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4 Friday, March 24,1995 Alternative Learning Conference Teaches Educators About Paideia BY JENNIFER MARSHBURN STAFF WRITER Educators from across the nation are gathering at the Friday Continuing Educa tion Center for a conference on an alterna tive education method called Paideia. The conference began Wednesday and will run through next Friday. Terry Roberts, executive director of the Paideia Center, said the Paideia concept centers around 12 principles that can be summarized in three groups. “The first group basically says that all children can leam, and they all deserve the same quality of education," Roberts said. The second group of principles focuses on the overall goal of the school, which under the Paideia system is to educate students so that they become functioning members of democracy, Roberts said. The third group encourages students to partake in “lifelong learning," Roberts said. “Schools should be assessed by how well students adapt to society after school," Roberts said. “We have to teach students to develop characteristics and a will' ness to leam for the rest of their lives ju:-’ to survive the future. That’s reality.” The Paideia system is not implemented in any schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School system, but is a possibility for the future L rider the Paideia system, the didactic style of teaching which Roberts calls “the old fashioned lecturing style" works in conjunction with Socratic and coaching SELF-STUDY FROM PAGE 1 dc nts was being increasingly compromised by the University’s relatively low student stipends,” the report states. For many graduate students, UNC’s inadequate financial support and funding slows research and creates stressful situa tions. Teaching assistantships are often un known until classes have almost begun, and many graduate students also have to get outside, unrelated jobs, often at the expense of their studies and research, the report found. “Given these pressures, it is not surpris ing that students who withdraw from the University cite inadequate financial sup port as a primary reason, ’’ the study states. Because of inadequate funding, the study states that some graduate students are forced to study part time or even officially drop out of their program when they no longer need to be enrolled in classes and are able to conduct research indepen- SPRINGFEST FROM PAGE 3 and uncontrolled that UNC Hospitals would use them as emergency training days for their personnel, Davis said. Springfest was originally held in the Henderson Residence College (Connor, Winston and Alexander). It grew to be such big event that it became too large a financial burden on HRC, which was the sole sponsor. Anne Presnell, an assistant director of housing and UNC graduate who attended Springfest in its original form, recalled the event’s history in the early 1980s. TAR HEEL SPORTS SHORTS TODAY AT CAROLINA Men’s Tennis vs. Florida State 2:30 pm at Cone-Kenfield. Tennis Center Baseball vs. Georgia Tech 3:00 pm at Boshamer Stadium THIS WEEKEND AT CAROLINA Saturday. March 25 Baseball vs. Georgia Tech i :00 pm at Boshamer Stadium *Home Run Day! 25# Coke when Carolina hits a home run! Women’s Tennis vs. Minnesota - 10:00am Men’s Tennis vs. Florida - I:3opm Both tennis matches at Tennis Center Sunday. March 26 Baseball vs. Georgia Tech 1:30 pm at Boshamer Stadium *Hot dogs grilled near the hill! Women’s Tennis vs. Virginia 1:00 pm at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center Student c* faculty admitted Hu- 1 mitiiiD! naraegr * When it comes to Europe, nobody offers you *' more fun-or more value-than Contiki. For * example, a two-week, nine-country tour costs S’ l only $1,244 including airfare.* There are over A 4/ * 30 tours-ranging from 9to 52 days. / * . Stop by or call Council Travel, 942 -2334 f W itk Worlds J for a free brochure. Hiigti-sl Travel Conipuny ■ 'Price is double occupancy from New Yortc. Departures available For 18-AS Year Olds * from moat major U.S. cities. Prices vary according to departure date. “We have to teach students to develop characteristics and a willingness to learn for the rest of their lives just to survive the future. ” TERRY ROBERTS Paideia Center executive director methods. The Paideia system does not focus on textbooks. Instead, the system uses text books as reference materials and centers on letters and other historical documents, such as the Gettysburg address, Roberts said. “By giving students the raw facts we are challenging to create their own version of history instead of reading historical ac counts,” Roberts said. Another difference between current teaching styles and the Paideia style is that the Paideia practice allows every student to access to the same material, Roberts said. “Under our system all students, includ ing gifted and talented and remedial stu dents, follow the same track of learning, maybe not at the same speed.” Roberts said. “Under our plan, there will be no AP or vocational trades. “Currently, if you are identified as re medial, then you are condemned to a life of poor education,” Roberts said. “Under dently. Asa result, many of the de partments that suffer from inad equate funding for graduate stu dents are also the ones that have students who are slow in finishing their studies. “Without vigilant moni toring of student progress toward the degree, students may get lost in the process,” the study states. Of