Learning...and...Teaching

The Learning

This morning our group headed off to Korea University for the first three sessions of our lecture series while here in Seoul.  Various professors from both KU as well as other colleges/universities in Korea and the U.S. are sharing their expertise on a variety of Korean social, political, and economic issues.  Today our lectures where over "Language", "Economy", and "Education" in Korea.

Language: The Korean alphabet, better known as Hangeul, was created in the mid-1400s under the leadership of King Sejung.  The Korean people had been heavily influenced by the Chinese for centuries, and while they spoke a distinct language the Chinese alphabet had been used for the written version of Korean.  Sejung felt that the Chinese characters were too complicated for the common people and wanted something more simple in hopes that they could learn to read.  It is estimated that today there are 79 million speakers of Korean world-wide: 60% in South Korea, 31% in North Korea, and 9% elsewhere (China, Russia, USA, etc.).

David = 데이비드 (pronounced: deibideu)

Oklahoma = 오클라호마 (pronounced: okeullahoma

Professor Mikyung Chang

Economy: A very intriguing discussion regarding South Korea's economic development growth.  In the aftermath of the Korean War South Korea was the poorest country in Southeast Asia (even below North Korea).  Due to multiple five-year plans and lots of regulations from a strong "dictatorial" government the economy rapidly developed.  As of 2012, South Korea joined an economic group which their media calls the "20-50 Club", those countries who have an annual per capita income of $20,000 or more AND a population of at least 50 million people.  There are currently only seven total countries that meet both qualifications: Japan (joined in 1987), USA (1988), France (1990), Italy (1990), Germany (1991), UK (1996), and South Korea (2012).  One interesting point raised was that the government understood that the fertility rate (average number of children born per woman) is linked to economic development and thus a policy was enacted to discourage couples from having more than two children each: any government based economic incentives, like health insurance, was denied to the 3rd or subsequent child.  However, significant concerns developed in the 1990s with the economic advancement combined with declining population growth that there would eventually not be enough workers paying taxes so as to help finance government-based elder care programs (like our Social Security) so now there are cash bonus plus the other benefits if couple will have more than two children--it is too early to tell how much long-term success will come from these programs.

Professor Innwon Park

Education:  Following a brief video created by the Korean Ministry of Education, the discussion noted that Korean education was much of the driving force behind the economic growth.  The government wanted to profit from its human capital so it tried to provide the best quality education possible.  So much in Korean society has been linked with the "best" education that many parents place a large amount of pressure on their students to earn the highest possible grades and national standardized test scores.  So important is this quest for high grades, many families hire tutors for their children's after school hours.  It was "claimed" that the most influential indicator of a couple's marital happiness is(are) the score(s) of their child(ren) on standardized tests.  With her blessing, the discussion ventured away from the presenters pre-planned PowerPoint presentation to a discussion on the importance of educational systems which place so much emphasis on standardized test scores, an issue of concern to many educators and parents within the United States.

Professor Mimi Bong

The Teaching

Following the morning of being "students" and our special lunch meeting at Korea University, we traveled across Seoul to Goyang Foreign Language High School.  As we entered the meeting hall we were welcomed by thunderous applause from the pre-selected student guides for the afternoon.  Word of greeting were given by the school's principal and two student leaders.  GFLHS is a private Christian school in which most of the students live on campus due to the distance from their families' homes.  The nearly 1400 students are involved in school-related studies (classes and co-curricular activities) from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday through Friday and until 1:00 PM on Saturdays (yes, that's 18 hours of school per day!!!).

washing up after PE class

The students then broke up into small groups to accompany pairs of teachers from our team on a campus tour which would concluded at their home room class.  Once at the classrooms we were able to spend about 15 minutes on a lesson we had previously prepared (originally we were told 25 minute lessons...but hey, things change, right?).  I quickly passed out some bookmarks of Sequoya and Clara Luper I had taken as gifts and briefly explained each person's significance in Oklahoma's history.  It was cool to be able to connect Sequoya's Cherokee story with that of King Sejung and the Korean alphabet.

