Exploring East Asia for K-12 Educators:
Common Foundations, Different Journeys
A free online seminar for K-12 Educators
Presented by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia at the University of Pittsburgh
Offered to all K-12 Educators in our 11 State Region of Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia
This free, online seminar will provide educators all you need to help students see that East Asia is NOT one entity. While China, Korea, and Japan do indeed share some cultural underpinnings, they each embarked on different pathways that make it impossible to tell just one story of East Asia’s development. Our lecturers (all UMBC faculty) will walk you through these exciting narratives by using primary sources and samples of visual culture that are perfect for incorporating into your own curricula and classrooms
Some of the Standards Covered in our Seminar
- Diffusion of World Religions: the impact of the diffusion of world religions and belief systems on social, political, cultural, and economic systems.
- Global Revolutions, Worldwide Migrations and Population Changes, and Increasing Global Interconnections
- Improvements in transportation, communication and technology have facilitated cultural diffusion among peoples around the world.
- Illustrate the significant political, commercial, and cultural changes that took place in China
- Geographic factors promote or impede the movement of people, products and ideas.
No Prior Experience? No Worries!
Our presenters are excited to share their passions for East Asian history and culture, whether you are history and social studies educators, art teachers, librarians, and world language educators. We hope you can join us!
Application Deadline: January 20, 2025 or until course fills
2025 SCHEDULE
Seminar Location: Online via Zoom
Time: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) / 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Dates and Class Session Topics:
- Saturday, January 25, 2025 - Orientation (9:00am - 11:00am Eastern Time)
- Saturday, February 8, 2025 - Foundations of East Asian Religion and Philosophy
- Saturday, February 22, 2025 - From Courtier to Samurai in Japanese History
- Saturday, March 8, 2025 - Creativity and Innovation in China: the Tang through the Ming
- Saturday, March 22, 2025 - Traditional Korea Through Stories
- Saturday, April 5, 2025 - The Rise of Modern Japan
- Saturday, April 12, 2025 - In China’s Shadow: the Histories of Taiwan and Vietnam
- Saturday, April 26, 2025 - Korea’s Rise from Colonialism to Cultural Icon
- Saturday, May 3, 2025 - A Republic or a Communist State? China after 1911
An additional Follow-up Session(s) (6 hours total) required in July 2025 (date to be decided with class members’ input).
Benefits for Participants
Each participant who completes the course and course requirements will receive:
- $230 worth of teaching materials for your classroom, including the course textbook, additional educational materials, and a $100 mini-grant for purchase of approved materials for your classroom. (The purpose of the mini-grant is to get teaching materials into “brick and mortar” schools. Due to the increasing variety of our seminar participants, not all participants may be able to receive a mini-grant. Please consult with us about this early in the course.)
- $300 stipend at the completion of all requirements including attendance at the follow up classes.
- Certificate of Completion (36 hours) K-12 educators will receive a Certificate of Completion for 36 hours of professional development after completing all requirements of the seminar.
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NCTA alumni are eligible to apply for NCTA GEEO study tours to East Asia and are also eligible for small grants such as the Marie Wanek Fund, travel subsidies for conferences, and other benefits that we offer from time to time; NCTA alumni are also often given priority preference in competitive applications for summer institutes, Fulbright-Hayes study tours to East Asia and other programs. Our office also writes letters of recommendations for alumni who apply to competitive study tours and summer institutes. All alumni will receive a weekly NCTA email newsletter with information about free professional development programs and teaching resources.
Seminar Requirements
- Expressed commitment to integrating East Asia into your curriculum.
- Attend and participate in all sessions (36 contact hours), including the follow up classes.
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In addition, to complete the seminar and receive the benefits, you must fulfill the following requirements: Attend and participate in all sessions (36 contact hours, with 30 hours in the fall/winter and 6 hours in the spring) Complete all assignments and requirements, including designing a lesson plan that incorporates East Asian material into your curriculum, writing a “reflection paper” and completing a mini-grant form for your teaching materials. (A full list of assignments will be posted on our website.)
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Each participant is expected to come to class prepared to participate in class discussions.
Application Deadline: January 20, 2025 or until course fills