November 5 & December 1. School Life in Asia: K-6 Educator Workshop Series. 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm, University of Colorado-Boulder campus. Register by October 28! $15 donation for each workshop or sign up for the set at a discounted rate of $25.

School Life in Japan, Wednesday, November 5. Explore video, internet, and artifact resources to teach your students about school life in Japan. Learn how “lesson study” is conducted in Japan and dicuss applications for your Professional Learning Communities.

School Life in India, Monday, December 1. Explore what it is like to go to school in India through the eyes and voices of children. Experience “Hindi 101 for Kids” and receive curriculum including the award-winning DVD and book, “Going to School in India.”

Presenters on Japan, China, and India Are Ready to Come to Your Classroom! The Center for Asian Studies at CU-Boulder, in cooperation with TEA, is again offering its educational outreach program to middle and high schools. The program has expanded this year to presentations on India, China, and Japan. The presentations cover a variety of subjects from performing and visual arts to religion and ethics and are carried out by specialists in the respective fields. This year we have five presenters speaking on six specific topics (adding four more topics on China and India in November). Having one or all five of our presenters visit your class will not only stimulate your students’ interest in cross-cultural learning and pursuing foreign languages, but will also add new dimensions to your curriculum. The content covered by these presentations may easily be applied to History, World Civilizations, Art, and Literature classes. Presentations are available free of charge and presenters may visit individual classes (preferred) or assemblies. Here are the available presentations and contact information to request a speaker for your class:

Japan

“Bushido: The Way of the Samurai”
Contact: Ben Grafström

“Manga: The Story of Japanese Literature and Cartoons”
Contact: Ben Grafström

China

“Traditional Chinese Culture Taught through the Art of Paper Cutting”
Contact: Lydia Halvorson

“Understanding the China of Today: Dispelling Cold War Myths” (tentative title)
Contact: Amy Sereda

India

“Bhakti: Hinduism and the Performing Arts”
Contact: Alison Clowes

“Traditional Indian Values and the Teachings of Gandhi”
Contact: Mark Wiebers

To be rescheduled: Chinese Calligraphy Workshop for K-12 Educators, featuring Calligrapher Yunn Pann. Learn about the history and art of Chinese Calligraphy. Stay tuned for details!

Previously Mentioned Opportunities

February 6, 2009 (Deadline). Religious Pluralism in India: Islam, Hinduism and Other Traditions. A Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad in India for Colorado High School Teachers, June 30 – July 29, 2009. The Center for Asian Studies is pleased to announce an opportunity for high school teachers in the state of Colorado. The Religious Pluralism in India four-week study tour is the first of its kind offered by the South, Southeast and West Asia Outreach Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Join CU Professor of Religion Loriliai Biernacki, as well as project advisor Philip Lutgendorf  (Hindi and Religious Studies, University of Iowa),  in a tour of North India that examines Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and other traditions through contemporary and historical lenses. The group will gain insight into these traditions as they are lived today through numerous visits to pilgrimage sites, temples, and other places of worship, as well as guest lectures by Indian scholars in New Delhi and Varanasi. Teachers may apply their experience to enhance World Geography, World History, World Religions, Asian Studies and more. Cost to participants is approximately $1,300 for the entire four-week program. Please note: participants in FHGPA study tours over the last three years are not eligible to apply. For more information, contact Courtney Zenner, SSEWA Outreach Coordinator, 303-735-5124.

December 1 (Deadline). The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education 2008 Call for Applications. The Goldman Sachs Foundation and Asia Society are seeking applications for the 2008 Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education. The prize program was created in 2003 to raise awareness of the growing importance of international knowledge and skills for U.S. students and annually awards prizes totaling $150,000 in five different categories. The 2008 Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

• Elementary/Middle School ($25,000)
  An elementary or middle school that engages all or most of its students in learning about other world regions, cultures and languages.
• High School ($25,000)
  A secondary school that engages all or most of its students in learning about Asia, Africa, Latin America or the Middle East, or about international affairs through its curriculum and through partnerships with other countries or local organizations.
  
• District/State ($25,000)
  A state or one of the 100 largest school districts that is actively promoting the development of international knowledge and skills on a wide scale through the creation of robust policies and specific programming initiatives.
  
• Media/Technology ($25,000)
  A program within a U.S. based public or private for-profit or non-profit organization that has developed outstanding programs that use media/technology to educate students or teachers about other world regions and cultures, or international issues.
  
• Youth (Up to $10,000)*
  Five high school students who demonstrate an in-depth understanding of key issues in international affairs and the global economy. * Please note that the 2008 Youth prize competition is now closed. Winners for the Youth prize will be announced in November 2008.

