UW-Madison to sponsor teacher, student international workshops

University of Wisconsin–Madison area and international studies programs will sponsor several workshops for K-12 teachers and students this fall.

The workshops, organized by the University’s eight federally funded national resource centers, offer resources and expertise in several world areas, including Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Many of these workshops are supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center grants.

The centers are members of the Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium (WIOC), and the International Institute, an initiative of the Division of International Studies and the College of Letters and Science. Throughout the year, the programs provide a range of outreach services, including talks, conferences, PK-12 workshops, teaching materials, audiovisual materials and language institutes. UW–Madison’s national resource centers are recognized internationally for excellence and innovation in research, teaching and outreach.

The fall workshops are:

“Asia in Your Community: Cultural and Religious Practices,” Sunday, Oct. 15: A full-day bus tour for K-12 teachers to explore resources available in their community for teaching about Asia. Visit community sites in and around Madison, with presentations by Asian studies faculty and community members on religious and cultural practices. Demonstrations will include a Thai Buddhist ceremony, Indian dance and storytelling, Chinese martial arts and tai chi. Teachers will eat meals at Thai and Indian restaurants, visit a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and have a discussion with Hmong community members at a local community center. Participants can earn one graduate credit. For more information, contact Peggy Choy, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, at (608) 263-1755 or pachoy@wisc.edu. Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Center for South Asia at UW–Madison with support from the Midwest Council on Asian Affairs.

“A World Cultures Day Middle School Extravaganza,” 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.: Bring your middle-school students to UW–Madison and discover the world through hands-on activities, games, lectures and music from cultures spanning the globe. Contact Lara Kain, (608) 265-6298 or kain@wisc.edu, for more information. Sponsored by the Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium.

Fifth Annual International Children and Young Adult Literature Celebration, “Open a Door… Open a Book… Open your Mind… to the World,” Saturday, Nov. 18, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.: A workshop for K-12 educators, librarians and children’s literature enthusiasts featuring authors Yangsook Choi, Cathryn Clinton, Yona Zeldis McDonough and Suzanne Fisher Staples. Contact Rachel Weiss, Center for South Asia, (608) 262-9224, rweiss@wisc.edu, for more information. The registration deadline is Monday, Nov. 6. Sponsored by Wisconsin International Outreach Consortium.

“Strategies for Teaching Chinese Grammar and Vocabulary with Authentic Texts,” Saturday, Dec. 2, Grainger Hall, 975 University Ave.: A workshop for K-16 Chinese language teachers addressing three important pedagogical questions: how to teach Chinese grammar and vocabulary with authentic texts in both spoken and written language; how best to teach vocabulary, especially synonyms, in the classroom; and what pedagogical approaches to use in high-school Chinese teaching. The lead instructors will be Hongyin Tao, associate professor of Asian languages and cultures and director of the Chinese Language Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, who is the project leader for the CALPER project on “Teaching Advanced Chinese with Authentic Materials,” and Margaret Wong, director of international education and senior Chinese language instructor at Breck School in Minnesota, who has taught Chinese language in high schools for 30 years. The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 23. Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies, and the Pennsylvania State Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER).

“From Ukiyoe to Anime: Using Art and Popular Culture in Your Classroom to Explore Mutual Cultural Influences Between Japan and the U.S.,” Saturday, Dec. 9, Ingraham Hall, 1155 Observatory Drive, and the Chazen Museum of Art, 800 University Ave.: A workshop for K-12 teachers of art, social studies, history and Japanese language in connection with the upcoming exhibition, “Color Woodcut International: Japan, America, and Britain in the early 20th Century,” which will be open from Dec. 9-Feb. 25 at the Chazen Museum of Art. This workshop and special gallery tour will prepare teachers to use the exhibition, the K-12 curriculum guide accompanying the exhibition, and other local and online resources related to Japanese arts and popular culture as learning opportunities for their students. The registration deadline is Monday, Nov. 20. Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the Chazen Museum of Art, with support from the Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies.

“Using Anime & Manga in K-16 Japanese Language Classrooms,” Saturday, Feb. 10, Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive: A workshop for K-16 Japanese language teachers. Registration deadline is Friday, Jan. 26. Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the Wisconsin Association of Teachers of Japanese.