Author Archives: Alex C. Pan

About Alex C. Pan

Dr. Alex C. Pan was born in Taiwan and received his master and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is currently an associate professor at The College of New Jersey, where he teaches a broad spectrum of courses in subjects ranging from future teacher development to the impact of globalization. For over twenty years he has collaborated with public school programs and advised elementary and early childhood student teachers. He has published dozens of articles and given numerous talks and workshops on the topics of globalization, education, and technology-enhanced instruction. Most recently he has focused on teacher’s action research as well as the economic and cultural impact of globalization.

Best way to increase the vocabulary power

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

When I was little, I started picking up Chinese words (in characters) little by little, through learning with teachers, friends, and family. Very soon I was able to read easy books and newspapers. Of course I still had many words … Continue reading →

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How can we help students become more creative?

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Reading about the world’s 50 most innovative companies in the Fast Company Magazine, I would agree that creativity plays a key factor in the success of these companies. But, how can we reach a high level of creativity? Once in … Continue reading →

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What’s hot in current education discussion?

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Educators all over the world currently share the same interest and engage in common topics: How can we address the needs for the full range of diversity of students in the school? These include bilingual eduction, special education, culturally responsive … Continue reading →

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Who is afraid of the principal?

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Ms. Johnson was a new third grade teacher, whose passion about teaching has always been discounted by a few naughty students. She brought in plenty of interesting materials to excite her students. However, she quickly became frustrated when the class … Continue reading →

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How to manage large amount of information in teaching

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

When teaching a class with much information to cover, the instructors tend to fall into a trap that spoon-feeding information continuously. No matter how enthusiastic the instructors are, students will be overwhelmed. Some of the strategies may be of help … Continue reading →

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Multiplication mission impossible

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

The fifth grade teacher shook her head and said to the two student teachers in her room, “I hate it when this happens. It’s definitely not my responsibility. The half of my fifth grade students don’t know the multiplication tables. … Continue reading →

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Saving a dream for young kids

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Last December, a second-grade teacher from New York got reprimanded for misdemeanor. It was a shock by looking at the title because inappropriate contacts between teachers and students had been popular in the news lately. However, this time it’s different. … Continue reading →

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Learning in the information age

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Confucius said that learning does not stop with aging. We ought to keep up with learning as if we were to lose the ample opportunity to learn. I strongly believe that learning is the most crucial way to produce meaning … Continue reading →

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Gun scare in the school

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

There was a joke, saying that a guy got arrested at the airport by loudly greeting his friend, ” Hi, Jack!” Certainly people are overly sensitive to some expressions or actions during the sensitive time and at a sensitive location. … Continue reading →

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How can you pin down a topic for your unit?

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Alex C. Pan

Here is a scenario that occurred in a classroom: Student teacher: I am asked to plan a unit and schedule two weeks to teach about the unit. Would you suggest a good topic for my unit? Cooperating teacher: That will … Continue reading →

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