February 1, 2009 (Deadline). Elgin Heinz Award Open for Nominations. The US-Japan Foundation invites nominations for the 2009 Elgin Heinz Award, which annually recognizes outstanding teachers of Japan studies at the K-12 level in the areas of humanities and Japanese language instruction. The award carries a $2500 monetary award as well as  $5000 to support a curriculum project. For details and application guidelines, contact David Janes, US-Japan Foundation, 145 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016; djanes@us-jf.org. Teaching East Asia is proud to note that the 2007 and 2008 Elgin Heinz Awards were received by Colorado teachers Alex Echevarria, Academy 20 district, and Michelle Pearson, Adams 12 district, each of whom has been very active in TEA and NCTA workshops, seminars, and summer programs. Find out more about this year's winner Michelle Pearson in this issue of TEA Enews.

March 2, 2009 (Deadline). The National Committee on United States-China Relations is now seeking applications for an exchange program for teachers in American and Chinese schools. This is an unusual opportunity for schools and districts wishing to begin or to strengthen Chinese language and culture programs and for teachers wishing to live and teach in China. The National Committee sponsors orientation programs in the United States and in China during the summer before the exchange year. For American teachers this covers “survival” Chinese, the teaching of English as a foreign language, and an introduction to China and its schools. The orientation session for Chinese teachers covers the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, instruction on American teaching methodology, and an introduction to the United States and its schools. Those interested in the exchange should write to tep@ncuscr.org or send a letter to the Teachers Exchange Program, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10010, for more information and an application package. The application deadline for the 2009-2010 school year will be March 2, 2009.

November 2009 (Deadline). Laurasian Institution Overseas Programs for Secondary Groups. The Laurasian Institution offers overseas programs in China and Japan. New Perspectives: Japan and New Perspective: China take teacher-led secondary-student groups to Japan and China respectively, to study the cultures of these countries over a two-week period each summer.  Homestays and school visits are included. The application deadline for each program is late November 2009.

Previously Mentioned Opportunities

February 6, 2009 (Deadline). Journey to the Interior. A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Seminar for Teachers of Japanese Language, Literature, and History, June 28 - July 28, 2009. The Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado announces a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Seminar in Japan designed for secondary teachers of world literature or history, teachers of AP Japanese Language and Culture, and university instructors of Japanese. Participants will spend four weeks studying Japan through the lens of the famous travel diary Journey to the Interior (Oku no hosomichi), composed by the haiku poet Matsuo Basho after his journey through northern Japan in 1689. As they travel, they will build their Japanese language and culture skills, expand their knowledge of Japanese history and literature, and collect materials for use in preparing curricular units. Please contact Laurel Rasplica Rodd, Project Director, 303-492-1138, or Catherine Higbee Ishida, TEA Japan Project Coordinator, 303-735-5115. 

November 14-16. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), Houston, TX. The 88th NCSS Annual Conference’s theme is Embrace the Future! Over 400 sessions, workshops, and clinics will focus on new directions in the disciplines, twenty-first century themes and skills, working with diverse learners, effective instructional strategies for the social studies, promoting critical thinking and deep understanding, and creating knowledgeable and effective citizens. Special sessions will explore such topics as teaching ESL/ELL students, global awareness, civic education, and the intersections between science and social studies for twenty-first century learning.

November 21-23. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), San Antonio, TX. Because Shift Happens: Teaching in the Twenty-First Century. Join thousands of K-12 teachers, college faculty, administrators, and other educational professionals as they gather to hear award-winning speakers, attend idea-packed sessions, share best practices, and test the latest teaching materials at the 98th NCTE Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas!

Join a National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) 30-hour professional development seminar on East Asia in your area in 2008-09, offered through the NCTA national coordinating site at Teaching East Asia, University of Colorado.

Winter/Spring 2009
North Denver (Adams 12), CO
South Denver (Cherry Creek), CO
Charlottesville, VA
Beloit, WI
Omaha, NE
St. Louis, MO
Orange County, CA
Sonoma County, CA
Central Iowa

Texts and Contexts 2008 Japan Study Tour for Elementary Educators Follow-up

Fourteen elementary teachers who studied in Japan for four weeks in summer 2008 as part of a professional development program for Colorado elementary educators met at the Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA) offices in Boulder, September 12-13 and October 4, 2008, in order to reflect on the knowledge they gained through the project and to collaboratively revise lesson plans they are producing based on the literature and experiences of the seminar in Japan. 

This year’s tour and follow-up program will complete the third year of the Texts and Contexts: Japan through Children’s Literature program, which has been funded through the Freeman Foundation and, this year, through additional grants from the Japan Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education as a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad. This year’s group visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Okayama, Yamagata, Yokohama, and surrounding areas.  Each location was tied to a specific set of children’s literature. The teachers visited the locations and settings from the books, but also met with scholars to learn about the history, religions, and deeper culture of Japan.   