lesson handouts and Sequoya bookmark 

I then passed out the handouts I had made for my lesson/discussion on "Natural Disasters and Community Response".  Due to the time changes, I wasn't able to provide the time for individual writing and small group discussions for which I had planned.  I was able to, however, briefly discuss the recent May 20 tornado in Moore and SW Oklahoma City and show them pictures of the tornado with Southmoore in the foreground as well as before/after pictures of the overall tornado path and Plaza Towers Elementary School.  Students enjoyed the fact that my handouts included pictures of the front pages of two Korean newspapers with headlines/pictures of the tornado event.  I then drew their attention to recent natural disasters in Korea and we briefly discussed how a community might react in the aftermath...one young lady had a great word for it: "help!".

my student guides for the afternoon

We then headed back to the hotel to be dropped off for dinner and running around on our own.  It was great to do some remote road roaming today in the forums of each a student and a teacher.

Tornado: Part Four

Thursday was the first day we were allowed to get back into our schools.  The district had arranged for each school to have an "open house" from 10:00-12:00 so that students could return to get their personal items, return textbooks, and see their friends.  Special arrangements were worked out for the students, teachers, and staff from Briarwood and Plaza Towers elementary schools to meet at either Wayland Bonds or Eastlake elementaries.

Throughout the evening before and early Thursday morning I received a variety of questions through a couple of Facebook pages and tweet accounts I operate for school business regarding how to get to Southmoore with roads being closed.  The only way that anyone would be able to get to Southmoore would be to find some eastern or western route to get south of the school and then to travel north on Santa Fe.

Southmoore is a ALIVE and WELL

Teachers arrived at 9:00 for a local faculty meeting.  While most of us had seen each other at yesterday's district-wide faculty meeting, as well as during our school specific break-out meeting, it was still a significant time of encouragement for each other.  One of our staff members lost her son at Plaza Tower.  Seven of our teachers/staff members had their homes totally destroyed and/or significantly damaged and many others had close family members impacted.  We talked about issues with getting final grades posted, especially since the district's internet connections and phone lines were still down.  A link to use at home was provided on Wednesday but many were having issues with it; some troubleshooting ideas were shared.

Faculty meeting in Southmoore media center

Then we were dismissed to greet our students!! This time started out with me being in my classroom.  Anita, the PTSA & Band mom I discussed in "Tornado: Part Three", and her son Timothy stopped by.  I gave them each big hugs to reassure them that we were there to support them and love them.  A couple of other students stopped by in the early minutes of this "open house" time and then an announcement was made over the intercom system.  A study initiated and student led prayer circle was being held in our commons area and everyone was invited to attend.  As I was heading out of my classroom, one of my Buddhist students commented the guessed he would go to the prayer circle even though he wasn't a Christian.  I smiled and reminded him that God hears prayers from people of all faiths.  He smiled in return and you could tell this was more about embracing a sense of unity and community among the students so impacted by this horrible event than it was about promoting any form of religious dogma.

Due to the small number of students who had come by my room I was totally caught off guard by how many students had already begun circling around the commons for this prayer circle.  Teachers, staff, and parents began coming out of the hallways to join them.  Due to the size of the space and the vast quantity of people, the student who had been selected to lead the large public prayer opted to return to the office so as to speak over the intercom.  It truly was a moment about community spirit!

Since most of the students were now downstairs and in the commons, that is where I remained for the rest of the "open house" time.  I stood near a central table so that student had a centralized location for turning in textbooks even if they couldn't find their specific teacher. "Don't worry, we'll get it checked in for you".  Also, as I saw students from my specific classes I let them know that today I had a policy of "Everyone Gets a Hug", a it seemed like they all wanted one too.  You could tell that their spirits were so shaken by the events earlier in the week that this ability to see friends and teachers along with hugs and other expressions of encouragement were exactly what they needed.  And I have to admit that I needed it too.  Afterall, during the chaos of Monday I was only with one group of my students.  Today allowed me to visually see nearly all of my students so as to truly know that they were safe.

