EASC Study Tour 2003: Topics of the Week #6

In lieu of travel and cultural information about the trip, the editors of TOW are sending you a list of what you need to bring or prepare for the Bloomington orientation.

3. Copy of your health insurance card and proof that the insurance covers international travel and repatriation. (I recommend photocopying relevant pages of your insurance information.)

4. Remember you'll need to sign up for the optional Gion Corner trip if you haven't already. Orientation is the deadline for signing up. (The Osaka Wholesalers Market Tour has been cancelled due to unavoidable changes in the itinerary. For those still interested in visiting a market, you could visit Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo on your independent study day.)

6. Luggage: please bring to the meeting room the luggage you plan to use on the tour (or a set of luggage that approximates what you're planning to use). Make sure you have an "overnight system" (purse/backpack + overnight bag) similar to that you plan on using on the tour. This is what we'll be carrying on the occasions when we ship our big suitcases ahead to the next location. During orientation, we will take a walk with our luggage.

7. We will be doing brief self-introductions, with an emphasis on the strengths we bring from our respective disciplines.

history, geography, social studies teachers: please bring an artifact/item that you use as a teaching tool when you teach East Asia
art teachers: please bring a sample of student work from a project you've taught on East Asian art
others: choose the category above that is most appropriate for how you teach East Asia

In two minutes or less, you will (1) explain what the artifact, project, etc. is, and (2) why you use it/why it's a successful teaching tool. Please please please time your introduction in advance. We will have to abruptly cut you off in order to stay on schedule. We have other activities planned for that session, so these intros should function as teasers only!

8. Questions for us about practical concerns - what to wear, money issues, etc. The format for this session will be a Q&A, so please prepare questions. Familiarize yourself with all of the Topics of the Week and FAQs. We won't have time to introduce information that's already been made available there. If you have questions about the appropriateness of a clothing item, or if you have something you'd like to recommend to the group, bring it!

9. Project preparation.
Our funders are naturally very interested in how teachers are using the materials and knowledge they acquire via study programs, study tours, seminars, etc. they've underwritten. So, I ask you to think about the following question… How can this study abroad experience continue to live and breathe in my and my students' lives for many years to come?

In lieu of EASC determining what your product should be, we would rather leave it to you to develop your own proposal, something that is appropriate for your classroom and school community and that capitalizes on your individual interests and creativities. To help guide you with this process, we've asked John Frank, past tour participant and curriculum consultant, to join the tour. Read his information for you.

10. Ideas for how to spend your Independent Study Time. You'll see two entire days for Independent Study, one each in Tokyo and Kyoto. We've built in several shorter blocks of free time as well, including a free afternoon in Okinawa. Please familiarize yourself with the itinerary before orientation. Remember that there are two hours on Sunday 5/4 when all of the tour leaders will be on hand to answer questions and give suggestions, etc. for successfully accomplishing what you hope during your free time.

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you all in a few weeks!

EASC Study Tour 2003: Topic of the Week #6