course, students are not slow just for financial reasons. Many students said increased guidance regarding research, performance feedback and career counseling from faculty would improve their experience. The study found that some departments She described it as a huge outdoor party that lasted all day and well into the night. “It was sunshine and sunburn and a lot of beer and a lot of music and a bazillion people,” she said. At that time the legal drinking age for beer and wine was 18, so preventing alco hol consumption was not a priority for the University. Its main goal was to take care of stu dents suffering from heatstroke or exces sive alcohol consumption, Presnell said. “Asa student it was a lot of fun, ’’Presnell said. “As an administrator, I would be terri fied.” UNIVERSITY & CITY Paideia, every student gets the same qual ity of teaching, this makes a lot of differ ence.” Community is also a valuable part of the Paideia system. The Paideia center strives to redefine the school as a commu nity rather than an institution, Roberts said. “In communities, people work together cooperatively, whereas in institutions, com petition seems to be the goal,” Roberts said. “What seems to be the case is where the system is well implemented, quick improve ment has shown up on tests scores in area such as writing tests,” Roberts said. “There has been some slow improve ment on standardized tests, but we have to keep in mind that standardized tests don’t measure the kinds of things we’re trying to teach, which is the need to leam and not just memorize.” The conference is sponsored by the National Paideia Center, which is housed at UNC. The center was created in 1988, by philosopher Mortimer Adler, who de veloped the Paideia concept, and former UNC President William Friday. There are about 20 schools across the nation that have adopted the Paideia prin ciples and are striving to become true Paideia schools, Roberts said. Another 30 to 40 schools are in the process of implementing the principles, including Durham’s Githens Middle School as as well as elementary schools in Charlotte, Eden and Laurinburg, Roberts said. had such unclear guidelines for complet ing a degree that students weren’t sure what was expected of them. “Although some departments have un ambiguous guidelines relating to progress toward the degree, others are more casual about communicating expectation regard ing student progress.” In response, the study calls for a campuswide review ofprogram guidelines to ensure that students have a clear sense of what is required. And individual students should face a yearly review of their progress that would “protect the student from unreasonable expectations of individual faculty mem bers and make less awkward the task of providing feedback to a student who is not making reasonable progress,” the study states. In the end, however, the report returns to the theme of finances as the cause of delayed degrees. With more money, the problem of stu dents being around for too long might cure itself, Morell said. New Funding Strategy Needed To combat the funding problems in the Graduate School, the study recommends that the University make soliciting private, foundation and governmental funds their highest priority, but it is vague as to how this would be accomplished. UNC must “encourage the establish ment of a more adequate state budget for support not only of graduate teaching but also of graduate research, ’’ the report states. The study recommends urging the N.C. General Assembly to make its funding appropriations on a more “reasonable schedule” so the University remains at tractive to students. Because the annual budget cycle does not coincide with the recruitment of stu dents, the University usually can’t guaran tee reduced tuition to applicants, putting it at a disadvantage in recruiting top out-of state students for most programs, Morell said. Triangle Mobile Soundz Professional Disc Jockey Agency A Packages to Fit Any Budget! H. Special Effects - * Including Lasers, Strobes, Bubbles, Fog & Much More! Unlimited Music Selection! Now booking for Spring eventsl "we're MUCH MORE jiHT) THAN MUSIC." For More Info Call Darrick at 968-0"DJ”1 • 968-0351 BEE M CQBBELSg ife# Clam-Dunpf IJM / SOURDOUGH™ PIZZA nvTf * AjaQQ Up to 3 n/ Or come by only SI T °PP ,n 9 s| O (for the Buffet: V W ”xiß \l\ \ Lunch Buffet 11:30 am-2:30 pm.... $3.99 Night Buffet 5:00 pm-8:00 pm $4.79 U\X 205 L Franklin St. 968-8383 ♦ & 4 ♦ w HERO FROM PAGE 1 Henry has started the first Vietnamese language class ever taught at UNC, taking on the extra load in addition to his three courses in Chinese literature. Here’s the real kicker: he is not paid for the Vietnam ese class. Last fall, Henry noticed that more Viet namese students were enrolled in his Chi nese literature classes than ever before. He began making special handouts aimed at the Vietnamese students to help them con nect with the course because Chinese and Vietnamese share many of the same words but with different pronunciations. “I thought that if I would just make special handouts to show these relation ships, it would be easierfortheVietnamese students to connect with the material,” Henry said. He began meeting with Vu Han and Phan Loan, two Vietnamese students in his class, twice a week to practice their Vietnamese conversation, but “they weren’t getting any credit for it,” Henry said. At the request of his students and with Farquhar’s support, Henry created