Heading back to Daegu Saturday July 9th

This morning we woke up to the sound of rain. The night we spent in the Korean hotel was very exciting. It was a wonderful once and a life time adventure. On the way to breakfast we got to experience an eye-opening ride on the tour bus. We traveled on very narrow roads that were not much wider than the bus. We ate breakfast in a tented resturant. We were served a fried egg and chicken rice porridge with several sides such as spiced jalapenos, kimchi... Again we were served water from one of the many water coolers located throughout South Korea. We were also offered a cup of instant coffee. Not only can you get cold water out of one side of the cooler but you can also get hot water out of the other side. Those coolers come in mighty handy! After breakfast we had a pottery class. We each made a piece of pottery that is characteristic of Korean culture using a pottery wheel. As you may already know the process of finishing a piece of pottery takes several days. They offered to ship us our final products once they are finished.
After lunch we went to visit a Buddhist Temple. On our way up the mountain to the temple, we by chance met and took pictures with the mayor of Yeongiu. He was very gracious and interested in hearing about our expeiences in Korea. We found out that one of his ancestors was involved in producing the Korean Alaphabet. A common thread throughout the trip has been the way we have been recieved by the Korean people. They have a very welcoming air about them that is very sincere.
The temple was located high on the top of a mountain. It had breathe taking views. The buildings were beautifully constructed. We witnessed a couple of different ceremonies going on.
After the temple we rode back once again to our traditional Korean hotel to pick up our luggage. Then we took a three hour bus ride back to Daegu. A bus ride might sound bad but actually it was very comfortable. It was a bus limo and we had reclining seats. We were also the only people on the bus so we had plenty of room to stretch out. Arriving in Daegu we pulled up to a Five Star Hotel! We were each given our own room! After dropping off the luggage in or rooms and cleaning up, we were treated to a huge buffet. To say the least we were treated like royalty and very thankful to Ajin!

Welcome to the beach!
The group says hello from the Jeju Musuem.

Jeju Island Here We Come!

Today, July 10th, is special for many reasons: it is Sherlyn's birthday, my husband's birthday, and our arrival to Jeju Island. We got up early this morning to rain again. We checked out and left the beautiful hotel by bus to arrive at Daegu Airport for our 7:20 flight only to find out the flight was cancelled due to lightning. The next flight would be at 6:30 p.m. We were a little disheartened but made the most of our time. We were able to have our focus groups and re-
flect on all of our educational and personal experiences. We found that we have all grown in many ways and look forward to sharing our experiences with our schools.

We decided if we broke up our large group and flew separately we might arrive sooner than the planned "delayed time." Half of us were leaving at 12:40 and the others would come as flights opened. Thanks to Julie, during our wait some of us had our first peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She had packed travel sized peanut butter so we ordered toast with jam and made our delicious sandwiches. Sometimes there is nothing better than a simple sandwich. Things would only get better from now on.

The other half of the team was able to make our flight with us and we landed around 1:40 p.m. The rain had ceased and we were able to tour Jeju Museum of Folklure & Natural History. We learned the island has a different culture than the mainland. The culture is known for its spirit of 3 possessions (rocks, wind, & women), 3 absences ( thieves, gates, & beggars), and for the thriftiness of the islanders. We learned the island was mainly formed by the basalt lava flows. A few of the interesting cultural ceremonies we learned were the Memorial Ceremony for the Deceased family members and the Whan-gap ( 60th Birthday) celebration. To our amazement we were told over 350 species of citrus are cultivated in Jeju.

We then ventured to buy bottled water on our way to the hotel. We had a quick bite to eat then off to see Jungmun Beach. This beach is unlike any other we have seen. The sand is definitely not white. It is more course and a darker shade of brown. The water was a bit cold for most of us as we decided to only wade in it. Bruce was the adventurous one as he took off to ride the violent waves as they came crashing into the shoreline. We have a few good pictures of him.

We ended our first day on the island with a dinner buffet and a volcanic light show. Oh yes, I can't forget we sang happy birthday to Sherlyn and shared her cake. Just another great day of our trip.

