April first is typically set aside for lightheartedness--usually pranks
carried out against unsuspecting friends, teachers, and colleagues. But
on this past April 1st a group of middle school students and staff from
the Fletcher Maynard Academy (FMA) had more serious matters on their
minds. Foremost on most of their minds was the matter of getting to the
airport on time. What time should they get on the highway to avoid
traffic? Should they take Storrow or 93? Wasn't the road in front of the
museum of science closed? Did I pack my toothbrush? Being late was no
option; they couldn't miss their flight to Chicago. For if they didn't
arrive in time there'd be no getting to Beijing!
Yes,
a group of intrepid middle schoolers from the FMA and their faithful
teachers spent the first full week of April immersing themselves in the
rich Chinese culture and touring and learning about the incredible city.
Did you know that Beijing has over 11 million people? That's almost
twice the population of Massachusetts, and three times that of the
Boston Area--not to mention almost 120 times Cambridge! The massive size
of the city was immediately apparent to us as we toured, by bus and by
feet, through the city and its outskirts. Apparently we'd arrived during
the Spring Festival, a holiday when many people from the countryside
and smaller cities would descend on Beijing for sightseeing. We had a
lot of company at all the remarkable sites that we visited; it seemed
like there were people as far as the eye could see!
We started
our tour at Tiananmen Square, the largest city square in the world, and
then crossed the Tiananmen Gate into the Forbidden City, the former
Chinese imperial palace. The Forbidden City was given its name because
while it served as a palace, commoners were not allowed inside its
gates. The Forbidden City consists of almost 1000 buildings! Clearly we
didn't manage to see them all, but we saw enough of the City during our
morning tour to be impressed by the sheer scale and artfulness of the
buildings and architecture. Over the course of the week we visited other
amazing landmarks such as the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven
Park--where we learned Tai Chi, the Beijing Zoo, a Hutong Village, the
Yonghe Lamasery, The Olympic Sports Complex, the Great Wall, a local
school, and even a Kung Fu show. Yes, we were tired by the end, but it
was worth it: what an eye opening and enriching experience for young
learners! Our students could certainly have read about all of these
landmarks; but reading is not seeing, or breathing, or hearing, or
tasting, or walking. Cross cultural awareness and competency--a core
tenet of 21st Century skills--cannot be taught; it must be experienced.
And because learning is increasingly become inseparable from global
awareness and understanding, this mixture of skills and attitudes
directly contributes to the Fletcher Maynard mission of cultivating
lifelong learners.
After
our return the excitement about the trip was so high and contagious
that our first meeting for Rome--our middle school trip for the coming
school year--was attended by twice as many students as had attended the
similar meeting for Beijing. And that's how it happens: word of mouth.
When students like something they tell each other about it; excitement
builds, and word spreads. If we can motivate and engage even a small
group of students then the networks effects that drive the popularity of
Facebook, Twitter, IM etc. come into effect: others will want to get in
on the fun and (in this case) learning. We'll be sure to update you on
our trip to Rome. Visit our school website at cpsd/us/fma, or call at
617.349.6588 to arrange a visit!