The
ASOP-VT News, an e-newsletter, is published monthly and sent out
to all past ASOP program participants,
Vermont educators, and many other friends and supporters ASOP and International
Education. The purpose of the
ASOP-VT Newsis to provide timely information about the activities of
ASOP as well as educational resources which
support learning about the cultures, geography, history and languages
of Asia and other parts of our planet Earth.
If you would like to receive a free subscription to ASOP-VT
News, or if you have a suggestion or submission for
our newsletter, please contact: James
Duncan McCutchan
-----------------
ASOP-VT News
Fall 2007
-----------------
In keeping with the Thai tradition of sanook (having fun with friends), Thai Songkran
(New Year) celebrants and elephants join in the more recent water-splashing tradition.
- October 24 at Colchester High School;
- October 30 at 7:30 pm at Landmark College;
- November 2 at 7:30 pm at Leland and Gray High School, Townshend VT.
- A teacher institute on Asian cultures every year in one of three Asian countries, i.e., China, Japan or Thailand. During the three-year grant cycle, one institute will be held in one of the three countries;
- A Sino-American Seminar on Educational Leadership in China every year;
- Strengthened professional development in Asian studies in the state of Vermont;
- Continued services in curriculum design, instruction, and field support.
- A week-long summer program on Chinese and Japanese cultures on the UVM campus every year (enrollment open to all high school students);
- A three-week summer program in China every year for participants from the previous year on UVM campus (enrollment open only to those who have completed the program on the UVM campus the year before).
- Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00PM in the "C" level Activity Room;
- Tuesday, May 29th at 7:00PM in the Leland and Gray Library.
Items of interest to educators and students
learning and teaching about Asia.....and the world.
Your comments, suggestions and contributions are always welcome.
===============================================================
CONTENTS:
Your Attention Please!!:
Archives:
Summer 2007 News
Ongoing and Upcoming Events:
Educator Opportunities:
Student Opportunities:
Educational Materials:
Lesson Plans:
Interesting Articles:
Asia Watch:
International Education:
==========================================================
Your Attention Please!
Performances on October 22/23, November 2 (12 noon), November 5/7 (12:30) at Landmark College, are specifically for students of area schools.This non-commercial, educational/cultural arts exchange program is made possible with major fuding from The Freeman Foundation and support from Dr. Juefei Wan and the Asian Studies Outreach Program at the University of Vermont.
Admission is Free. Click here to view event poster. More information is available from Tom Connor at: (802) 365-7355.
The Asian Studies Outreach Program (ASOP) has received two new grants from the Freeman Foundation. The two grants are for ASOP sponsored programs and services, and the Governor's Institute on Asian Cultures (GIAC).With the grant for ASOP, the following programs and services will be offered for Vermont educators:
For program applications and service information, contact the ASOP office at (802) 656-7985 or contact Kunie Renuad. With the grant for GIAC, the following programs will be offered to Vermont high school students:
For applications to the Vermont portion of the GIAC program, contact the Governor's Institute of Vermont at (802) 299-4757.
Leland and Gray High School announced today that it has received funding from the Freeman Foundation for continuation of "Journey East: Leland and Gray's Asian Studies Academy and Sino-American Arts Exchange" through 2010. Already in its seventh year, the program, supported by the University of Vermont's Asian Studies Outreach Program, has been lauded both state-wide and nationally for its efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding. Since 2000, over 140 students, teachers and chaperones from Leland and Gray and its surrounding communities have traveled throughout China. In addition, the program has invited nearly 100 Chinese/Mongolian students and teachers to Vermont where they have experienced Vermont family life, worked collaboratively with students and teachers in schools , and performed for appreciative audiences state-wide.Students entering grades 9-12 in the coming school year with an interest in art, singing, acting, playing an instrument or dancing are encouraged to attend one of two information sessions scheduled at Leland and Gray:
Journey East, once again, extends an invitation to students from area schools to apply for the program. There are currently 8 such students participating in the 2007 Journey East program from Putney, Brattleboro, Dummerston, Marlboro, Wilmington and Chester, among others.For more information on the Journey East Program, please contact Tom Connor at (802) 365-7355 or via email.
==================================================================
Upcoming and Ongoing Events:
ASOP Director, Juefei Wang on Switchboard, May 17th 2007
Juefei Wang spoke with Chris Barberie on Switchboard May 17th, 2007 to discuss Sino-Vermont relations and activities. Part of Switchboard's "Vermont's connections with China" program. For more information regarding content and times, please visit VPR.net.
==================================================================
Educator Opportunities:
Host Institutions needed for Visiting Teachers
ASOP is still looking for 1-2 placements for Thai visiting teachers and 2-3 placements for Japanese visiting teachers for the 2007-2008 school year. Visiting teachers are great cultural resources for schools and they will enrich the lives of your students, schools and communities.
