My last two Saturdays have been busy with "English Village" lessons. The second Saturday of the month, I spent at City Hall, sightseeing from the top of one of the tall City Hall building. This past Saturday, I went to Old Downtown to talk about the history of the city of Ulsan, and some of the sculptures and symbols that represent this city.
I won't bore you with the details of the "lesson," mostly because that wasn't the most exciting part of my day. It was about 50 degrees outside, and I, being the Californian that I am, forgot to dress appropriately. I wore jeans and flats, and an appropriate jacket, but I should have worn thick socks and boots. My feet were FREEZING, and the entire presentation was outside. I digress.
Another teacher and I were designated to a spot that was in the shade, so it was rather chilly. We noticed the outdoor heating systems being turned on, and the chairs that were setup in front of a mobile stage began to fill with parents. Little kids, I'd say around 5 years old, began lining up near the stage, with what looked like a mini piano with a mouthpiece attached to it. I believed it's a version of the melodica. A piano with a mouthpiece, except there is a hose-like contraption for kids to blow through. I am probably not doing a very good job of describing it, but you get the idea.
I won't bore you with the details of the "lesson," mostly because that wasn't the most exciting part of my day. It was about 50 degrees outside, and I, being the Californian that I am, forgot to dress appropriately. I wore jeans and flats, and an appropriate jacket, but I should have worn thick socks and boots. My feet were FREEZING, and the entire presentation was outside. I digress.
Another teacher and I were designated to a spot that was in the shade, so it was rather chilly. We noticed the outdoor heating systems being turned on, and the chairs that were setup in front of a mobile stage began to fill with parents. Little kids, I'd say around 5 years old, began lining up near the stage, with what looked like a mini piano with a mouthpiece attached to it. I believed it's a version of the melodica. A piano with a mouthpiece, except there is a hose-like contraption for kids to blow through. I am probably not doing a very good job of describing it, but you get the idea.
The kids started playing a song, and , even though I didn't know the song, I could tell they were hitting the right notes. That in itself was just mind-blowing. I don't think, at 5 years old, I would have had the patience to sit down and learn a song. My amazement didn't stop there. The students finished their song, and then pulled out a harmonica. Again, to my surprise, played relatively well, especially given their age. I found out later that they were in kindergarten, which makes them around 6 years old. When they finished their song on the harmonica, I thought, 'Wow, that's a talented bunch of kids,' and assumed it would be the end of their performance.
To my surprise, they pulled out their harmonicas, and played yet another song. I was impressed, of course, because the harmonica not only requires patience, but it also requires pretty decent hand-eye coordination and fine motor-skills. Wow!
They pulled out their recorders, and played a final song before singing to their audience. I was impressed. Completely impressed, and a little jealous that I wasn't forced to play multiple instruments when I was five years old. I think this is due to my inherent love for all things musical. I'm sure most people don't feel the same way. People can say a lot of negative things about the Korean education system, and I certainly agree with some of them. I will say this, Korean students definitely have the opportunity to dip into their talents at a very young age. Music, art, drama, and even science are part of the daily curriculum at the elementary school level. It's a shame that we have given up these subjects in most elementary schools around the country, ironically, in honor of trying to "catch up" with the rest of the world in standardized test. Are we missing something?
My students now are all involved in some musical class, IN SCHOOL. This is not including the private piano, violin, or cello lessons they receive outside of school. I think it's also worth mentioning the everyday science, and morality curriculum as well.
Sure, there are plenty of negative things to say about the Korean education system, but that's for another post. Right now, I just want people to think. We have taken away, science, music, and art, and PE at the elementary school level in the name of....funding, and test scores. Ironically, to "catch up" with students in Korea who can pass standardized tests no problem. I'm not saying that these students don't have hosts of other issues (ahemm...creativity), but what I AM saying is....THINK ABOUT IT. PE, ART, MUSIC, and SCIENCE are part of the daily (maybe 2 or 3 days a week) curriculum here.
To my surprise, they pulled out their harmonicas, and played yet another song. I was impressed, of course, because the harmonica not only requires patience, but it also requires pretty decent hand-eye coordination and fine motor-skills. Wow!
They pulled out their recorders, and played a final song before singing to their audience. I was impressed. Completely impressed, and a little jealous that I wasn't forced to play multiple instruments when I was five years old. I think this is due to my inherent love for all things musical. I'm sure most people don't feel the same way. People can say a lot of negative things about the Korean education system, and I certainly agree with some of them. I will say this, Korean students definitely have the opportunity to dip into their talents at a very young age. Music, art, drama, and even science are part of the daily curriculum at the elementary school level. It's a shame that we have given up these subjects in most elementary schools around the country, ironically, in honor of trying to "catch up" with the rest of the world in standardized test. Are we missing something?
My students now are all involved in some musical class, IN SCHOOL. This is not including the private piano, violin, or cello lessons they receive outside of school. I think it's also worth mentioning the everyday science, and morality curriculum as well.
Sure, there are plenty of negative things to say about the Korean education system, but that's for another post. Right now, I just want people to think. We have taken away, science, music, and art, and PE at the elementary school level in the name of....funding, and test scores. Ironically, to "catch up" with students in Korea who can pass standardized tests no problem. I'm not saying that these students don't have hosts of other issues (ahemm...creativity), but what I AM saying is....THINK ABOUT IT. PE, ART, MUSIC, and SCIENCE are part of the daily (maybe 2 or 3 days a week) curriculum here.