A Day of Rest and Relaxation

Monday, July 11, 2011

We were able to sleep in a little later this morning after a great night sleep! I think we were all exhausted after our Daegu ventures and a deliciously filling supper last night. We met our tour guide, A.J., and headed off to explore the southern tip of Jeju island. She entertained us with historical facts and cultural traditions of the Jeju people. Namely, the women of Jeju are very strong and independent people who have been the bread winners and primary workers of the family for many generations. Up until the 1970's the women carried the heavy clay jars from the stream, farmed the land, dove for sea creature and did all of the cleaning and cooking. The men, on the other hand, were rather pampered and did little work around the house. A.J. proudly said that Jeju Island is famous for providing 3 natural resources: Wind, Rock, and Strong Women. Obviously, our predominatly female group loved this infromation!!

We were especially interested to learn about the women divers that have been a very important part of this culture for hundreds of years. These ladies (most of them in their 70's and 80's) began diving at a very early age. They dive to about 50 or 60 feet in the water, holding their breath up to 5 minutes, in search of sea creatures to sell at local markets. Though this is a dying art in today's society, we were able to see some of these remarkable ladies as they returned from their morning dive.

Our first stop we trecked through the lush forests to Cheonjeyeon Falls where we enjoyed. lush forests, refreshing spring water and a beautiful view of the waterfalls. Some of us even ventured onto the rocks for a little "rock hopping" above the falls. The cool water felt wonderful after that long climb up the mountain!!

Next, we rode through a seaside village and took an hour long cruise around Jeju Island. Jeju and its surrounding islands were created by volcanic erruptions about five million years ago. The rock formations and lush vegetation throughout the islands are absolutely breathtaking!

Finally, we visited the Seokburjak Museum which features a variety of bonsai plants in various plants pots and rock formations throughout a scenic garden setting. How many of you knew that bonsai means "trees that grow in pots?" I always thought that it meant "crooked little pine tree." It was unbelievable to see the different type of plants that were used. They were gorgeous! We concluded our excursion at a local restaurant then returned to the hotel for a free afternoon!! Everyone enjoyed lounging by the pool, doing a little shopping and relaxing (something we haven't been able to do much!!)

We have a big day tomorrow!! Off to Shanghi!

Leaving Seoul: Destination Unknown Day 1 (Friday, July 8th)

This morning, we said our goodbyes to the great city of Seoul as we continue our journey down south to the Yeungnam University and the city of Yuengju by bullet train. However, that is not as easy as it may seem with 15 people traveling with 35 bags weighing over 1500 pounds.  Our train was scheduled to depart at 9:30 in the morning. Even though we started to leave the hotel early, we did not meet back up until really late. As we left in groups to the taxi, we had a difficult time locating everyone. I decided to go with the luggage carrier to the ticketing area while my car group wait for everyone else to arrive. I wait…it is now 9:09. I wait some more…it is now 9:17. I wait a little longer….it is now 9:20. Did I come to the wrong location, and everyone is looking for me? Should I have stayed with my group? Is there another ticket booth that I was not aware? All of these questions came to mind as I stood there with the non-English speaking bag handler, and it is now 9:22. Finally, I see 10 of my group members one direction and Dr. Suh hurriedly walking toward us reminding us that the train is about to leave. With nearly a ton of luggage in tow, we scurry to down the hall, down the escalator to train car #5. It is now 8:29. We made it on the train!! After organizing our luggage, we finally rested and enjoyed the ride either sleeping or enjoying the scenic countryside.



After running for the train and loading luggage.



Upon arrival, we were met by Ajin representatives who whisked us away to Yeungnam University for a lunch with the Dean of the College of Engineering, the Dean of International Cooperation, and other university officials. While there, we also attend some of the International Baja SAE competition. This is a competition where college students from all over Korea and other countries compete in various categories to see who has built the best car. One of the events we saw was the all-terrain competition where the team drives the vehicle up a mound of boulders. Whichever team gets the farthest wins. While watching, Dr. Dagley, Jackie, Karen, and I were interviewed by an NBC affiliate about the Baja SAE competition. It was amazing! As we were about to leave the competition, I admire the small electric car sitting in the parking lot and decided that I wanted to take a picture beside. Unbeknownst to me, it was the competition organizer’s car. He asked if I wanted to drive and I immediately said, “Yes”. So, Karen and I took a quick spin in it. That made my day!





