Учителя из России побывали в калифорнийской Redwood Middle School

В начале апреля группа российских учителей в рамках поездки, организованной туристическим агентством «Учительской газеты» «КРУГ-тур» (образовательные туры и семинары по всему миру), побывала в США. О визите делегации педагогов в школу в Калифорнии – Redwood Middle School, рассказывается в статье американской газеты «Thousand Oaks Acorn». Мы публикуем ее на английском языке.

BRIDGING NATIONS—Principal Steve Lepire listens as 13yearold student Anna Kravchenkl, a fluent Russian speaker, tells a delegation of teachers and principals from her native country about her school life and college plans during the delegation’s visit on April 3. teacher Michelle ’s sixthgrade math and science class grew by 18 last week as the school welcomed a delegation of Russian educators. As part of their goal of learning about the American education system—evidence of an improving relationship between the former Cold War rivals—the group visited on April 4. Before ’s class, the group stepped into Gini Bartley’s class, where students were engaged in a handson physics experiment. Leming said the tour was brief but wellorganized. Superintendent Jeff Baarstad asked to host the group. Polozhevets said the delegation enjoyed its time at . http://www.toacorn.com/news/20120412/Schools/_Middle_School_welcomes_Russian_delegation_.html

Redwood Middle School welcomes Russian delegation for visit

By Stephanie Sumell

ssumell@gmail.com

BRIDGING NATIONS—Principal Steve Lepire listens as 13-yearold Redwood student Anna Kravchenkl, a fluent Russian speaker, tells a delegation of teachers and principals from her native country about her school life and college plans during the delegation’s visit on April 3. RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers Redwood Middle School teacher Michelle Taranto’s sixth-grade math and science class grew by 18 last week as the school welcomed a delegation of Russian educators.

“They seemed like very warm and friendly people,” Taranto said of the group, made up mostly of teachers and principals on a 12- day visit to the United States with the Russian Association for Civic Education.

As part of their goal of learning about the American education system—evidence of an improving relationship between the former Cold War rivals—the group visited Redwood on April 4.

Taranto said she enjoyed showing the visitors her classroom’s Promethean board, an interactive whiteboard that allows teachers to present diagrams from a resource library, click and drag images, surf the Internet and insert video clips.

Taranto’s students can answer questions using hand-held remote controls, allowing her to see which students got the answer correct and which did not.

The Russians, who use similar boards in their country, were surprised by the students’ willingness to speak with them.

“Kids here are more open than in Russia,” said Peter Polozhevets, the association’s president. “There, school is more disciplined. More serious.”

Before Taranto’s class, the group stepped into Gini Bartley’s class, where students were engaged in a hands-on physics experiment.

“The students were working in teams to put together rockets with 2-liter bottles,” said Steven Lepire, the middle school’s principal. “The group was quite intrigued with the collaborative effort of the project.”

Polozhevets said he particularly enjoyed seeing Bartley’s classroom because middle school students in Russia do not take a general science course.

“In a few years we would like to open up new subjects in science,” he said.

After touring three classrooms, Lepire led the group to the school’s library for a coffee break and a question-and-answer session.

At the library, the visitors were greeted in Russian by eighth-grader Anna Kravchenkl.

Anna, who moved to the United States from Russia when she was 3 years old, told the inquisitive group about her experience at the 1,080-student middle school.

“There are no words to describe how many friends I have here,” said the curly-haired 13-year-old. “Everyone is friendly, (and) teachers help you if you need it.”

Lepire also took the stage, answering questions about the school’s staff, funding, budget issues, protocols and procedures.

“They were interested in the types of counseling we have at the school,” Lepire said. “They also asked what a mascot was.”

The Russians’ visit took place during the school’s 11th annual Abilities Awareness Week, a parent led program that teaches students about the challenges faced by people with special needs. Activities encourage respect, acceptance and understanding.

“It makes something that is so abnormal to students become normal,” said Tracy Garcia, a special education instructional aid and the program’s chair. “Hopefully, when students come upon people with special needs, they’ll have a little more empathy.”

Tatiana Ganina, an assistant principal for an eighth-to-11thgrade school in Russia, said she would love to start a similar program.

“In Russia, there is a lot of neglect for the handicapped,” Ganina said through a translator. “We want to teach kids to be more aware of and open to handicapped people.”

The day-trip’s leader, Robert Leming, is an employee of the Center for Civic Education, a nonprofit organization that promotes civic education for upper elementary, middle school and high school students.

Leming said the trip gave the Russians insight into a school system different from their own.

“Russia’s Ministry of Education is very powerful,” he said. “Local school systems have less decisionmaking power.”

“They say, ‘You will do this on this day at this time,’” he added. “It’s not like that here.”

Though the United States has a Department of Education, school districts have a lot of power, Leming said.

“We have a lot of autonomy at the school system level. . . . In most of the world it’s not that way.”

Leming said the Redwood Middle School tour was brief but well-organized.

“I appreciate that (Lepire) took some time to plan the event,” he said. “I was satisfied because the Russians were satisfied.”

Lepire said he was thrilled that Conejo Valley Unified School District

Superintendent Jeff Baarstad asked Redwood to host the group.

“Any time that a school and a school district have the opportunity to showcase some of the great things they do, it’s a great opportunity,” he said.

Polozhevets said the delegation enjoyed its time at Redwood.

“We have good (college) education in Russia, but our middle school education is not very good,” he said. “We’d like to realize why there is a gap between secondary education and university education.”

Polozhevets, also the editorin chief of the weekly National Teachers’ Newspaper, will write an article about his trip.

“I want to share the information with others,” he said.

Taranto said she is happy to have visitors any time.

“It was a fun change of pace for the students,” she said.

Внимание! Постоянный адрес статьи в \”Thousand Oaks Acorn\” –

http://www.toacorn.com/news/2012-04-12/Schools/Redwood_Middle_School_welcomes_Russian_delegation_.html

Фото Павла Кривоусова