My friend and colleague, Jason Long, is spending the semester teaching in China. Last year our high school started a teacher exchange program with a school in Jinhua, China. Jason was the first teacher selected for the program.
Jason is writing a blog about his experiences as a teacher in China. Jason has been writing about the experience of adjusting to living in China as well as the adjustment to teaching in a large Chinese school. Here is an excerpt from one of Jason’s recent posts regarding teacher access to technology,
“I had a flash drive in my pocket with the Power Point file on it the entire time. I could have just plugged it into the computer and it would work. But, the classroom computer is locked in a solid wood box and no teacher has a key. Another strange difference is that the only photocopier is in the administration building, staffed by three people who make the copies for you, and only available at certain hours. I suppose it is a good way to prevent teachers from unintentionally breaking computers and photocopiers, but it takes some getting used to.” Read the rest of the post here.

Jason’s Viking in China blog is entertaining and insightful, I encourage you to take a minute to read an American perspective on Chinese schooling.