[Report by Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Shanghai] During the cold spell in the spring, the 2019 “Sunshine Home” Daily Life Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Teaching Activities Teacher Training Class was held with enthusiasm in the Jiangsu Hotel in Putuo District. A total of 85 persons, including the specialists of the “Sunshine Home” Guidance Centers in Minhang District, Jiading District, Pudong New Area and Chongming District, and the management and service staff for abacus calculation teaching activities from various sub-districts and towns, reported to the venue in the early morning of April 10 to attend the three-day abacus and mental arithmetic training. Chen Ling (Director of Shanghai Disabled Persons Employment Service Center), Lu Ping and Huang Zhihua (Vice Chairmen of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Shanghai) and volunteers from all districts attended the meeting.

    Matters such as transportation, route and timing have been considered to improve the training effect and enable all trainees to concentrate and study earnestly. The Shanghai Disabled Persons Employment Service Center and the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Shanghai have invested a lot of material resources and energy in this event, made careful preparations and arrangements for a three-day intensive training. At the opening ceremony, Section Chief Chen express the hope that the “Sunshine Home” students would face front-line teachers directly, study hard, practice hard and put what they have learned into application, so that more “Sunshine Home” students would participate in the study of abacus and mental arithmetic, learn happily, recover and keep fit, improve their self-care ability, and actively integrate into society. Meanwhile, Mr. Chen highly praised the new aspects of this year’s daily life abacus and mental arithmetic project: First, the radiation area of abacus and mental arithmetic teaching has been expanded from the original 8 districts to 12 districts. Second, the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association has strengthened the building of teaching staff, set up volunteer teams, and worked with “Sunshine Home” teachers in various sub-districts towns to better complete the teaching work. Third, WeChat class videos have been made to provide more targeted and standardized teaching services and improve the teaching level.

The three-day teacher training was rich in content and varied in forms. There was a special lecture given by Lu Ping, Vice Chairman of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Shanghai. Yang Jinyun, the project manager of the “Sunshine Home” daily life abacus and mental arithmetic course, gave lectures on professional knowledge: There were also teachers and researchers in curriculum research and development; teachers Yang Hongsong and Yu Aili from Dongli Fengmei Recuperation School taught meticulously, and students learn earnestly.