School-based Agricultural Education Across the Globe

Impact Presentation: Woodbury FFA Alumni

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 11:58:00 +0000

On Tuesday, September 9th, I had the opportunity to present to members of our Woodbury FFA Alumni and Parent Support Group. This organization consists of primarily current student's parents, some of which are graduates of our ag program, as well as recent graduates, and a former ag program director. Also in attendance were a few current students, who attended along with their parents, and my fellow agriscience teaching staff. In total, there were approximately 50 people in attendance.

I modified the previous presentations that I have done for our faculty and staff and UConn student teachers in order to target this particular audience. I tried to focus more on the community based involvement that we witnessed at Suwon, as well as the examples of the recent alumni of their programs coming back to teach students skills in the evening.

Unlike the previous presentations, I did not get a lot of questions. It might have been that it was about 8:20pm when I started to present. One question that did stand out what the following:

Were you able to ask the community members who were volunteering their time at the schools why they chose to spend that time in the school? What benefit did they feel that they were gaining by involving themselves with the education of the students?

I thought this was a great question, but I didn't feel as though I had really asked these community members this question myself. I attributed their desire to be involved with the students as part of jeong, which is the very classic "Korean notion of caring for others and putting others before oneself." You can read more about jeong, here.

Impact Presentation: Nonnewaug High School Faculty and Staff

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:57:00 +0000

Today I presented for about a half hour to the faculty and staff of Nonnewaug High School, which included teachers from all subject areas, Guidance staff, administrators, and Library staff, for a total of approximately 80 people.

I started out by asking the staff what came to mind when they heard the word "Korea." Answers ranged from anything related to K-Pop, to things they had heard in the news regarding North Korea. It was interesting to hear what they had to say, especially since more than one person had confused my trip for having been to Japan. I think it was useful for me to include a picture of the world map to help them orient themselves.

As far as the general theme of the presentation, I tried to focus on not only what we learned specifically about Agricultural Education, but also about general education in Korea. I also emphasized the mentoring experience that we engaged in. It seemed to tie in particularly well with what we had been discussing in our Professional Learning today, since we were going over the new Teacher Evaluation Rubric from the Connecticut Common Core of Teaching.

One of the areas that we are assessed on is "Professional Responsibilities and Teacher Leadership." In order to demonstrate an exemplary rating, one must "Participate actively in required professional learning and seek out opportunities within and beyond the school to strengthen skills and apply new learning to practice, as well as taking a lead in and/or initiates opportunities for professional learning with colleagues." It seemed that what our practice in Korea was doing, was helping to model a method of Professional Learning that could be implemented in the U.S. as well.

Much of our Professional Learning today was centered on "data-driven decision making", "research" and lots of number crunching. When presented with this information all day, it can be extremely overwhelming and daunting to feel motivated about the craft of teaching. I emphasized the focus that South Korea is placing on "Happy and Creative Education for All" as a way for us to re-center our learning on the art and passion we all have for teaching. I felt that the staff responded in a very positive fashion and they seemed to enjoy the presentation quite a bit!

Questions asked include the following:

1. What do people do for recreation in South Korea?
2. With all of the emphasis on intensive hands-on instruction, how many students go on to pursue a college education in South Korea?
3. What is South Korea's stance towards GMOs? (Genetically Modified Organisms)
4. When you were planning your micro-lessons, did you bear in mind the "Happy and Creative Education for All" as a guiding principle for lesson planning?

I really enjoyed the opportunity to present to my fellow staff members. I had the unique chance to teach fellow teachers about agricultural education through another lens. We have a lot of new staff at our school, so not only did this teach them about Korean Ag Ed, but also Agricultural Education in the US.

While I was answering the 4th question listed above, I had the opportunity to share the "nugget" of information that we formulated while at Yeoju: "Good teaching for English Language Learners or other students with learning needs, is good teaching for all students!" I emphasized the need for planning that doesn't focus exclusively on hands-on activities that are fun just for the sake of making students happy, but also for them to be "hands-on, minds-on." Frequently Agriscience classes may have the misconception that they are just classes for kids to "go play in" without learning any meaning behind the activity they are performing. This discussion was the perfect platform to help dispel that myth.

Jeremy: Presentation on Agriculture in Korea for Orange County Agricultural Educators

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:55:00 +0000

On July 31st, I gave a presentation about my trip to South Korea and the agricultural opportunities that I got to participate in while visiting the country. My audience was all of the agricultural educators of Orange County Florida. I used a photo presentation, rather than words on a screen. While in Korea I took over 1000 photos; what better way to show them off then by using them in a presentation.

Food in South Korea

During my presentation I explained the story behind each photo that I had taken. The look on the audiences faces were priceless, especially whenever it came to pictures of the food that we got to experience. They found it very interesting the way South Korea's educational system differed from ours; specifically agricultural education.

Botanical Garden in South Korea

We discussed many differences in similarities between that of the US and South Korea whenever it came to agriculture and education. We also were able to discuss ways that we can incorporate global agriculture into our classrooms. Overall, I believe that the presentation was a big hit and that the educators enjoyed being able to learn from my experiences in South Korea. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to share my pictures and experiences with a great group of educators!

Impact: XM Radio Broadcast!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 18:19:00 +0000

Prior to leaving for our amazing adventure to Korea, I was contacted by a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters about doing an interview for their RFD-TV Radio show on FFA Today! I was super excited to talk with her about not only what was going on in the ag program that I teach in, but also to discuss the things we learned in Korea. I mentioned this to her, since initially, she wanted to interview me during the time frame in which I would be gone, but she was fortunately very flexible with the interview times and gladly offered to interview me upon my return to the U.S. Turns out, that she had already heard of the trip! Very cool.

I was asked a few questions including the following:

1. How long have you been involved with FFA and why did you become an FFA Advisor?
2. Your chapter now raises vegetables for the school cafeteria and the local food pantry. Tell us about this and how it has impacted your students.
3. You also traveled to South Korea in July to work with the Future Farmers of Korea. What did you do on this trip?
4. So why do you think FFA is an important and relevant organization for students today to be a part of?

If you'd like to listen to the interview, check it out here! It originally aired on Saturday, July 26th, and Sunday, July 27th.

I feel like I tried to cram a lot of information into each answer, so perhaps some of the responses came off a bit rambling, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to reach more people with the message of FFA and #AgEd2Korea!

The Korea Room - Studying Abroad at Governor's School

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:12:00 +0000

This year during the Pennsylvania Governor's School, hosted at Penn State University, we had the opportunity do offer a week-long course on Global Agriculture. The week focused on sharing opportunities in Agriculture across the globe with 27 stellar high school students. Throughout the week students learned a traditional Malaysian agricultural dance, experienced Indian cuisine, and learned about just how far their food travels from field to place.

