On March 15, 26 local educators attended the Democracy in China: Now? How? Ever? workshop. The day started with three graduate students, who have been extensively studying China, presenting on their research. Jessica Teets, a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science, presented on Village-Level Elections in China: Path to Democracy or Pageantry?
Jessica Teets, Tim Weston, Liang Zheng, and Orion Lewis answer questions from educators at the Democracy in China workshop.
Educators discuss the PBS documentary, Please Vote for Me.
In the afternoon, participants viewed part of the PBS program Please Vote for Me, which is about an election in a third-grade classroom in China for the prestigious position of class monitor. Jon Zeljo, assistant director at TEA, led a curriculum session in which the teachers discussed ideas for using the film in their classroom. The documentary follows the action as three candidates vie for their classmates' votes. An educator version of the DVD will be available soon.
On Saturday March 8, the Center for Asian Studies held its seventh-annual Asia Day on the CU-Boulder campus. Asia Day is an outreach event for the Colorado community that offers a wonderful opportunity to share the expertise of CU faculty, staff, students, and community members on many facets of Asian life.
Cathy Ishida taught the movements and significance of Japanese Folk Dance. 
Yunn Pann presented a caligraphy performance with her authentic big brush.
April 8: Arts of the Silk Road Educator Workshop. Part of the Arts of Asia in the Classroom Workshop Series. A TEA and South, Southeast, and West Asia (SSEWA) joint program at the Denver Art Museum, 5-8 pm. Scholars Judith Frey and Stephen Whiteman will trace a medieval journey along the Silk Road trade routes of Asia through art pieces at the Denver Art Museum collection. Deadline to register: April 1.
April 19: Taiko Drumming Workshop for Educators. 9 am-12 noon. This workshop will feature Julia Misawa, art director and instructor of Boulder Taiko HIBIKI, Japanese drum group. Deadline to register: April 11.
Through May 4: The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art presents the works of Susan Lee-Chun, Yumi Janairo Roth, Hiroshi Watanabe, and Wang Jing. The artists in the show have roots in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and China, and their work explores the complexity of contemporary Asian and Asian American identity and heritage. Each artist demonstrates a unique response to a cross-cultural perspective, exploring issues of tradition, markers of ethnicity, and the importance of place. In addition A Taste of China, guest curated by Dr. David Raddock, will include works by Wang Jing. The Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 1750 13th Street in downtown Boulder, Colorado. Current museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm; Sunday noon to 3 pm; closed Monday. Regular museum admission is $5 for adults; $4 for students and seniors. Free to museum members and children under 12. For public information call 303-443-2122 or visit their website.
May 9: The Emperor's Gardens: Landscape and Power in Late Imperial China. This lecture is part of the Asian Art Association series at the Denver Art Museum and will be held in DAM's Schlessman Hall, 6:30-7:30 pm. Mr. Stephen Whiteman will again present “The Emperor's Gardens: Landscape and Power in Late Imperial China.” Contact Heidi Quist for more information or with questions.
New Opportunities
April 1 (deadline): The StarTalk summer institute, Mentoring and Leadership for K-12 Chinese Teachers at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, June 20 – 30. The institute is designed to expand leadership capacity in the profession by working intensively with 12 practicing K-12 Chinese teachers, who have been recognized as new leaders, to help them develop mentoring and leadership skills. State, regional, and national organizations and school districts are encouraged to consider paying the registration fee for a teacher who would attend the institute in exchange for presenting a conference workshop or session on mentoring and leadership. Participants who represent organizations or school districts and whose registration fee ($100) is paid by the organization or district will receive special consideration in the selection process.
April 5 (deadline): Cheng & Tsui Professional Development Award for Teachers of Chinese is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of teachers of Chinese, especially teachers new to the field. The award is given to support the attendance of pre-collegiate (including heritage school) and collegiate teachers at training workshops, seminars, conferences, and other in-service learning experiences at local, national, or international levels; and/or to collaborate with a mentor teacher. Teacher-training workshops and seminars attended by the applicant should be focused on Chinese pedagogy and issues of Chinese teaching and learning. The fund has designated an annual amount of $1,000 to be divided between at least two teachers each year. Applicants for this award should have a current CLTA membership status. The name(s) of winner(s) will be announced and award(s) presented at the CLTA/ACTFL 2008 Conference in Orlando, Florida. The name(s) of winner(s) will also be reported in the January 2009 CLTA Newsletter, and at the CLTA website.