Interested parties should direct questions to Bill Williams by May 31st, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTER BEFORE APRIL 1 FOR AN EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION DISCOUNT FOR THE 2006 iEARN ANNUAL
WORLD CONFERENCE AND YOUTH SUMMIT IN ENSCHEDE,NETHERLANDS, JULY 3-7, 2006!
http://www.iearn.org
Every year one of the countries active in iEARN hosts the annual World Conference and Youth summit as a
meeting place for teachers and students in Primary and Secondary Education, NGO and corporate partners,
field experts and governmental representatives. The conference is open to anyone who is interested
in collaborative online project work! For more information, contact:info@iearn2006.nl
The main sponsor for the 2006 conference is the Dutch Ministry of Education via the national portal
Kennisnet,a strategic alliance that allows you to connect to 100's of Dutch educators during the conference.
The conference motto is "A learning World"... welcome to Holland! For Youth Summit information, contact g.lommerse@aliceo.nl
http://www.iearn2006.nl/.
To register, see http://www.parthen-impact.com/pco/9_IEARN/participant/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Affairs Council of Washington DC's 2006 Summer Institute for Teachers: Looking Towards Asia
http://www.worldaffairsdc.org
June 26th-June 30th, 2006
Washington, D.C.
Learn new techniques for bringing critical global issues into your classroom. Engage firsthand with some of the
foremost experts in the foreign policy field and educators from around the country.
Come join us for:
*Access to International Experts
*Exciting, Interactive Seminars
*On-site sessions at the U.S. Department of State, Asian Development Bank and Smithsonian Institution
*Free Materials for the Classroom
*PeerBrainstorming Sessions
*Simulation Exercise: North-South Korea
*ANational Network of Teachers
*Optional Graduate School Credit
To register and for further information:
e-mail: info@worldaffairsdc.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rotary World Peace Scholarships (deadline March 29, 2006
http://www.rotary.org
The Rotary World Peace Scholarship offers 70 individuals committed to peace and conflict resolution
the opportunity to earn a 2-YEAR MASTER'S LEVEL DEGREE in INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, PEACE STUDIES
& CONFLICT RESOLUTION at one of the Rotary Center's University partners.
Rotary has contracted with 7 INSTITUTIONS WORLDWIDE to provide this valuable training. Each district
can submit only one nominee to Rotary International by July 1, 2006. The deadline for completed applications
to local clubs is March 29, 2006
What's expected of World Peace Scholars?
Impact world peace and conflict resolution in a significant, positive fashion during their future careers
Demonstrate a commitment to a career in peace and conflict resolution
Excel academically in their selected programs, accept the academiccounsel and advice of the Rotary Center
directorand obtain a master'sdegree or certificate at the conclusion of their scholarship period
Participate in an annual Rotary Center seminar
Serve as ambassadors of goodwill wherever they go
Make formal and informal appearances before Rotary clubs and districts,school and civic orgs, etc.
Participate in district, regional, and international Rotary events
Maintain contact with The Rotary Foundation throughout their professional careers in order to advise and
assist Rotary International and its member clubs in their efforts to contribute to world peace and understanding
Help evaluate and promote the Rotary World Peace Scholarships program
Accept assignments to a Rotary Center outside of their home countries
Applicants for the Rotary World Peace Scholarships must have:
The academic background, training, and work experience required for a master's level program at the
partner universities
Proficiency in more than one language (even if they propose to study in a country where their native
language is spoken)
Excellent leadership skills
A demonstrated commitment to peace and international understanding through their personal and
community service activities and/or academic and professional achievements
How does one apply?
Application must be made through a local Rotary club in the applicant's legal or permanent residence or
place of full-time study or employment.People with disabilities and members of Rotaract clubs are eligible
and encouraged to apply. The scholarship selection process consists of three levels: club, district, and
world. After receiving applications,Rotary clubs forward their candidates to the Rotary district level for
competition.
Complete details and applications can be downloaded and printed directly from the Rotary International
http://www.rotary.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conflict Transformation Across Cultures
http://www.sit.edu/contact
The School for International Training (located here in Vermont) is hosting its 10th summer institute in
conflict transformation, Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT) from May 29 through
June 16, 2006. CONTACT offers professional development, skills and practical training to professionals
working around the world in diverse fields such as education, human services, humanitarian aid,
psychology and social work, human rights,and sustainable development. Some skills addressed are:
Conflict analysis and intervention
Non-violent action
Intercommunal dialogue
Peace and development
Reconciliation and forgiveness
Training design
Intercultural negotiation and mediation
Grant writing and fundraising
CONTACT also offers a one-year part-time 14-credit graduate certificate program. It is designed with
two short phases of face-to-face instruction coupled with distance learning in order to accommodate
the schedule of full-time working professionals.
