Understanding the Role of Southeast Asians in the Secret War in Laos

A professional development Seminar Series and Study Tour to Laos (SSST Laos) designed to meet the following three objects: The SSST Laos will 1) enable junior high and high school teachers to meet the intent of AB 78 which “expresses the encouragement of the Legislature for instruction to contain content on the Vietnam war, including the ‘Secret War’ in Laos, and the role of Southeast Asians in that war.” 2) address the following H-SS academic content standards: 10.4, 10.9.3, 11.9.3, 11.11.1 and 11.11.7. and 3) allow teachers to better meet the Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning Standard in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and 19(h), 19(i), 19(j) and 19(k) in Program Standard 19: Teaching English Learners under the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Professional Teacher Induction Programs.

The SSST Laos is directed at junior high and high school teachers,though all interested teachers are welcome. [Read an article in the Merced Sun newspaper of two junior high teachers that went on the Summer 2003 Study Tour to Laos] The purpose of the seminar is to strengthen teachers’ knowledge about the Secret War in Laos and the Laotian refugee experience (Lao, Hmong and Mien), enhancing not only their own instruction, but allowing them to become mentors for other staff at their school sites.

The SEAIF team has worked hard to design a seminar series that is relevant, comprehensive, standard’s-based and utilizing the latest digital technologies. The SEAIF team models standards-based teaching while integrating rich multimedia content with the goal to prepare teachers to combine world studies with state standards. The SSST Laos is designed to build on the California International Study Project’s emphasis on Context --understanding that world cultures and contemporary affairs have been shaped by many historical, religious, political, economic and geographic factors, Interdependent Systems - the interconnectedness among world regions, events and peoples, and the complexity that is inherent in these relationships, and Multiple Perspectives -interpretation of historical and contemporary world events and issues from the viewpoints of people whose cultures, value orientations, or life experiences may be different from one's own.

At the conclusion of the SSST Laos (seminar series and study tour), participants will: • have an increased knowledge and understanding of Laos and Hmong, Mien and Lao cultures and their roles in the Secret War in Laos • be able to identify areas of their own curriculum where they can integrate the teaching about Laos and Hmong, Mien and Lao cultures • have an awareness of a range of classroom resources available for teaching about Laos and Hmong, Mien and Lao cultures

The seminar series will then culminate in a study tour to Laos, with participating teachers receiving stipends from their school district to help offset the cost of the study tour. After the study tour participating teachers will then be required to design a digital project and will receive instruction and support prior to the study tour, during the study tour, and post study tour on digital documentation, the pros and cons of digital photography vs. digital video and how best to incorporate digital content in final projects. Digital projects can be a web site, video/video clips and/or PP presentation, all designed so that they can be shared/distributed over the Internet. Teachers will also be required to maintain a journal and respond to prompts during the tour that will be shared in a website/PP presentation by the SSST Laos Leader after the SSST Laos.

We are looking for a school district in Sacramento or the greater Central Valley that will want to support our proposal. The seminar series will be held during the school year on Saturdays in 2008/9 at the Grant High Library and the study tour will be held in the summer of 2009.

• The length and breadth of the seminar series will depend on funding. A sample syllabus could be (three to six sessions):
• The first session would focus on developing a framework for understanding cultural complexity.
• The second session would focus on the role of Southeast Asians in the Secret War, and the resulting refugee experience after the pullout of the U.S. from Laos. We will view and discuss the video, Bombies, which shows the devestation of the bombing of Laos and resulting issues with UXO.
• The third session would provide an overview of present day Laos, the role of the US Embassy in Laos, with am emphasis on geo-politics of Laos and the Southeast Asia region.
• The fourth session would focus on the Lao, Hmong and Mien cultures.
• The fifth session would highlight academic content standards connections and suggestions of how to integrate the teaching of Laos and the Secret War into the curriculum. Possible guest speaker would be John Burns, formerly Consultant in the Standards and Assessment Division at the California Department of Education.
• The sixth session would be a final orientation before the study tour, what to expect, how to prepare, etc.