Students in Kate Manteniek’s classroom in Westerville visited with peers in China.
Emerson World Culture Magnet School is enhancing programming this year by creating global connections with other students. Contacts and interactions are underway with other schools and students in Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, China, and soon to begin in Nicaragua. Third grade students in Kate Manteniek’s class recently were able to meet their global contacts in China through video conference from their classroom. These students have written each other letters, drawn pictures and sent each other photographs, but technology allowed them the opportunity to talk live and say hello (or “nin hau”) and ask each other questions. Because of the nine-hour time difference, Emerson’s third grade students arrived to school at 8:00 a.m. and the Chinese children stayed late until 9:00 p.m. in order to have this discussion. “This was an exciting experience for both groups of students,” said Principal Christine Doolittle.