Kari, Marrisa, Lyndsey, Sarah, Mr. Burton, Hunter, & Michaela

Griffin, Daniel, Nhi, Sungwon, Bao, Mr. Burton, Peter,
Lynn, Monica, Sang, Bryan, Maddie, & Anco

An additional special moment which helped to give a sense of normalcy to being at Southmoore was when students from our band's drumline lined up on the landing of our grand staircase to perform several drum chants.  At various times throughout the year we have drumline in between Fifth and Sixth periods as a mini-pep rally before a big football or basketball game or to help encourage a team heading off to a state tournament.  Drumline today helped to show that WE ARE SOUTHMOORE and our spirit is not broken!

Drumline

When I think of "Agriculture"...

Today, my AP Human Geography began our unit on Agriculture and Rural Use of Land.  To help "inspire" them to begin thinking about that which is connected to agriculture, I showed a couple of music videos from the employees of Peterson Farm and Livestock in Assaria, Kansas.  These videos parody songs from pop culture and yet give a very pro-agriculture message.

"I'm Farming and I Grow It" (parody of "I'm Sexy and I Know It")

"Farming Style" (parody of "Gangnam Style")

We followed this up with each student responding, via polleverywhere.com, to the prompt "When I think of "agriculture", I think of ...".  Students were asked to respond with a minimum number of terms or phrases.  Here is a word cloud (generated at wordle.net) of their responses.

I know that most of my students' responses link to stereotypes based on where they live (country and region in country).  As we study this unit, a remote road for most of my suburban kids, I hope that they are able to understand how agriculture encompasses so much more than the farms of "middle America".  This could be fun!

To my students...

By now I'm sure that most of you have heard about the events which occurred yesterday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut.  I'm sure that like most of us, your minds are racing with all kinds of questions on a variety of social, political, religious, and possibly even economic topics which are related to the events of yesterday.  Having such questions, having emotional reactions, are natural and you should not be discouraged from having them.

My purpose in writing to you today is to let each and everyone of you know that I love you.  I value each of you as a special gift that God gave to this world and that has been entrusted into my educational care for a brief period of your life.  I may not always be happy with your performance in class, your less than stellar behavior, or the fact that you sometimes don't realize your own potential for life.  However, I will always love you.  Even if I get aggravated at times, I will always love you and I pray daily for you to obtain the best that life has to offer.

While you are under my care and watchful eye, this love for you compels me to unquestionablly seek your protection from harm.  I will do my best to make sure that while you are in school, especially within my classroom, that you are safe.  And if need be, I would even put myself in harm's way to help save you ... each of you.

So even while you think of yesterday's events, while you see the images, while you express your emotions, know that you will be as safe as I can possibly make you while you are in my care.

Also ... do your homework this weekend <wink>.  After all, APHuG has the multiple choice portion of their Unit Three Test (Cultural Geography) and APUSH has the essay portion of their Unit Six Test (Civil War and Reconstruction).

See you Monday!!

To My Indonesian Friends...

In light of the recent events involving protests within Muslim majority countries, including my recent host of Indonesia, I wanted to present some of my thoughts.

If you reply, I ask that you do so in the comments section on this blog entry rather than through Facebook, twitter, or other platform on which you have found this entry linked. I'd like all comments to remain in one place.

In July 2012 I had the amazing opportunity to visit Jakarta and Bandung and to meet some wonderful friends, especially friends with the teachers, administrators, and students I meet at Krida Nusantara High School; I am still in contact with many of them through Facebook and twitter.  Ever since I learned that I would be heading to Indonesia as part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms program I relished every opportunity to learn about the history, culture, political structure, economics, and society of this diverse land.  And the experiences I had in person will always hold a special place in my heart.

