It is the instructional method capitalizing on the media capabilities that ultimately holds the powerful influence on psychological processes and learning. The object of this project is to introduce brush painting and poetry into the Japanese language curriculum. The Japanese haiga, or poem painting, integrates poetry, painting and calligraphy in one creative effort. Choices are narrowed down to poems of the four seasons which feature images such as cherry blossoms, pine, peonies and bamboo. Students will then decorate their poems with a painting of the images they have learned.
Students can also write their own haiku, being careful to concentrate on one seasonal image.
The main focus of the lesson is to learn how to create images in ink which illustrate the poems they have copied or composed. We at Georgtown are directing our efforts toward a reading-focused program for advanced level students. I would like to discuss how we want to change our program, and the various tasks it would entail.