We continued our day trip not knowing exactly where we were going. It was a surprise to everyone. We got on the bus and traveled 1 ½ hours from Daegu to Sosu Seowon, which is the first Confucian Academy financially supported by King Jungjong in 1543. On this site, we toured the original classrooms, dormitories, and museum dedicated to the Joseon Dynasty.

Once we finished our tour, we met Mr. Seo, CEO of Ajin for dinner in the Seonbichon Village adjacent to the Sosu Seowon. Once again, the dinner was unique, but delicious. I enjoyed sampling all of the food they provided. While eating Mr. Seo said a few words and welcomed us to his country. This is my second time meeting him, and he is quite down-to-earth and does not make anyone feel like they are less than him. He is quite comical as well. He had me laughing all night!!

For tea and dessert, we dressed in the traditional garb Confucians would drink their tea and eat their dessert in. Once we all put it on, I felt like we were graduating from somewhere. One of the women in the village showed us the proper way to make our tea and then the proper way to drink it. I do not think my fraternity brothers would enjoy the way I was taught when we are hanging out watching football. I may get talked about for awhile. However, it was a fun experience.

At this point, the sun has gone down and the moon is shining brightly in the sky. But wait, where is our hotel? Wow, we have a long drive back to Daegu. Not exactly!!!!! We were surprised to learn that we would be sleeping in the village tonight. That’s right…….in the village where they have traditional hotel rooms. This is a room with no beds and no bathroom except for the community bathroom. It is literally just an empty room. They have beautiful pillows and quilts provided in the closet to make a pallet to sleep on.

After the initial shock, we unpacked and met back outside under the tent for karaoke and snacks. I was so impressed with how well some of my colleagues sing and perform when you place a microphone in front of them. Especially my roommate, Bruce. Together, we performed a masterful interpretation of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” I was also impressed with our Korean guide, Duke, who sang Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender”.



It was quite an adventurous and fun-filled day, but after a few hours of karaoke, it was definitely time to get some rest. Still kept in the dark, we were just told that we would meet for breakfast at 8:30.

A special thanks to our friends from Ajin who have been very gracious and helped us today.


Our Last School Tour!

Today we toured Dongsan Christian High School, the only autonomous high school in their province of Korea. Being autonomous means that they have much more control of their school curriculum than most Korean high schools, who are required to follow a nation-wide school curriculum. We were honored to be greeted with a huge banner welcoming us individually by name to the school. In our orientation meeting, Mr. Oh-a former Auburnite who has returned to his native Korea and now teaches at the high school, arranged one of the high school students to translate the orientation video and then for a group of high school students to direct us in an orientation tour. As we walked around in small groups, we enjoyed being able to ask the students questions about their school and Korean education in general. It was a treat to be able to discover the students' views on education in South Korea. We also enjoyed interacting with students in Mr. Oh's English class as they role-played various situations where they might need to speak in English. We culminated our visit to the school with a delicicous lunch in their teacher lunchroom, complete with soup, fresh fruit, rice, and the ever present kimchi. It was a delightful morning.

After lunch, we toured the Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, located only a few miles from the high school. Our guide was a former Korean Air Force officer and he enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of Korean history with us. We toured the area between the three gates guarding the palace, part of the king's private chambers, and the archery range, among others. Unfortunately, the martial arts demonstration was cancelled because of the torential downpour that soaked everyone, umbrella or not.

Dinner tonight was a treat provided by Mrs. Park, Dr. Suh's mother. After a rainy day in Suwan, it was really nice to stay at the hotel for dinner. The all-you-can eat buffet provided a choice of foods and everyone came away happy with their meal. A big huge thank you to Mrs. Park for her generosity in sharing dinner with us tonight, and her daughter with us for this trip!

Wednesday's Happenings!

July 6th: Today was another day of awe and wonder!



