Harrison learned as much as she taught
Amber Harrison, gifted and talented coordinator for the Pea Ridge School District, spent her summer teaching at the Diligence & Delight Learning Center in Beijing, China.
“It is really quite amazing,” Harrison said.
Harrison, who studied pre-med at Henderson State University before changing to Middle Level Education, had a lot of math and science courses and was qualified to teach a genetics course designed for 10th grade to third and fourth grade students.
She explained that they used zebra fish embryos and were learning embryonic development of zebra fish which, she said shares 70% human DNA but only get as big as a toothpick. They went on a field trip to Peking University and watched less than 24 hour old embryo develop into fish in four days. She said zebra fish lay 100-200 eggs if mated and are used for genetic research.
“They do research on liver, heart and nervous diseases. Right now their focus is on diabetes,” Harrison said explaining that it has been discovered that while the embryo is a single cell organism, scientists can inject it and see how it reacts. “It can alter the whole genetic makeup.”
“The researchers, in last few years, have learned leaps and bounds,” she said.
Harrison said she learned as much as she taught during her experience.
In Beijing, because of the prevalence of coal-burning factories, the air is hazy and the sun is hidden. She said one of her students told her about a time a few years ago when representatives from energy companies were planning to visit the area and the factories were shut down so the haze could clear.
“They didn’t even know the sky was blue,” Harrison said incredulously.
The weather was hot and humid. The air conditioning didn’t cool the hotel rooms to less than 78 degrees, Harrison said, noting also that bathroom facilities are quite different than they are in America.
“The air quality index is so bad some days that it was hard to breath and you had to wear masks,” she said.
She experienced many different foods and even though she is a self-proclaimed ranch dressing fanatic, she found a sesame ginger dressing that she liked and said is “way healthier.”
She said the culture is very focused on exercising and every few blocks, there is “a concrete section with colored circles. Every morning and every night women are out there exercising with rackets and with a ball.”
When she was visiting the Temple of Heaven, a group of ladies began singing, and other natives stopped and began to sing.
“I would say they are very proud of their culture and they really practice it — like we say the pledge every day, they had certain things they did every day,” she said. “If flag, or singing, all stopped and participate until finished.”
“They’re all very respectful and even the different social statuses there, you can tell, they treat the people who are their bosses, they treat with respect,” she said.
“Being in education, you’re at the top, it’s kinda the top tier. They bow to you, they call you Teacher Harrison. When you hail a taxi, they’ll ask what are you here for and when you tell them you’re a teacher, they immediately bow and open doors and carry your bags.
“I look at education a little bit differently,” she said, noting that whereas in America, all students may receive a free education, it’s not that way in China. “It’s a little more important to make sure we meet every students’ needs — high, low and every where in between. If we lived any where else in the world, we wouldn’t have that opportunity.”
“It was very safe. I was very nervous going — being an American in another country and wondering if they will accept me, but everyone very nice, very accepting.” •••
Editor’s note: This is the final portion of a two-part article.