What did you learn?

Although we have recently returned to the U.S., we will continue to post thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences in Korea.  This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "What did you learn through this experience?"

Deanna teaches at Suwon H.S. for the Agriculture Sciences

"I learned that international travel develops more awareness that I had ever thought it could or would." - Deanna

"I learned that students can get excited about learning all across the world if you just show them that you care and take time to try to understand them and help them, no matter what barriers you are faced with."  - Jason

"I learned that the Republic of Korea is a very open welcoming society that has a lot of advancements and are on the road to keeping their country green and sustainable. I also learned that the relationship between the North and South is far more complicated then I could ever imagine." - Rachel

"Through my experience in Korea, I learned that students will be students no matter where they are from. I have also learned that even with language barriers, that deeper level learning can occur if the teacher is passionate and uses hands-on skills to teach the lesson. I also learned that non-verbal communication is sometimes more understanding and clearer than verbal communication." - Jess

Abby interacts with elementary school students

"I learned that just because there is a language barrier, does not mean you cannot interact with others." - Abby

"I’ve learned why we have to be aware and we have to encourage our students to be aware of what is going on in the world around them because they never know how something or someone from their home can somehow influence the world." - Amanda

Meaningful Interactions

Although we have recently returned to the U.S., we will continue to post thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences in Korea.  This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "What was your most meaningful interaction with a Korean person?"

Deanna and her SNU Teaching Partner

"My most meaningful interaction was with my SNU teaching partner. Not only did he help us with translations and logistics, but he helped us to structure our lesson and make it more impactful for the students in the classroom. He could have sat back and watched as we prepared a lesson but he was engaged and inqusitive the entire time. It makes me wonder how I would have responded in his situation." – Deanna

"My most impactful interaction was when we got to meet the Vice Minister of Education, Dr. Na. I am always excited to meet another OSU Alumni, and one who has made such an impact on the education system, just makes it that much more exciting. He had some very insightful words about finding your passion and dedicating yourself to it. If you are not building your passions, you will not have a very rewarding life." - Kelli

Lesson Planning: Kelli, Hee Song and Janae

"I loved working with my SNU teaching partner, Hee Song. She was absolutely awesome! She really had a presence in the classroom and I really enjoyed being able to team-teach with her. What really surprised me though was the note she left me on our last day together. She wrote that my passion for teaching helped to ensure that she was in the right profession as well. It was an incredible complement and she has impacted me in just the same way."
– Janae


"When I went to Insadong for the second time, as I was shopping I had a group of 13 year-olds and their teacher run up to me and speed quiz me on camera as an English project in order to help them learn to better speak English. They were a great group and they were so excited to talk to me and enjoyed talking to me in English & Korean and it was great to see students that excited to learn new languages." - Amanda

"At Buseong Elementary in Gwangju, I asked a 6th grade student how she was doing and she responded in English by saying, “I am happy!” This was evidence of the successful implementation of the school’s mission statement, which included 'Happy Students'.” - David

Jeremy's class at Yeoju High School

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean has been with the students at Yeoju High School. They were so excited to have us in their classroom and learn about agricultural education in America. They were the friendliest, most respectful students I had ever met and they made me want to come to Korea and teach here for a while!" - Jeremy

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean was when Jason and I were coming home from a late night out on the town and we met Jim, a Korean student from SNU. Jim was very kind, patient and engaging. We met Jim on the subway, we all three walked home even stopping long enough to grab a bite to eat and drink, just like we had known him for years. He even answered his phone to his girlfriend saying he had met some new friends and would be home late." - Chris

Jessica, Cassidy and Abby having lunch with a Suwon Teacher

"My most meaningful personal interaction with a Korean was probably the day that we went to lunch with the Suwon teachers for bugolgi. It was meaningful because although there was a language barrier, we had a normal conversation, just like I would have with my friends. We talked about our school day, what we love about our jobs, and about our family. It was neat to share those things, and I didn’t feel pressure to make sure I was speaking perfectly. They were just happy to interact with us, like we were with them. I wish I would have exchanged contact information with them, a lesson learned, but I really enjoyed lunch that day, and wish we could have had more one on one time with just the teachers. " - Abby

