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NYTimes 5/20/2012

Dissident From China Arrives in U.S., Ending an Ordeal
Chen Guangcheng, the blind legal advocate who recently sought refuge in the American Embassy in Beijing, arrived in the heart of Greenwich Village on Saturday, holding the kind of open-air news conference that he could have never imagined while under virtual house arrest in China.(follow link to read entire article)

 
I am by no means endorsing this product.  This is just to let you know that there are produ
http://itunes.apple.com/app/art-of-chinese-characters/id504262446?mt=8

Description Learning Chinese characters has never been so interesting before! This App will help you to use the right way to learn Chinese characters.

People often have the impression that Chinese characters are extremely difficult to learn. In fact, if you choose the right way to learn, you will find that Chinese characters are not as difficult as you may have imagined. Chinese characters certainly qualify as one of the most beautiful, fascinating and logical writing systems in the world. This App will definitely lead you to discover the amazing Chinese characters and with great fun. Get it started now!

Three parts in Art of Chinese Characters:
。Find – find the connection part of Chinese characters from the painting.
。Learn – learn the meaning, pronunciation, phrases, stroke order and origin.
。Practice – quick review and try to match the Chinese characters to their English meaning.

Features:
- 15 unique paintings of Chinese characters.
- 89 Chinese characters and 163 phrases.
- Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese are available.
- Pinyin and English translation.
- Animation of Chinese characters origin.
- Stroke order demonstration and writing practice.
- True human voice pronunciation to each Chinese character and phrase.

 
I just created this jigsaw puzzle of a Chinese painting.  You need to have Java in your computer to play.  When you see the picture, go to the lower left to click on the "wheel" and click "scatter" to start.
http://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=370ecbfd403e
 
NYTimes Op-Ed Columnist Teaching Me About Teaching By CHARLES M. BLOW Published: May 4, 2012

Next week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and, as far as I’m concerned, they don’t get nearly enough. On Tuesday, the United States Department of Education is hoping that people will take to Facebook and Twitter to thank a teacher who has made a difference in their lives. I want to contribute to that effort. Read More
 
Bilingual Brain is sharper.... Wall Street Journal