the Viet namese language class and opened it this semester. “I saw that there appeared to be a need now, at this time, ” he said. “The only way it was possible to do this was to add a course to the ones I had already taken to do.” As if another whole class weren’t enough, once it began, Henry found that his students were not all on the same level in their Vietnamese abilities. His one sec tion then became two, intermediate and beginner. Although he has three students, Han, Loan and Diem Thi Tra, helping him teach the class, Henry still must prepare for hours each week for the class. He makes a rough translation from the It’s easier, however, to recruit North Carolinians who are attracted to profes sional programs because of the low in-state cost for programs in degrees such as medi cine, law, and library and information sci ence programs that do not typically offer stipends. But when it comes to out-of-staters, the University isn’t as attractive. Even when the University finds out how much money it has for reduced tuition which typi cally offers out-of-state students an in-state billing rate there is not enough. Currently, there are 903 tuition remis sion slots in Academic Affairs (about 51 percent of those needed) and 217 in Health Affairs (32 percent of those needed), the report states. Morell said he thought funding for tu ition-remission programs had to be main tained. “Funding for programs like (tuition re mission) is something we need to protect if we want to maintain the quality of pro grams,” he said. r sit i Curricular Renews Because of constant developments in research and information, Morell said, the study urges departments to institute regu lar self-reviews beyond the mandated 7- year reviews. “Curricula has to be modified to meet changes in a field and changes in expecta tions,” he said. “In certain cases, the cur riculum of a program is not being viewed often enough.” The study also recommends that UNC actively encourage and monitor interdisci plinary work. While there are several philosophical and structural barriers to creating true in terdisciplinary fields of study, interdisci plinary work is crucial to the intellectual atmosphere of the University, the report states. “UNC-Chapel Hill’s ability to remain one of the nation’s major research univer sities ... depends in large part on fostering an atmosphere in which innovative, cre- Name: Eric Henry Bom: March 15,1943, in Greensboro Occupation: Lecturer in Chinese at UNC Books: 'Chinese Amusement The Lively Plays of Li Yu" Hobbies: music, especially piano playing Philosophy on life: When the way is far, you come to know the horse's strength: when days accumulate, you come to see a person's character.’ Chinese textbook his literature class is us ing and shows it to his three assistants. They then edit his translation, and Henry adds vocabulary lists and supplementary notes for the class. Henry’s involvement with East Asian culture began in the late 19605. Faced with the prospect of being drafted into the Viet nam War, he decided to enlist and go to an army language training school for one year. Henry was given a list of languages to choose from and asked to list them in his order of preference. “There were a little more than 50 lan guages,” Henry said. “Russian was my first choice; Vietnam ese was my last choice and was the choice I got. But you can’t say the army doesn’t give you a choice.” When Henry returned from Vietnam, he found himself deeply attached to East Asian culture and language, but the mar ket for jobs teaching Vietnamese was ex tremely limited. He went back to college for his senior year and crammed two years of Chinese into one and then was accepted into the graduate program at Yale University in the Chinese language and literature depart ment. He then taught at Dartmouth for two years and came to UNC in 1982. Ever since, he has earned the respect of his colleagues at the University for his exper- ative and flexible programs of study are more actively encouraged and supported, ” the report states. Morell said he thought that UNC had a very good record of interdepartmental co operation but that it could always be im proved. “We would like to strengthen this even more and make it even easier for graduate students to engage in interdisciplinary re search across boundaries,” he said. The study also recommended that fac ulty continue to pursue new teachingmeth ods and incorporate new technology into teaching. “Teaching and teaching methodology in general is in good shape, but we would like to encourage departments to consider new teaching methods,” Morell said. Wore Than Money and Boob Nonacademic concerns of the graduate and professional students also need to be addressed, the study states. To encourage communication within the University, the study recommends es tablishing a “student affairs” committee composed of graduate and professional students, faculty, and administrators. Elizabeth Gibson, anotherauthorofthe study, said a student affairs committee could be a valuable forum. “Graduate students feel isolated and that they cannot cross departments and speak out,” she said. The lack of health insurance provided by the University for graduate student employees is another concern, Gibsonsaid. Because some other graduate schools offer health insurance in a benefit package to students, “its unavailability here places UNC-Chapel Hill at a competitive disad vantage in recruiting high-caliber students," the study states. Morell said he thought that while un dergraduate students might realize the ben efits of a good graduate program—such as good TAs and an exciting intellectual envi ronment the community should also appreciate its presence. “Very often, the public may not realize how valuable our graduate programs are to the state and undergraduate programs, ” he said. “Very many of graduate students stay in the state or at least the Southeast and contribute their specialized skills to the local economy.” 