Teaching

You will be teaching how to do something in the next class. Please let me know if you need help. Good luck!

Written Reports

Here are some reminders about the reports due next class:
1. One to two pages long(double-spaced)
2. Don't personalize (do not write "I think..." or "We should... " etc)
3. Use at least two sources (Wikipedia doesn't count)
4. Be very careful with plagiarism.
5. Topic should relate to something we studied BUT should be original and focused.
6. Take the report beyond defining or summarizing something. Find opinions, suggestions, solutions, different interpretations, comparisons.
7. "Think outside the box." Be innovative and creative in your research (i.e. survey students, interview a professor, go somewhere, etc...
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And, as always, contact me if you need help or have any questions!

Learning Styles and Preparing for Reports

In the next class we will discuss different theories about how we learn. We will also have some time to brainstorm about the topics you want to do for the written report (due December 14th). In the comments, please tell us 2 topics that you might want to do for the paper. Please be specific about your topics. For example, if you want to write about a school case study, please tell us exactly which school. Or if you're thinking about researching "discipline," tell us what aspect of it you will write about (i.e. teacher effectiveness training, corporal punishment, etc).
If you have any questions please email me!

Future of Education

In the next class we will discuss about the future of education. First, think about how education has changed since the time your parents and grandparents were students. Realize that in the next generation (30 years), education will likely change even more than it has in the last 100 years. Now, choose one question and answer in the comments. You may give general answers or provide details.

1. What are some ways that education has changed in the last 100 years?

2. Make a prediction about how education might change in the next 30 years.

3. Suggest how you think education SHOULD change in the next 30 years.

Sports and Physical Education

We will be talking about sports and physical education (P.E.) in the next class. In Australia, the government set up a group of educational programs called SEDA (Sports Education and Development Australia) to help students who do not do well in a traditional school environment. The programs teach them real skills to prepare them for working in the sports and recreation industry when they graduate. Watch this VIDEO about SEDA and in the comments, tell us about something interesting you saw/heard.

Next class we will be talking about discipline in schools. Please think about the following questions and answer one in the comments:

1. What was discipline like in your school? What were the good and bad things about this form of discipline?

2. Were you ever disciplined? What happened? How do you feel about it now as an adult?

3. If you have had an experience as a teacher/tutor, did you ever discipline a student?

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Also, if you are interested in this topic for your next presentation, HERE is an interesting article about discipline.

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Out of School Education

In next class, we will talk about four different ways to get an education outside of a classroom. Check out the links below and then in the comments tell us about something interesting you found.

Volunteering on a kibbutz

The Book Bus

Outward Bound

WWOOF

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Case study: Westminster College and Colorado Free University

I went to Westminster College and got a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies. The college is in Fulton, Missouri. It is a very small town, but there are six universities in the area so there are lots of young people and hundreds of bars.

I liked this school for many reasons. I enjoyed the historical atmosphere and the old buildings - each had an interesting story. Also, most classes were small so I got to know all of my professors very well. My French professor sometimes cancelled class and we would go to her house to cook dinner, drink wine and practice our French. The social life at Westminster was very active. Most students lived on campus so my friends were always close. I joined a fraternity and lived in the "Beta House" with about 30 of my "brothers" until my last year when I got my own apartment near the campus.

My part-time job was giving tours of the Churchill Memorial - a museum for Winston Churchill. It was great meeting many tourists from all over the world!

After graduation, I moved to Denver, Colorado and started working. I missed school so started taking classes at the Colorado Free University. Unfortunately, it isn't "free", but it was very cheap. I took a German class and a beer-making class. The cool thing about this school is that they offer many kinds of strange and wonderful courses and anybody can teach there. If you have a skill you want to share, you can start you own classes and if people sign up, you get paid!

Have a look at the websites for these schools and answer one of the questions below.

1. What information was interesting for you?

2. What would you like to know more about?

3. Do you know of schools like these here in Japan?

Studying Abroad

Hi everyone!

One summer, when I was a 3rd-year student at university, I studied at IES in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. I made lots of friends, drank A LOT of beer and I learned about language and culture. Mostly, I drank beer.

When I moved to Tokyo, I enrolled at MLC and went to Japanese language classes twice a week. In my class there was a guy from Myanmar, a girl from Hong Kong and also the ambassador of Burkina-Fasso! My teacher was great, but I really learned how to speak Japanese by going to lunch with my classmates after each lesson. Sometimes the ambassador drove me home in his limousine!!

In high school, I begged my parents to let us host a foreign exchange student. We never did. I'm still sad about that... :(

Please briefly answer ONE of the questions below in the comments:

1. Would you like to study abroad? Where would you want to go? What would you want to study?

2. Have you studied abroad already? Tell us about it!

3. Have you lived abroad for a long period of time? What was school like?

4.Do you know of any foreign students in Japan? What is their experience in Japan like?

5. Has your family ever hosted an exchange student? What was that like?

Also, we'll be reading part of this article in class (click here) so check it out if you have time.

