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Betsy UresMario, your idea for students to do research on different types of injustices around the world seems like an appropriate way to be inclusive while working with the limitations of time in our school year. I think my elementary students could benefit from using multiple sources like photography, art, music, and poetry in addition to research. Thank you for sharing this project idea. As we are teaching students about injustice, we are preparing them for a life of awareness that has become the new norm.
Betsy UresA pattern that I observed from the lecture and the documents is a struggle for archeologists and historians to find documentation of early Japanese life. For example, the original Shinto belief system was largely undocumented until Chinese writing was introduced. I appreciate the text (classical Japan part 1) explaining the influence of Chinese conceptions on the evidence that does exist. The idea that Japanese history is full of unknowns is intriguing. I would like to now more about how the geography of Japan has impacted their self-isiolation.
The origin story of the sun goddess and the moon goddess for the Nihongi would be interesting to read, act out, and use in comparision study with other religious origin stories.
Betsy UresThank you for sharing your presentations with us. As an elementary teacher, poetry writing is something students enjoy. In the past, I haven't introduced korean poetry analysis or writing. Studying Sijo poems can allow for students to identify cultural themes and contexts. I would like to incorporate Sijo writing. Students can read select Sijo poems from the past and more modern ones prior to writing their own. In elementary, using the non-rhyming structure to generate student poetry will be engaging.
Betsy UresI am interested in discussing the value of oral traditions of Buddhism. Many of the students I work with enjoy the art of storytelling and oral traditions. It seems like Buddhism is somethng to be studied as a world religion and as lifestyle. Like Chad mentioned, many students are interested in celebrities and we can use that type of lens to study the historical representation of the Buddha. Looking at the Middle Path in comparision to the decadant lives of our current celebrities would be beneficial in more than one way.
Betsy UresI would like to apply the activity of comparing and contrasting the 17 Article Constitutuion principals with the ideas from China. Building upon the prior knowledge to the knew knowledge is an effective practice. Students can identify the unique principles for each ideology as well as identify the commonalities.
Betsy UresThe Hundred Schools lesson design seems perfect for middle school to high school ages. In order to connect elementary age students to this content, I would try a debate, but I would definitely have students adopt one ideology to focus on and work with others to unpack first. Students could research multiple sources and then create a poster for their school of thought to present to others. Then perhaps, there can be a gallery walk and debate. This type of learning activity is very effective for increasing student engagement.
Betsy UresI am also wrestling with the gravity of the Coronavirus, despite knowing its one illness in a long history of humanity. I love the idea of teaching students through teaching about our commonalities. Our commonalities with our respective reactions to Coronavirus should be highlighted with a lens of compassion. Students should be engaged in conversations about why we need to make connections and communicate with other countries in this time of relative crisis.
The current concentration of China's population around water sources makes me think that population expansion/spread is limited without massive investment in infrastructure (which requires young laborers). I am interested in the research around Climate Change impact predications on Western China.
Betsy UresAccording to the article about the decline in China's labor force population, "We live in a grey world. For the first time last year, there were more people on Earth who were 65 and over than children under 5." Because China is such a large nation with a huge economy, the negative impact of the population shift will be on a larger scale. The way that the Chinese government and communities respond to this imbalance will determine China's role in the global economy. The acquisition of young labor should be the priority in addition to providing systematic support to encourage women to have children. According to George Magnus, "The best way to get more women to have more children is to make it easy and cheap for women to get good reliable childcare, and work." I agree that supporting women in the endeavors of child-birth and spreading the child-care responsibilities into the community will lead to collective success. The burden of repopulation, education, and caregiving for the elderly cannot be solely placed on women.
In terms of rebuilding a young (skilled) labor-force, it would be pertinent to make both short-term and long-term efforts to address the issue. I would like to study the approaches of the past to determine what has been effective in increasing skilled labor. In the United States, we are facing a similar situation where birth rates are decreasing.
Betsy UresHello everyone!
I'm Betsy Ures and I am a title-1 coordinator at Plasencia Elementary in Echo Park. I love learning new things, running, and cooking for my friends and family. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of learning.