Teaching Team: Stacia, NeungSu and Jessica

"My most meaningful interaction with a Korean is my work with my SNU teaching partner NeungSu. Through teaching together I really had to rely on him to translate to our class. We also had to work on our own communication together for him to be able to help translate. It has definitely helped me realize how to speak more clearly and how to work with a partner in the classroom. Out of the classroom he has also given me a lot of insight into Korean culture. I have had the opportunity to ask him all about his traditions which was
a lot of fun to learn about." - Stacia

What was the food like in Korea?

As our departure from Korea quickly approaches, we will be posting thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences here in Korea.  This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "What was the food like in Korea?"

"Well, I love surprises, so I guess you can say I love Korean food. It wasn’t always clear what we were eating at meal time but I enjoyed it (for the most part…)! It also encouraged me to try new foods, whether it was intentional or not. "
– Janae 


"I liked that there were many side dishes that were shared as a group. I think it plays back into the cultural mindset of group collaberation. We all shared these dishes and it was just another way for us to emerge ourselves into their culture."
– Deanna

"It’s different. Good luck finding half of this stuff in restaurants back home. Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m a meats and potatoes kind of guy, but, it was great to be in a place where the food was unique, just like the experiences. I remember how excited I got when I saw a street vendor selling silk worm larvae, or when I tried cold noodles for the first time."  – Howard

"I liked the bibimbop the best because there were many different combinations that you could choose from and it was a complete meal that filled you up. "
– Jason

"Variety and spicy is the Korean food cuisine. My favorite dish was the bulgoli because it was not spicy, but had a great flavor. I did enjoy eating more vegetables and fruit and less dairy products and carbs. I felt like I had more energy." - Jess

"I think what I liked best about Korean food was how we weren’t quite sure what we were going to be served at each meal…it was sort of a guessing game as to what dishes you would see on the table."
 - Sarah


"The number of dishes and side dishes that are served with any meal is perhaps the most enjoyable part of Korean food. Through the variety of entrees, soups, salads, and sides served, sometimes up to 30, I was able to try different combinations of flavors that enhanced the sensory experience through taste, texture, sight, and smell!" - David

What surprised you the most about Korea?

As our departure from Korea quickly approaches, we will be posting thoughts and stories from #AgEd2Korea participants to reflect on the breadth, depth and diversity of our experiences here in Korea.  This blog showcases some of the answers to the question, "What surprised you the most about Korea?"

One of the many gourmet meals provided by our gracious hosts

"I was most surprised by the hospitality that I encountered while in country. I can honestly say that I did not have one bad experience while interacting with people. Whether it was while I was shopping, touring, or in the classroom. People were truly excited to meet with us and help us as needed."
 - Deanna

"As we toured the countryside and looked at farms at the different high schools, I was surprised by the amount of technology that these farms used.  I came in expecting a few pastures with some old cows and goats.  But I was blown away by the amount of technology; between the universal use of greenhouses, to seeing a compost aerator, and a robotic milker.   It never stopped amazing me how smoothly technology was integrated into agriculture."

Greenhouse at Yeoju Self-Management High School

 – Howard

"What surprised me the most was how quickly the time seemed to pass by. Today is our very last day in Korea and they say we have been here for a month, but I swear we just arrived yesterday. Each day was filled to the brim with either educational or cultural activities. Even our 'days off' were jammed packed because there was so much to see and do! What I have learned from this though is that every minute you are abroad counts for something. There is always something to be taken from each moment you have."
 – Janae

"I think what surprised me the most was how innovative Korean agriculture is. I was not expecting to see the intensive use of the acreage that we saw while traveling through the Korean countryside. They have extremely intensive production and seem to have a keen awareness of the need for sustainable practices in their country. I was also very impressed at the level of technology and depth of industry education available to high school students!"
– Sarah

Wearing Many Hats

Its been a long four weeks, four weeks of being pulled in every direction, four weeks of being flexible, four weeks of cultural immersion, and four weeks with the same group of 20 teachers, professors, and students. We were told about the challenges and differences that we would face while on this adventure, but I think we all overlooked the challenges of defining our roles in this experience.

