Education : VIEWS OF THE EAST

“Views of the East,” conducted annually since 2000, is designed for Maine teachers who are creating or revising courses to include China, Japan and Korea. It is a 30-hour professional development seminar for 20 teachers, public or private schools, grades 7-12, who will teach courses in world history, cultures, geography, literature or the arts during the 2008-2009 school year. Prior knowledge of East Asia is not required.

 

Teachers meet with faculty from Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges, the University of Maine (Farmington), the University of Southern Maine, and independent scholars in an intellectually intense series of lectures, discussions, workshops and films in a collegial setting. Subjects covered are East Asian art, economics, geography, history, international relations, language, literature, philosophy, politics, religion and sociology.

 

Participating teachers receive $500 in stipends for completing the seminar, developing an implementation plan, teaching their course, and attending a follow-up workshop. They also receive $500 in resources on China, Japan and Korea for themselves and their school libraries. CEUss are available, and study tours to East Asia may be conducted for seminar graduates. All seminar costs except CEUs and travel are covered, including room and board at Bowdoin during the June residential phase, and use of Bowdoin’s library and recreation facilities.

 

Similar seminars are offered throughout the United States through a Freeman Foundation grant to the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, and New England seminars are coordinated by the Five College Center for East Asian Studies at Smith College. Maine seminars are organized by the World Affairs Council of Maine, and the June session in residence at Bowdoin is supported by a grant from Unum. The seminar is directed by Matthew Gardner of the World Affairs Council of Maine and Charles Calhoun of the Maine Humanities Council.

 

Applications from school teams of up to three teachers (which may include a librarian), and from individual teachers, are due Friday, April 4, 2008. Information and applications are available from the Maine Humanities Council (www.mainehumanities.org), click on Programs/Teachers for a New Century/Views of the East. For additional information, please contact Matthew Gardner (Email) or Charles Calhoun (Email).