The Silk Road to Intercultural Awareness

Audience: Primary Years Programme
Audience: Middle Years Programme
Audience: Diploma Programme
Audience: Research
Audience: General Interest
Session: Block 7: Sunday 11:00 to 12:15, Room: Pacific O

Just as the Silk Road opened the East to the West in the ancient world, the National Council for Teaching Asia (NCTA) provides the opportunity for educators to present Asian culture to students. As Asia continues to rise in prominence on the global stage, there is a growing need for integration of Asian culture in the middle and high school curricula. This session will present how the NCTA seminars and trips to Asia help teachers to expand their knowledge and aid in creating lessons to enhance their students' awareness of Asian culture. Participants will view a slide show, complete an interactive learning exercise, and learn how to incorporate Asia into an interdisciplinary unit.


Penelope Boswell, Humanities Teacher, Woodmont Middle School

Penny Boswell is a member of the South Carolina and the Greenville County chapter of the Social Studies Council, the SC Teaching Asia Network, the SC Middle School Association, and Secretary Riley's Teachers of Government Program. She has presented lessons on Asian studies and the SC Council for Teaching Asia seminar for the past four years. She is currently Woodmont Middle's Teacher of the Year and the Area of Interaction Leader for Community and Service. Ms Boswell has participated in IB training at Levels 1-3 and attended the 2006 IB North America ARC. She received her B.A. in History and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Middle Level History.


Organization website: http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/wdmontm

Janice Hughey, Mathematics Teacher, Woodmont Middle School

Janice Hughey has taught at Woodmont Middle, an authorized IB World School offering the Middle Years Programme for 21 years. In the course of her career, she has taught special education for 10 years and mathematics for 11 years. She received her B.S. in Special Education and Elementary Education at Presbyterian College and a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Middle Level Science from Furman University. She is a member of the South Carolina Middle School Association and was Woodmont Middle's Teacher of the Year in 2001. Ms Hughey is the Area of Interaction Leader for Approaches to Learning and has attended IB Level 1-3 training as well as numerous site visits.


Organization website: http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/wdmontm