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National Taiwan Normal University has been given the fund for foreign education apprenticeship course and the educational internship program by the Ministry of Education. The Department of Special Education has selected 8 pre-service teachers, led by Prof. Yu Hsiao Ping, for a two-week visit for gifted education Kamnoetvidya Academy of Sciences (KVIS) and the 2018 Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness in mid-August in Thailand.   Those students, coming from different departments like English, Chemistry, Science, Special Education, have all taken gifted education courses. 

 

KVIS is located in Rayong, Thailand. It's a leading science high school that has a goal of cultivating mathematics and scientific talents. Every year, 72 students are selected from among thousands of students, being offered a full scholarship. The courses are in English and most teachers have a master's degree. KVIS is equipped with advanced technologies and teachers all know how to use these teaching media. The courses are mostly done by collaborative team teaching. This could be helpful for students to solve various challenges in life. 

 

This time, the pre-service teachers have prepared some activities for students at Banyubtanang public elementary school. They have designed three fun interactive games in science and also shared the customs of the lunar year of Taiwan. At the last night at KVIS, NTNU students also played basketball and tennis with local students had a good time.

 

The 2018 Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness lasted for 5 days. They met with gifted students from various countries. There are many events and activities that enable students to stimulate students' creativity, inspiration and motivation The overall course design includes creative thinking, artistic display, mathematical logic, scientific observation, cultural experience, physical exercise and other thematic activities. Students have the chance to visit large-scale scientific exhibitions and participate in experiments.

 

One student mentioned that in one of the elective courses,"Design Thinking", students are asked to design a barrier-free house that fits every age group. In addition for students to fully demonstrate their creativity, it is more important for these gifted students to pursue self-realization while not forgetting to use their own abilities to fulfill their social responsibilities and to empathize people with different needs. Another student said that although every student are smart, they work together to complete the task. From this two week visit, through discussion and exchange, the pre-service teachers can know more about gifted education in Thailand, to reflect on the differences between the education of Thailand and Taiwan. It is hoped that these experiences will benefit them in their future position and become a good teacher who can constantly think critically and seek for improvement.