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AskAsia®
 "...many of
us believe that building cultural understanding may
be just what the Web can do best. AskAsia, an impressive
Web site providing K-12 resources about Asia and the
Asian American experience, has been developed by people
who believe just that....The site is a national initiative
designed to improve teaching and learning about Asia
at the elementary and secondary levels. It is filled
with what seems to be a rare commodity on the Web:
content."
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer,
January 15, 1998
AskAsia (http://www.askasia.org) is an exciting, informative
on-line source for K-12 Asian and Asian American studies.
Through the World Wide Web, AskAsia offers easy, 24-hour
access to high-quality, classroom-tested resources
and cultural information, maps, lesson plans, engaging
games and activities, and links to relevant people,
places, and institutions.
At AskAsia, teachers can also join a virtual community
of educators, share experiences, discover new sources
of material, and learn effective methods for teaching
about Asia and Asian American experiences. AskAsia's
resources are divided into five sections:
- Information/News
- This dynamic
area includes What's New (a guide to the latest
news about AskAsia), News Site Links (links to Asian
newspapers), and a Product Showcase.
For Educators- An in-depth
resource for teachers, parents and home-schoolers.
In this section you'll find Instructional Resources,
information on Professional Development/Grants,
a Communication Center containing a Teachers' Bulletin
Board, and the School-to-School Connection, an area
that brings schools together for international dialogue.
Adult-Free Zone- For fun and
learning! The Activity Corner contains engaging
games featuring Japanese word-play, and an origami
demonstration. E-Pals allows kids to link to penpals
around the world; Kid's Message Center allows kid-to-kid
communication, while Fun Links lets students and
home learners travel and learn as they "surf"
around the globe. And if you're stuck on a question
about Asia, or just curious to learn more, our homework
help line is always open at "Kids Ask AskAsia®."
Gateway to Asia- Point, click,
you're on your way! Tour our Asia Sites for a look
at some interesting places from all across Asia.
While you're in the neighborhood, check out Live
From Asia, the place where you can tune into "The
Vietnam Challenge (a 'Net event scheduled for January
1998)."
Who We Are- Find out more
about AskAsia's mission, as well as AskAsia's Sponsors
and Partners in this area. You can become an AskAsia
Partner and contribute lesson plans, field trip
sites and other content, beginning with the interactive
form in this section.
 The
Vietnam Challenge
On January 1, 1998, a team of 75 individuals including
American and Vietnamese veterans of the war in Vietnam,
some with disabilities, embarked on the Vietnam Challenge,
a 1,200-mile, 16-day bicycle journey of discovery
through the heart of Vietnam. Leading the team was
three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and Diana
Nyad, holder of the world's record for the longest
swim. Joining them--via cyberspace -- were thousands
of home learners, students, and teachers who followed
the groundbreaking journey via
AskAsia (http://www.askasia.org), a Web site dedicated
to providing quality K-12 resources on Asia.
The Vietnam Challenge
"This
New Year's Day.... marks the beginning of the Vietnam
Challenge, a 1,200-mile bicycle journey led by Greg
LeMond. American and Vietnamese war veterans, including
those with disabilities, will ride together harmoniously
down Vietnam's Highway 1. And thanks to the Asia
Society and World T.E.A.M. Sports, you'll be able
to follow the action at www.AskAsia.org. But even
from your PC you'll be more than a spectator. The
organizations are encouraging students, educators,
and interested viewers to learn firsthand about
contemporary Vietnam by reading contestants' journals
and corresponding with them via e-mail throughout
the 16-day trek."
-- Computer Life, January 1998
UNDERSTANDING OF VIETNAM'S PAST AND PRESENT UNFOLDS
ON THE WEB
Understanding of Vietnam's Past and Present
AskAsia invited home learners, students and teachers
to participate in an online field trip through Vietnam
while following the progress of the Vietnam Challenge
bike trek.
Vietnam's Highway 1, a lush road decimated by battle
during the War in Vietnam, was the setting for a journey
of reconciliation between former adversaries and a
path of learning for students around the world.
On January 1, 1998, a team of 75 individuals including
American and Vietnamese veterans of the war in Vietnam,
some with disabilities, will embarked on the Vietnam
Challenge, a 1,200-mile, 16-day bicycle journey of
discovery through the heart of Vietnam. Leading the
team was three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond
and Diana Nyad, holder of the world's record for the
longest swim. Joining them--via cyberspace -- were
thousands of home learners, students, and teachers
who followed the groundbreaking journey via AskAsia
(http://www.askasia.org), a Web site dedicated to
providing quality K-12 resources on Asia. The immediacy
and interactivity of the Web allowed online participants
to communicate with Challenge team members (American
and Vietnamese), exchange ideas, explore Vietnam's
diverse landscape, and learn about the richness and
vitality of contemporary Vietnam.
Organized by World T.E.A.M. Sports, a Charlotte, NC-based
organization dedicated to promoting sports participation
for individuals with disabilities, the Vietnam Challenge
was not a race but rather a chance to use athletics
to extend a hand in friendship and reconciliation
to a nation still rebuilding from the wreckage of
more than a decade of war.
"The connection between the Vietnam Challenge
and AskAsia offered everyone, in particular families
with children ages 4-18, an opportunity to acquire
a greater understanding of Vietnam. AskAsia provides
a window of insight into the history and after-effects
of world-changing events, such as the war in Vietnam,
while giving them relevant information about contemporary
Vietnam," said Namji Steinemann, Director of
the Education Department at the Asia Society.
In addition to the ongoing tracking of the ride, the
Asia Society developed a downloadable comprehensive
curriculum guide that included elements from a Classroom
Kit, with additional maps, activities, an expanded
history of Vietnam including information on the war,
as well as information about contemporary Vietnam.
About World T.E.A.M. Sports
World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports,
based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an organization
that seeks to showcase the capabilities of people
with disabilities and encourage participation by all
people in lifetime sports. WTS also has organized
the Kilimanjaro Confidence Climb, where 12 athletes
with disabilities climbed Africa's highest peak, and
AXA World Ride '95, where a team of cyclists and athletes
with disabilities traveled 13,000 miles around the
globe.
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