2. China has 44 cities
w/ a population of
1,000,000 or more
The U.S.A. has 9
3.
4.
5. The entire population of the USA is 312
million people, ranked behind
China & India respectively
Notes de l'éditeur
Scale
The trip to China was very enlightening to me both personally & professionally.
Our visit both solidified and nullified pre-conceived notions that I had of China.
One thing that has come back with me is the notion of SCALE.
It’s hard to envision the scale of China until you visit.
Population
Primary source:
Wolfram|Alpha knowledgebase, 2010.
Wolfram Mathematica CityData.
Delivering Services
Apartment Complex in Beijing, China
Delivering Services
How does China deliver electricity?
An estimated 2.835 trillion kilowatts / year (2007)
World’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, per capita emissions however are still far behind developed countries.
World’s leading renewable energy producer
Largest producer of wind turbines & solar panels
Total hydro-electric output in China in 2009 was 615.64 billion kWh, constituting 16.6% of all electricity generated.
How does China feed it’s people? 1.31 billion people (2008)
China faces shrinking farmland and an increasing population - will turn to genetically modified organism technology to ensure grain security.
How does China transport it’s citizens?
Massive buses that allow small cars to drive under them
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/02/china-to-build-ginormous-buses-that-cars-can-drive-under-video/
High Speed Rail – longest & fastest commercial train service on conventional rail lines
How does China deliver information? * More on this topic later
Chinese Student Population
The Chinese student numbers are 2002 estimates
The USA population is 2008 estimate
Classroom Technology
The technology I saw being used in the classroom was something that nullified a pre-conceived notion I had held.
Both traditional classrooms I saw were well equipped w/ presentation based technology.
Laptops at every desk in 2nd class – were they student or school/classroom laptops.
Andre pointed out and wondered if the instructor was going to email the presentation to the students.
She did not.
One thing every student has in the classroom
Mobile devices
Cell phones are everywhere – called handies
Ruth, one of our translators, pointed out how much time the younger generation spends on them
It’s an opportunity – not a challenge
1. Student response polling or pop quizzes2. Find definitions, currency conversion, math equations, translations3. Use as an Internet browser to access information4. Research5. Read news articles and current events6. Read books7. Download and use education programs such as Google Maps and use as GPS8. Use as a digital or video camera to accompany school projects, publishing, etc.9. Educate students on appropriate and acceptable social use10. Use the voice technology to share engaging lectures or lessons
Moodle
WXIT distance learning
To me, at this point it is very disjointed – lots of content spread out over various platforms & LMS-s
However, impressive content being put online.
Distance Education Opportunities
We’ve all heard of the Great Wall – and if you’re trying to teach in China there is the Great Chinese Firewall as well.
YouTube & Facebook are blocked
Google & Flickr have a very tenuous relationship w/ China
But there are substitutes that you can access in the US and use to host resources.
One of the best is our very own home grown NCLOR – works just fine in China.
Personal VPN
use any site you want from within China
not illegal in China
Chinese versions of international applications are not encrypted – so they can be monitored and/or censored.