1 PARIS $319 AMSTERDAM $309 FRANKFURT $335 MILAN $369 ROME $379 MADRID $309 ATHENS $399 COPENHAGEN $359 Fares are each way based on a round trip purchase from Raleigh/Durham. Student or Faculty ID may be required. Taxes & sur charges not included. Fares subject to change. FREE "Student Travels" magazine 137 E. Franklin St., #lO6 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 obr Saily (Bar BM “We have demonstrated that the demand for Vietnamese language at UNC is high; the numbers are there. ” ERIC HENRY Asian studies lecturer rise in his field. “He’s extremely knowledgeable of the ancient Chinese literature and culture,” said Gang Yue, an assistant professor in the Asian studies department. “Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself, being a native Chinese, not knowing some of the things he knows so well.” Farquhar is also impressed with Henry’s knowledge. “He is extremely richly edu cated in his field of Chinese literature, ” she said. “He knows how to bring out the humor, and he brings it to life.” But Henry is not merely an academic. He possesses an intense desire to help stu dents leam and grow in any way he can. “I think he loves being able to share what he knows, and he wants to open the opportunity for others,” said Grace Chu, a sophomore from Cary. “He goes in, gets a feel for the class and makes sure people understand.” He does more than teach, too. Henry has been the faculty adviser for the Asian Student Association since it began in 1989. DavidLiu, a seniorfromßaleigh and presi dent of the ASA, said that Henry was always willing to help and that he came to meetings when invited. Yue said he had seen many examples of Henry’s commitment to his students in the twoyearshehadknownhim, asHenryhad patiently encouraged them and worked with them one on one. Tra said Henry’s opening the Vietnam ese class had touched Vietnamese students and shown them that he cared. “I’m so happy because some people on campus will leam more about Vietnamese culture and language,” Tra said. “It makes me so proud because he is an American and he knows my language.” Henry’s involvement with the Asian community extends even beyond the Uni versity. For about seven years, he has been in volved with the Chapel Hill Chinese School, which meets once a week to teach Chinese language and culture to both Chi nese and non-Chinese children. His son began attending the school when he was 6, and, because the school is parent run, Henry was asked to serve as vice principal in 1990 and as principal in 1992. “I think it’s impressive for anyone to serve as principal at this dynamic school, and I think it’s even more impressive for Dr. Henry, who is not Chinese, to be in volved,” Liu said. Despite his busy schedule during the school year, Henry does not use the sum mers as a time to rest. Instead, he uses them to work on manuscripts he is researching and translating. “My strategy has been to use my sum mers to the max,” Henry said. “The mo ment my finals are turned in, I go into a daily writing schedule.” He has six books recently completed or nearing completion, and he published a book in 1982. Henry believes that the interest shown in his class reflects the interest in Vietnam ese language on campus. “I figured (when we started) that, at most, there might be a dozen students; there are now 24,” Henry said. “We have demonstrated that the de mand for Vietnamese language at UNC is high; the numbers are there.” TEST SCORES FROM PAGE 3 Not only were parents able to enroll their childrenfor tutoring,butparents were also given the opportunity to become vol unteer mentors to troubled students, Royster said. In addition, several parents offered to help other parents with their children, he said. School Board Chairman Ken Tou w said he was pleased at the willingness of the parents at the meeting to help. Touw said the parents who offered to help other par ents would be an encouragement on occa sions such as parent-teacher conferences. “It’s useful to have another adult on your side.” Tou w said he was encouraged about the influence volunteers would have on the students. “They can have a real impact on the lives of the students in our school system, ’’ Touw said. “It’s another step, it’s an im portant step.” Both Royster and Touw said they were more encouraged about the possibility of positive change for African-American stu dents. “I’m more encouraged, but there’s a long way to go,” Touw said. “I don’t want to belittle the problem.” “I think this is just abeginning,” Royster said. He told the group Wednesday that: This was the beginning of the end of dispar ity.” Romano’s Piaa Kitchen 9izza Jfade ‘from Scratch Serving... Chicken Baskets, Burgers, Italian Dishes & Pizza WE NOW TAKE CREDIT CARDS! MB ESS Sjg M Fast, Friendly FREE Delivery! 929-5005 Opan lunch and dinner
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 24, 1995, edition 1
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