Students experiencing traditional Korean Hanbok

In addition to these activities, the Governor's School students had the chance to engage in their first study abroad! With their own Governor's School passports in hand, our students traveled to the Korea House to learn about six different aspects of Korean culture, all of which we experienced first-hand while on our #AgEd2Korea adventure just a few weeks ago.

It was incredible to see our students so involved in each different station; some students were really competitive at the "Chopstick Challenge" and others were so focused on decoding our Hangul message. Though some of our students had been to other parts of the world, for many this was their introduction to cultures other than our own.

I believe we provided a positive and memorable first experience in International Agriculture, not only with the Korea House, but with each lesson over the course of the entire week. Each of our students had a taste of what it was like to study abroad and I am confident that they will each enter the global age of agriculture hungry for knowledge of other cultures and prepared to be those positive agents of change.

However, the students weren't the only ones who benefited from this lesson. For the six 2015 student teachers that contributed to the lesson, this was great practice for sharing our experiences in our future classroom. All of the brainpower and hard work that went into creating the Korea Room really challenged us to develop a way of sharing the importance of our journey that impacted each student and allowed them to take part in the experience as well. Though they may not remember just how kimchi is fermented or how to write their name in Hangul, they will always recall that one time when those crazy Penn State people got all pumped about agriculture in other countries. And maybe, just maybe, our enthusiasm and our stories will inspire those students to take their own global journey.

Want to check out the Korea House? Click on the video below to get a glimpse of our study abroad!

Why should you care what I did in Korea?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelli) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 17:39:00 +0000

Since returning to the United States, I have talked to many people about the trip. Some of the most popular questions include:

"What was the weirdest food you ate?"
"What was your favorite part?"
"What was the worst part?"
"Where did you go?"
"Who did you go with?"

Many more questions follow, but one that makes me the most excited is "What are you going to do with what you learned?" You may think this is weird, but as an educator, I am always striving for more knowledge. If I can share that knowledge, then I am sharing one of my greatest passions.

Chris Wilder, Kelli Hamilton and Jason Steward

This week I was able to work with Chris Wilder and Jason Steward again to share our experience with fellow Ag Educators at the Florida Association of Agriculture Educators conference. There were about 15 people in the session. We experienced a great open discussion with the teachers that posed many valid questions.

With the assistance of Jeremy Rhoden, we were able to tie in the experience (global education) to Florida Sunshine State Standards of the various agriculture courses offered in Florida schools. This showed them where it was required that they teach about agriculture on a global scale. But we also shared ideas on how to include global agriculture and global economies in all the courses and levels that we teach.

As an introduction for the session I prepared this video. It was a short something for them to see a little bit of what we did and why we went to Korea. It also started their wheels rolling.

We had a lot of positive feedback from the participants. I am proud to say that at the end of the information session, there was an enthusiasm for the upcoming year and including more global aspects to our curriculum.

Dr. Kirby Barrick, Jason Steward, Chris Wilder, and Kelli Hamilton

If we are to help develop globally competent individuals, we need to be able to relate the things we interact with everyday to the world around us. It is not just about our small community, it never was. We are just a small piece in a giant puzzle. As educators, it is our responsibility to start and continue opening the eyes of our students, to help them realize that, no matter what, we are all connected; if by nothing else than agriculture.

Impact on University of Connecticut Agricultural Education

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 12:54:00 +0000

Yesterday, I hosted the Methods of Teaching Agricultural Education class from the University of Connecticut, at my school. This year, there are 5 students in the one-year certification program class, and their Professor, Dr. Patricia Jepson, holds class at a different ag center each week. They have class once a week for 6 hours, and while they are at each center, they meet with some of the ag teachers there, and tour the facilities. Because the certification program has several different campuses at which the classes are taught, this was the first time that all five Ag Ed candidates were meeting all together. They started out their day by introducing themselves and their background regarding Ag Ed. Some had been through School Based Ag Education (SBAE) and others hadn't. I spent a majority of my time giving them a tour of our facilities and then spent about half an hour talking about my experiences in Korea.

Prior to their visit, I sent them the blog link and twitter feed info, and some of them did indeed read it! During my presentation about Korea to them, I had them engage in the "Simulated Confusion" activity that Cassidy designed for our reflection. It worked pretty well for the intended purpose of creating confusion with both the "students" and the "teacher," though I had to step in and model some of the communication behavior between "students." After this activity, we had a conversation about why this activity was done- to simulate the feeling of confusion that some of our students may have in our classes, especially if they are English Language Learners or students with a learning disability. I think the activity hit home for these teacher candidates.

UConn Ag Ed Master's Students participating in the "Confusion" activity.

After that activity, I posed the question, "What does it mean to be globally competent?". It was clear that this was something that the teacher candidates hadn't considered much about before, so we broke it down into smaller chunks. In preparation for my presentation, I did some research and found a great resource for teaching global competency. According to the Global Competence Matrix, global competence is defined as "the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance." Once I read that off to them, we brainstormed different skills that would be necessary to accomplish that goal of being globally competent. The Global Competence Matrix identifies 4 major skills or ways that students demonstrate global competence:

1. Students investigate the world beyond their immediate environment.
2. Students recognize their own and others perspectives.
3. Students communicate their ideas effectively with diverse audiences.
4. Students translate their ideas and findings into appropriate actions to improve conditions.

I gave them some resources from the Global Competence Matrix, including some ideas for how you can implement these skills into your classroom.

We also discussed one of the ideas that we reflected on while in Korea:
"Teaching that works well for English Language Learners is good teaching for everyone!"

I wrapped up my presentation with them by going through a Power Point that I put together highlighting Korean SBAE and the 4 high schools that we visited. It was very difficult to sift through the some 2,000 photos I took and put only a few key photos in the presentation!

I think these teacher candidates might benefit from more guided instruction regarding the impact points we brought back with us from our trip, but at a later date. Right now they are still trying to wrap their head around U.S. SBAE. Great first presentation!

Oh, What an Experience!!

noreply@blogger.com (Kirby Barrick) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:23:00 +0000

The School-based Agricultural Education Across the Globe program is history for 2014. And oh, what an experience it was!

Eight undergraduate and eight graduate students from the University of Florida and Penn State University and four faculty from UF and PSU began the journey with a 10-week course during Spring 2014, providing essential background in preparation for the in-country experience. Then 28 days in the Republic of Korea provided the culmination to a learning adventure that was a huge success.

Interactions with counterparts at Seoul National University, Suncheon National University, and Gwang-ju National University of Education provided the central focus of the study abroad portion of the program. Programs and activities related to Korean heritage and culture and "seeing the sights" brought a greater understanding to all we had learned about Korean agricultural education as well as US school-based agricultural education programs.

What did we bring home?