As an undergraduate student we were expect to wear many hats while here. One hat was to be a student and make mistakes and learn from them and look for guidance from our professors and the experienced teachers.

Another hat was to be a facilitator, we had the opportunity to create a lesson plan with the guidance of an experienced teacher, and complete 3 micro-teachings with this lesson. We were enabled to be the teacher for those experiences, we got to make decisions, and were empowered to create something we were proud to teach and present.

We also wore the hat of a learner.  Every day we were trying to take in as much information as possible, each in our own unique way. For some of us that was asking a question at every presentation, for some it was sitting back and taking it all in, and for others it was bouncing ideas and conversations off of the group later.

We wore the hat of a professional, interacting with everyone from classroom teachers to the Vice Minister of Education. We knew what to do, what to wear and how to act. We have been prepared for these encounters both in high school, youth organizations, and college.

And finally we wore the hat of a pre- service teacher, we are all looking for inspirational ideas to guide us in our future student teaching endeavors.  Though we may not have our own programs yet, we all hope to one day.  We want this experience to shine through in our programs and we want to create more globally competent learners. For many of us this was just another block added to the foundations of why we want to be agricultural educators.

At this point what hat do we wear?  Am I an undergraduate, a student, a professional, or a pre- service teacher?


Here is what I know:

We are coming to the end of a successful four weeks and the stress and pressure has gotten to us all. We have all had an off day where we make the wrong comment or respond more harshly then we should. We are only human, it happens, it has happened and we have moved on. Looking back at it all, those comments and mistakes wont be important, they are just another hat thrown into the mix that doesn't quite fit. We will keep pushing forward, and we will rally our spirits and moral and end this trip with a plan for success.

We have worn many hats, and they get confused at times.

But, looking back we will remember...

That this experience has impacted us all for the better. We will all leave this experience with a connection that only we can understand. We all stretched together, we all learned together, and we all juggled the hats and walked the line together, and all that's left now is to cast our line to the rest of the world!

Rice, Rice and More Rice

Not only is there rice with almost every traditional Korean meal, but there are rice patties scattered across the country side everywhere you go. This being said, rice is Korea's staple production crop, and we were fortunate enough today to get some insight knowledge on the production and pest management practices used.

Rice is grown in paddies, and while there is not a size measurement that governs this term, it is simply the water-filled area where rice is grown. This is very similar to a field in the United States, simply an area that is cultivated for a crop to be grown.

What is not so similar is the pest management practices utilized. Though we do have a small percentage of our crops grown organically in the US, that is not the norm, but in Korea rice is all grown organically! Of course, we immediately questioned the possibilities of this, and man, did we learn a lot.

To begin there is one main predator of rice: mice. The mice are largely taken care of by the water that the rice is grown in, at least until the paddy is drained before harvest.

While examining the rice patty we noticed hundreds of small pink objects that resembled flowers at first glance,  we came to find out that these were snail eggs. In each rice patty hundreds of snails are released to feed on the weeds. This method takes care of about 50% of the weed problems and the rest can be managed by hand weeding.

Next we inquired how they take care of insect pest problems, and the answer was ducks. In a one hector patty they will release up to 300 ducks to patrol the patty for pests. Then when the rice crop is harvested they also harvest the ducks and sell them. We took this as Korea's form of double cropping. What an awesome way to utilize management practices and be environmentally friendly.  Unfortunately, the avian flu virus outbreak has limited this practice recently.

There are so many interlinked agricultural businesses working together to create this staple crop of their nation, which is amazing to see and experience!

A smile goes a long way

Navigation is a great skill to have, for those of us that don't have this skill well we travel with people that do. Today was our first entirely free day and my travel buddy and I were pumped, we had a plan and we were going to shop till we dropped, then we got to the sub way.

