Week-end Travel: July 10, 2010

On Saturday, July 10, the student teachers and some San Sin students traveled by bus to Sandimen to the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Culture Park in Pingtung County.  The park provides a history of 14 different tribes of native aborigines. It is located in a mountainous area with beautiful natural scenery.

The first stop was the Dragonfly Bead Art Studio, where glass bead making and glazing was demonstrated.  Native aboriginal women produce the glazed beads, selecting designs designated for each month of the year, each having deep philosophical meaning.  The beads are believed to carry eternal blessings from ancestors, and the string embodies their eternal spirits.  The teachers and their students learned how to perform bead-making by melting the glass, refining and decorating the bead shape, and adding color designs to the glass surface. They were very proud of the finished product!

The student teachers enjoyed the performance of Aboriginal songs and dances in the Naluwan Theater. They also visited the traditional city of Meinong, most well-known for the Hakka culture.  They stopped at the Meinong Folk Village, which is famous for the production of Chinese Hakka umbrellas and other traditional craft items.   Everyone shopped for souvenirs and special treasures to bring home to America.  Finally, they visited the local ice cream shop and enjoyed ice cream treats (some ate Tofu ice cream and loved it!).

Week One Activities

After the first few days of class, the American student teachers settled into a teaching routine easily.  Smart and adaptable, they were able to incorporate a number of different activities into the teaching of the "Hair Salon" curriculum unit.  The San Sin students got over their initial shyness easily, and they now actively use their English frequently to communicate with their teachers.  In addition, the teachers have learned how to negotiate the city bus and the MRT subway, so within the first week, they have learned how to travel around Kaohsiung City easily. The teachers participate in after-school activities with their San Sin students to encourage the development of their English language skills!

The American student teachers are sometimes asked to represent the Summer English Program when there are international visitors at San Sin High School.  On Wednesday, July 7, Dr. Larry Shumway, the Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction, came to San Sin to learn more about the Summer English Program and the school's international programs.  Accompanied by Chen Yi Ta of the Taipei Ministry of Education Office, Dr. Shumway viewed a presentation provided by Becky Wu about the Summer English Program.  He initiated a dialogue with the American student teachers and a number of the San Sin students, and all agreed that there are long-lasting mutual benefits from this exchange program for everyone involved.

During the first week,  a variety of excursions were offered to the teachers by the San Sin students.  Some teachers went to the Mega Department Store to eat and see a movie at the IMAX theater, while others went to the beach or to a tea shop, or they learned how to make dumplings. All of the teachers have the opportunity to take a yoga class on Wednesday nights, and many did---enjoying the expertise of the teacher, who is the Vice-President of the National Taiwan Yoga Association!   In addition, Mr. Hsieh took the teachers to hear the Berlin Philharmonic performance at the Cultural Center on Thursday evening.  The student teachers found out that there is little time to rest!

First Day of School: July 5, 2010

The first day of school began with an Opening Ceremony with Mr. Pan, the principal of San Sin High School.  His comments were translated into English for the audience.  Then Dr. O'Kon's comments were translated into Chinese!  She said:

Hello Mr. Pan, teachers, administrators, and students! Greetings to all of you from your Sister School, Tallahassee Community College!

We are so pleased to be here in Kaohsiung for the Summer English Program. This program began in 1993, and it has been very successful. Teachers from the United States have visited your school and your beautiful city year after year to help San Sin students learn English. In return, the American teachers have learned about Taiwanese culture and the kindness of Taiwanese people.

The Summer English Program has provided the opportunity for the students and the teachers to become lifelong friends. As technology has changed and improved, the teachers and students have communicated through distance learning, videoconferencing, and even Facebook. We hope that all of you who are enrolled in this program find it to be helpful and rewarding. Thank you for inviting us to be with you in the San Sin Summer English Program!

After the ceremony, teaching began immediately.  The teachers hurried to their classrooms and utilized their prepared curriculum materials on the first topic of the summer program, "Hair Salon."  Some computer equipment worked---some didn't!  Faced with the challenge of having things go unexpectedy wrong, the student teachers learned about adaptability, quick thinking, and moving on to "Plan B." This photo shows the teachers at the end of Day One, enjoying their pizza lunch and their daily debriefing meeting!

Welcome Luncheon on July 4, 2010

The American student teachers and their host families were treated to a wonderful 12-course Taiwanese-style Welcome Luncheon on Sunday. Although jet lag lingered around the banquet room, the student teachers enjoyed the food and the company of their host families tremendously. There was no shortage of picture-taking, of course! After lunch, they made their first visit to San Sin High School to learn where they will be teaching and where they will meet after classes are over each day. Mr. Hsieh provided his office space for the teachers' daily meeting. He also presented each student teacher with a lovely gift of chopsticks and a San Sin tote bag for their teaching materials!

Hopefully the student teachers are prepared for their first day of school.  They have aready met some of the wonderful San Sin students and they understand the difficulties in communication that may occur.  But San Sin students are still great communicators, even with limited English skills.  The student teachers will very quickly learn the meaning of the country's slogan:   Taiwan touches your heart!

Student Teachers arrive on Kaohsiung on July 3, 2010:

After a very long trip with delayed flights, seven students arrived with Dr. O'Kon at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They traveled together very well and could not wait to meet their host families. The host families waited for them at the Kaohsiung airport with welcome signs and open arms! They greeted the American students warmly and gathered up all of their luggage to take them to their new Taiwanese homes!