First, we know a lot more about Korea, from the ancient dynasties to post-war reconstruction into a major economic and cultural center. We learned about the various ways that agriculture teachers in Korea receive preparation to become teachers, including Practical Arts teachers in the elementary schools. We discovered a variety of delivery mechanisms for agriscience education, including comprehensive high schools that offer a variety of agriculture programs, Meister schools that are heavily supported by industry to provide training in a specific field, and vocational-technical schools that operate their own agriculture enterprises in a self-management scheme. We heard about and witnessed the pressures and concerns regarding production agriculture in a country with relatively little available land and lots of people to feed. And we interacted with education leaders who described the goals of public education within the new administration. And we brought home a lot of souvenirs!

But international activity is more than what we received. What did we leave behind?

In working with undergraduate students at Seoul National University, we left behind a group of students who have experience in teaching high school classes, from preparing micro-lessons to delivering instruction. We left behind teaching activities that high school teachers can use in their classrooms in Korea. Hopefully we left behind a better understanding of US school-based agricultural education and appreciation for the positive relationships between the two countries. And we may have left behind some students and teachers who will come to the US for additional education.

From sharing meals with new friends (Korean barbecue, kimchi, pizza and chicken . . . the list goes on) to lunch with a university president and the Vice Minister of Education, every activity was a learning and growing experience for all. We look forward to hosting some Korean teachers and students at our universities, as we have already begun plans for 2016!

We owe a lot of thanks to all who hosted us, especially the students, faculty and administration of Seoul National University.

What did you learn?

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 07:40:00 +0000

Deanna teaches at Suwon H.S. for the Agriculture Sciences

"I learned that international travel develops more awareness that I had ever thought it could or would." - Deanna

"I learned that students can get excited about learning all across the world if you just show them that you care and take time to try to understand them and help them, no matter what barriers you are faced with." - Jason

"I learned that the Republic of Korea is a very open welcoming society that has a lot of advancements and are on the road to keeping their country green and sustainable. I also learned that the relationship between the North and South is far more complicated then I could ever imagine." - Rachel

"Through my experience in Korea, I learned that students will be students no matter where they are from. I have also learned that even with language barriers, that deeper level learning can occur if the teacher is passionate and uses hands-on skills to teach the lesson. I also learned that non-verbal communication is sometimes more understanding and clearer than verbal communication." - Jess

Abby interacts with elementary school students

"I learned that just because there is a language barrier, does not mean you cannot interact with others." - Abby

"I’ve learned why we have to be aware and we have to encourage our students to be aware of what is going on in the world around them because they never know how something or someone from their home can somehow influence the world." - Amanda

How has this experience helped you grow professionally?

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 14:53:00 +0000

Although we have recently returned to the U.S., we will continue to post thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences in Korea. This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "How has this experience helped you grow professionally?"

"I believe this experience has helped me grow professionally in many ways. I think one of the biggest thing was the relationship that I developed with my fellow travelers. I have hugely enlarged my network of professional agriculture teachers that are specialists and I would feel comfortable contacting them for help or advice if needed." - Abby

Cassidy and her teaching partner at Suwon High School

"The chance to microteach was very beneficial. Co-teaching, except during workshops, was something I had never done before. During the actual lesson, we ran into problems that might occur in any classroom-lack of time, cultural/language barriers. I think this experience was a good practice for later on. Since we had more people helping us, the support system was there as well." - Cassidy

"I feel like I am much more comfortable in meeting new people and most importantly, my ability to command the attention of a group. Through the few lessons I taught at Suwon and at Yeoju I have felt like I have improved greatly in my confidence level in teaching. If I can teach a class of Korean students who can’t understand much of what I am saying and they still learn, I think I will feel very confident teaching an English speaking class!" - Stacia

"As a professional educator I am walking away from this experience with an arsenal of ideas to implement directly into my agricultural education program as well as a greater sense of social responsibility to develop my students into global citizens through agricultural education. These professional growth takeaways would not have been acquired domestically." - David

Tyler interacts with peers from Seoul National University

"I think I have developed a great deal professionally by adding a large portion of global competency to my skills tool belt. Before this trip, I had little to no experience with other cultures. Now, if I were to work with someone professionally who is from a different culture I believe I would be able to have a much more positive experience. Not only do I believe this would apply to people of different cultures, it would also apply to people of different backgrounds or thought patterns, of which I may be unfamiliar." - Tyler

"This experience has changed me several ways. As a teacher, it has changed me by having me see that I need to be incorporating more global concepts into my lesson plans." - Jess

Janae, Kelli and Sarah taking a Korean quiz

"As a professional teacher, I have become more empathetic towards my English Language Learners. After going through the language course here, where I was the language learner, I had all those frustrations, struggles, let downs, and high points that my students experience as they are learning English." - Kelli

"I feel I am more prepared to teach after this experience. If I can teach a group of Korean students in a different language, I can teach a group of American students." - Rachel

"As an agriscience teacher, traveling to another country and immersing myself into their culture and studying the agriculture education system has opened my eyes to the global agriculture world. I plan to use this knowledge to share with my students, alumni, community and other agriscience teachers. I know that my students will benefit from this experience as well because it has made me a better teacher." - Jason

Meaningful Interactions

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 10:37:00 +0000

Deanna and her SNU Teaching Partner

"My most meaningful interaction was with my SNU teaching partner. Not only did he help us with translations and logistics, but he helped us to structure our lesson and make it more impactful for the students in the classroom. He could have sat back and watched as we prepared a lesson but he was engaged and inqusitive the entire time. It makes me wonder how I would have responded in his situation." – Deanna

"My most impactful interaction was when we got to meet the Vice Minister of Education, Dr. Na. I am always excited to meet another OSU Alumni, and one who has made such an impact on the education system, just makes it that much more exciting. He had some very insightful words about finding your passion and dedicating yourself to it. If you are not building your passions, you will not have a very rewarding life." - Kelli

Lesson Planning: Kelli, Hee Song and Janae

"I loved working with my SNU teaching partner, Hee Song. She was absolutely awesome! She really had a presence in the classroom and I really enjoyed being able to team-teach with her. What really surprised me though was the note she left me on our last day together. She wrote that my passion for teaching helped to ensure that she was in the right profession as well. It was an incredible complement and she has impacted me in just the same way."
– Janae

"When I went to Insadong for the second time, as I was shopping I had a group of 13 year-olds and their teacher run up to me and speed quiz me on camera as an English project in order to help them learn to better speak English. They were a great group and they were so excited to talk to me and enjoyed talking to me in English & Korean and it was great to see students that excited to learn new languages." - Amanda

"At Buseong Elementary in Gwangju, I asked a 6th grade student how she was doing and she responded in English by saying, “I am happy!” This was evidence of the successful implementation of the school’s mission statement, which included 'Happy Students'.” - David

