re-played the music while re-sang it in Chinese and in English, re-checked and re-wrote my article for the poem. As one of parts of the second volume of my new series book 《诗。画。乐：综合艺术汉语》Poetry, Painting, Music: Comprehensive Artistic Chinese -- Together with Me, Learn Chinese Culture & Language by Enjoy Painting, Music and Poetry that I should hand in the publishing house in May, 2014 ( drafts of the three time before entering the recording studio).

Tonight, when I thought what I should write to you this week, I thought what Confucius said in 《论语》 the Analects of Confucius : “ 教学相长 jiào　xué　xiāng　zhǎng -- Teaching others teaches yourself ."

Firstly, I do have seen what a good way it is to give students some actual technical ability among the interactions between an instructor and her students naturally at Eugene Field Elementary School during I attended a presentation by Dr. Jessica Gerard – the Lead Instructor for History at Ozarks Technical Community College.

I was surprised, in her short presentation for two hours, she did several interactions with her students. Taught them to use Chinese chopsticks -- to eat rice by a couple of Chinese chopsticks; saw some Chinese books -- to know what Chinese characters looked like; sent a Chinese zodiac card to each students according to their birth day... Plus the PPT and Videos, she has made her students who are less than 10 years old to be concentrated on her presentation successfully for 2 hours. I am sure her students have really learned so many and the school would invite her to come second time next year... :- )

I have gotten so many inspirations via attending her wonderful classes indeed.

Secondly, I do have seen the fact how an American art educator paid more attention to give her students the most actual and most basic techniques by the short touching with Ms. Cynthia Moor – the art instructor of Ozarks Technical Community College and Missouri State University. I have exhibited 5 kinds of paintings, but Ms. Cynthia Moore just wanted me to show her students to paint the line drawing, because she thought line is also the base of American paintings.

I was so happy when I heard she chose a presentation of Chinese art of poetry, painting and music + students read and sing Chinese poem + Line Drawing; Presentation + Line Drawing from so many different Chinese Paintings.

To be honest, I had been a little bit worrying about that she would choose Chinese Xieyi as someone had chosen and asked me to teach their students in the first or the only class of their students in my former teaching process since 2009. Because, in my opinions, poetry is the core of a Chinese painting; line is the bone of a Chinese painting. Chinese painting is the art of lines or say it is the linear art. It is the key that makes Chinese painting is different from the other paintings in the world. So, for me, if I have only little time, I wish to show my students something most important, that is Chinese poetry and lines in a Chinese painting.

Chinese Xieyi is certainly one of the mainstream paintings,it is also the art of lines, but, because it is painted quickly, freely much more than the other Chinese paintings. If students had never touched any Chinese paintings, just to show them only Chinese Xieyi, it would possibly mislead students and it would possibly give them an impression that Chinese painting is too simple, too easily and too rough...

So, I felt quite lucky that Ms. Cynthia Moor chose the Line Drawing -- Chinese Baimiao for her students who would have 2 -3 hours. Not only, felt her professional attainments, but also, I have also feel something same and similar between the two sides of the Ocean. My heart was smiling at the time she said that she wanted her students to learn Chinese Line Drawing -- Baimiao.

Thirdly, I do have some new feelings and cognition about the target users of my cross-culture and comprehensive art project: what ages are more suitable what kinds of paintings; what ages are more suitable Chinese Poetry by singing or by reading and so on.

All of these practices have given me some precious experiences: how to design my classes, edit and write my books, and improve and innovate my creations, teaching, and the theory thought.

Therefore, I do feel that from my travel in the USA, I have gotten much more than I have given to the local people already. Whole of the hard work, fight with the sickness and ache are worth. So, this week, just for correcting a wrong word in my former translation of the poem Ting Zhu, I spent for 6 hours to re-sing it and re-record it in Chinese and in English.

With a grateful heart, I would really like to thank Ozarks Technical Community College, the kind and friendly local American friends, educators, clericals (a part of paintings have been the background of the Springfield Assembly Chinese Church on one of Sunday to celebrate Chinese New Year) and the students, for their good understanding, help and supports.

I will also do my best on my last work before I leave for China, to teach the others while to teach myself. To give as much knowledge and technique that I have learned earlier than the local students as possible, to improve myself for giving better and much more in the future.

You can click on the line to see the photos and notes about my teaching and learning in the USA in the past 1 week.

How about you? Do you have anything special to share?

Sincerely,


Shirley Yiping Zhang
Feb 17, 2014