news source: Taiwan Good News

The Ministry of Education's 2014 "Cross-disciplinary Aesthetic Education Excellence Pilot Project" held its 113th Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli District Collaborative School Results Sharing Event on June 7th in Fugang, Yangmei District, Taoyuan City. The event brought together teachers from 18 schools in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli to share their achievements in cross-disciplinary curriculum, centered on aesthetics and integrating local culture and history, technology, social-emotional learning (SEL), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showcasing innovative practices in classroom settings.

The event was convened by Associate Professor Chen Yunwen, co-director of the Interdisciplinary Aesthetic Education Excellence Pilot Program, and invited Professor Chang Lian-chiang and Assistant Professor Liu Yu-jun of the National Taiwan University of the Arts, both members of the Teacher Training Committee, to witness the dedication and innovation of local teachers in the classroom. The selection of Tomioka, a place rich in cultural heritage and human touch, symbolizes the importance of education rooted in the local context, resonating with the land, and learning through relationships.

In the morning, students will visit Fugang to explore historical sites such as the Five-Storied Western-style Building, the No. 25 Granary at Bogonggang, the Yongchang Rice Mill, and the Life Well, experiencing the texture of place firsthand. Taoyuan Yangming Junior High School's "Old City New Art—A Dialogue of Spaces and Stories" course encourages students to participate in cultural preservation and neighborhood planning. Through architectural surveys and model-making, this program transforms history into a living classroom lesson, deepening students' understanding and engagement with local and sustainable issues.

Xinglong Elementary School in Hsinchu County and Dahu Elementary School in Hsinchu City explore social-emotional learning from a new perspective, using media such as poetry, cards, plant art, and handcrafts to guide students to have a deep understanding of themselves and others and establish emotional connections; Taoyuan High School and the Cool Ling Group of the Taoyuan City Curriculum Development and Refined Teaching Center use forum theater to care about teachers' emotional labor and physical and mental comfort, and create a supportive campus culture.

Jiaopu Elementary School and Xinyi Elementary School in Miaoli County encourage students to connect with nature and express their emotions through diverse media, including plant observation, parent-child learning, and mosaic creation. Art in the curriculum is no longer simply about learning techniques; it becomes a bridge for students to connect with their community, the land, and even themselves, allowing beauty to be deeply embedded in every aspect of daily life.

Dazhong, Ciwen, and Dayong Elementary Schools in Taoyuan use AI technology to generate images and music, conduct plant power generation experiments, and create virtual tours. This allows them to flexibly demonstrate technological applications, enhance digital literacy and problem-solving skills, and practice local creativity and sustainable thinking.

This remarkable sharing of achievements stems from a group of teachers with a shared vision. Through mutual exchange and support, and through a spiral approach to curriculum design and resource sharing, they have gradually cultivated a teaching community where both emotional connection and professionalism are intertwined. The event, through the online platform Padlet, allows for cross-school dialogue and collaborative learning to unfold and continue naturally, opening up more gentle and profound possibilities for education.