Jeremy's class at Yeoju High School

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean has been with the students at Yeoju High School. They were so excited to have us in their classroom and learn about agricultural education in America. They were the friendliest, most respectful students I had ever met and they made me want to come to Korea and teach here for a while!" - Jeremy

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean was when Jason and I were coming home from a late night out on the town and we met Jim, a Korean student from SNU. Jim was very kind, patient and engaging. We met Jim on the subway, we all three walked home even stopping long enough to grab a bite to eat and drink, just like we had known him for years. He even answered his phone to his girlfriend saying he had met some new friends and would be home late." - Chris


Jessica, Cassidy and Abby having lunch with a Suwon Teacher

"My most meaningful personal interaction with a Korean was probably the day that we went to lunch with the Suwon teachers for bugolgi. It was meaningful because although there was a language barrier, we had a normal conversation, just like I would have with my friends. We talked about our school day, what we love about our jobs, and about our family. It was neat to share those things, and I didn’t feel pressure to make sure I was speaking perfectly. They were just happy to interact with us, like we were with them. I wish I would have exchanged contact information with them, a lesson learned, but I really enjoyed lunch that day, and wish we could have had more one on one time with just the teachers. " - Abby

Teaching Team: Stacia, NeungSu and Jessica

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean is my work with my SNU teaching partner NeungSu. Through teaching together I really had to rely on him to translate to our class. We also had to work on our own communication together for him to be able to help translate. It has definitely helped me realize how to speak more clearly and how to work with a partner in the classroom. Out of the classroom he has also given me a lot of insight into Korean culture. I have had the opportunity to ask him all about his traditions which was
a lot of fun to learn about." - Stacia

What was the food like in Korea?

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 23:07:00 +0000

As our departure from Korea quickly approaches, we will be posting thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences here in Korea. This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "What was the food like in Korea?"

"Well, I love surprises, so I guess you can say I love Korean food. It wasn’t always clear what we were eating at meal time but I enjoyed it (for the most part…)! It also encouraged me to try new foods, whether it was intentional or not. "
– Janae

"I liked that there were many side dishes that were shared as a group. I think it plays back into the cultural mindset of group collaberation. We all shared these dishes and it was just another way for us to emerge ourselves into their culture."
– Deanna

"It’s different. Good luck finding half of this stuff in restaurants back home. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m a meats and potatoes kind of guy, but, it was great to be in a place where the food was unique, just like the experiences. I remember how excited I got when I saw a street vendor selling silk worm larvae, or when I tried cold noodles for the first time." – Howard

"I liked the bibimbop the best because there were many different combinations that you could choose from and it was a complete meal that filled you up. "
– Jason

"Variety and spicy is the Korean food cuisine. My favorite dish was the bulgoli because it was not spicy, but had a great flavor. I did enjoy eating more vegetables and fruit and less dairy products and carbs. I felt like I had more energy." - Jess

"I think what I liked best about Korean food was how we weren’t quite sure what we were going to be served at each meal…it was sort of a guessing game as to what dishes you would see on the table."
- Sarah

"The number of dishes and side dishes that are served with any meal is perhaps the most enjoyable part of Korean food. Through the variety of entrees, soups, salads, and sides served, sometimes up to 30, I was able to try different combinations of flavors that enhanced the sensory experience through taste, texture, sight, and smell!" - David

What surprised you the most about Korea?

noreply@blogger.com (Melanie) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:53:00 +0000

One of the many gourmet meals provided by our gracious hosts

"I was most surprised by the hospitality that I encountered while in country. I can honestly say that I did not have one bad experience while interacting with people. Whether it was while I was shopping, touring, or in the classroom. People were truly excited to meet with us and help us as needed."
- Deanna

"As we toured the countryside and looked at farms at the different high schools, I was surprised by the amount of technology that these farms used. I came in expecting a few pastures with some old cows and goats. But I was blown away by the amount of technology; between the universal use of greenhouses, to seeing a compost aerator, and a robotic milker. It never stopped amazing me how smoothly technology was integrated into agriculture."

Greenhouse at Yeoju Self-Management High School

– Howard

"What surprised me the most was how quickly the time seemed to pass by. Today is our very last day in Korea and they say we have been here for a month, but I swear we just arrived yesterday. Each day was filled to the brim with either educational or cultural activities. Even our 'days off' were jammed packed because there was so much to see and do! What I have learned from this though is that every minute you are abroad counts for something. There is always something to be taken from each moment you have."
– Janae

"I think what surprised me the most was how innovative Korean agriculture is. I was not expecting to see the intensive use of the acreage that we saw while traveling through the Korean countryside. They have extremely intensive production and seem to have a keen awareness of the need for sustainable practices in their country. I was also very impressed at the level of technology and depth of industry education available to high school students!"
– Sarah

Happy Education for All: Creative Talent Shapes the Future!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Wilder) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 02:22:00 +0000

The title of my post is the vision statement for the Ministry of Education for the Republic of Korea. Today we had the opportunity to meet the vice minister of education Dr. Na.

Dr. Na is a former agriculture teacher, who earned his PhD from The Ohio State University. It is a small world, where anything is possible. The fact that he is a former agriculture teacher resonates in my head this afternoon. Dr. Na is leading the way to have a paradigm shift in Korea, that it is alright for educated people not to have an inflated resume of degrees to become professional citizens of the community.

The idea begins with happy schools, what a novel idea. Happy schools focus on expanding the student's background of education. It would include more exposure to the humanities, sports and character building. Integrating liberal arts with the sciences. This approach would surely unleash the potential in any student.

Next the plan calls for quality colleges to foster creative talent. This is accomplished through ideas that we have seen first hand on this trip, opportunities for students to study abroad and truly become a global student. The use of capstone projects through team activities conducted at the school, and even to compete with the project where there was evidence of industry partnerships. This will lead to more localized employment for those students and thus a better economy. Similar to programs FFA had where students worked and studied abroad, perhaps it is time to revisit old ideas that worked.

Finally the piece that interested our group the most was the initiatives in a meritocratic society. The number of degrees one earns does not mean that the individual is any better or worse than the next individual. That to create a more even playing field is a positive move in a country that values it's educational programs. Agriculture education and vocational education in general is taught in the general curriculum, as well as in specialized schools, that promote scholarships to help to encourage students to consider those schools.

It doesn't matter what country you live in, you want what is best for your children. I believe I live in such a country and that the United States of America is a place where as the Minister of Education says your dreams of education do come true. If you can dream it you can achieve it, see you at the top. Thanks Zig, that's why it has been so important on this trip to stay positive.

Wearing Many Hats

noreply@blogger.com (Deanna) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 02:09:00 +0000

Its been a long four weeks, four weeks of being pulled in every direction, four weeks of being flexible, four weeks of cultural immersion, and four weeks with the same group of 20 teachers, professors, and students. We were told about the challenges and differences that we would face while on this adventure, but I think we all overlooked the challenges of defining our roles in this experience.

