Korean Teachers Learn New Ways of
Teaching Science and English

Teachers from around the world are traveling to Sonoma State to become students. Their goal: to learn better teaching methods.

This was especially true for two groups of teachers from Korea who arrived from several major Korean provinces this summer. For a month they participated in lectures, field trips and various other learning exercises to blend traditional Korean teaching styles with the practices taught at the School of Education. The program, organized and sponsored by Extended Education, was developed and taught by Professors Paula Lane and Hee-Won Kang of the School of Education.

Many of the Korean teachers appreciated learning about science pedagogy that was "student-centered, and discovery/process orientated," says organizer Hee-Won Kang. "They became more aware of the importance of interacting and involving students in their own learning process, rather than listening to a teacher lecture."

They also expressed approval of how the instruction made connections between theory and classroom practice, and also how the program focused on integration of science content, language, literacy and thinking skills, she said.

Education Professor Paula Lane was the science expert while Kang specialized in second language pedagogy. Together, they helped the Korean teachers find new and innovative ways to teach their students.

Lane created a multi-faceted science program that included field trips to Lawrence Hall of Science, the Exploratorium, Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Yosemite, and an all-day excursion about Sonoma County geology that included a trip to the Davis Bodega Marine Lab. The group enjoyed a cruise on Lake Tahoe, a naturalist-guided tour in Yosemite and a park ranger tour of the Mariposa Grove. The geology field trip was led by Matt James, chair of the geology department.

ABOVE: Korean teachers explores ways geology can be taught with an unusual medium - peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.