News

The Asia Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) and the Korea Society of Education for International understanding (KOSEIU) co-organised a workshop for 2024 Korea-Japan-China EIU Storytelling Project on July 26-27, 2024, at APCEU in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the Japanese Association for International Education (JAIE) and Beijing Normal University. 

The Storytelling Project, a collaborative initiative among APCEIU, KOSEIU and Beijing Normal University since 2021, aims to promote EIU/GCED in Northeast Asia by encouraging (pre-service) teachers from China, Japan and Republic of Korea to develop and share GCED lesson plans using storytelling. Last year, the outcome sharing meeting/roundtable was held as part of the special session of the research conference of JAIE. This year, the participants were given the opportunity to share their outcomes and experiences through the Storytelling Project workshop.

The workshop began with KOSEIU’s presentation on the background, purpose, and outcomes of the Storytelling Project, which was followed by the presentations of the pre-service teachers from China, Japan and Republic of Korea on their experiences of implementing storytelling-based lessons on the topic of peace, cultural diversity and sustainable development (ESD). They utilized stories written by authors from each country, such as Syria’s tears, Maira’s Eagle, Walking with Sea Cucumbers: Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity Considered from the Field, with some participants building on these activities through Metaverse (ZEP) games. Followed by a Q&A session, the participants shared positive feedback they received from their students and discussed the perceived impact of storytelling on promoting GCED in the classroom and school context. In so doing, mutual understanding and cooperation were facilitated among the pre-service teachers from the three countries in Northeast Asia.

The participants indicated that they gained valuable learning experiences beyond curriculum offered by universities and shared how the participation in this project helped them to grow as an educator. They also showed their willingness to further engage in and promote GCED lessons using storytelling within the school setting.

The workshop provided the opportunity for the participants to share project outcomes and discussed effective ways to improve the project, including strengthening the networks of those participating in the Storytelling Project. Through this project workshop, APCEIU obtained valuable takeaways for the EIU Storytelling Project and other programmes offered by the centre. 

URL: https://www.unescoapceiu.org/post/5140