April 14 (deadline): Chinese Pedagogy Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, June 15-July 2, 2008. This residential program will offer 4-5 hours of graduate-level credit (at no cost to participants) to 24 prospective and current middle and high school Chinese teachers recruited nationally. Sixteen teachers will be placed in the beginning track, which will focus on lesson planning and classroom instruction, and eight teachers in the advanced track, which will highlight curriculum design, material development, and assessment. In addition to tuition, instructional materials, lodging, and meals will be fully covered. All eligible participants are encouraged to apply.
May 20 (deadline): Final Call for World History Manuscripts: EAA Fall 2008. Education About Asia (EAA) is the peer-reviewed teaching journal of the Association for Asian Studies. Readers include undergraduate instructors as well as high school and middle school teachers. Articles are intended to provide educators, who are often not specialists, with basic understanding of Asia-related content. EAA is in the process of developing a special section in the fall 2008 issue entitled “Asia in World History: 1750–1914.” For this special section, EAA is seeking articles in which authors help teachers and students to better understand Asia in modern world history. EAA is seeking manuscripts about all areas of Asia. EAA is also interested in Asia-related manuscripts on maritime, environmental, and economic history. All manuscripts should be written for high-school and undergraduate world history and social science instructors. EAA is most interested in manuscripts that are useful for survey-level courses. Prospective authors should consult the EAA guidelines, available online. Contact Lucien Ellington with questions.
Reminders of Formerly Mentioned Opportunities
April 17-19: Building Global Competence of U.S. Students: Making Chinese Accessible for All. Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C. College Board and Asia Society are co-organizing this national conference on Chinese language programs in American schools. Hear U.S. and international, political, economic, and educational leaders share their visions, plans, or programs for Chinese language education in the global age. Learn:
- How to make the case for Chinese in your school and community
- Bring meaningful Chinese language programs to all students
- Model your program after best practices and research
- Prepare or find highly-qualified Chinese language teachers
- Discuss other relevant topics
June 23-26: AP Summer Institutes at the University of Denver’s Center for Teaching International Relations (CTIR). AP Economics, AP European History, and AP World History. Each session of the Institute will be held on the University of Denver campus and will cover different aspects of each AP course as well as its respective exam. Participants will actively engage in discussions and sample lessons. Institute leaders may also provide Internet resources and ways to effectively utilize computer lab time in AP courses. Both new and experienced AP teachers are encouraged to attend. Experienced AP teachers are encouraged to share materials from their classrooms. Institute cost: $600 early bird (register by May 26); $650 regular cost (register after May 26).
July 20-Aug. 24: 2008 Beijing Olympics China Study Program for Students. Open to all college students in the United States. Offered by College of Business at Northeastern State University, Oklahoma. The group will travel to Beijing with visits to Shanghai (soccer venue) and Qingdao (sailing venue). The focus of the program will be on the development of cross-cultural knowledge and competence, and sport business/management skills through activities, guest lectures, and Chinese business/sport networking opportunities. Participants will provide support to Team-USA members for the Beijing Olympics at the USOC training center in Beijing. Email: ballsl@nsuok.edu or pan@nsuok.edu with questions.
The Program for Teaching East Asia
University of Colorado at Boulder
595 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309
(303) 735-5122
New SPICE Chinese Dynasties Unit Now Available. Chinese Dynasties, Part Two: The Song Dynasty through the Qing Dynasty, 960 to 1911 CE is now available through SPICE for $59.95. Chinese civilization has endured for thousands of years, held fast by the notion of unity and challenged by the constant struggle to maintain it. To understand this notion, how it evolved, and why it has endured for thousands of years is to understand the very essence of Chinese civilization. Chinese Dynasties, Part Two is the second and final installment of SPICE's dynasties series. It continues the exploration of dynasties, offering students an in-depth view of Chinese civilization from the Song Dynasty to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the end of the entire dynastic system. In four lessons, students study important events, people, and achievements of the following dynasties:
- Lesson One: Song Dynasty (960–1279)
- Lesson Two: Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368)
- Lesson Three: Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
- Lesson Four: Qing Dynasty (1644–1911)
DVD Now Available: The Silk Road: Music, Art, and Poetry from Istanbul to Samarqand. Featuring Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Narrated by Christopher Sarson of the BBC's Masterpiece Theater and directed by Judith Frey. This new DVD offers a unique experience of the artistic legacy of the Islamic world in the regions of ancient Persia, where Islam flourished after the seventh century with an artistic renaissance that reflected the beauty of Persian culture. Featuring rare recordings of sixth-century Persian classical music, Sufi music from an order founded by the poet Rumi in the 13th century, historic photographs of Islamic art and architecture, and Persian and Sufi poetry. A 20-page booklet with music and photo identification is included. To order: 1-888-museart (687-3278), $25 / $3 shipping. Or contact Courtney Zenner to borrow a copy from the Program for South, Southeast, and West Asia.
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