Category: Uncategorized

U.S. expatriates pursue American dream in China By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAY  JIANKOU GREAT WALL, China — His sweat pools quickly as Carl Setzer carries another heavy sack of smoked malt into his farmhouse-turned-brewery beside the Great Wall of China near Beijing. By Calum MacLeod, USA TODAYCleveland native Carl Setzer, 29, delights in using unusual ingredients at his…

As part of its on-going and excellent coverage of Mandarin immersion charter school issues in New Jersey, Patch.com has a nice article today about a state education task force hearing in New Jersey today and some of the issues being raised there. One of the most fascinating tidbits is this, about the state’s acting Education…

Note to those who don’t hang out in the tech/DIY world: A ‘maker’ is anyone who’s ever “fixed anything at home, tackled a craft project, knit a skarf, plant a garden, combined several things into something new, you are a Maker. Have you painted a portrait, sculpted with clay, pressed leaves in a book? Did…

The conference is accepting presenter applications until July 31. Are there other parents/teachers who might want to work with the MIPC to do a workshop on supporting parents in Mandarin Immersion? If so, please email me, Beth Weise, weise@well.com. I don’t think there will be many parents at the conference, but lots of teachers and…

Update 7-12-2011: According to a press release from the school, they now have over 1,200 applications for early admission. I’d be very curious to know who’s putting together their Mandarin program and where they taught before. There can’t be too many candidates out there with the necessary experience, given how new most Mandarin immersion programs…

[An interesting look at how the desire for Mandarin plays out at the college level.0 From the Providence Journal Tuesday, July 5, 2011 By Gina Macris, Journal Staff Writer SOUTH KINGSTOWN — When Mandarin Chinese 101 first appeared in the course catalog at the University of Rhode Island in the fall of 2004, 30 students immediately…

What’s so fascinating about this is how differently NJ has reacted to Mandarin immersion compared to many other districts. We know that in many urban school districts, Mandarin immersion is offered both as an aid to  Chinese-speaking students and to encourage English-speaking middle class families to stay in their districts rather than going to the…