As an undergraduate student we were expect to wear many hats while here. One hat was to be a student and make mistakes and learn from them and look for guidance from our professors and the experienced teachers.

Another hat was to be a facilitator, we had the opportunity to create a lesson plan with the guidance of an experienced teacher, and complete 3 micro-teachings with this lesson. We were enabled to be the teacher for those experiences, we got to make decisions, and were empowered to create something we were proud to teach and present.

We also wore the hat of a learner. Every day we were trying to take in as much information as possible, each in our own unique way. For some of us that was asking a question at every presentation, for some it was sitting back and taking it all in, and for others it was bouncing ideas and conversations off of the group later.

We wore the hat of a professional, interacting with everyone from classroom teachers to the Vice Minister of Education. We knew what to do, what to wear and how to act. We have been prepared for these encounters both in high school, youth organizations, and college.

And finally we wore the hat of a pre- service teacher, we are all looking for inspirational ideas to guide us in our future student teaching endeavors. Though we may not have our own programs yet, we all hope to one day. We want this experience to shine through in our programs and we want to create more globally competent learners. For many of us this was just another block added to the foundations of why we want to be agricultural educators.

At this point what hat do we wear? Am I an undergraduate, a student, a professional, or a pre- service teacher?

Here is what I know:

We are coming to the end of a successful four weeks and the stress and pressure has gotten to us all. We have all had an off day where we make the wrong comment or respond more harshly then we should. We are only human, it happens, it has happened and we have moved on. Looking back at it all, those comments and mistakes wont be important, they are just another hat thrown into the mix that doesn't quite fit. We will keep pushing forward, and we will rally our spirits and moral and end this trip with a plan for success.

We have worn many hats, and they get confused at times.

But, looking back we will remember...

That this experience has impacted us all for the better. We will all leave this experience with a connection that only we can understand. We all stretched together, we all learned together, and we all juggled the hats and walked the line together, and all that's left now is to cast our line to the rest of the world!

Where do we go from here....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:12:00 +0000

As our time in The Republic of Korea comes to a close in the next few days, I find myself getting into that reflective mode that we find ourselves in after long trips like these. I continue to find that every time I think I can't be more surprised - and at the same time educated - I find another reason to be kept in awe of this place.

Sometimes it's in the culture.

Whether it's the different kinds of foods ate over here, or whether it's walking into the dairy barn at Yeoju High School and finding a robotic milker, I continue to find inspiration and be awe-struck by the people and the landscape that I see around me.

Robotic Milker found at Yeoju High School.

Even the students can shock you.

It might sound corny, and like something you'd hear in a commercial, but I continue to be amazed by these students, who while coming from no agricultural background, still become so involved with their classes and clubs. Students choose the path they want to take in school, which leads to students taking control of their learning, which in the end is what we want. These students are more passionate about agriculture education than many students I find back home, and like I said before, many don't even come from an agricultural background.

Students learning about tractor maintenance in Ag Machinery.

Because of this student-driven education, students are more excited to go to class, and will even continue their learning outside of the classroom. Many of these students are involved in clubs outside of school, whether its in the FFK (Future Farmers of Korea) or they are in the excavating club (yes, you read that right, their is an excavating club at Yeoju High School), these students are getting the opportunities to not only expand their knowledge on a topic, but to also have fun while doing so.
After school clubs are completely optional, but yet we found that many of the students are involved in some way or another.

Many students also have projects that they work with inside and outside of the classroom. Students are involved in a multitude of projects including: small animal/companion animal care, dairy production, crop/vegetable production, agri-business, nursery landscaping, or mechanics. These projects are giving students the opportunity to become self-sufficient, as students are given the profits from all projects that they work on. Using these hands-on educational opportunities that the schools provide, students are growing their own love and passion for agricultural education.

Maybe its even me just shocking myself.

When I first got to Korea, I was extremely nervous about teaching in the high schools. Between the language barrier, the shock of being in a completely different place, and constantly wondering if my micro-lesson would be relevant, I often wondered if I would make even the slightest impact. I was blessed to be paired with my teaching partner Chris Wilder, who teaches at Williston High School in Williston, FL, and my SNU (Seoul National University) student partner Yuna.

Chris is an amazing teacher who worked with me and Yuna to develop a lesson plan that we believed the students would be interested in and would gain real-life skills from. Yuna served as my teaching partner and as a translator. Her passion for plant science and here skills with translating made the transition to teaching in a Korean High School that much easier.

Our lesson plan involved teaching asexual propagation to students, specifically teaching students to take a cutting from a parent plant, and plant it in a new container to grow a genetically identical, but completely separate, plant.

Like I said, going into the classroom, I was completely nervous about teaching, but, I was amazed at the end of class, when we were reviewing, to hear the questions that students had. One student asked what plants at home she could reproduce through cuttings, another asked if all plants could be propagated through cuttings, one even asked us about the history of cuttings and who was the first to use it in cultivation, to which none of us could answer off hand (we told her while we were not sure, we made an educated guess). It gave me great pride to hear and see these students taking interest in the subject and want to know more about it.

But what really inspired me was that by the third time Yuna helped teach the class, she went from not knowing much about the topic of asexual propagation, to answering students questions on her own, and teaching segments without our help. I hope she can use this knowledge to continue her studies and develop the passion she has.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure where I'll go from here. All I know is that using the knowledge and skills I learned here in Korea, I will do everything possible to inspire and educate students back home about the wonders of global agricultural education.

Chris, Yuna and I after teaching

Yeoju Agricultural High School- a place I would want to teach

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:06:00 +0000

Wow what a month it has been! I can't believe we only have two more days here in Korea. I have learned so much and have gained valuable memories that one day I can bring into my future classroom and that I can take home and share with those I interact with.

Just a friendly hello

Monday and Tuesday I had the chance to tour, teach and shadow students at Yeoju Agricultural High School.


The composter

Never in a million years would I imagine such technological advancements in a high school setting. From the composting machine to the robotic milkers, Yeoju is high school ahead of the times. The school also has facilities to produce yogurt and cheese as well as sausage. After touring the school the ideas of sustainability as well as organic agriculture were evident everywhere we went. The vice principle was extremely proud to tell us all about their organic practices and how no chemicals are used on any of their crops.
Getting to teach in the classroom was also a great experience. Since our lesson was on sustainability it was very easy to tie in the school's practices into our lessons to allow the students to grasp our concepts better. I really enjoyed our group of students and it appeared that our SNU student teaching partner really enjoyed being in front of the classroom as well. Having the chance to teach with someone who speaks a different language is certainly a unique experience.

