also an executive council of teacher training committee, joined South California Chinese School Associate in 2003, and participates Chinese e-Learning Center coaching by local OCAC and DEI of III in 2009 where she applies online and actual teaching in passing the knowledge and experience of e-Learning to the trainee. In 2009, she is awarded “excellence teaching blog competition”, again won the Award of Innovative Show – Teaching Model Sharing Competition” in 2011 by Huayu World Website as well as Excellent Chinese seedling teacher. Her students are spreading all over Europe, USA, and Asia.
Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng’s zeal in promotion of Chinese Language always spare no efforts; early in 1996 she has been a volunteer at a elementary school in Los Angeles to assist students during the school activity and promote Chinese culture; then, she serves in Chinese Associate, and participated joint sponsor of Royal Ontario Museum in Chinese New Year Celebration events in 2007 to spread Chinese culture with the local people; following the progress of hi-tech, the promotion of Chinese language teaching style is even more abundant and diversified. Ms. Cheng’s teaching scope is wider also; she has been invited to Far East Cultural Center for Language & Training in Jordan as computer seminar teacher, and the same year to MBA Education Center in City of Cerritos, California to train Chinese language Baptist Church Education Center as e-Learning training role that she really enjoys it very much.
Ms. Cheng sighs with emotion when recalled the first time to teach in Los Angeles Overseas School: “those students were mostly descendent of first immigrants, and were forced to come by the parents in hope of learning mother language when they were small and young. Comparing to foreign students come from local main stream school, the foreign students are autonomous in learning; their motivation is stronger than the overseas Chinese students which make them learn faster with efficiency.” Through the past teaching experience, Ms. Cheng recognizes the importance of autonomous learning; therefore, at the training program, she is emphasizing the observation capability of teacher to lead and encourage student’s learning desires.
Deputy Director General of DEI/II, Mr. I-Chang Tsai emphasizes that the online teaching field is very convenient and integrating with sufficient resources to spread worldwide for the benefits of domestic and overseas Chinese qualified teachers. In 2010, CSD Germany Chinese language school association held the first annual Europe Online Teacher Training Seminar received great feedback from the trainees which brought great encourage and momentum, and held for 3 years continuously; at the effort of Germany Chinese School Association, OCAC and DEI of III proceed to offer guidance to e-Learning Centers connects 4 points from Europe to Africa, the trainees are at least 70 to 80 in numbers. Ms. Ya-Wen Chen praises the successful experience of Europe Online Teacher Training Seminar, and expressed that although the deployment of Europe range is very wide, but through today’s sciences and technology that allow so many teachers in different countries to share and discuss Chinese language teaching experience online is extraordinary opportunity.”
With the success of Europe Online Teacher Training, South and North California Chinese School Associates will follow suit to hold such seminar. Using South California Chinese Associates as example, the integration of all e-Learning Center courses will combine into one South California Chinese School Teaching Website (http://scccs.info) to promote all the courses to 105 locations Chinese Teacher to increase the e-Learning ability. Up to now, all teachers and parents are very positively feedback with their opinions.
With rich teaching experience, Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng considers Chinese e-Learning education should shape an integrated Chinese language learning environment for students to feel natural in it. Therefore, she is beginning to study and apply the available digital and informational teaching tools, such as basic of digital camera, template PC, APP, Online personal communication software, and community learning platform to infuse into Chinese language teaching. She encourages teachers to try and apply these information tools in connection with online, classroom teaching activity; not only it could short the distance between students and teacher, but also allow teacher easily tracing the learning efficiency of students while increasing the learning desires of students.
Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng share her own experience that “ the instance of Online personal communication software (Line) is much better than community learning platform (Edmodo); once student has problem, they could discuss with teacher online which supplement the shortage of community learning platform.” She suggests teachers with interests to use both interactively that it will make learning more instance and efficiency.
Everyone who have visited website of “Lotus in LA” (http://lahohwa.com/) knows that not only Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng is a expert of Chinese language teacher, but her interests to share on the website include cuisine, stamps collection, photography, Japanese Origami, and handmade books; all those accumulated hobby and interests become handy in teaching elements. “As a Chinese language teacher, one has to collect teaching elements from personal daily life and learn to blend in the new digital tools into teaching.” Expressed Ms. Cheng: “usually I will carry a digital camera to search and collect source material; such as to explain 101 Building is the tallest building in Asia is very hollow and difficult, but if we could use a photograph and a proportional scale as assistance that students will understand the teaching scenario that shape, sound, and image in e-Learning offers great help in language teaching.”
Just because such self-discovery and searching, learning, continuous thinking in how to elevate the content of teaching that such sense of responsibility is driving Ms. Ya-Wen Cheng to progress every moment to develop more methods and feedback to Chinese language teaching; the upgrade circulation creates benefits for more teachers and students which just like fragrance of elegant lotus flower spread in the wind.
Photo: Teacher Ya-Wen Cheng (front left 5) invited by North California of Chinese Schools Association as Chinese language teacher training lecturer.
Photo: Teacher Ya-Wen Cheng as lecturer of North California Chinese language teacher training courses, sharing how to apply digital tools in teaching of language efficiently.
For detail news information, please contact:
DEI, III:
Mr. Fu-Min Tsai, Section Manager
Tel: (02) 6631-6724
Ms. Ching-I Wu, (02) 6631-6713
Ms. Meredith Chang, Section Manager
Tel: (02) 6631-8638
Ms. Hsuan Yan, Manager
(02) 6631-8640
Ms. Ying-Yin Shen, Manager
(02) 6631-8643
Sales and Mass Media Section
Planning and Evaluation Division, III