Registration and Contact Information
Applications are available now and are due by April 15 (or as soon as possible if you are applying for
financial aid or need a visa). For more about fees, funding, scholarships, and applying to CONTACT,
please visit or website http://www.sit.edu/contact or contact us at contact@sit.edu.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Center for Global Education
http://www.augsburg.edu/global/its/index.htmlThe Center for Global Education is an international education center affiliated with Augsburg College thtat provides undergradate and interested adults with opportunities to learn about a different country and culture through travel. 3-week travel seminars are available through the Center to locations in Mexico, Central America, Southern African and other places. The Center also offers the option to sponsor and design your own travel seminar.
==================================================================
Student Opportunities:
Scholarships for HS study abroad with Youth for Understanding USA
http://www.yfu-usa.org/ao/scholarships_frames.htm
Once again, Youth for Understanding - USA (YFU-USA) , along with its partners are offering hundreds of
scholarships for high school students to study abroad for a summer, semester or year. Some are based on
academic achievements, and some on financial need. There are also a few scholarships that are only open
to minority students.
Scholarships to Germany, Japan, Finland and many other countries are available!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Fall Semester in Ladakh with Vermont Intercultural Semesters
http://www.vermontis.org/
VIS intends to run a fall semester in Ladakh this year. Soon we will begin presentations in high schools
around Vermont for students who might like to apply. If you or your school is interested in making this
opportunity available to Vermont students in your school or town, please contact Curtis Koren via email or 802.276.3424.
==================================================================
Educational Materials:
Growing Up Around the World: Books as Passports to Global Understanding
http://www.ala.org/alsc
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/booklists/GrowingUpAroundWorld.htm
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has created a list of bibliographies called "Growing
Up Around the World: Books as Passports to Global Understanding for Children in the United States."
The list includes books that accurately depict contemporary life in other countries. Five regions: Africa;
the Americas; Asia and the Middle East; Australia and New Zealand; and Europe are represented:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Choices Program : New Resource on Nuclear Weapons
http://www.choices.edu
The Choices Program has just released its latest curriculum unit, The Challenge of Nuclear Weapons.
This unit introduces students to the history of nuclear weapons and the concept of deterrence. It
examines arguments for and against nuclear weapons and looks at three challenges facing us today:
the leftover arsenals of the Cold War, proliferation, and the threat of nuclear terrorism.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teaching Kids about the World: Outreach World
http://www.outreachworld.org
A one-stop international studies site. Browse this one-stop site for K-12 resources, teacher travel,
international news, contacts, recommended books & free materials!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taking IT Global launches new tools for teachers & students
http://www.tiged.org
TakingITGlobal has officially launched the latest version of TIGed.org, an innovative set of tools
that integrate the power ofTakingITGlobal.org into the classroom. Since its creation five years ago,
teachers have been using the TakingITGlobal.org online community to better engage their students
in global education. TakingITGlobal recognized the positive potential of further enabling relevant global
education through technology and, working with students and educators, developed a customized
set of online tools and resources called TIGed. TakingITGlobal specifically designed TIGed to help
educators address the unique challenges of teaching technology literacy and global citizenshipin classrooms.
Educators can use TIGed to search and submit to an activities database that connects subject-area
content with state-wide curriculum standards.They can access discussion boards to share their
experiences using technology, teaching global issues, and introducing students to collaborative online
learning. Teachers can create and moderate virtual classroom spaces, where students use blogs, discussion
boards, online image galleries and writing tools to demonstrate learning and develop portfolios.
The wide range of resources on TakingITGlobal.org, one of the largest online communities of youth
focused on global issues, is also available for student research, allowing them to learn first-hand from
other youthperspectives and find out about opportunities to get involved in the issues that matter to
them.
For more information, please contact:
Emily Kornblut, TIGed US Program Manager
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Map Project
http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~raangus/gbrpcv/gbrpcv.htm
Maps of the world, painted on school walls and in playgrounds, in places where people have little access
to maps. Not only is it an elegant, low tech way to teach geography and a host of other concrete skills,
but on a more profound level, it can help people create a mental framework for thinking about the wider
world and theirplace in it.
Greater Birmingham Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (GBRPCVs), an affiliate group of the National Peace
Corps Association, has successfully partnered with selected Birmingham (AL) public schools on a World Map
Painting Project. By bringing the large, colorful maps into the local schools, they hope to spark interest in
learning about the wider world.
Peace Corps Volunteers have been using "The World Map Project" tool kit for many years to lead their
communities in painting world maps in every corner of the globe. This resource is now available to you,
too, thanks to GBRPCVs. To find out more about their project - including complete instructions on map
painting and how this project can be replicated - visit the NPCA's website at
http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org, or go straight to the GBRPCV Web site at http://www.dpo.uab.edu/~raangus/gbrpcv/gbrpcv.htm
and click on "Instructions on How to Do a Map Painting Project."