And yet, despite all of these wonderful things, over the past couple of days my heart has been sad due to some of the news that I've heard.  Due to protest rallies which have already turned violent the U.S. consulate in Bandung and the U.S. embassy in Jakarta have each closed (only temporarily I hope).  Additionally, U.S. owned businesses, such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and KFC, have also been targets of the protests.

I do understand that there is much offense taken over a video which was made in the United States and has been placed on the Internet.  I understand that this video mocks your faith, its teachings, and especially your prophet.  When something mocks my faith I too find great offense.  I am in no way suggesting that you should not be outraged at this video.  I also understand the vast overwhelming majority of Muslims in Indonesia and other parts of the world are not participating in the current violent expressions of outrage.

My concern is 1) the form of the expression of the outrage and 2) the targets of the outrage.  While, yes, it was an American who produced the video in question, this video is not something that was created by or endorsed by our government.  Further, the American based businesses that are targets of protest were also not involved with the video project.  In fact, the news here in the United States even suggests that the actors who portrayed characters in the video were not aware that the video even had a connection to Islam when they were filming; a lawsuit filed today claims is that the actors thought they were acting in a desert themed video and that it was after the filming was complete when the producer edited their words to present the message that is found to be so offensive.  I have attempted to watch the online trailer to this video (because I want to be educated about this issue) and the editing was so poor that I had to stop watching.

I know that from many of the protests around the world, one of the demands have been that the U.S. government require Google and YouTube and other online video hosts to remove the video.  Please understand that in our country our history has such a strong link to the concept of a near 100% respect for the freedom of speech and freedom of the press (Internet would fall under both), that our government has such strong legal restrictions in trying to censor information and images...even those which some people or LOTS of people might find to be offensive.  This history goes back even into the historic legacy of the development of civil liberties within British history.  I remember having conversations within Miss Betty's political science class about imagery which might offend people (Mr. Daniel, my fellow U.S. teacher at Krida, showed Internet pictures of each President Obama and President Bush being depicted as Hitler...each image would offend many Americans) and that while such images might be censored in Indonesia the government cannot legally censor such images  in the United States.

I do have some questions I would like to ask of my Indonesian friends, even though you are not involved with the violent protests.

1. Why are businesses and government buildings which are in no way connected to the production of the video targets of the outrage?
2. Why do some people feel that it should be acceptable to use violence as part of a protest?
3. What are some other methods to express frustration and discontent with this situation or other situations which offend you which might be more constructive or appropriate to communicate the legitimate claims of offense?

My ultimate goal in this blog entry is to increase our mutual exercises in learning to understand people throughout the world who come from backgrounds dissimilar to our own.  To help read more about my quest to promote understanding on this topic I invite you to read my message these same events titled "To My American Friends..."

Now an English Teacher?!?

This morning I was invited to be a guest teacher in Fikry's English language classes.  I had prepared a list of questions to ask the students for written responses.  As I arrived in Fikry's classroom he also requested that I speak a little bit about holidays and festivals in the U.S. as that was the next item in his students' textbook.

Presenting Fikry with a "thank you" for letting me visit his classes today

I began each of the four 70-minute classes by having students to fold their sheet of paper in such a way as to produce the outlines of eight boxes.  In each box I asked the students to try and write five things that they could think of to answer the following eight questions.  I had told them ahead of time that I was the only person who would read their papers and that I wanted them to be completely honest in the answers.  A couple of the questions were more about just warming them up in this exercise while others will be used when I return to the U.S. to help compare cultural perspectives.

1. What do you think of when you first wake-up in the morning?
2. What do you think about your teachers at Krida Nusantara?
3. What are some positive things about Indonesia?
4. What are some positive things about the USA?
5. What are some negative things about the USA?
6. What are some negative things about Indonesia?
7. What are some positive things about life in a city?
8. What are some negative things about life in a city?