Touring the facilities especially their dairy barns was hands down my favorite part of the day. Coming from a dairy farm at home I could not wait to see some black and white spotted animals! I was also really interested in what a Korean parlor would look like. And to my surprise they did not have a parlor but two robotic milkers instead!

The robotic milker

My mind was blown and I could not wait to learn more about their animal science program. Having visited a few larger dairy farms in Pennsylvania as well as one in Indiana my appreciation and interest in robotic milkers began. Our small farm in western Pennsylvania has a traditional parlor and having the chance to compare ours to that here at Yeoju was amazing. Although there were many differences I was able to find similarities as well. One of which was the equipment brand used at Yeoju!

I could see the passion for animals all over the Yeoju campus and how much the students enjoyed working with animals everyday.

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to observe in one of the animal science classrooms. We spent the entire class period outside where our teacher showed us their facilities where small animals were raised by the students. Some students had "pets" of their own such as dogs where others worked in groups to take care of horses, goats, chickens, and a sheep. The students were very excited to show us their dogs and tell us a little about them such as their names. It was also great to see the level of respect the teacher had for his students. Once class started the students went right to work taking care of their animals. A group of 3 students were helping each other out to bathe their dogs. It was really interesting seeing how well they worked together and how much pride each student had in their projects.

A student's small animal project

I took away so much from my time at Yeoju Agricultural High School and I can not wait to share what I have learned with my family, friends, peers, and future students. I had a blast and the experiences I have gained are going to last me a life time and will impact many others.

I am sad to be leaving the Republic of Korea however, I know my time here was not wasted and I have gained so much! Hopefully one day I may return, or someone I interact with will take this leap into a new world!

The journey has just begun...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 09:24:00 +0000

Four days left...

This trip has been an amazing opportunity, and unfortunately while our time here in Korea is quickly coming to an end, our journey has just begun. On this trip we've made lots of memories - traveling to different schools, visiting museums, and eating lots of food - but the biggest impact this trip has made on me already has been meeting and getting to know people, especially with the other 19 people in our travel group.

While all of us got to know each other a little bit over the course of our spring course, there is only so much you can learn about a person during a two-hour, once a week, online course and even within the first few hours of this trip, over three weeks ago, we were learning new things about each other. I have always been told that you don't truly know someone until you spend all your time around them, and spending a month together in a foreign country can certainly speed along that process.

One of my last sunsets in Seoul enjoyed with friends

"The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them" - Amelia E. Barr

The above quote reminds me of just how important who you travel with can be just as important as where you are traveling to. For me, this experience would not have been as influential if not for my travel companions, our partners at the universities, and even the random people who came up to me on the street, whether they wanted to talk to me in English or just wanted to help if I was lost.

If you had asked me a week ago where I wanted to look for teaching jobs post-graduation I would have said somewhere in the Northeast, not necessarily only in Pennsylvania but in that region. But now that I've had several serious conversations with our mentor teachers on this trip, learning all about their programs and the surrounding programs, this is the first time I've considered moving states away to teach. While I think I've always been open to moving for a teaching job, the distance I would go is much greater now than it was before. While I don't think I'm ready yet to consider moving across the ocean to teach, I am looking forward to visiting Florida and other states, learning about their agricultural education programs, expanding my net of possibilities.

This experience has been eye-opening for me, not only in learning about the Korean culture, but also about our own, and how we look at and treat the people and world around us. Every encounter I've made while here has been a positive experience, and I think that all of us would agree that no matter whether it was the students we were micro-teaching, the university students we worked with, or the random strangers we met while wandering Insadong, we have learned more from each person we've met than I think we even know right now.

The great group of people I've shared this experience with.

Creating friendships across the world has been amazing, and thanks to wonderful technology like Facebook and Twitter, we can stay updated on each other's lives very easily, but I am also looking forward to when we meet in person again. The other Penn State students and I will be around each other a lot even after we get off the plane, but I am looking forward to meeting up with all the teachers again come National FFA Convention in October, and maybe even a trip to Florida sometime soon. And maybe one day we'll even meet up in another foreign country, whether planned or chance.

Going home at the end of this week will be great, but I know that I am already missing the wonderful friends I have made on this trip and the positive difference this experience has made on me is largely due to the people I've traveled with. While this Korean experience is coming to an end, our journey together spreading the message and importance of agricultural education has just begun.

Third Time's The Charm

noreply@blogger.com (Jess) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:02:00 +0000

Third time's the charm! Many have heard this saying from time to time and today was no different.

Today was the last day that we got to teach our micro-lesson. It was a bittersweet moment, mainly because it means that we will be heading home soon to our family and friends, but also sad that we are leaving this wonderful country and the friends that we have made.

The last school that we visited was the Yeoju Agricultural High School which was established in 1945 with currently 450 students and 84 teachers on staff. The school is compromised of 99 hectares (246 acres) with the school having its own processing factories for sausage, beef, yogurt and cheese. On the school you will find 180 cattle with a robotic milking parlor, 32,000 organic chickens, 2,800 hogs and several horses and dogs. Yeoju High School has a store on campus where they sell their products and also provide some of the food in the school's cafeteria and surrounding schools.

Yeoju High School feed mill for animals.

After touring and hearing about the great opportunities that students have at Yeoju, the time came for us to teach our final lesson. The materials were all gathered, the Powerpoint was tweaked and the nervous jitters that we experienced during the first teaching day were gone. We were a well oiled machine. There was no more anxious nerves of what could go wrong. No more awkward pauses of wondering who was going to say what, our roles where defined and we owned it.

Yeoju High School students figuring out the problem
of who started the disease in the biosecurity lesson

As a teacher it was great to see my Penn State pre-service teacher, Stacia, and SNU student Neungsoo grow as teachers each time the lesson was taught. I could not be more proud of the pre-service teachers that I worked with. For many, they never even taught a lesson in an English-speaking high school and here they were teaching students whose second language was English. It speaks volumes of what type of teachers these young aspiring agriculture teachers will be!

During our time after the lesson we reflected on the lesson of the day. Things that the group learned as a whole were: technology will always fail and it is good to have a plan B or even a plan C; using extrinsic motivation is good sometimes, but is not practical everyday; a rowdy class does not mean that they are not learning; even with a language barrier deeper level learning can occur; and a little bit of rivalry is sometimes a good thing.

As teachers, we have our good and bad days, week or even a year, but we need to take what we learned and grow as an educator. "Good teachers are made, not born." - a quote by Dr. Foster. Instead a good teacher reflects, learn from their mistakes and improve for the next time.

Stacia, Neungsoo and students from Yeoju.

Though it is sad that our time is done as "teachers" in Korea, it was a great experience. Dr. Barrick said it best when he said that "Learning was occurring in the classroom." I think learning was occurring for the students as much as it was for us as teachers.

Should I stay or should I go??

