This morning I continued with my routine of waking up early and blogging. I can see now how people get into this. It’s fun but very time consuming. Several of our hosts from Shuangxi High School came over the B&B to have breakfast with us before we left. I am very sad to leave our Shuangxi friends, but I know a new adventure awaits us. When we packed our bags in the car and our hosts were waving goodbye to us, we all got incredibly sad. We all bonded so quickly with all our Shuangxi family that is hard to leave.
When we arrived at Xiufeng students were already in the computer lab working on their presentations that they would be giving later in the day. We were also assigned to present to the students and teachers our observations of the Social Studies Camp and give some feedback on the English portion of the student’s presentations. Additionally, we also surveyed the room to see the students’ progress on their presentations. Students were required to give a 15 minute presentation on what they learned over the three day period. I was fascinated by the fact that the students did not receive any type of rubric for the presentations but yet, they all seemed to know what to do. However, just like American teenagers in a computer lab some were on Facebook and others were playing video games.
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| Our Shuangxi Family! |
The student presentations were amazing! The students’ use of powerpoint and special effects were much better than my students. Every presentation was creative in its own way. One of my favorite’s and the winning one (they won 4,000NT) incorporated a skit about each of the places we went to.
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| Student skit from Yehliu Geopark |
Check out this video from one of thes sudent presentations at Xiufeng High School.
My other favorite presentation of the day was from Kai and his group. Kai is an extremely quiet and focused student. We spoke a few times over the course of the three days and I just adored him. When is it was his group’s turn to present, he grabbed the microphone and turned into Mr. Chou!! He is a little professor! He had the audience wrapped around his finger. After his presentation I told him I was so impressed and that his new nickname is the little professor! Kai told me it was his honor. I really just want to bring him back home with me, but Kai is off to college to study plant science. My bet is that he will be a professor in 5 or 6 years.
Lastly, Jim, Kelly, Jackie and I (yes, there are two Jackie’s. As Alice likes to call us, Jacki #1 and Jackie #2) gave our observations of the three days. We were all so impressed with the students’ focus during the three days, behavior and maturity during the field trips, engagement with the material and their presentations. The principal then presented us each with a beautiful book of student pictures of Xiufeng High School. I can’t wait to share it with my students about education and life in Taiwan. Before we left, we took a ton of pictures with the various groups, students and individual students.
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| Jackie #2, Kai, and me |
Our rides were waiting outside Xiufeng to take us to our first homestays. Jackie #2 and I were headed to the town of Lin-Kou. My host family in Lin-Ko is incredible. I already feel like a part of the family. I was skeptical after such a warm welcome in Shuangxi that anyone could compare, but the Cheng’s were hugging me as soon as I walked in the door. The Cheng family has a daughter Jocelin who is a student at Lin-Ko High School. Mrs. Cheng and Jocelin took me to dinner at the Rose House, a nearby tea house where she proceeded to by me a tea mug. The Taiwanese are so generous that I am going to have to buy another suitcase just to bring back all the gifts they have given me! 
One of the coolest things that I have seen thus far is the parking garage by the Cheng’s home.
Check this out! What an efficient use of space in a populous city! 
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