Getting to Know Korea - Spring 2009 | In-Service Courses

Getting to Know Korea - Spring 2009

Details: Category: In-Service Courses

Getting to Know Korea - Spring 2009 | In-Service Courses | Korean Studies

February 28 / March 7, 14, 21 / April 4, 2009

Twenty-two educators from the New York metropolitan area were introduced to Korea and Korean studies at a five-day course held over the course of five Saturdays in February, March and April. Offered in conjunction with the New York City Department of Education, the goal of this in-service course was to expose educators to Korean studies and provide a framework for bringing it into the classroom. The teachers began with lectures on Korean history and geography given by Gari Ledyard, Sejong Professor of Korean Studies (Emeritus) at Columbia University and Gail Ludwig, professor of geography at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mark Peterson, professor of Korean Studies at Brigham Young University, introduced the educators to Korean folktales while Jin Young Choi, professor of American literature (emeritus) at Jungang University and the University of North Carolina, provided an overview of Korean literature. Wolhee Choe, professor of humanities and communications (emeritus) at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, explored Korean writers' use of nature themes. Grace Park, a traditional Korean calligrapher from Potomac, Maryland, led participants though a calligraphy workshop. Patricia Rosof, a social studies teacher retired from Hunter College High School in New York and an adviser to The Korea Society, worked with teachers across multiple sessions to mold the academic into classroom content. Getting to Know Korea earned plaudits from participants. For many of them, it was their first in-depth experience with Korea. “This was an excellent way for me to learn a new culture,” wrote one teacher. “I’ve come away with a much deeper understanding of Korean history and art.”