We began our day with breakfast on our own, then a subway ride and brisk walk to Ewah Womans University College of Education for two more lectures. We were again greeted by the faculty and staff of this marvelous insitution with smiles and refreshing morning snacks. We learned from Dr. Jongwon Lee, the details of the Teaching profession in Korea. We were amazed to learn that teachers may be moved to different schools every 4 or 5 years and that once one has entered the teaching profession, they have that job until they retire. Generally, teachers are respected and highly valued in Korean society.
Next, we learned from Dr. Hyunju Lee, Assist Professor in the Dept of Science Education, that there is a new initiative within the most recent national update to the science education curriculum in Korea. It involves the inclusion of Character and Values development within the curriculum. Creativity and Globalization are also emphasized. Hmmm. Character in Science...Interesting, don't you think?

We had an insightful and informative discussion about the secondary level/high school credit requirements in American schools and the necessity of recipient schools having access to specific course content of the Korean science courses in order to accurately place students in classes for graduation. For systems that have a mandatory exiting exam like Alabama's High School Graduation Exam, high schools need to know that they are best equiping their new students from Korea with the preparatory/pre-requisite classes for passing the exam. We will be able to collaborate with Ewah's Dept. of Science Education to make sure the information is available to School Administrators, Counselors, Registrars, and other appropriate school personnel.

Following the lectures, we had to bid our tearful and heart-heavy Good byes to the wonderfully knowledgeable and generous Faculty and indispensible Graduate students who made our visit to Korea and education in Korea so amazing. We gave gifts, took pictures, hugged, exchanged email addresses and business cards with sincere intentions of maintaing these new, deeply formed connections.

Who would have thought that two seemingly vastly different groups of individuals from across the globe could form such a strong bond within one week's time?

Yes, we did it.

We shared laughs, meals, cars, mints, gifts, hugs, opinions, space and hopes for the bright futures of the many children whose lives we touch while in this profession of Education.

Our Wednesday concluded with another Special Treat and gift from the gradmother of one of our Fall 2011 AEEC=Kindergarten=students! We made a new friend in Korea with whom we may inevitably be sustaining a long term relationship because of her daughter and gradson who currently live in Auburn. AL. What better evidence to support the notion that we are truly all intertwined and only "six degrees" separate us from any number of potential acquaintances. A stranger can indeed be a friend you simply have not yet met.

She invited us to her restaurant to teach us how to prepare a traditional Korean meal. Upon our arrival, we were equipped with neatly folded, bow-tied, fun orange aprons presented like cherished packages given to a dear friend. Each of us was also given individual hot plates, skillets, aprons, a BIG chopping knife, and gloves and given step by step instructions with a live demonstration for preparing Kimchee, Bulgoki, Jopchae. All our fresh foods glistened with delicious color and as the mouth watering aromas from our skillets filled her beautiful kitchen!










As an added Bonus, we were outfitted with Hanbok=traditional Korean wear. Took pictures with our cooking instructors and enjoyed the restaurant garden patio.




This adventure into Korean meal preparation culmunated in a feast fit for a King, Queen and all the Royal family, compliments of our gracious hostess! The food never seemed to stop arriving to the table. Just when we thought the meal was over, out came most unusual desserts. A frozen treat made with red beans and a slightly sweetened and creamy sauce, served over finely crushed ice. Cool, refreshing, and so good for us.

Korean Language App for iPad

Hey friends!

So glad you all seem to be having a FABULOUS time.  I am loving all the pictures on here as well as Facebook.  I've got an iPad as well and I've been searching for some educational apps to use with my students this year.  I came across this one that I thought you may find interesting. I'd love to learn some of these Korean words to try and make a connection with some of those Korean students that come to my classroom.  This shows how to correctly write the letters and I've had fun with it :-)

Sunny Monday

Happy Independence Day to all! The rain stopped and the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds. The weather has been partly sunny to sunny all day.

Today was an especially busy day. The morning was spent once again at Ewha Womans University, a very beautiful campus. The first lecture of the morning was an overview of curriculum and instruction given by Dr. Insoo Oh . We had so many questions during his lecture that he probably only was able to get through about one-third of his prepared material. He began by presenting a video clip from PBS titled "South Korea's Education Fever" which presented the importance of educational success in South Korea and the extent to which parents will assist and push their children to succeed. Education is seen as the channel for social mobility (higher status and income). The majority of students attend afterschool tutoring for 3-5 hours one or more days a week to "get ahead in specific subjects. Up to 10 % of a family's income may be spent on private tutoring in "hakwans" (sp?), private tutoring academies. The better the score on the national exam at the end of high school, the better the university a student may attend, and the better the chance for top jobs in the country. Hence, there is a lot of pressure on students, especially in high school. We spent a lot of time asking questions about hakwons and the effect of the pressure to succeed on students.

