Course Assignments 2017

Here is a summary of the assignments that you will need to get credit for the course:

PRIOR TO LEAVING:

Short Research Assignment

This is a 3-5 page research report on a topic relevant to the trip. This will be done in groups of 2 to 4, on a topic of your choice (as long as it isn’t a topic someone else is doing). This report will be posted directly on this blog. Make sure that the report is referenced and cited correctly. Since this is a blog post, please include illustrations and hyperlinks to other sites whenever appropriate. This is an informational post, so keep it general. As for the audience, this should be for those looking to travel to Thailand to learn and experience a different culture, rather than just to frolic on the beach. It should be informational, and in-depth enough for college students who want to know something about the culture, history, cuisine, language, economy, politics, and other aspects of a country so that they can truly have an educated travel experience. Have fun with this one! If you need guidance, please ask Han, or check out the posts done by students from previous trips.

Here are the topics that are signed up already (I don’t have everyone on here; if you haven’t picked a topic, please do so ASAP):

Thai Buddhism – Katie, Haley, and Megan

Thai Educational System – Mia and Carolina

Contemporary Thai Political Issues – Kiera, Sophia, and Noor

Khmer Empire – Elise and Pierce

Thai Cuisine – Mackenzie, Shawn, and Sean

Thai Traditional Medicine – Aubrey and Adanna

Thai Healthcare System – Lyons, Madeline, and Meghan

Aquaculture – Sam and Kami

I still need topics from Grace, Colleen, Eli, Mingyu, and Tanner.

Other potential topics:

HIV/AIDS in Thailand

Dengue Fever

Cancer in Thailand

Sukhothai Kingdom

Ayuttaya Kingdom

Khmer Kingdom

Bangkok

Myanmar and Thailand

Khun Mechai and the PDA

Thai Festivals

Environmental Issues in Thailand

Or choose another topic of interest – but have it approved by us before you start! Please let us know as soon as you can your partner and your topic. You cannot choose a topic that has already been chosen. First come, first served!

This assignment is due BEFORE WE LEAVE! It must be posted on the blog before Sunday, May 14!

DURING THE TRIP:

Trip Journal

This is a daily journal of your experience before, during, and immediately after the actual trip. We will provide you with the journal, which will include prompts to help you reflect on your experiences. We also strongly recommend that you have your own journal, so that you can reflect your experiences on your own.

This will be checked periodically during the trip.

Trip Blog Post

You and a partner (or two) will post a report/reflection on part of the trip. You can pick your partner and the segments of the trip that you would like to post on. This should be more of a reflection on the experience and less a research post. This is meant to be a multimedia blog post, so it should include audio, video, and/or photos. Please refer to the in-trip blog postings by previous participants as a guide, but I would strongly prefer non-written posts. Video diaries, photo essays, podcasts, or any other multimedia post is preferred. Here are the segments:

Arrival/Bangkok

Phnom Rung/Sukhothai

The Bamboo School

Kalasin (we can split this into two entries)

Chiang Mai

Ban Toong Ting (we can split this into two entries)

HIV/AIDS Hospice

Island

Departure

This will be done and uploaded onto the blog BEFORE WE DEPART THAILAND!

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIP:

Short Post-Trip Reflection

This will be a short post-trip reflection on what global knowledge you gained on the trip, how it altered your view of the world, and your place in the world. Refer to your pre-trip reflection, and consider how things have changed as a result of the experience.  This is a personal self-reflection that will help you assess what you gained from the trip and also give us insight into how well the trip achieved its goals.

This assignment is due Before we leave Thailand!

Please let me know if you have any questions on the assignments!