Taiwanese educator lights up passion for butterfly ecology on campus

台灣教育工作者在校園點燃了對蝴蝶生態的熱情

Children can observe the whole process of metamorphosis in just one month: Awei Chen

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Awei Chen (陳振威), a director at New Taipei City's Yingge Elementary School, was invited as a guest in the latest episode of the I-Fun Learning website's Celebrity Interviews unit.

I-Fun Learning is part of the National Academy for Educational Research (NAER), providing resources for teachers and students.

In the episode, Chen talked about how he used a variety of interesting ways to teach children about butterfly ecology.

The life cycle of butterflies is a comparatively easy subject to learn about because the insects are so simple to raise and observe, Chen said, adding that in only about one month, children are able to see the whole metamorphosis process.

The educator said he started working on a butterfly study group project that involved 10 schools more than 15 years ago while working for another elementary school in Yingge. To this day, members of the butterfly study group are still interacting with each other, including on curriculums, Chen said.

One of the emphases of the 12-year public education system is trans-disciplinary education, Chen continued. As a way to put trans-disciplinary education into practice, Chen incorporated drama and playwriting into lessons about insects and had children play the roles of different species.

After they finished performing their insect dramas, the children learned about the habits of different insects and their physical features and functions. They also became more involved in the learning process this way, he observed.