30 Days and 30 Nights in South Korea

I'm back!

Well, bless my lucky stars; I'm back! Apparently, Korea has a strong magnetic force and I am by no means immune. It's been just under a year since I last laid foot in the good old Republic of Korea, and I'm glad to see it is doing just as fine as ever! The intense summer humidity, distinctive architecture of Incheon airport and tantalizing aroma of Deli Manjoo cream cakes in the subway station flooded my mind with the fondest of memories from 2010. I was thoroughly reminded of how exciting it was to come here two years ago as a first-time English teacher and continue to be instilled with excitement for the next six weeks.

Perhaps, dear reader, you are wondering by what means I can return to Dae Han Min Guk for such a short time. Well, back when I was a TaLK scholar,  a certain un-named summer camp was responsible for our extensive month-long orientation. Through their remarkable organization and workshop instruction they were able to effectively train over 200 brand new TaLK scholars. After a year of teaching, I left South Korea thoroughly inspired and came back USA to begin work on my MATESOL program, but I soon found that I distinctly missed the experiences of teaching and living in South Korea. So, around January I looked up the camp again up again and applied for their summer 2012 program in April. After a rigourous, tedious, treacherous, viscious visa application (with which I am sure all fellow English teachers are familar and love), I finally recieved confirmation that I had been hired for their month long camp. I will be based in the same tiny town where I lived for a year previously in Chuncheongnam-do province, darling little Jochiwon.

I thank my lucky stars for the ample summer break provided to graduate students and public school teachers, so I am able to teach at Camp Korea for a month and return to my job and studies. I am SO excited to be back and am ready to teach English the FUN way. Hapshida!

Wordle and Voicethread: Introduction Lesson Idea

I am currently taking a summer course on Technology and Computers in ESOL which requires a project that integrates web 2.0 technologies into the ESL classroom. Just an hour or two delving into the topic has made me realize the MASSIVE amount of resources available for teachers, and how little I really know about integrative technologies. Phew!

The activity is a fairly simple introductions unit with a Web 2.0 twist. Here is my initial script:

"Hello! My name is Charlotte Jones, I am twenty-three years old ad I am a Master’s student studying TESOL at the University of Central Florida.I am from Green Cove Springs, Florida. It is a very small town. I attended university very close to my hometown, in Jacksonville. After graduating, I became a certified teacher and taught elementary public school students in South Korea for one year. My students in Korea are my inspiration for pursuing my TESOL degree at UCF.My favorite hobby is travelling. I love learning about new cultures, taking pictures, eating new foods and practicing language.From this class, I hope to learn more about integrating Web 2.0 applications into the ESL and EFL classroom. I am very excited!"

I then entered the script into Wordle to get this beautifully presented plethora of words. Wordle never fails to "Wow."




Next, I made a VoiceThread account. This is fairly straightforward, but lower-level ELLs may benefit from a walkthrough of the how to make an internet username.

Once you have your account, Click on the "My Voice" link at the top of your screen. This will allow you to create and manage your presentations.

Once there, click "Create" and upload a photo to begin your presentation. I recommend printscreening your Wordle to use as an image.

Next, click "Comment" to add your narration. Simply read your written introduction. You have the option of recording in sections, rather than recording everything at once. I chose to record my comments in 4 sections.

Here is my final product!

Have students post their Voicethreads on the class page (Blackboard, Moodle, Glogster or whichever interface you choose. Voicethread also has an education option but it costs money which may not be provided by your school.) Then, require students to comment on at least two student introductions.



Grading Criteria:
1. Written Introductions should include demographics, background, hobbies and what you hope to learn from this course and proper use of grammatical structures.

2. Voicethread presentations should include your Wordle collage (copied and pasted from your written introduction) and your spoken introduction (read in its entirety)

3. Voice comments on at least two other student's Voicethread presentations

I love Wordle!

Perusing another infamous online tool, Wordle, I have transformed my simple VoiceThread introduction into an eye-catching collage. Wordle never fails to make words pop!

Using Wikispaces for Online Classes

It has been my pleasure this summer to teach the Soy Culto program at the Orange County Public Library. The entire curriculum was developed by Alison Youngblood, a TESOL PhD

student at the University of Central Florida. It is a pleasure to work with her on the Soy Culto program.

Soy Culto, like many classes, utilizes Wikispaces to post class Powerpoint presentations, homework, answers and additional resources. The students of Soy Culto immediately have begun to utilize the Wikispace to check their homework and peruse the additional practice available.

The Soy Culto Wiki can be found here: http://soycultoenglish.wikispaces.com/

So it's come to this...

I currently have a week left in Korea. Seven days. 160 hours. 9600 minutes. It's nothing, especially considering I have spent the last year of my life here!

Korea and I have been very much in love and it will be hard to let go. We began with a lofty summer romance when I was swept off my feet, the magical crisp autumn where we were still so very much in love. Then came the brutal winter where Korea was either cruel and malicious or cold and unresponsive. It was a hard time for both of us. But the beautiful springtime brought cherry blossoms which exploded from the tree branches and we learned to overcome our differences and truly work together.

A year may not seem like much, and I suppose it isn't. A blink of an eye in the scheme of things. However. Currently to my set of eyes it seems like a very long amount of time. Having been here a year means that 4.5% of my current life has been spent in Korea. Before I came to Korea I had never lived more than an hour from my hometown. Just a small town girl living in a lonely world. I was looking for adventure and I found it. Taking the leap to live in Korea has been the boldest decision of my life.

My mind's a-jumble at the moment. I can think of so many wonderful times I've had living in Korea and I'm getting a little verklempt!

Harry Potter and the Deathly 헐-ows

Last night, us group of Jochiwon teachers-- Maryam, Kimberly, Rebecca and myself-- went to watch the final installation of the Harry Potter movie franchise. And we got to see it a whole day and a half earlier than our friends back home! 헐.

Of course I dressed up. Of course I cried. Of course there was a nerdy discussion about the differences in the book following the viewing.

And of course, when Voldemort sliced Snape's throat, my Korean movie neighbor went "헐".

헐 = hull = frequently used in to express mild shock in Korean slang

http://www.italki.com/answers/question/79215.htm

Remember that time I saw Harry Potter? And remember that time I lived in Korea? That, children, is what I will remember most of all.

Nearly-Year

I spent the last weekend with the kindest Korean family I have met in my stay here. They melted my heart last November when I joined their family adventures in Gwangju and continued the tradition thusly.

I wish I could describe the warmth I felt being invited into their home, playing board games, eating delicious samchuk, cheers-ing makgeolli, sleeping on a giant mat on the floor with everyone..

They also took me to Woong Island near Taean, where we skipped rocks, searched for tiny crabs on the rocks, ate watermelon on the beach had an hour-long mud fight and went swimming in the water to wash off our clothes. It was simple, beautiful, and perfect.

Within the past two months, I've had a spell of rotten luck in Korea. My ribs breaking. The discovery of not having health insurance. Being denied vacation because of sick leave. Losing a generous cash prize for my students due to a initial name error and subsequent arrogance. Rotten luck. Events which have clouded the truth about my feelings for this country, this experience, this life I have lived.

I love it all. I am extremely fortunate to have been granted this life. My decision to come to Korea is still regarded in my heart as a personal best. As for the unfortunate, I have only become stronger and wiser. It's been an amazing nearly-year. The most profound, adventurous, exciting one yet. Why on Earth would I want to change it?

Cheers again.