I received the 2022/23 Fulbright Senior Research Grant and visited the Department of the History of Art at Yale University between February and August 2023 (see the cover photo where I am in front of the departmental building).
My clearest memories of Taiwan involve enduring the hot and humid summers, engaging in fierce battles of Street Fighter at
A Reflection to Commemorate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Before coming to Taiwan, I did not expect Taiwan to be where I would reconnect so much with my home culture, Hawai’i. Throughout this year in Taiwan as a TEFL Advisor, I found that some of my experiences as a young Hawaiian girl were also felt by others 5,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean. The views I have seen growing up and the mixed traditions I have lived share a similar thread with those here. Memories such as comparing pictures of our flower garlands (lei po’o in Hawaiian and aputr in Puyuma language) with a coworker from the Puyuma tribe… Meeting a stranger from the Amis tribe who gave me a honi, a kiss on the left cheek as a greeting… Walking around and seeing wooden canoes, beautifully woven artifacts, shells, feathers, and plants as jewelry, patterned body tattoos, vibrant colors, the moai (megaliths also found in Rapa Nui), the taro patches… Hearing a familiar language on the local train that sounds very similar to my mother’s native language from the Philippines… Seeing preservation and revitalization efforts of the indigenous languages and cultures here… Stumbling upon so many pieces
The Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) seminar experience has meant more to me than I ever anticipated it could mean back when I was applying for the grant. The onset of the pandemic and the prolonged delay to our seminar have made this experience feel much more special as we are reminded how critical our work as international educators is. Although the seminar’s postponement was disappointing, its postponement happened just when it was meant to. Both for Taiwan and the U.S., given the state of geopolitical affairs, but also for me personally as I grow into the international education leader I want to become. Although I will be unpacking this experience for many years, I already see numerous takeaways across both personal and professional domains. Part I: Everything Happens for a Reason – My Takeaways When I originally applied for the IEA grant in 2019, I was starting a new chapter of my career in international education. After completing my doctoral degree and working seven years in the innovative Study Abroad Office at Arizona State University, I had just moved to Chicago from Phoenix, Arizona. I secured my first director role at a small regional institution in northwest Indiana. My
本研究以「介入反應模式（Response to Intervention, RTI）」及多層次課程調整（Multi-Tiered Support System, MTSS）為基礎，探究RTI在MTSS融合現場之實務歷程。研究目的有二，分別為： 研究目的一、融合教育現場如何規劃MTSS之實踐
My personal history is inherently international, as someone who had grown up in Germany and moved to the US first to study abroad and eventually for graduate school (a Ph.D. in Latin American history). But I had never traveled to any place on the Asian continent other than eastern Turkey! I had no clear expectations of what I would encounter in Taiwan. The only familiarity I had with East Asia was from general news coverage and conversation with my colleagues at the University of Mississippi, where I direct the Croft Institute for International Studies. The Institute’s program and faculty have a strong focus on East Asia: we offer Chinese, Japanese, and Korean as languages, require our majors to spend a semester abroad in the country where their chosen language is spoken, and host the Chinese Flagship program in our building. We have long had Chinese language instructors from Taiwan, but it was not a country that our Institute focused on until the recent tensions between the US and mainland China when all of our student programs moved from China to Taiwan. I was curious to learn about this place struggling for political recognition. After the two weeks spent there with
After waiting almost two years to travel to Taiwan to represent the University of South Florida as a Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) grant recipient, I boarded the long flight from Tampa to Taipei by way of Detroit and Seoul arriving in Taipei almost 28 hours later. Exhausted from the long journey, I was ecstatic to see the driver waiting for me at the airport for the transfer to the hotel in the Ximending area of Taipei. I had a restful sleep and then met other members of the delegation at breakfast the next morning. A few of us headed to 7-11 to the ATM and then excitedly set out on foot to explore Taipei. Stops included the Lungshan Temple, Red House Theater, and exploring the Ximending district. That evening we met Randall and Astin from Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) in the hotel lobby and headed out for dinner where we learned more about each other and the events to come. The next day we met the remaining group members and the rest of the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Taiwan) staff. We were about to embark on a fabulous two action-packed weeks of culture, learning, personal development,
Twenty-five of us were selected for this anticipated IEA Taiwan adventure. It was delayed a few years due to Covid but it was well worth the wait. The “Our” in the title of my report references the group experience of not only the 25 participants but our Fulbright hosts (Randall, Charlie, Astin, Kevin, Stephen, Sandy, Yolanda, and others), who we grew to love through “warm reminders,” countless photos in which we shouted “Fulbright Taiwan”, and bus karaoke sessions. “Our” also includes all those we visited from the elementary school children, their competent ETA teachers, the high-schoolers who made us gifts and gave us individual tours, the debate couches and their impressive students, the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) we got to share our advice with, our aboriginal archery instructor, the city and country officials we shared large oval tables and gifts with, and the many professors and administrators in the 16 universities, schools, and intuitions that we visited. I’m still sorting through the stacks of name cards, university brochures, and gifts while I eat my pineapple cakes and plan my return visit. The trip was also personal. At the farewell dinner, our table shared our most memorable moments. Mine
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have researched Taiwan’s approach to high school computer science education. My goal was to understand better how Taiwanese high school CS educators teach using culturally responsive pedagogy and create a culture of belonging and identity through their teaching, curriculum, and professional development. This project helped me view CS education from a more global perspective and profoundly impacted my growth.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have researched Taiwan’s approach to high school computer science education. My goal was to understand better how Taiwanese high school CS educators teach using culturally responsive pedagogy and create a culture of belonging and identity through their teaching, curriculum, and professional development. This project helped me view CS education from a more global perspective and profoundly impacted my growth.