============================================================================
Lesson Plans:
TOUR DU JOUR?: Projecting the Impact of Increasing Global Temperatures on the Tourist Economy
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20060315wednesday.html
BASED ON THE ARTICLE:
A Port's Ice Is Thinning, and So Is Its Tourist Trade, By NORIMITSU ONISHI,March 15, 2006
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060315wednesday.html
OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN:
In this 6-12 lesson, students learn how warmer temperatures have impacted ice drift tourism on the
northern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They then consider the ways a continued warming trend might
impact other global tourist destinations in the future.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEELING VULNERABLE: Examining the Connection Between Global Poverty and Natural Disasters
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20060314tuesday.html
BASED ON THE ARTICLE:
Earth Science Meets Social Science, By CLAUDIA DREIFUS,March 14, 2006
URL:
OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN:
In this lesson, students learn about some of the ways the developing world is vulnerable to the impact
and effects of natural disasters. They then investigate some "natural disaster hotspots" around the
globe and assess how vulnerable these areas are.
==================================================================
Interesting Articles
A Sharp Debate Erupts in China Over Ideologies
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/international/asia/12china.html?th&emc=th
By JOSEPH KAHN NY Times, March 12, 2006
China's rising income gap has raised doubts about what some see as the country's headlong pursuit of
private wealth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Party
http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/ct.php?t=1189035&c=674047075&m=m&type=3
A Seattle school excites students with the promise of an interconnected world.
By Grace Rubenstein
Educators at Seattle's John Stanford International School aren't satisfied with simply developing
academically strong students.They're committed to nurturing citizens of the world, developing young boys
and girls that understand their interconnectedness to children and adults around the globe. The keys to
achieving this goal include language immersion, global themes integrated throughout the curriculum, and
a Bilingual Orientation Center for English learners.
Read the full story of this K-5 school's commitment to developing students with a worldview.
It's in the March 2006issue of Edutopia, at the link above.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to free monthly Edutopia magazine
http://email.e-mailnetworks.com/ct/ct.php?t=1189050&c=674047075&m=m&type=3
Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe to Edutopia magazine now, and discover the new world of learning
absolutely free. You'll get a full year of Edutopia's unique coverage of the crucial changes sweeping
education and the heroes and innovators who make it happen. Don't miss out! Subscribe today. It's free.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earthwalker
http://www.earthwalker.com/e_home.htm
Earth Day has already started on January 15th at the Great Wall (Badaling): Paul Coleman is walking the
Earth Day Friendship Walk through China, Korea and Japan and plant a 1000 kilometers long tree line,
connecting cities in these three countries. The walk will end up in Tokyo on Earth Day, April 22nd.
===============================================================================
Asia Watch:
Education in China: Lessons for U.S. Educators
http://www.internationaled.org/publications.htm
A report from the Asia Society, the Business Roundtable, and the Council of Chief State School Officers
Education in China: Lessons for U.S. Educators details findings from a fact-finding mission by U.S. education
and business leaders. The report notes particular strengths of the Chinese system, including an intensive
focus on math and science, an internationally oriented curriculum in high schools, a coherent teacher
development process, and the systematic use of international benchmarking to modernize education policies.
==================================================================
International Education:
International Education in the Schools Newsletter
http://www.internationaled.org
Internationaled.org, a new IE organization, is publishing a new, free e- newsletter for educators and other
interested in developments and resources in the area of international education. Please join their mailing list
and/or visit their website.
email: internationaled@gmail.com
web: http://www.internationaled.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Education for Global Leadership
http://www.ced.org/newsroom/press/press_foreignlanguages.pdf
Document published by the US Committee For Economic Development (February 2006)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth From Above - Fabulous photos
http://home.fujifilm.com/efa/
Many people may be familiar with the Earth from Above project via the traveling exhibition that made its
way across the United States a few years back. Sponsored by UNESCO and Fuji Film, the work was an
ambitious project by the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand to document many of the world's most
interesting places and to examine the effects of humans on various corners of the earth. This remarkable
website allows users to view many of these photographs via an innovative interactive interface that is
relativelyeasy to use. Some of the sights that visitors to the site will see includethe Mammoth Hot
Springs, camels in Mauritania, and a mangrove forest in New Caledonia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth Observatory
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/
NASA's Earth Observatory website provides another spectacular source for images and information about
our amazing planet.
March 06 Dust storm over eastern China
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17214
According to Chinese news reports, a dust storm had been predicted for northern and central China
between March 9 and March 12, 2006, and the prediction proved correct. On March 10, a dust storm
struck the region of Beijing. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard
the Aqua satellite captured this image on March 10, 2006.
===================================================================
We are interested in your discoveries and recommendations related to Asia and International Education.
Please send your suggestions along for sharing in future issues.
.