We started out strong, we bought or ticket and proceeded towards our side of the station, as we boarded the metro we began to doubt our navigating abilities and got off at the very next stop. Upon getting off and gathering our bearings we realized we were indeed going the entirely wrong direction. We stood there grasping our metro maps deciding how to get to the correct side, we eventually found our way but, not before several people asked if we needed help.

Finally we made it to one of the many shopping districts and we were off, on a search for the best souvenirs  our won could buy. The first vendor we stopped at had the traditional items but we were in search of more. The next vender we came across was the best, it was a tiny treasure filled space. We began by trying to select I love Korea t-shirts,  but we could not figure out the sizing. The lady running the stand was extremely helpful, she sorted through the piles for us and soon came out with the shirts we had selected.

Next we ventured to pick out souvenir plates from the same vendor. These plates were tucked up on a shelf, right by the vendors seat, we were leery of going into her space to look at these items, but she quickly jumped from her seat and ushered us in to look. We selected our items, and began to pay, I had several other bags in my hands at this time, the vendor took note of this and offered me a larger sized bag than needed so I could combine everything into one.

Next we ventured on our way and continued to interact with the people in the various shopping areas. From this I noticed that the people were happy and friendly, even when the steady rain turned to a downpour, people still greeted us with a smile and a welcoming hello. People asked if we needed anything, they were great about helping us find our way, and they were always willing to lend a helping hand.

We approached the city with an open mind and a smile and it responded in the same way. I would not have thought that Seoul, Korea's largest city, would be so welcoming, but this really is a country geared towards hospitality. I can honestly say that even through all of the confusion of the subway and navigating around the city that I did not have any bad moments because I knew I would be able to approach anyone with a smile and they would try to help me.

This one day of city shopping and exploring has really shown a new light on the culture here in Korea.

Preparing for the Trip: Deanna

In less than 80 days I will be boarding a flight that will take me across the world to Seoul Korea! Our class has been working to prepare for the cultural differences and similarities that we will face while abroad, and I would like to take time to reflect upon some of these. 

 One preparatory activity we had in class was Korean "speed dating" where we had Korean students from our University answer any questions we may have. I discovered that there are many similarities among the two cultures. I have also noted that it will be quite the task to understand their cultural view of women and younger generations such as myself. One thought from the night that stuck with me is that Koreans are not monsters; they are friendly people that are just shy. This was a rough quote from one of the students that spoke to us, it made me think how will I be perceived and how do I want to be perceived when visiting? 

We also took part in a Korean Tea Ceremony, if you are not sure what this is, it is basically a long ceremony that Monks would use to prepare tea. Since Monks typically have very few possessions, it takes a long time for them to acquire enough tea supplies to perform these ceremonies. Participating in this experience and watching videos of these ceremonies caused me a great deal of anxiety. There are so many things that need to get done in a day, and there are much faster ways to brew and pour tea. 

Reflecting on this shows the cultural differences from US America and Korea as well as other cultures. I have learned that Korean culture is not as fast paced and hectic as US American culture can often be. For example, past trips have noted that when an event starts at 5:00 that really means it starts around 5:00, maybe even 5:30. This is perceived as normal in their culture, where I perceive this as being late,  just another cultural difference that I will have to adjust too.

I have been preparing for the trip in other ways too, such as eating Korean foods, though I have not yet acquired a taste for them, reading articles about Korean culture, and updating my wardrobe for the trip.

There are still many things I need to and want to learn before leaving, including learning key phrases, learning about their monetary system, and discovering how there school based agricultural programs operate in comparison to the ones I have experienced.

Though I will never be able to learn enough, I will approach this trip with an open mind, and I am sure that I will learn more through this experience than I could ever imagine.

Korean Donuts

    We have been given an open ended assignment called  a Do It Yourself project, for this project I researched Korean desserts then attempted to craft one myself.

     In all of the talks we have had about Korean food, we have never mentioned desserts. Through my research I have discovered that Koreans do not have dessert after a meal as we do in the US. Desserts are typically only eaten for special occasions or as a sweet treat with tea.

