February 3, 10 / March 3, 10, 17, 2007

This course offered a general introduction to Korea for primary grade (K-8) teachers in the greater New York area. Twenty-one participants met on five Saturdays during February and March 2007. Sessions included a varied program of lectures, workshops and classroom activities. Mornings were devoted to lecture and discussion sessions on Korean history, society, language, geography and literature. Afternoons were reserved for hands-on workshops involving folktales, calligraphy and brush painting, arts and handicrafts and film screenings. With 5,000 years of history to cover in three hours, the first day's schedule was necessarily packed. Participants had top talent at their disposal however: Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies at Columbia University, presented them with a rich overview of Korean history. In the afternoon, Cathy Spagnoli, professional storyteller, taught the participants how to use the techniques of storytelling to bring Korean folktales into their classrooms. In subsequent sessions, Linda Lewis, director of Asia and Pacific studies at the School for International Training in Battleboro, Vermont, discussed Korean culture and society. Shin-hark Suk, a former language lecturer at The Korea Society, introduced the teachers to the Korean language and hangul. Gail Ludwig, professor of geography at the University of Missouri, presented a lively lecture on Korean geography. Wolhee Choe, professor emeritus of English literature at Brooklyn Polytechnic University, discussed the thematic role of nature in Korean Literature. Grace Park, painter and calligrapher, led the class in a hands-on exploration of Korean brush painting and calligraphy, using an inkstone and rice paper. Another hands-on Korean art workshop was led by Anne Drillick, a teacher at Anna C. Scott Elementary School in New Jersey.

Between lectures, participants were taught how to integrate Korea into their school's curriculum. The educators watched Korean films such as Families of South Korea and The Way Home. They also tasted genuine Korean cuisine at a specially catered Korean buffet lunch. Getting to Know Korea earned plaudits from the participants. One teacher wrote: "[Before] I knew nothing about Korea-now I would love to go and visit!" Another continued, "This is by far the best course I have ever taken through the ASPDP. I will have to recommend it to all my colleagues."

August 7-11, 2006

Twenty-eight 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 7. The goal of the course, titled Korea for Beginners, was to expose educators to Korean Studies--a first, for many--and provide a framework for bringing it into the classroom. With 5,000 years of history to cover in two lecture sessions, the first day's schedule was necessarily packed. Participants had top talent at their disposal however: Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies at Columbia University, presented them with a rich overview. Daniel Levine, an information-systems professional, introduced the new educational web site of The Korea Society, www.koreak12.org. On Tuesday the participants were immersed in Korean language. Shin-hark Suk, a Korean language instructor at Queens College, brought the fundamentals of spoken Korean into the classroom. Mark Peterson, head of the Korean section at Brigham Young University's Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages, spoke on the classic works of Korean literature; his lively lecture concluded with teachers composing their own sijo poetry. Wednesday was reserved for philosophy and religion: John Goulde, assistant professor of religion and director of Asian studies at Sweet Briar College, discussed the beliefs that had shaped modern Koreans' worldview. Hyunsoo Woo, associate curator of Korean art in the East Asian Art Department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, catalogued the stylistic development of various Korean mediums. The academic program was closed, on Friday, with a lecture on Korean geography by Gail S. Ludwig, professor of geography at the University of Missouri. Between lectures, participants learned how to integrate Korea into their school's curriculum, hearing from educational consultant Patricia Rosof and Ane Lintvedt from the McDonogh School. The educators were also exposed to Korea more directly, watching the Korean film The Way Home, and enjoying traditional fare at the Korea Palace restaurant in Manhattan. Korea for Beginners earned plaudits from participants. V. Daniel Tillman, a teacher at Stuyvesant High School in New York wrote afterwards that he was "spellbound" by the presentations, adding that he was considering taking introductory Korean-language lessons.

February 5, 12, March 5, 12, 19, 2006

This course offered a general introduction to Korea for primary grade (K-7) teachers. Classes met from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on five Saturdays during February and March 2006. Sessions included a varied program of lectures, classroom activities and a cooking demonstration at a Korean restaurant. Mornings were devoted to lecture/discussion sessions on history, language, folktales, family, society, arts and geography. Afternoons were reserved for hands-on workshops involving storytelling, handicrafts, dance, painting and calligraphy. Heinz Insu Fenkl, director of the creative writing program and Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New Paltz, gave a presentation on Korean folktales. Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies at Columbia University, lectured on Korean history. Linda Lewis, director of area studies at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, covered elements of Korean culture and society. Finally, Sang-oak Lee, professor, Korean Language and Literature, Seoul National University, provided an overview of han'gul, the Korean alphabet, and traditional Korean housing. The participants were required to complete reading assignments and create lesson plans based on the material they had studied, as well as pass a final exam. Educators who successfully completed the course were eligible to receive 3-G credit from the New York City Department of Education.

August 1-5, 2005 

This new course in the Summer Institute series drew an enrollment of 29 educators from the New York City area. The course met daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and course examined issues relevant to Korean society, history, culture and religion as portrayed through the medium of film. On most days, films were screened during the morning session, while the afternoon session was reserved for lectures and discussion. The objective of the lectures and discussion sessions was to help teachers make better use of the films in their classrooms by giving them an enhanced understanding of their cultural context. Films and lecture topics included House Guest and Mother, followed by a lecture with John Goulde, associate professor of religion and director of Asian studies, Sweet Briar College; YMCA Baseball Team, followed by a lecture with Gari Ledyard, King Sejong Professor Emeritus of Korean Studies, Columbia University; 2009: Lost Memories, followed by a lecture with Heinz Insu Fenkl, director of the creative writing program and Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New Paltz; Chunhyang, followed by a lecture with Laurel Kendall, curator for anthropology, American Museum of Natural History; and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and...Spring, followed by a conversation with Hyangsoon Yi, assistant professor of comparative literature, University of Georgia. In addition, the teachers were given extensive reading assignments and a final exam to enable them to better understand the subject matter of the films.