August 4–8, 2008

Twenty-seven metro New York teachers attended an intensive, five-day course on Korean history, culture, geography, religion, language and literature at The Korea Society beginning Monday, August 4. 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 them with a framework for bringing it into the classroom. With several millennia of history to cover in a short course, the teachers participated in a challenging schedule of lectures and workshops. Charles Armstrong, director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University, presented a rich overview of Korean history. John Goulde, director of the Asian studies program at Sweet Briar College, explained the religious and philosophical beliefs that shaped modern Koreans' worldview. Shin-hark Suk, a former Korean-language instructor at Queens Community College and The Korea Society, introduced the teachers to written and spoken Korean. Evans J.R. Revere, president of The Korea Society, spoke about Korea's division, its role in the Cold War and current inter-Korean politics. Teachers could also draw on the experience and knowledge of Mark Peterson, professor of Korean studies at Brigham Young University; Marjorie Bingham, an emeritus professor of history at Hamline University; Gail Ludwig, professor of geography at the University of Missouri-Columbia; Patricia Rosof, retired social studies teacher from Hunter College High School; and Daniel Levine, an educational technology consultant at The Korea Society; who made presentations and answered questions.

Between lectures, participants immersed themselves in Korean culture by watching two outstanding Korean films, The Way Home and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and enjoying a traditional Korean lunch. Korea for Beginners earned plaudits from participants, many of whom were surprised to learn about the prominent role outside powers have played in Korea's modern history. Many also found the Korean language lessons particularly engaging. One enthusiast commented, "The instructors and everybody at The Korea Society took very good care of us. They treated us like professionals, and made sure we were comfortable in every respect....This is among the best courses I have taken for P-credits."

July 21-25, 2008

Sixteen educators from the New York metropolitan area were introduced to Korean art—and through it, Korean history and culture—at a five-day teachers' institute held at The Korea Society's office in Manhattan. Experts delivered lectures on the aesthetics and cultural significance of painting, music, literature and pottery from every major era of Korean history. Cheeyun Kwon, curator of Korean art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, provided an overview of Korean art from the Bronze Age to the Three Kingdoms period while Kumja Paik Kim, the Asian Art Museum's Korean art curator emerita, spoke on the ceramics of the Koryo period and the ornate art items found in tombs from the Silla kingdom. Elizabeth Brotherton, assistant professor of art history at the State University of New York at New Paltz, discussed the reciprocal artistic influences that have long existed between China and Korea. Soyoung Lee, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Korea Gallery, presented a talk on the art of the Choson kingdom. The institute's lecture program was complemented by a slate of hands-on activities and field trips. The educators visited the Kang Collection of Korean Art and the Korean Art Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the art they had been learning about up close. They were also able to try Korean painting and calligraphy techniques for themselves at workshop sessions led by Anne Drillick, an art teacher at the Anna Scott School in Leonia, New Jersey, and Grace Park, a traditional Korean calligrapher from Potomac, Maryland.

Transforming the course's subject matter into lessons that would be relevant in primary and secondary classrooms was a constant focus of the institute. The educators had multiple sessions with Patricia Rosof, a social studies teacher retired from Hunter College High School in New York and a curriculum adviser to The Korea Society. Guided by Rosof, each teacher developed lesson plans that used Korean art as a way to teach history, social studies and literature. Participant Jennifer Suker developed a lesson plan that used a painting of Korean courtesans to teach high school students about social class in history and literature. At the end of the institute course, the teachers were given an afternoon to present and explain their lesson plans to one another.
   

August 6-10, 2007

Twenty-five metro New York teachers attended an intensive, five-day introduction to Korean history, culture, geography, religion and language at The Korea Society beginning Monday, August 6. 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—a first, for many—and provide a framework for bringing it into the classroom. Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies at Columbia University, presented them with a rich overview of the Korean Peninsula’s history. On Tuesday, John Goulde, assistant professor of religion and director of Asian Studies at Sweet Briar College, gave a lecture on the religious and philosophical beliefs that had shaped modern Koreans’ worldview. Shin-hark Suk, a former Korean language instructor at Queens Community College and The Korea Society, gave an introduction to written and spoken Korean. Later in the week, chairman of The Korea Society Amb. Donald P. Gregg provided an overview of Korea’s division, its role in the Cold War and current inter-Korean politics. Ji-moon Suh, a professor of English literature at Korea University, lectured on the classics of Korean literature.The participants were able to fill in gaps in their knowledge during a Q&A session with the president of The Korea Society, Evans Revere. Other presenters included Mark Peterson, professor of Korean studies at Brigham Young University; Marjorie Bingham, an emeritus professor of history at Hamline University; Patricia Rosof, educational consultan for The Korea Societyt; and Daniel Levine, an educational technology consultant at The Korea Society. Between lectures, participants experienced Korea directly, watching the Korean films The Way Home and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring as well as enjoying traditional fare at the Korea Palace restaurant in Manhattan. Korea for Beginners earned plaudits from participants. They were surprised to learn about the prominent role that foreigners have played in Korea’s modern history and many found the Korean language lessons particularly engaging.