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:33:00 +0000

Wow! Today is our 22nd day in Korea with only five days left! The time has flown by so fast! We have had so many great adventures here. I was just thinking today about all of the different things that we have done and they all feel like they just happened yesterday.

This month has literally been the best month of my life! I have experienced so many things that I would have never thought in a million years that I'd get to do. From the Seoul Tower and museums to the nights dancing in Itaewon, this trip has been absolutely amazing. I have learned so much about the culture here and those impacts on their agricultural industry.


View of Seoul from Seoul Tower

After spending a month in Korea and visiting several schools, I have been contemplating the possibility of moving to Korea in the future to teach agriculture; or at least work within the agricultural industry. It is obviously a very big decision to make, so I do not have a clear answer as of now, but I really think it is a possibility. I have witnessed so many techniques in agriculture here that I would really love to learn and try! I love the fact that the agricultural teachers teach a specific specialization within their programs. I know that I would be great at teaching landscape design here and I would really like the challenge.

Korea has proven itself to be very hospitable and all of the Koreans I have met love Americans. The relationship that Koreans and Americans have, or at least from what I have experienced, have been truly like family. I cannot tell you how many times I have been stopped in the streets and offered help or have been asked to take a picture with someone.

Agriculture in South Korea - Rice Patties

The only thing that was a problem from me at the beginning of the trip was the food. So much of it is seafood and the stuff that is not seafood tastes like it (I hate seafood!). However, after spending only a few free days out on the town I have come to realize that there are so many places and choices to eat that do not taste like seafood! Considering that food was the only thing holding me back, (and that's a big thing for me) this makes it even easier for me to choose to answer my question of staying or going!

Downtown Seoul

Overall, this trip has proven to be very inspirational and educational to me. I've learned so much about culture and how different, yet similar, another culture is to the US and I have really come to respect those differences. The agriculture here also has so many similarities and differences. Though everything here has been so great, the big question still remains: Should I stay or should I go? Is Korea worth the time? Worth the experience? Worth the education? I can honestly answer yes to all of these things, so the real question I should ask myself is "when?" I might as well while I am young! Experiences like this don't just happen and I really think I should take advantage of it...

These are just my thoughts for the past few days! Your comments and feedback would be appreciated.

Last day of Exploration!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:30:00 +0000

With only 5 days left of our Korea adventure, all 20 of us spent our last day of free time doing different activities. On my last day of free time I decided to finish up souvenir shopping and spend some time exploring a different part of Seoul I wasn't able to see before. Even in a month we haven't begun to see that much of Seoul (the capital where we have spent most of our time) because it is so large, it holds more than half of the entire population!

Some college students from Gwangju National University of Education suggested Dongdaemun for shopping, so that is precisely where Tyler, Cassidy, and I started our day. It is not far from Myeongdong where we have all spent some time before. Dongdaemun wasn't exactly what we expected, but it was still quite an interesting experience just to see it.

Dongdaemun

There are huge department stores that we didn't get to see, but we spent all of our time there exploring the street vendors. It was similar to many other places we've seen, but it did seem to cater more toward the local population than tourists looking for souvenirs. If I didn't have to keep my suitcase under 50 pounds for the flight home I may have spent more time shopping for clothes there! The picture below shows just one small area of it, and let me tell you, most of it was much busier than this shows.

Street food in Dongdaemun

We took in the sights at Dongdaemun, watching all the locals buy clothes, electronics, and of course food before we went over to another "unchartered" territory in Seoul. We explored Namdaemun later in the afternoon since Dongdaemun (while interesting) didn't have souvenirs for us to give to family and keep for ourselves. Nongdaemun was not lacking in the souvenir department and reminded me a lot of a combination between the traditional souvenirs you find in Insadong mixed with some of the items like clothes seen in Dongdaemun. Basically, best of both worlds sort of deal!

Typical souvenir shop you would see in Seoul

We didn't know exactly what to expect from Namdaemun, but we did know that it is the largest market area in Korea. It was a great place to end out our last day to explore on our own. Some of the college students we have been able to talk to have told us they like this market more than Insadong. It is not as much as a tourist spot and the prices are cheaper compared to Insadong. Because it isn't as big of a tourist area, it makes it easier to bargain. I was also able to practice some of the Korean I learned in class to ask for discounts! Even more impressive - I was successful! I would say "깎아 주세요" which basically means "give me a discount please" and sounds like "gaga ju sa yo" (very fun to say!).

Namdaemun

It is definitely a bittersweet feeling knowing this was our last day exploring on our own. Only a couple days left of our fantastic adventure in Korea, and we are all getting ready to visit Yeoju (yet another high school!) the next two days!

A Day in Everland

noreply@blogger.com (Cassidy Cheddar) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:28:00 +0000

The Disney Parks system has a few different theme parks around the world. We all know Disney World and Disneyland. And then there's the ones in Europe and Japan. I never knew there was one in Korea. So maybe it's not quite a Disney park...it is pretty close though.

Everland is a theme park just outside of Seoul that is very reminiscent of Disney World. There are five sections of the park: Global Fair, American Adventure, Magic Land, European Adventure, and Zoo-Topia. Also, the two main characters bear a striking resemblance to a pair of well-known mice.

One of the first rides we went on was called Global Village. The ride featured a boat ride through various cultural exhibits. These were dolls that recreated traditional aspects of each country. Most of the expected ones were there. But there were also a couple that were not: Space and the North Pole.

T Express

The park also boasts two rollercoasters. The first one we decided on was the T Express. From a distance, it didn't seem that bad. The drop did look somewhat steep though. While in line, we found out it is actually the world's steepest drop on a wooden coaster. It certainly felt like it. T Express is the most intense rollercoaster I've ever been on.

Zoo-topia was a unique section by itself. Our group first went on a safari where we saw lions, bears, tigers, and hyenas. At one point, tigers had even climbed on top of a vehicle and a bear walked alongside the bus. There were also sections featuring animals such as monkeys a

Tigers climbed on top of the vehicles

nd polar bears.

After dark, the park featured a light parade. Characters and floats covered in lights traveled along a route through European Adventure. Accompanying them were various songs including Christmas at Saraevjo and an Everland theme song. The characters also all resembled other known characters. For instance, Hercules, Alice (in Wonderland), and the Little Mermaid were all there.

The best part of the park was that there were very few lines. We waited a maximum of a half hour for the safari. It wasn't until later in the day until the park started getting crowded. The park itself was also fairly well taken care of. However, it's visible that it's not quite at its peak. They seem to be trying to improve it and make it an even better attraction. I'm sure if they continue updating the park, it will become a leading site in Korea. It was already a wonderful place to spend the day.