I suspect in some places there will be strong similarities between the responses given by students at Krida Nusantara in Bandung, Indonesia as compared to those given by students at Southmoore in Moore, Oklahoma...especially for questions 1, 2, 7, and 8.  I am more curious as to how questions 3, 4, 5 and 6 will compare.  I plan to create word clouds (either by using Wordle or by using Tagxedo) to help give a visual comparison to the responses for the respective perspectives on Indonesia and the U.S.  Once I have the word clouds completed I'll post them in another entry.

The remainder of class was a brief discussion of holidays.  I began by helping the students discuss the similarities between the Indonesian and American celebrations for Independence Day (August 17, 1945 in Indonesia).  There are many common elements with government and civil sponsored ceremonies which emphasize the flag and the national anthem.  Political leaders often make speeches.  There are parades with floats, balloons, and marching bands.  And there is FOOD.

We also spent time discussing the history of Thanksgiving and its common practices today.  I know that it was very had on these students who are trying to be faithful to their Ramadan fasting because a discussion of American Thanksgiving must involve some discussion of food.  We then transitioned into having the students identify some things for which they are thankful.  Family, friends, teachers, and faith were all things that were included...sounds much like what an American student might include on his/her list (along with cell-phone, car, and other technological gadgets).

We spent a little bit of time discussing how Halloween is commonly observed in the U.S.  Again, the talk of candy was a bit hard on the fasting students.  They seemed to enjoy hearing about the costumes of ghosts and goblins, but got the biggest kick our of hearing that many children will dress up like political leaders including President Obama.  I had the students practice saying "trick or treat" to which I immediately followed by passing out a round of gifts from the U.S. (I had so many items donated by Southmoore and other local OKC organizations that I have been passing out items in classes all week...THANK YOU to everyone who donated...the students LOVE these gifts).

sporting her new watch from the OKC Thunder

modeling his SaberCat shades and holding up a postcard from an American student

 

The evening entailed a trip out to one of the local shopping districts where Daniel, Betty, and I dined over a traditional delicacy from the Bandung area: ox-tail soup.  It was WONDERFUL.  The meat was so tender and the spices were amazing.  Dinner was followed by a viewing of the new Spider-Man movie...so, while in Indonesia I've now seen both Batman and Spider-Man.

Tomorrow we are off to an elementary school.  I'm so excited to visit some of Indonesia's youngest students and share the postcards from Briarwood and Oakridge students!!

Driving, Teaching, Bust Mostly Driving

This morning Daniel and I, along with Betty, Efa (Krida's principal), and Fikry (one of Krida's English language teachers), departed at 6:30 AM (yikes) to drive approximately 90 km to SMAN 1 Majalengka High School in Majalengka, Indonesia.  While 90 km, or 56 miles, doesn't seem that far to those of us in the USA who can easily hope on an interstate highway and drive at 65 (or more) miles per hour, in Indonesia this distance takes MUCH longer to drive.  Without stopping (no potty breaks, no photo opportunities, nothing), the morning drive took well over 2-1/2 hours.

By the time we arrived at SMAN 1 Majalengka, school had already started.  As we got out of the Krida Mobile (actually one of the fleet of Krida's mini vans) we were greeted by a delegation of students (3 boys and 2 girls) who spent several minutes making small talk with us so as to practice their English skills.  In time, a team of adults ushered us into the head master's office.  I presented the head master with a small gift to thank he and his school for inviting Daniel and I to come and visit.  We remained in his office for a while and visited.

student delegation who welcomed our arrival

giving SMAN 1 Majalengka's head master a gift: decorative plate with image of a Plains Indian

Approximately 30 minutes after our arrival, Daniel and I were each escorted to a classroom filled with students waiting for us to greet them and tell them about life in the USA.  I was again able to use my prezi on life in Oklahoma to share with the students about our way of life.  One of the slides which I have learned I need to move past rather fast includes the images of food in Oklahoma.  Since Indonesia is a primarily Muslim country, most of the students are fasting during this current month of Ramadan.  I can tell from the students' expressions when they see the images of food that it reminds them of their hunger so I try to make that part of the presentation as rapid as possible.

