Participants will explore successful models of connecting university, nonprofit organizations, schools and parents by offering online Chinese classes to secondary language students across the nation. Participants will examine the role of connecting partnerships, how the Confucius Institute at Michigan State University reaches out to their immediate communities when students’ Chinese language and culture learning needs cannot be met locally, how their format works to maximize technological advantages for language education, and the promises and challenges faced by such innovative partnerships for online Chinese education. The partnership models introduced in this session include, but are not limited to, working with nonprofit organizations, school districts and private schools, inner-city charter schools and individual parents.

1. When University and Community Work Together: Collaborative Models that Serve for Many Needs Yalun Zhou yalunz@msu.edu Ken Dirkin dirkinke@msu.edu Confucius Institute Michigan State University NCLC, April 16, 2011 San Francisco, CA

2. Demanding Needs National Security Language Initiative (2006) A shortage of qualified “critical language” speakers (Loveland, 2009) Testimony on national language needs (Petro 2007) Excellence and Innovation in Language Learning Act (Holt & Tonko, 2010) Need to increase K-12 language offerings & enrollment (O’Connell & Norwood, 2007) Think more broadly than university and federal programs explicitly include pre-K though Grade 12 education (NFLC, 2009) 2

3. Realities FL education decreased dramatically (CAL, 2010) Demand from students, parents, schools, and districts for Chinese programs seems likely to continue to increase (Asia Society, 2010) 3

4. Inquiries CI-MSU Received From students From parents From principals From school district From others 4

5. Reactions & Goals of CI-MSU Meet the ever-increasing demand for Chinese education in the U.S; promote Chinese culture and language worldwide. Provide quality Chinese learning materials and experience to both K-12 students and adults. Develop new teaching resources for teachers and schools as well as provide consulting to existing teachers and school districts. Recruit and train highly qualified & certified Chinese teachers for K-12 schools. Conduct research on issues specific to teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Reform and create an innovative & effective learning and teaching system for Chinese language and culture. 5

6. Innovations of CI-MSU Innovations and reach-out Chinese Your Way: interactive multimedia e-textbook high school online Chinese courses or online tutoring classes Zon Multi-player online games Chinese language and culture enrichments Multiple models to serve the needs of students, parents, schools, and districts 6

7. Model 1: University-Non-Profit Org. Cooperation and connection among CI-MSU,MVHS, OUC, and IBO 4 year 8 semester online Chinese courses : 1A, 1B 2A, 2B 3A, 3B 4A, 4B International Baccalaureate Mandarin Chinese ab initio Video: CI-MSU initiative and collaborations http://experiencechinese.org/index.php/courses 7

8. Model 2: University-School Collaboration CI-MSU & public schools Stowe Middle & High Schools (VT) Livermore Valley High School (CA) Egg Harbor High School (NJ) Canal Winchester High School (OH) CI-MSU & rural mountain schools Westport Middle School (WA) CI-MSU & inner city charter schools Detroit Edison Charter School (MI) CI-MSU & private schools Santa Catalina Upper School (CA) 8

9. Model 3: University-Schools w/Grant: Lansing School District, MI Arlington Heights School District, IL Hughes STEM High School, OH Flashing, MI 9

10. Platform & Format of Learning (1) 10

11. Semester-Paced Online Chinese 18-week instruction 4-day self-paced study (Blackboard or Moodle) One 50-minute live session with native speaking teachers (Adobe Connect Pro) Self-paced review of live session recordings 11

12. Language and Culture Focus 12

13. A Glance at Platform I: Online Course Sample synchronous learning—Adobe Connect meeting Sample asynchronous learning--Blackboard course management and teaching with new technologies Benefits of this model to students: meet diverse needs and can take at various settings 13

14. Platform & Format of Learning (2) Zon: http://enterzon.com Stand-alone language games Language and culture learning through the game with Zon-tutors 14

15. A Glance at Platform II: Zon Sample Zontutoring 15

16. Impact and Results Compared with traditional classrooms, we Serve students beyond school boundaries Reach more schools and students (2500 + 20K Zon registration) Assist diverse learners to fulfill their dreams of learning Chinese Meet more parents’ needs for their children 16

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18. Conclusion When university and communities work together, Augment the reach of students and more interpersonal learning community Meet more student needs Meet more school needs Meet more parent needs Challenges: Class scheduling Teacher recruitment & training Teaching quality Overall operation 18

19. Thank You! Ken Dirkin dirkinke@msu.edu Yalun Zhou yalunz@msu.edu 19