We learned that the country has a national curriculum that changed about every 5-10 years through the late 2000's and every few years more recently due to more rapid changes what should be taught, etc. From the year 2000, local school systems have been developing localized curricula based on the national curriculum. The national curriculum is divided into many of the same areas as in the U.S.: native language (Korean), math , science, social studies, art, music, foreign language (English), physical education, etc. Korean language, math, and English are most important on the national college entrance exam and more classroom hours are spent on the subjects. Students also take "moral education" throughout their school years, a subject dealing with proper moral behavior. Teachers are certified to teach this subject. It was our understanding that what is covered in one school district may not be exactly what was covered in another school district in a specific grade and time of year, a result of allowing local school districts to develop local curricula.

We learned that there are many types of high schools in Korea. There are many general high schools which are akin to most high schools in the U.S. Special purpose high schools exist in foreign language, science, international, art, and physical ed. The limited number of places in foreign language, science, and international high school are highly sought after with only about 1% of students in each of science and international high schools. Specialized high schools (e.g. design, internet, animation, taxes, tourism, cooking) focus study in a particular area, still covering the same subjects as other high schools, but perhaps in a less rigorous manner. Professional high schools are most akin to technical and vocational high schools in the U.S.

Dr. Jungmin Kwon gave an introduction in to Korean special education. It was clear from her presentation that the availability of special education is much lower than in the U.S. However, the number and percentage of students qualifying for special education has been steadily increasing as the need for, and understanding of, such education has become more apparent. The field is still in its infancy compared to that in the U.S. Students qualifying for special education may attend special education schools (about 1/3 of students) and the rest in general education schools. As in the U.S., some parents have trouble accepting that their child is in need of special education services. Parents may spend a tremendous amount of money on tutoring children in elementary grades in the hope of their child overcoming what is a problem with learning.

After lunch the group was priviliged to visit a "hakwon", a private tutoring academy, in Daechi-dong, an area of Seoul known for top quality hakwons. Parents will pay high prices for low quality apartments in the area so that their children will get access to "top quality" instructors in the more famous hakwons. A single hakwon focuses on a specific subject area. We visited C & A Critical Writing Academy, a hakwon tutoring students in reading, writing, and debating in grades from elementary through high school. The reading, writing, etc. focuses on a particular topic area. Students attend 1 day a week after school with the number of hours spent at the academy increasing as the child ages (elem= 2-3 hrs, middle school = 3 1/2-4 hours, high school = 4-5 hours). About 100 students come to this hokwon each day. Fees work out to be about $10/ hr U.S. (about $120-$200 per month). Students are evaluated by testing every 3-4 months to decide what should be their placement in the next time period. The tutoring groups are small (we saw about 4 students in a group). Parents receive feedback about every 2 months and have meetings with faculty about as frequently to discuss the progress of their child. The director of the hakwon did not believe that this approach to increasing achievement was a productive route to be taken in the U.S. It's best to leave additional discussion in this area for when we return to the U.S.

The latter part of the afternoon was spent at Namsan Park in the central of Seoul, most of which was spent atop the N Seoul Tower, or Namsan Tower, located at the top of Namsan Peak. From the top of the tower you can see for miles, with the city of Seoul extending out in all directions for those miles. You cannot fully comprehend the physical size of the city of Seoul without viewing it from the tower. The city is simply huge! According to an entry in Wikipedia, metropolitan Seoul, with about 24.5 million people, is the 2nd largest metropolitan area in the world.

From Namsan Tower we proceeded to a very nice traditional Korean restaurant for a very traditional Korean meal. The number of dishes was impressive, with many different types of vegetables cooked in numerous ways. The color, textures, aromas, and tastes of the foods was extremely diverse. Across the board, I thought that the food was excellent. Consult other team members for their personal assessment. After dinner we were treated to traditional Korean dances on the dance floor in the center of the restaurant.

