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Contact: Marilyn Levine, Chair, Social Sciences -
208/792-2270
East Asia Symposium a Big
Success
LCSC professor Marilyn Levine couldn’t be happier with the
outcome of the East Asia Symposium, which she conducted in 3 weekend
sessions during the months of February, March and April.
Designed to encourage and facilitate teaching about Asia in grades K-12, it
involved collaboration with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia
and the University of Washington’s East Asia Resource Center. Funding came
from the Freeman Foundation. The agenda covered a wide range of topics about
Japan and China in historic as well as modern times.
Not only were there were enough teachers to fill the 20 slots; there was a
waiting list. Levine found this most gratifying, considering this was the
symposium’s first year and that many participants had to drive from outlying
towns to attend. As well, the evaluations were laudatory and people want her
to offer a follow-up course.
Asked why she put in so much work on this effort, which was above and beyond
her teaching responsibilities at LCSC, Levine says the rewards for her and
the teachers were too great to pass up. For one thing, the subject matter is
critically important in these times. Secondly, there was money. Each
participant received $400 worth of stipends from the class, and $200 worth
of materials as well as $200 worth of materials for their schools. Plus
Levine was given $500 for materials for LCSC’s library.
Another big reward for her was exposure to these motivated, bright teachers.
“Their interest, knowledge and questions are better than academia and
conferences,” she says.
Professor Levine is quick to say that it was not only her effort that made
the symposium successful. For one thing there was the enthusiasm of the
teachers. “People asked great questions and even got into impromptu show and
tell sessions.”
She also gives high praise to the various LCSC entities that helped her,
saying that the work of the Student Union Building staff, food service,
admissions and educational technology were just tops.
The symposium concluded with a delicious, elaborately-presented Chinese food
feast put on by Lewiston’s Mandarin Pine Restaurant.
Levine has made all of the materials from the class and some excellent links
for teachers available on her web site. She encourages all interested
parties to use them. You can access her site at
http://www.lcsc.edu/mlevine/easymp.htm
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