Ainosato Higashi Elementary School

When I asked my homestay family if it would be OK to stay an extra week here in Sapporo, I was asked by my homestay mother if I could possibly visit the elementary school of three of her four children. I immediately said yes. The school is around 100m from where I have been staying, and the quality of the school and its staff matches the Ainosato neighbourhood in general. That is to say that the school has a high standard and level of expectation from its teachers and students.I was told this by several parents, teachers and by the school's principal. In the morning and after my classes, I also got a complete school tour, and could see a lot of interesting things happening. Like the pictures show, this elementary has a massive music hall for teaching all the basic instruments in Japanese elementary education, as well as for larger classes like mine.  And all of the classrooms are like those of the University attached elementary in that they are open classroom designs, without walls to block off sound and movement between similar grades. After the day's lessons, the principal and I had a great talk together about the current practices in English education in elementary schools in Japan, along with the questions back and forth about similarities between Canada and Japan's schools. On this particular day, and once a month, the school is open to the families of the students, so things were fairly hectic. I think that this extra energy helped my lessons, and helped the students be as 'genki' as possible!

Asking the students, "Who likes okonomiyaki?"

Much of my classtime with the students on Friday was used to show the various classes pictures of my home, my family, and the things in Canada which differ from Japan. Jon Wolfe and I had used a similar game in the junior high schools of Sapporo during the exchange, but elementary students have a much more narrow band of available English. As a result, I made a presentation using some of the most basic and common English sentence structures. I felt that the most important thing during my lessons was engagement and having the students practice simple and useful English vocabulary. Thankfully, the principal and other teachers liked the lesson. Because each class has different interests, and different grades have different abilities, my slideshow was rather open-ended, and included a question and answer portion at the end. This is where things got interesting, with some students asking about food, others about sports and the grade six students really obsessed about Canadian money! lol

My captive audience! ^^

After this introduction, each class exchanged a musical performance. For my part, I played Stan Rogers song, "Northwest Passage"on piano and sang the main vocal line. To make it more interesting for the students, I asked them to clap on the offbeat, something which is difficult for anyone, and it gave the song a nice feel. In turn, each class performed one Japanese song for me, two of which I managed to record on my voice recorder! I'm not sure if I can find a way to upload them to this blog, but will search out a solution in the next few days.
In reflection, I really like using a general lesson framework over and over, because it gives me the chance to really learn about the students, and what they want to learn. The constant factor in this type of scientific exploration is my lesson, but the outcomes were very different whether I taught a group of 4th graders or 6th graders. Likewise, the type of jokes and questions they like is varied by age and personality, and using an understood lesson helps me focus on the observations of the students, rather than my own uncertainy of the material.

A brief clapping rehearsal

Post performance high fives!! A job well done. The student performances were amazing!

We arrived in Calgary a couple days ago and I am experiencing jet lag...excuse odd comments if they occur as they are a product of exhaustion...

The day we left was one of the hardest days of our trip for me. I had to say goodbye to my home stay and my friends that I had made without knowing when, or if, I would get to say hello again. Aki took us all the way to the airport and we cried as we hugged a "see you later..." It was then that I realized how fragile overseas friendships can be and I vowed to myself that I will email her and keep contact.

This experience was truly valuable for me as I believe I have grown through it. The TAB program allows students to see first hand how the education systems of other countries operate while teaching new strategies and skills. I have learned so much about my own pedagogy and re-evaluated the ways that I thought a teacher "should be"....because of this program I was able to gain first hand knowledge through experiences with a culture and for that, I am truly grateful.

The memories that I have made, friendships I have formed and love of travel that I have gained through this experience are things that I will hold dear to my heart and are those that will never be forgotten. My coming home was bitter sweet for me in that I am excited to be home surrounded by my family and friends yet sad to leave other loved ones behind.

I will never forget....Thank you to everyone who helped make our stay so memorable...

Bonus Tracks at the Hokkaido University of Education

I was lucky enough to extend my stay in Hokkaido by one week, and I would like to thank both Universities very much for this opportunity. For the Hokkaido University of Education, it has meant extra work for Oga sensei and her staff.  My homestay is helping me as well, and deserve a special thank you as wefor putting up with me for another week. From the University of Calgary, I'd like to thank both Gavin Peat and Jim Paul for trusting in me to help preserve and support this exchange.

Me and professor Yorozuya at the Ainosato campus

Anyways, I'd like to tell you what I did yesterday!! :-) Konno Tomoyo - our group's friend and translator for much of our time in Sapporo - invited me to an education class for aspiring English teachers. The professor, Yorozuya sensei, was interested to meet me, and we ended having a drink in his office after class. It only took about 10 minutes to realize how much we have in common, particularly in English educational policy and practice in both Japan and Korea. Professor Yorozuya is very highly respected and regarded by many faculty and students as an expert in Japan's English educational reform, so the chance to meet him and speak about current issues was one I couldn't pass up. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet him again on Monday at the campus. During our conversation, he showed me pictures of his visits to Calgary, and photos of him with Dr. David Jardine and Dr. Jim Field. When I saw these pictures of him with my own professors from last year, my jaw nearly hit the floor of his office, and I couldn't stop talking. This is a common problem for me - as many people know - but these photos only made my condition worse! hahahah
When professor Yorozuya found out that I would be teaching at the Ainosato Higashi Elementary school, which I did today, he started to look for students of his who could accompany me and record my lesson(s) at the school. This was incredibly flattering, and the nervousness I felt only went away today, when I found out that he wasn't able to find anyone, since all the students had class, and he himself had a busy schedule. I will hopefully have time on Monday to show him what I did, and also will write a separate post soon about my day at Ainosato Higashi! Pictures coming soon!