Only Human...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 13:32:00 +0000

During this trip we have gotten to do a lot of really cool things to learn about not only Korean Agriculture Education, but also Korea's cultural heritage. We have traveled to cities and countryside, by trains, planes, and buses. We have met students of all ages; elementary, high school, and college. We have toured government agencies, cultural landmarks, schools, villages, cities, forests, and farms. It has been a completely AWESOME experience!

Throughout this trip, we have focused a lot on learning how Korea does the business of agriculture education. I think in my own mind, I have come to this learning experience from the vantage point that I was going to be seeing things that were very different from what we know at home, not only with Ag Ed, but culturally as well. It is very easy to focus on all the things that are different from our own experiences. There's a few things that are different here than home, that I've found it a little challenging to adjust to:

-Napkins that are the size of what we would call "cocktail napkins" as your only napkin during a meal, if any. I am used to having one that folds out and is placed in my lap, so eating without getting food on myself has been a real challenge!

-Very small cups of water with a meal, but usually only consumed at the end of a meal. I like to drink water throughout a meal, especially when the meal is spicy, but this is considered "bad for digestion" in Korea.

-Minimal trash cans. There are hardly any of these in this country! The streets are usually very clean, so I am not quite sure where people throw away their trash, but there isn't a lot to be seen. Just tonight, we had ice cream in a Baskin Robbins (yes like the chain from the US), and when we went to throw away our cups, there were absolutely no trash cans in sight...turns out the staff behind the counter will gladly take them off your hands.

There are tons of other things we could go on to list that are different between Korea and the United States, but what I've come to see increasingly clearly, are the things that are the same between our two cultures.

Both Korean and American college students preparing to be teachers share similar reasons for why they wanted to be a teacher:

-"I've known since I was 6 years old that I wanted to be a teacher. This is my dream!"

-"I had a great homeroom teacher in 6th grade that was my favorite teacher of all time. I want to be a teacher because of him. I hope I can be that kind of teacher too."

-"I had a wonderful experience through my agriculture education program in high school, and I wanted to provide the same opportunity for other students."

-"I had the opportunity to help teach a class, and I loved it! That inspired me to become a teacher."

Looking at the responses above, I'll be you couldn't identify which statements were from Korean students and which are from American students!

Korean Ag Education Graduate Students. The student closest to me wants to be a landscaping teacher!

It's not only the outlook on education, but who we are as people. Walking around the streets of Seoul, you will see A LOT of people. You become very aware that you don't look like most of these people if you are not of Asian descent. But as you peer a little closer, you start to notice the similarities:

-Old and young couples hand in hand, many times wearing coordinating outfits.

-Young children squealing in delight over playing in the water fountain.

-Parents scurrying after their child who just escaped their grasp.

-Groups of old women cackling together.

-Friendly Samaritans, who stop to help us find our way in the subway system.

-Giggling adolescent girls, just getting their first taste of independence and "fashionable" clothing, makeup, and perfume.

-Happy, content children, eager to see their teachers or principals.

-The high school cliques: jocks, nerds, quiet kids, popular girls..the list goes on.

Families walking along the street in Insa-Dong

I could keep listing these things but this blog post would keep on going!

Today I had the opportunity to share a delicious meal with Robin, one of the teachers we met at Suwon, and Kelli. Robin brought her 2 year old daughter along with her, and the four of us had a lovely lunch together. We come from very different parts of the globe, but ultimately we all came together and spent time together, not necessarily to learn more about the other's culture, but to share each other's company as people.

Kelli, Me, Robin, and her adorable daughter!

Because really, despite the differences in culture, history, food, location on the globe, we really are all people. We are all connected as members of the human race, and even though we are halfway around the world from each other, we really aren't all that far away. We all share this Earth together and want to see our families and friends learn, grow, and love.

There are lots of barriers to international relations between countries. I think the first step in getting over our differences is to realize that we are all in this together. As humans. On this one place we call home, Earth.

The Lean, Mean, Korean Cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Schaeffer) — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 01:54:00 +0000

The first difference I noticed in Korea, and the first one I was looking out for, was the food.

I came over expecting to be eating rice and noodles at almost every meal and I expected the food to be spicy. I wasn't exactly wrong but I also wasn't exactly right either.

We have had many meals here that have been traditional Korean meals with tons of rice, chicken, and plenty of spice.

The first meal I had that really stuck out to me was the octopus, I have eaten calamari before but never something that I could physically see the tentacles. The seafood and mushrooms here are much more prevalent that I thought they would be, to the point where they are in almost every dish I've ordered.

Also the food hasn't quite met my expectations for being super spicy, almost every dish contains some sort of spice component to it, but the maximum limit for heat hasn't really hit my expectation.

I was also surprised at the good degree of American food over here and the Korean versions of the American food. For example, Subway, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Baskin' Robin are super prevalent over here, each containing a very similar menu to what one would see back home.

However, some things still surprise me; Lottaria, which is basically a Korean version of McDonalds, serves a similar menu to many fast food restaurants except with a Korean twist. Lottaria, instead of serving straight beef burgers, will often serve shrimp or some other kind of seafood burgers. These small twists are very common and even appear in pizza, which is served with sweet potatoes as its most common topping.

Overall, I've been extremely happy with the food while we've been here. Nothing has been to different that I have been unwilling to try it (even though a few things were quite close) and everything has tasted rather good. Also, there has never been a long period of time in which I haven't had some sort of "American" food which would cause me to miss back home. If anyone ever has the chance I would suggest going all in on Korean cuisine.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 01:07:00 +0000

Happy Independence Day to the United States of America! Thank you to all who have given of themselves to serve our nation and those who continue to serve as part of our armed forces to allow the United States to be the beautiful land of the free and home of the brave. We honor you!

While today marks our 238th birthday as an independent nation, we obviously weren't able to celebrate the traditional way at home with parades, barbecues, fireworks, and other family festivities. Good thing we had each other!

We all spent our fourth of July evening with a traditional American past and present time activity....watching baseball! It was a lot of fun, and made us feel a bit like home. We attended a Korean professional baseball league game where we witnessed the Doosan Bears beat the Samsung Lions, 5-4.

While the stadium wasn't quite as big, and there was no announcer, I have to say, it was very interesting. Korean fans are quite coordinated and persistent about chanting out a variety of cheers for their team. Cheerleaders get the crowd going for each team, as well as a male "team spirit leader" and two drummers. Many chants had tunes that sounded familiar to our own tunes, so we even got into it and cheered on the game! It was a neat experience. It was neat to be in one of the sports complex facilities that was utilized for the Summer Olympics in 1988.

Another difference in the professional baseball atmosphere were the food choices. While there were no hotdogs or french fries or popcorn or other traditional ball game foods we have in the United States, we had to settle for Burger King, KFC, or dried squid!

All in all, this was an awesome experience. As a sports fan, I am glad we got to part-take in the game, especially on our nation's special day of celebration.

Happy July 4th Everyone!