Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 1, 1991 TAG: 9104010068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NEAL THOMPSON EDUCATION WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Brandon Bourne looked like "The Karate Kid," walking around the halls in his white pants and a white shirt tied closed by a black belt.
In the library, Cole Bolling flipped water chestnuts and strips of lamb around with soy sauce in his wok as he prepared authentic Chinese meals for fellow ninth-graders.
Welcome to Hidden Valley Junior High School's slice of the Orient.
For 5 1/2 weeks, students studied the history, culture and literature of eastern Asia as part of an aggressive, experimental approach toward global awareness in Roanoke County schools.
Last week, students at Hidden Valley and other county senior and junior high schools completed the first-ever International Studies Program. And during Wednesday's all-day celebration - complete with Chinese food, martial-arts demonstrations and Oriental music and dance - students and teachers gave it high marks.
"It was more work, but it was more interesting," said Hidden Valley ninth-grader Seth Keyes, 14.
"It was more stressful," said Tameka Barnett, 14. "But I liked it. I thought it was more interesting than regular English."
In an age where students from other countries are shaming American students in math and geography tests, organizers of this program think it is vital for preparing students for the changing world around them.
"You can't teach them a great deal in 5 1/2 weeks. But we at least want to open their eyes and open their minds," said Pat Bijwaard, who chairs Hidden Valley's English department.
India, China and Japan were the main topics, but Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan and Nepal also were studied during the program. Bijwaard said the new twist to this program was the schoolwide approach.
Students studied the writings of Confucius and Mohandas K. Gandhi in English class. They studied history and culture in social studies class. They created maps and paintings in art class.
The program sprouted from an effort a few years ago to open an entire school dedicated to international studies, similar to the Governor's School for Science and Technology. That idea died for lack of funding, but the desire to teach more about the world survived.
Organizers decided to limit the program to just ninth-graders and just during the third grading period. This summer, organizers will discuss possible future revisions. But the goal is to eventually offer the program to all grades.
If Hidden Valley's students are any indication, the program has got a future.
Jayne Sinclair, 14, said she and her classmates were amazed and outraged to learn how women are treated in some cultures. Through articles, movies and books, Sinclair learned that in rural parts of China, men sometimes beat their wives if they don't give birth to a male who can work in the fields.
And in parts of India, men can have many wives. "I don't like that," Sinclair said.
"Our class couldn't believe how bad they treat their women over there," Keyes said. "People don't think it's going on as much now, but it is. I didn't realize how bad the women were treated around the world."
Bijwaard said ninth-graders have a "sense of fairness." For example: "They couldn't understand why someone would kill Gandhi. That absolutely blew their minds. . . . I think that's what I like most about these kids."
by CNB