Pingtung University student teachers visit Czech campuses, building bridges through children's culture

(Central News Agency, reporter Liu Yu-ting, Prague, June 29) Student teachers from National Pingtung University have immersed themselves in the educational現場 of Czech elementary schools, expanding their understanding of international education and multiculturalism through classroom observation, cross-cultural activities, and professional exchanges. The student teachers also introduced Taiwanese culture to Czech elementary students, including traditional children's games like painting lanterns, kicking shuttlecocks, and playing 'weng-a-biao' (a type of marble game), thereby building a bridge for cultural exchange between Taiwan and the Czech Republic.

Lin Hsien-ming, associate professor at the Center for Teacher Education of National Pingtung University, and Lin Meng-an, assistant professor in the Department of Education, led a total of 6 student teachers from Pingtung University's Department of Education and Department of English to the Czech Republic from June 13 to June 29 for a two-week overseas educational internship.

This internship program aims to cultivate future teachers with international perspectives, cross-cultural literacy, and educational practice capabilities. Lin Hsien-ming stated that through real educational settings and cross-cultural interactions, student teachers are trained to understand differences, respect diversity, and develop international communication skills. In the future, they will continue to collaborate with Czech schools to promote online exchanges between Taiwanese and Czech elementary schools, physical visits, and cross-cultural co-learning activities, creating more opportunities for Pingtung elementary schools to connect with the world.

During their internship, Pingtung University student teachers visited three Czech elementary schools, Bila, Angel, and Mladi, for classroom observation and exchange, gaining insights into the characteristics of Czech elementary schools in teaching methods, classroom management, and self-directed learning. The Czech classroom atmosphere is open, with teachers emphasizing student expression, interaction, and participation. These experiences allowed the student teachers to reflect and compare with the educational environment in Taiwan.

In addition to classroom observation, the student teachers designed diverse cross-cultural exchange activities to introduce Taiwanese culture to Czech elementary students, including traditional children's games like painting lanterns, kicking shuttlecocks, and playing 'weng-a-biao', and shared 'A Day in the Life of a Taiwanese Elementary Student'.

Furthermore, the Taiwanese students designed culturally distinctive living mathematics activities, guiding Czech students to understand mathematics through concepts of geometry and symmetry found in Taiwanese architecture, food, cultural elements, and the national flags of both countries. Czech students showed great interest in the activities, and both sides shared their campus life and cultural experiences.

Hsieh Chia-yu, a student teacher from Pingtung University's English Department, shared that Czech education and culture are open, with teachers being student-centered, guiding students to actively discover knowledge, and providing them with more space for independent exploration. Additionally, during cultural exchanges with Czech elementary students, the children interacted enthusiastically, even asking the Taiwanese teachers and students to sign their lanterns, which left a deep impression on her.

Lin Yi-chun, a student teacher from the Department of Education, stated that through classroom observation and international exchange, she gained a deeper understanding of the importance of learning objectives in teaching and witnessed how teachers use diverse strategies to assist students in learning. This experience exposed her to different educational cultures, and she looks forward to transforming what she has seen and heard into her own teaching energy. teaching energy. (Editor: Wei Shu) 0630

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