Education sharing session without “blocking” part I

After a lengthy discussion following the summer vacation of 2019, I was invited to become the planner for the Aisibo Education Platform – Parent-Child Education. As someone who works independently, having a platform to collaborate and form a team is incredibly motivating. I wasted no time in sharing this news with a few teachers whom I greatly admired during the weekdays. Fortunately, I received a positive response from everyone!

And so, on November 30th, we opened the prelude to an education sharing meeting with the concept of fostering collaboration and avoiding any sense of competition or hindrance. It was an exciting start to this new endeavor.

In fact, the topic we came up with went through multiple layers of discussions at that time. Under the current education system, a significant portion of teaching involves filling students’ minds with knowledge and repetitive practice. Consequently, children end up feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, burdened by various formulas and memorized information, and they struggle to think critically. Witnessing so many children facing these obstacles, parents are also unable to dedicate more time to research and exploration due to the demands of work and family life. This vicious cycle prompted us, as parents ourselves, to take a leap and invest in education.

The purpose of this sharing session is to center around this core idea, to gather the collective experiences and struggles of several lecturers from different fields, and to explain what we are attempting to achieve. What is our educational philosophy? How do our courses differ from others? What kind of education, free from the constraints of being “blocked,” can we provide on the Aisibo platform that brings us all together? These are the questions we aim to address and explore.

Lara – international action

As the first to open, I asked everyone, “What is an ‘international outlook’?” Unexpectedly, my biggest fan immediately raised their hand and exclaimed, “My mother teaches international outlook!”

To be honest, I am overjoyed by the expression on my daughter’s face. She has indeed taken the first step towards understanding an international perspective – getting acquainted with other countries – and has defined it accurately! According to Kenichi Ohmae, an international outlook means “knowing what’s going on in the world and having the ability to express opinions on these matters.”

So, who should you know about first? Where? What has happened? Why?

We swiftly simulated the state of the class and assigned the adults to play Bingo with national flags, while the children engaged in a collaborative activity of drawing animals together. Our intention is to demonstrate that the cultivation of international literacy can truly begin from an early age.

Through such an interpretation, we hope to convey the message that children no longer face a limited future confined to their immediate surroundings. In the past year, young people worldwide have been continuously advocating for change. Protests have taken place in at least 10 countries across all continents, driven by the direct consequences of globalization, such as extreme resource distribution and widening wealth disparities. As our children continue their education, they witness such events unfolding. Will the situation become simpler in the next ten years?

On January 19th (Sunday), in conjunction with the “Tutankhamen” exhibition at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall during the winter vacation, a two-hour parent-child pre-show course will be held. This course is designed for children and adults who are interested in Egyptian culture and plan to visit the exhibition. You are welcome to sign up. By attending the class first and then visiting the exhibition, you will gain a deeper understanding of the museum beyond surface-level observation.

Blueberry Mummy – Language Learnin

This day also happens to be the 11th anniversary of Blueberry Mummy’s debut. Many of the children were already in elementary school, and they all grew up listening to the teacher’s Japanese stories and songs. There was truly a sense of warmth and familiarity that permeated the classroom. Despite holding a doctorate from the University of Tokyo, Teacher Tingting has always remained a dedicated teacher. She approaches her work with trembling hands, never allowing a moment of carelessness. That is the impression I have of her. Bringing Japanese picture books and ballads back to Taiwan, she has left her footprints from the south to the north.

On this day’s schedule, the teacher first taught a class in Zhubei in the morning. After returning home and preparing lunch, she rushed to Taipei. Right up until the last second, she hurried back to Hsinchu to prepare dinner for her child. Then, she drove to Changhua and made plans for a full-day course in Taichung the following day. There is a saying that describes her well: “Those who are better than you are more serious than you!” If you want to ask a working woman how to balance career and family, I believe Blueberry Mummy is the best example.

Teacher Tingting’s courses begin with Japanese picture books for children and extend to mother’s classes, sukiyin, and Wenqing’s novel classes. Language is merely a tool. Based on Japanese learning, life education is infused into the curriculum. Can you imagine learning Japanese as a second foreign language in high school and university using picture books? Picture books are not only for young children; the selected picture books delve into deeper themes, allowing Teacher Tingting’s high school students to unleash their imaginations! In the end, the teacher returns the right of learning to the students.

The Japanese teaching provided at the Aisi Expo in 2020 offers the following possibilities. Please take the opportunity to leave a message at the Blueberry Mummy Club’s “Japanese Picture Book Parent-Child Reading Club.”

Huang Lixin – Reading Self-Learning Ability

The titles “bookworm” cultivator and reading and surfing instructor are no longer appropriate to describe Mr. Erin. As someone who has the habit of reading, and with two members of my family also called “bookworms,” I have attended Mr. Erin’s reading class. I learned how to organize information, distinguish it, analyze cause and effect, and clarify the difference between facts and opinions.

Mr. Erin has never aimed to simply “teach for the sake of test scores” in reading. The true essence of reading literacy goes beyond such narrow objectives. The monthly exams that children face serve as a genuine assessment of their reading abilities. Parents often question whether these tests are assessing mathematics or Mandarin skills. It’s a question that reflects the lack of understanding and the ineffectiveness of our educational system.

After each test, when journalists interview the students, they often hear responses like, “I couldn’t finish writing the question.” This issue ultimately boils down to a lack of reading ability. Unfortunately, our educational system often responds to such deficiencies by emphasizing more quizzes and rote memorization. However, this approach runs the risk of turning students into robots who rely on recognizing the first few words of a question rather than engaging in comprehensive reading. But is this truly the solution? What happens when question types become more varied and flexible? What truly needs to be cultivated is not just the ability to provide the correct answer but the process of analyzing and evaluating information.

Mr. Erin’s [2020 Reading Surfer Course] holds a significant place as the inaugural parent-child series of Aisibo courses. It serves as a crucial foundation for our aspirations of providing a stable and nurturing environment for children to thrive in the future.

Group photo of Michelle (middle), the founder of Aisibo Education Center, and the lecturers

During the intermission, attendees were treated to a delectable dessert and a specially prepared turkey by Espo. The educational sharing session continued seamlessly, without any interruptions or obstacles. Part II of the session will be continued shortly.