'Go West' teachers leave lasting mark

After President Xi Jinping publicly praised the team's efforts in advancing local education, promoting ethnic unity and contributing to prosperity and stability in the border region in a reply to the letter from Yan and his fellows, Yan felt a renewed sense of purpose while learning how to create simple animated educational videos using artificial intelligence.

"Using AI and other new technologies to make abstract knowledge easier to understand will help children grasp concepts much better," he said.

Yan also described how, in mathematics, the volunteers are actively experimenting with scenario-based teaching. They use real-life examples relevant to the children, such as "counting sheep while herding" and "dividing land for planting vegetables" to illustrate concepts and make the subject more engaging and enjoyable.