The group expects to produce approximately 30 lesson plans to be made available to other educators. Included are lessons on silk and sericulture, history and geography, architecture, the bombing of Hiroshima, family life, traditional clothing, folktales, and poetry. The teachers were given the opportunity to browse the many books, curriculum guides, and audio/visual aids available at the Japan Resource Center at TEA and to make notes for future use. The teachers are also beginning to plan individualized inservice presentations to be delivered to other educators throughout Colorado. 

Several presentations were given during the two days, including "Visualizing Travel in Japan: Early Encounters of the Past in Japanese Tourism," by Chris McMorran, TEA Program Associate; "Center Stage: Kabuki and Actor Prints in Edo and Meiji Japan," by Liz Owen, Professor of Art History, University of Denver; and "Chanoyu: A Case Study for the Transmission and Transformation of Tradition," by Melanie King, one of the study tour leaders.

The study tour participants visited the TEA offices to examine books and media on China and Japan available in the Resource Center and requested materials to borrow throughout the school year to enhance their curriculum on Japan. The teachers will also be conducting inservices for other teachers in their schools and districts through December to pass along their new knowlege of Japan.

Michelle Pearson, a teacher at Hulstrom Options Middle School in Northglenn, CO, is 2008 recipient of the Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award. Given by the US-Japan Foundation, the award recognizes exceptional teachers who further mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese.

It is awarded annually to two pre-college teachers in two categories, humanities and Japanese language. The award consists of a certificate of recognition, a monetary award, and project funds. Michelle has been an active participant in NCTA and TEA workshops for nearly a decade. She served as Denver NCTA seminar leader from 2000-03 and joined the 2004 NCTA China Study Tour.

With the award, Michelle will establish a Japanese Artist in Residence Program for the 2008-09 school year, as well as a “student to student” podcasting project that will allow students to record podcasts about Japanese culture, literature, history, and current events and share these with students in two partner schools in Japan. Her students will also interview 12 Japanese-Americans who lived in internment camps in the western United States. during World War II. These interviews will be documented for the Library of Congress through the Colorado Youth Summit Program.

Michelle follows in the footsteps of Alex Echevarria (NCTA leader, Colorado Springs), who won the 2007 Elgin Heinz Teaching Award.

The Program for Teaching East Asia
University of Colorado at Boulder
595 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309

(303) 735-5122

Election '08 and the Challenge of China. The U.S.-China relationship is complex and evolving; many argue it is the twenty-first century's most important bilateral tie. Policy toward China came up in the U.S. presidential primaries, but has been largely absent from recent candidate speeches, the first McCain-Obama debate or the Biden-Palin debate. The USC U.S.-China Institute is releasing a 40-minute documentary examining key issues, the stances taken by the candidates, and the historical role of China in U.S. campaign politics. "Election '08 and the Challenge of China" is reported by former CNN Beijing bureau chief Mike Chinoy (now a member of the USC faculty and a fellow at the Pacific Council). The documentary features historical and contemporary news footage, interviews with former officials and scholars, as well as candidate speeches and interviews with the candidates' key China advisors. The documentary is available at the USC U.S.-China Institute (USCI) website and at the Institute's YouTube channel. The USCI site also offers links to relevant speeches, government reports, agencies, and other materials.

Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty Exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Exhibit will be October 26, 2008-January 11, 2009 in Clowes Gallery in Wood Pavilion; the museum has a comprehensive online preview of the exhibit as well. A groundbreaking exhibition, Power and Glory is the first exhibition to focus on the full range of Ming dynasty (1368-1644) court arts. Behold the grandeur and opulence of one of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, renowned for its refined aesthetic and standards of perfection. View more than 200 treasures, including gold and jade, paintings and porcelains, from China’s greatest museums, many never before seen outside of China.

China in the World Now Available! Edited by Primary Source (2008: Boston). This new book and cd-rom chronicles China's history through textbook narrative enriched with primary sources. Available from Cheng and Tsui Publishers.

Cultural Profiles of Historic and Modern China, developed by OneWorld Classrooms, offers 16 online multimedia tours on China and Tibet designed for use in middle and high school instruction. Access is free.

Through Their Eyes Series Updated. This highly successful series of primary source compendiums for secondary use, originally published in the 1970s, has been completely revised and updated in 2007 and 2008. The series consists of one volume each on China, Japan, and India under the titles: Through Chinese Eyes: Tradition, Revolution, and Change; Through Japanese Eyes; and Through Indian Eyes. The series is a project of the Center for International Training and Education (CITE) and is published by Apex Press. TEA alums in the New England area can attend a half-day workshop on the "Eyes" materials at the Five College Center for East Asian Studies, Smith College, on November 6, 2008. Contact Kathleen Woods Masalski, FCCEAS Director, for more details.

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