After the presentation and discussion, which included some good questions from the students especially about our animals and about the musicians from Oklahoma and favorite styles of music, I then passed out postcards to the students.  I have run out of the cards written by my high school students at Southmoore and am now using the ones from the upper grades from Briarwood and Oakridge elementary schools.  I have been promised by Betty that we will be visiting an elementary school or two either tomorrow or Saturday (yes, Indonesia has school on Saturday too) so I will make sure that most of these postcards get into the hands of elementary students here.

As the students were reading their postcards  I began taking a few pictures of them.  This led into a large group photo (there were about 50 students in this class) of the students with me.  Immediately, the students start producing their cell phones with cameras and wanting me to pose with them as individuals or small groups for additional pictures.  I felt like I was the newest movie star or pop musician visiting these children and that they ALL wanted to be photographed with me.  I'll bet I was already appearing on Facebook before the class time was even over.

reading postcards from USA elementary school students

my geography class at SMAN 1 Majalengka

Speaking of Facebook, as the students returned to their seats for a time of questions and answers the first question requested my Facebook and twitter identification.  I wrote the information for the Facebook page and twitter account that I use with my USA students on the white board.  By the time I arrived back to the guest house at Krida, I already have 5 new "likes" on Facebook and 8 new followers on twitter.  WOW...I am a rock star, LOL.

Following this class, the two boys who were part of the initial welcoming committee gave me a tour of the campus including the library, the students' parking lot, and the teachers' workroom.  This school also has construction for a new lobby and I shared with the two boys that Southmoore was also under construction for some additional classrooms.  Every chance I get I love to point out the similarities between my experiences in Indonesia and the USA; too often we focus on what divides us and not enough on what unites as a co-inhabitants of planet earth.  It was now time to say our good-byes.  We once again gathered in the head master's office for pictures and a parting gift: Daniel and I were each given a basket filled with mangoes.

main classroom building

on campus mosque

student parking lot; no cars, only motorcycles

library and media center staff

students showing their artwork to promote environmental protection

I am being presented a basket of mangoes as a "thank you" for visiting

As our group from Krida departed, I was surprised to see that we were driving off in a different direction.  I made the assumption that there was an alternate route to get back to Bandung.  After about 45 minutes of driving we turned around.  Apparently Efa, who was driving, was trying to find a sate stand where Daniel, Betty, and I could get some lunch.  However, due to Ramadan fasting he was not able to locate a stand.  So on the way back into Majalengka we paused for about 15 minutes at a mosque so that Efa and Fikry could stop to pray.

Our journey continued en route back to Bandung.  Eventually we did stop at Kentucky Fried Chicken (one of the few places open during lunch time) to eat.  KFC was located in the same building as a grocery store so we also looked around in there for a few minutes.  I saw some things I've never seen: Pepsi Blue, unusual fruits and vegetables, and the fresh meat and fish stand where the customers helped themselves to the unpackaged items rather than having an employee provide assistance in a more hygienic manner.

KFC staff is happy to serve you...but no mashed potatoes or mac & cheese
with your chicken, only french fries or a package of sticky rice

what is Pepsi Blue???

many of my Korean & Vietnamese students at Southmoore enjoy Durian

need frozen chicken nuggets or french fries? scoop them and bag them yourself!!!

It was after 5:00 when we arrived back at Krida.  The return trip, if you remove the approximate time of an hour for the KFC stop, took over 5-1/2 hours.  This should give an idea of how complicated driving is here in Indonesia.  Vehicles of all shapes and sizes fighting for every inch on the road.  A road paved for two lanes may have four or more lanes once the drivers decide for themselves how to accommodate their vehicles in the road.  We were safe, but it just seemed to take "forever" to make the 90 km return trip.  Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

video of the final road to Krida's campus; barely a

two lane road filled with people and automobiles