     As I began researching for a recipe I came across recipes  like black sesame seed porridge, butternut squash porridge, candied sweet potatoes, and other various dessert recipes containing vegetables. My first thought was I must be looking at an incorrect recipes page, but I have concluded that I was in the correct place. Though there are some sweet dessert recipes such as the chapssal donuts recipe I selected, but many of their desserts contain vegetables and seem to healthy to really be dessert.

     With this I set out to gather the needed supplies for this recipe, on the list was sweet rice flour, self rising flour, castor sugar, and the hardest to find ingredient red bean paste. Prior to heading to the grocery store I had to do some research. I learned that castor sugar is basically very fine sugar, though I could not find anything labeled castor sugar I did find a domino extra fine sugar that from my research would be very similar.

     Next I headed I headed to Wegmans to gather the need items that I couldn't already find in my kitchen. I easily found the two flours, then all I needed was the red bean paste. I looked high and low and could not find this anywhere, not Wegmans, not Walmart, and not Giant, then I remembered that there is a small Korean market near my apartment complex, so I headed there to see what I could find.

     What I found was an interesting atmosphere, quite similar to a crowded small market type shop, I looked and looked for red bean paste, and eventuality had to ask for help or accept defeat. I asked and was directed to two types of red bean paste, the girl assured me they were the same but I still am not sure that I got the correct red paste.

With my purchases in hand I headed home to try my hand at making Korean donuts.

Disaster Strikes

      I began by mixing the rice flour, self rising flour, butter, salt and hot water together to make the dough. This is also where the problems began, to start the measurements were all in grams so I had to find a converter online, where I discovered that grams do not convert nicely to cups so I had to estimate many of my measurements. Once I mastered these measurements my next problem arose, my dough turned out to be the consistency of  a milk shake. There was no way I was going to make balls out of this, so I added another cup of rice flour and another half cup of self rising flour and finally I had dough.

     I then began on the filling, boiled red bean paste and cinnamon. Prior to opening the can of red bean paste I thought it would be comparable to a raspberry filling. However, once I opened the can I learned that it is just what it says beans in a paste form.

     Next I filled the dough balls with the bean paste mixture and deep fried them in vegetable oil. This also was a new experience, the only thing I have ever fried in oil was chicken prior to today.

    

Deep Frying

Final Product

After frying them to golden brown, I removed them and rolled them in sugar, then I had to taste them. They were interesting, they taste like fried dough and sugar, but they have a pasty aftertaste, from the red bean paste mixture. This concluded my Korean dessert experience, though desserts are my favorite food group in the US, I do not think they will be my favorite in Korea, but I will keep looking for something that peaks my interest.

Self Introduction: Deanna, 2015 PSU Student Teacher

Hello Everyone, my name is Deanna! I am currently a junior at Penn State where I have developed my passions for agricultural education and poultry science. I am active in many clubs on campus including the collegiate FFA program, Teach Ag Society, and the Poultry Science Club. In my free time I love to cook and bake. During the summer months you will either find me in the garden or at work, seriously, these are the only two places I reside!

 So why did I decide that I wanted to participate in this experience?  Well, being at Penn State has made me realize that I need to get outside of my comfort zone and see what the rest of the world has to offer. I have never been further east then Massachusetts, no further south then Atlanta Georgia, and no further west than Indiana, basically I have been nowhere!  This realization has lead me to embark on two international experiences this semester. One to South Korea, and one to Germany over spring break.

At this point I would like to note that I am terrified of leaving my comfort zone behind and seeing what the world has to offer. However, what better way to conquer my fears then by submerging myself into a different culture for 4 weeks! I know that I  will get come back from this adventure with a new perspective, and that is one of the many reasons I am ecstatic for this trip. In addition, I am excited to learn about the Ag Ed. program structures in another country, I am always amazed at how programs vary throughout the state of Pennsylvania, so I can not begin to imagine the differences across seas.

I truly believe that this is a once in a  life time chance that I could not let pass me by, I am excited to learn about the culture and see where this journey will take us all!