The countdown begins

9 days and counting until the delegation leaves for China.

Educators to tour China to learn

Tech Valley High School will join educators from a number of other regional schools in going to China on November 4 for a nine-day visit to educators there.

 
A total of 19 educators from several area schools, as well as Capital Region BOCES and Questar III BOCES, will travel to China November 4 to meet with several education leaders there.

The group’s goal is to build upon the memorandum of understanding that was reached between Tech Valley High School and Tianjin High School No. 41 in Tianjin, China.

“We expect to expand the memorandum of understanding with Tianjin High School No. 41 to extend the relationship that Tech Valley High is already reaping the fruit from to benefit other schools in the region,” said Capital Region BOCES Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Dr. Kathryn Gerbino.

Gerbino, along with her counterpart at Questar III BOCES, Diana Conroy, will lead the delegation that also includes representatives from Tech Valley High School, Catskill, Schoharie, Schodack, South Colonie, Cobleskill-Richmondville, and Schalmont schools.

School boards across the region understand the value of forming these partnerships and support the effort, educators said.

While in China, the delegation will meet with educators in Tianjin and Guangzhou, as well as other schools. Visits to the schools and observations of classes are also on the agenda prior to the delegation’s return to the United States on Nov. 13.

A key goal of the delegation’s visit to China is to create partnerships, through which Tech Valley Region schools and Chinese schools will exchange faculty members and perhaps even students. The exchange would likely model the one currently taking place at Tech Valley High School, through which Zhiheng Yin, an English teacher at Tianjin High School No. 41 in China, is now teaching Mandarin Chinese at TVHS and learning about the American education system. Yin, who arrived in the United States in early September and is living with a TVHS faculty member and her family, will be teaching and learning at TVHS through December.

"While these partnerships would come at a minimal cost to area schools - whose faculty hosts the educators during their stay - the benefits are tremendous," Gerbino said.

 Diana Conroy, assistant superintendent at Questar III BOCES, said exchange programs between area schools and those in China serve to promote a greater understanding between the two countries.

"Not only is there this keen interest in exchange of curriculum and pedagogy but also the desire to nurture positive relationships between students, teachers and administrators. The world is becoming more volatile and as educators it is our responsibility to lead by example and foster healthy, positive connections between our nations," Conroy said.

In the above photo, Tianjin teacher Zhiheng Yin - here on exchange - teaches a TVHS student Mandarin Chinese.

Proof in what we teach

There is truth in what we preach to our students. Several of our graduates - only weeks into their first semester at college - have found that what they learned at TVHS set them up to excel in college.
Here is what one graduate said:
"It's crazy to see how much Tech Valley really helped me prepare for college. I'm able to communicate with my professors and my fellow students very well. I feel poised and confident in myself whenever I approach them. As far as the work load goes, hands down Tech Valley prepared me for this step. I see many of the students struggling with time management and how much work the professors assign us. For me personally, that was the easiest transition. Tech Valley's work load is much like the work load here at college... I can't thank Tech Valley enough for easing that stressor for me!"

Welcome

This is the first post of the Tech Valley High School Blog.
This forum will be used to share information about the school and listen to ideas.
If you would like to see anything specific in this blog, feel free to email me at mmccagg@techvalleyhigh.org.
Thanks and stay tuned for updates.