Sunday in Seoul

In spite of the almost constant rain, today was a wonderful, fascinating day. This was the first day that we "seoul-ly" played the part of learners and not educators {pun intended}. No meetings or workshops today -- it was all about learning Korean history! Our group gathered around 11:00 this morning for a guided bus-tour that took us to the DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ).
We rode about an hour north of Seoul City on an air-conditioned, roomy bus. In addition to the fifteen of us, there were several American families, one of whom had a 6-week-old baby with them. It seemed like some of the family members were officers stationed here in South Korea. Our guide Richard {his inspiration for choosing this American name is Richard Gere} was very energetic and knowledgeable. He had a lively sense of humor, and kept us entertained as he taught us about the history surrounding the creation of the DMZ. He also informed us (many times) of when we could and could not take pictures. I think our group's unspoken, yet adhered to, rule was, "Don't take pictures until you see someone else do it first."
Our first stop was Imjingak, an artifact/exhibition/memorial exhibition site. On one side of the parking lot was a small amusement park, complete with roller coaster. On the other side was the southern boundary of the DMZ. It was sobering to see the beauty of the surrounding mountains, green and lush fields and consider the sacrifice that went into dividing a nation. There was an explanation of how the fences were designed to hold stones in various formations to alert soldiers of tampering or trespassing. For example, trace stones, five flat stones painted white, were stacked between the wires of the fence, then painted with a red symbol. If an invader moved the stones to enter, then restacked them, officers would be able to tell from a distance if the stones had been tampered with based on the orientation of the red symbol. Other stones were strategically placed so they would make noise when they fell as an invader attempted to cross the fence.

From there we rode to the Unification Bridge, where a South Korean military officer boarded our bus and counted the number of passengers. The seriousness and reality of where we were and what we were about to enter became clear to many of us in that moment. We entered the exhibition hall and watched a short, informative video on the tunnels that have been discovered (as recently as 1990) leading from North Korea to Seoul. After the video and a walk around some informative diorama-esque exhibits detailing the 38th parallel location, we found ourselves at the beginning of the 3rd tunnel. Discovered by South Korea in 1978, it was capable of transmitting a full division of North Korea troops in an hour. Officials believe it was designed for a surprise attack on Seoul. We donned school-bus-yellow hard hats and began an extremely steep descent towards the tunnel. Once we reached the head of it, we had to bend over and walk like a primate to avoid bumping our noggins on the beams and granite above.
After we caught our breath from climbing up the tunnel ramp, we briefly visited the gift shop, then got back on the bus for our next destination - the Dora Observatory. Had it not been raining, thundering, and lightning, this would have been perhaps the most fascinating stop. The building was designed and built purposely so visitors could sit in the auditorium and see the landscape with border lines superimposed on the windows. In other words, we would have literally seen where North and South Korea stop. This is also the point closest to North Korea. We were told about villages that lie on either side of the 38th parallel; on the South Korea side, the villagers are exempt from income taxes and military duties, but can only live there if their ancestors did. Unfortunately, due to the clouds and rain, we weren't able to see past the shrubs outside the window. But the landscape was certainly imaginable, and I think we could better understand just how close to North Korea we were today. (In the picture below, imagine the mountains and valley behind us. That's North Korea...)
Our final stop was the Dorasan rail station. This is the northernmost station on South Korea's rail line. Many people from North and South Korea hope that this rail station can someday facilitate a reunification and one nation.
On the way "home", we were taken to an amethyst factory/store. I think everyone was awed by the beautiful, deeply colored purple stones. There was everything from small, elegant rings, bracelets, pendants, and earrings, to flashy, gargantuan stones. Several pieces would have been right at home in Liz Taylor's collection! This was the last stop for our tour and time for dinner! We all agreed that, on a Sunday evening, especially the Sunday before the 4th of July, Outback Steakhouse was in order. We had the upper level of the restaurant to ourselves and the servicxe was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their taste-of-home-with-a-twist; yes, the menu was basically the same. Some of the ingredients were different, but the presentation and atmosphere was much like that of Outback's in the states.
Tomorrow's plans include sessions on Curriculum & Instruction and Special Education in Korea. We are looking forward to a bus tour of Seoul City tomorrow afternoon, followed by a traditional Korean dinner in a restaurant run by Monks.
That's all for now - time to rest up for another day of adventures!