Trip Offers Firsthand Lessons Ewu, Spokane Educators Visit China To Develop Teaching Plan

A baker’s dozen of Spokane educators just got back from a quest for teaching ideas that took them to the Far East.

The team of Spokane School District teachers and Eastern Washington University professors completed a six-week trip to China July 23, paid for with a FulbrightHays scholarship. While there, the educators were exposed to the country’s culture, climate and educational system.

“It was very different than I had prepared for,” said Marilyn Highberg, principal at Moran Prairie Elementary School. It was hotter than she expected and surprisingly, she said, much more open.

“I thought there was going to be a lot tighter controls. There was a lot of military and security, but I never felt like I couldn’t go where I wanted to,” she said.

The teachers traveled to several major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. At each location, they toured historical sites, visited schools and talked to local officials. The team brought back items they will use to develop a curriculum teachers can incorporate into existing lessons about Asia or, more specifically, China. Highberg said the plan is to group the items into three kits, one each for elementary, middle school and high school.

Now, she said, the group will refine the information and materials it gathered into a lesson plan and post the information on a Web site.