Final Reflection

The seminar on East Asia and the United States was enjoyable and informative. To start with, the presenters, including Clayton Dube, William Tsutsui, Lynne Miyake, Akira Mizuta Lippit, and Samuel Yamashita, were extremely knowledgeable and engaging. The breadth of the seminar was almost overwhelming, but in a positive way. Each discussion left many of the seminar participants with a desire to undertake further research into a particular area of interest. So in many ways, the seminar was ongoing, even after class was over.
The seminar vastly increased my knowledge of East Asian history and culture. I incorporate many of the ideas gained from this seminar seamlessly. For example, I was recently discussing postwar (WWI) tensions with my U.S. History class and we were looking at immigration quotas that were being enacted. During this time period, Japanese were excluded from immigrating to the United States. To show the irony of this situation, I was able to discuss the 1860 Japanese Mission to the U.S. and detail how members of the Japanese delegation were treated as rock stars. Students were engaged and wanted to know more. Many of their questions revolved around why the U.S. changed its attitudes and perceptions of the Japanese in such a relatively short period of time. My point is that this seminar has provided me with very valuable anecdotal information that enriches and enlivens classroom lectures and discussions.
This seminar also opened my eyes and helped me to see Asia around me. Asian culture has proliferated American culture in so many ways that we almost blend the two together. Our discussions revolving around Hello Kitty and manga were perfect examples of this. I did not realize how much my students knew about these and other Asian influences on American society. These topics serve as bell-ringers to introduce students to Asian culture and related historical events.
One of the most valuable aspects of the seminar was being introduced to websites that contain rich sources of information related to Asia. For example, the Asia for Educators / Columbia University website contains a plethora of information that includes primary and secondary source documents in translated form, maps, art, and so much more. This and other websites are very accessible and useful to students doing research on topics related to Asia. These sites are very visual and many contain an audio component with video clips and other multimedia applications. Students become immersed in the information presented once they are on these sites.
I have paid for classes that were less enjoyable and didn’t provide a fraction of the information I received through the lectures, handouts, and symposiums offered in this seminar. The Cool Japan workshop and the Media & Culture in Contemporary China conference were additional treats that exposed us all to things that were new and different. Interesting information makes teaching more engaging and relevant for our students. I’m glad the seminar requires a teaching unit related to Asia because I already have my unit dealing with China’s Trade with the U.S. and the West ready to go for May. The unit covers six days and I could easily add more enrichment activities to extend it. I would recommend the seminar to teachers in all content areas and I hope this seminar continues to grow and expand.
edited by straylor on 1/28/2012