Education without tariffs: A synchronous educational collaborative between China and the United States
Abstract: Just as Alice faced challenges after falling down the rabbit’s hole, educators can face many challenges while conducting online, synchronous classrooms. Differences in culture, adapting to technology, and accepting time differences are but a few obstacles to overcome. Additionally, instructional styles may vary, with some teachers using hands-on activities while others prefer discussion, while student’s learning styles making the teaching/learning continuum even more complex once the teacher is miles from the students and classroom. Chinese educators have a great deal to offer American educators, and vice-versa, but how do we overcome the challenges in order to ensure an effective, mutually beneficial learning environment? During the 2018-19 school year, University faculty and K-12 cohorts in the United States became long distance, online instructors for teachers and students from a STEM school, in Foshan, China, This brief paper will discuss eight challenges identified while conducting a synchronous, long-distance collaborative classroom between classrooms in the United States and China. Reflective discussions involving participants in this collaboration provide the major talking points for this paper. Results of those discussions will be the driving force for renewed programs between these two countries.