UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

11/26/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/26/2024 03:46

Strengthening Regional Capacity on Teaching and Learning with East Asian Shared Heritage

The "Capacity Building Workshop on Teaching and Learning with East Asia Shared Heritage" was jointly held by CRIHAP and UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia from 19 to 21 November 2024 in Jintan District, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Nearly 20 university professors and educators, and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) practitioners from China, Japan, Mongolia and Republic of Korea, and representatives from UNESCO Category 2 Centers (CRIHAP and ICHCAP), participated in this workshop. It aimed to build capacity for teachers and educators on the methodologies of teaching and learning with heritage, and to establish a platform for dialogues and collaboration among universities in East Asia for the pilot phase.

The Capacity Building Workshop on Teaching and Learning with East Asian Shared Heritage © CRIHAP

The three-day workshop was facilitated by UNESCO 2003 Convention Facilitators Linina Phuttitarn and Vanessa Achilles. Centered around the theme of "teaching and learning with shared heritage in East Asia", the facilitators guided participants in exploring key topics of bringing ICH to schools, integrating ICH with education for pedagogical innovation, developing lesson plans, through a combination of modalities such as interactive lectures, case studies, fieldwork, group discussions and presentations. Participants with diverse backgrounds of education, language, culture, STEM, engaged proactively in these activities, sharing among themselves relevant situation and practice of their country and exploring innovative pedagogy for integration of ICH and the curriculum.

Facilitator Linina Phuttitarn (left) and Vanessa Achilles (right) © CRIHAP
Sharing by participant © CRIHAP
Group discussion © CRIHAP
Group discussion © CRIHAP
Fun game © CRIHAP

The participants also identified several ICH elements that are commonly practiced in East Asia and expressed their interest in further researching and developing lesson plans about and/or with these elements. These range from children's games to fermented food, calligraphy to martial arts, and festivals to pay tribute to natural deities.

Exploring East Asian shared ICH elements © CRIHAP

During the fieldtrip, participants had opportunities to visit two ICH elements that are shared across East Asia - tea and woodblock printing. They visited Maoshan Tea Forestry, a pilot for Jintan tea-tourism integration, and Jintan Ancient Book Printing Factory. Through engaging deeply in the conversation and exchange with ICH practitioners of Jintan Queshe green tea making techniques and Jintan engraved block printing and thread book binding skills, the participants gained a comprehensive understanding of local ICH elements, reflected on the way these elements are practiced in their countries, and discussed the ways these elements can be integrated in educational activities.

Practicing tea making © CRIHAP
Experiencing tea ceremony © CRIHAP
Visit at Jintan Ancient Book Printing Factory © CRIHAP
Experiencing engraved block printing © CRIHAP
Experiencing engraved block printing © CRIHAP

The workshop has sparked many interesting dialogues on benefits and challenges of bringing living heritage to the classrooms, and potential stakeholders and measures required for successful implementation of this methodology. During 2025, the participants will lead a collaborative process to develop and pilot lessons using East Asian shared heritage in selected schools.

Participants with Jintan Paper Clipping ICH © CRIHAP