Sharing Our Experiences

In the next class we will be reading about people's experiences in education and sharing our own. Please think about the following questions and be prepared to share some stories, opinions and examples from your own experiences. In the comments, please briefly answer one of the questions.

What is your first memory of school?

What teacher influenced you the most?

What is your favorite/least favorite thing about school?

How do you feel about club activities?

How do you feel about the importance of testing?

Did you have a native English teacher in your school? What were they like?

Did you go to cram school? How was your experience?

Were there any foreign exchange students at your school? Did you learn anything from them?

Have you ever studied abroad? What did you learn from your experience?

What are some of the good/bad things about your experiences at TUFS?

Would you like to continue your studies after TUFS?

How will you continue learning as an adult?

What are some issues in education that concern you?

Review

In the next class we will review all of the topics we studied this semester. I will give you the questions that will be on the test for you to think about.
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Have a great Umi Day!
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Final Presentations

Next class you will give your final presentations!
Let me know if you have any questions.
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Discussion Preparation

Excellent lessons today guys - I was really impressed!!!

This week please choose a topic that you want to do for our final discussions on July 13th. Do most of your research this week and bring it to class. In the next class we will make an outline, write a good introduction, prepare materials, etc.

Let me know if you need help choosing a topic or finding materials, ok?
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Have a great week!

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Practicum

Next class you will teach 3 students your language lesson. You will have 30 minutes with your group to finish plans and to practice. Then you will have 10 minutes to teach your lesson.

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Do not forget that on July 6th we have our last written and oral reports! Think about what you want to do and start your research soon.

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Lesson Planning

In our next lesson I will explain my formula for planning lessons. This formula can be used for any kind of lesson - from kids to adults! I will then give you a very short demonstration lesson. After that, you and your group will plan a lesson for greetings and counting to 5 in a foreign language (the language will be a surprise).

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Please answer ONE of the questions below in the comments.

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1. Can you think of a fun lesson activity that you did as a child or in high school?

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2. What is a good activity that you have done at TUFS or in a foreign language school that helped you learn?

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Case study: Cetlalic School

In 1999, I went to Cuernavaca, Mexico to study Spanish for a month. Out of the many language schools in Mexico, I chose this one because of its unique approach to teaching and learning. Check out the website HERE and prepare the answers to the questions below. We will go over your answers in class.

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1. What is Cetlalic's teaching philosophy?

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2. What do you think makes them different from other lanugage schools?

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In the comments, please answer ONE of the questions below:

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1. Have you studied in a foreign language school? What were the good/bad points?

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2. Would you like to study in a foreign language school? What and where? How would you want to learn the language?

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Teacher Case Study: Sylvia Ashton-Warner and Paulo Freire

Next class we will study and talk about two famous educators. Please read what is wrtiten below then choose ONE of the questions and answer in the coments.

Sylvia Ashton-Warner was an unconventional teacher in New Zealand. She became well-known for her innovative teaching methods. Two movies were made about her life. Watch the preview for the film Sylvia.

Paulo Freire was a revolutionary educator from Brazil. He thought it was important that the teacher and students be equal in the classroom. He said, "Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers."

Answer ONE of these questions in the comments.

1. What would you like to know about these educators?

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2. What other famous teachers do you know of?

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3. What did you think of the movie preview?

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4. What do you think Freire means by his quote?

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Reports for June 1st

First, choose one topic that is related to something we have studied or talked about in class. For example: a famous educator, information about a foreign country's education system or a contemporary educational issue. Please tell me your idea in the comments.


Second, do some research this week and bring the information to our next class. We will organize the information and determine how much more research you need to do. If you'd like to do a class survey, I will give you time in class.


The written report will be 1-2 pages (don't forget to include references). Your discussion will be 2-3 minutes of you explaining your topic, then 2-3 minutes of discussion. It is a good idea to have some questions prepared for your group to help get the discussion started.


Email me if you have questions or need some help!

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Issues in Education

Next week we are going to talk about 3 issues in American education: desegregation, text revision and uniforms in public schools. After that we will watch a BBC news report about the issue of testing in British schools.

Please think about an issue in Japan or another country and tell me a little about it in the comments. Please be prepared to explain the issue in class to your group.

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American Education

Next class we will look at the education system in the United States and compare it to Japan. We will also discuss these topics: homeschooling, public vs. private schools, colleges and universities, university rankings, and American education issues.

In the comments, please tell me something that you know about going to school in America. It can be an experience or maybe an image you have about it.

Have a great Golden Week!!

Jaime Escalante

Next class we will be studying and talking about Jaime Escalante. He became a famous educator because of his ability to help "bad" students pass high-level mathematics classes.

Click HERE and watch his video while you fill out the homework sheet.
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First Blog Post

Please tell me about the partner you met during our first class.

Go to "comments" below. Type your information (don't forget your name!). In the "comment as" section, you can choose "Anonymous". Finally, click on "Post comment".

Send me an email if you have problems.

See you next week!

Matt
mattsclass@gmail.com