Ainu museum and historical village

The Ainu solutions to cold weather and snow. Look familiar?

One of our many cultural experiences here in Sapporo was the trip to Hokkaido's Ainu museum. I forgot the exact details of where the museum is, but the trip out there took well over an hour from where we live in Ainosato. For me, the chance to learn more about the Ainu was definitely something I was looking forward to, and I made sure to bring my camera with me!

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Hokkaido, and only recently has there been a positive motion towards preserving and promoting this unique culture and its history. Everything I saw in the museum and attached historical village reminded me of Canada's own history with the people we call first nations. In some ways, these memories are not pleasant. Studying Canadian history has only shown the difficulties and misunderstandings that occur between cultures, and some of the troubles that have come up in both Canada and Japan show a similar - if sad - part of human nature. Thankfully, much is being done now to strenthen Ainu cultural practices, which include textiles and clothing, music and traditional tools and weaponry. Like Canadian First Nations' people. the Ainu devised many natural and simple solutions to cold weather, snow, and the difficult jobs of hunting shelter building. Because of my interest in archery, I was also drawn to the hunting tools used by the Ainu, and was surprised to see that they used metal-bladed knives. Our tour guide said that these blades were only available because the Ainu commonly traded with the nearby Russians, and on occasion with the Japanese mainlanders.

Professor Otsu and her lesson adaptation on a game she found in Australia

In an effort to combine two separate blog entries, this style of proto-international commerce reminded me of Dr. Otsu's University lecture from last week. Professor Otsu is the principal at the University's attached Junior High School, and also a professor at the University. She invited the four of us to her lecture on globalization and economics last week. The lecture was really more of a giant  game, and better yet, a game I had played before. We were invited to participate, as the premise of the game was quite simple, and didn't demand much or any Japanese language on our part! heheheeheh


Needle cases. Notice the valueless Japanese coin attached to the end.

 I had played a similar game in my junior high school as a student, almost 20 years  ago. Groups are made which then inherit a country name, as well as a collection of natural resources and tools. The object of the game is to 'refine' these natural materials into complex products or widgets, and then to sell them back to the teacher or professor. Because the game begins with a diverse mixture of countries and pre-existing wealth, the outcomes of the game are somewhat predictable, and generally favour already wealthy nations.

I made need to actually make another blog entry to fully describe the usefulness of this game, but I guess I could just stop here and say that the imbalances of value in less technologically advanced civilizations can lead to some extremly interesting outcomes. In the case of the Ainu, it displays itself in the fact that a sewing needle was considered so valuable- around 100 salmon's worth- that it was carried in a special case around owner's neck. The base of the needle holder is actually a Japanese coin, some denominations of which have a hole in the center. What is considered valuable or purposeful in one culture is often lost in another culture, and can find a completely new purpose. Another more vivid example was a special container which was traded to the Ainu. Its original purpose was to hold the severed head of a Japanese Samurai, but according to our guide found other uses in the culture of the Ainu people.

Host Families in Ainosato

Our time here in Sapporo is almost finished, and I thought it would be a good idea to talk about my host family. I was placed with the Sato family who - like the other host families for this student exchange - live in the Ainosato area of Sapporo, and within walking distance of the University campus.

Yuki, the game 'monster', at work in the arcade!!! ^^

There are four children in the Sato family, ranging in age between 5 and 12 years in age. I think that the noise level and energy level in this homestay is about the same as a Canadian household. Mrs. Sato is a full-time mother, activity manager and negotiator, while Mr. Sato works full-time as an counsellor and manager at a center for autistic adults in Sapporo. It has been a really great experience living with the Sato family, and sharing their home for the past month. The homestays were all arranged by the Hokkaido University of Education, and I think that they did an excellent job matching my personality to this family. Both my 'Mama-san' and 'Papa-san' are extremely kind and funny, and have done an amazing job making me feel welcome and accepted into their home.
Two Sundays ago, one of Mama-san's friends was visiting for coffee, and was curious about how Mrs. Sato had arranged to have foreign students from the University stay with her. Although the entire conversation was in Japanese, I could understand some of the basic steps Mrs. Sato had taken in order to arrange my homestay. Previously, the Sato family also hosted a russian student named Angela and an American named John. Mrs. Sato insisted that the process was quick and painless, and the benefit of having a homestay student was well worth the effort. Perhaps more for my ears than for her friend's, but nice to hear nonetheless. ^^


Me, John and Angela having a BBQ with Mr. Sato and family.

 For me, the most memorable thing about this homestay will probably be learning how similar a Japanese household is to most Canadian families. The routines of meals, school and homework can probably be found around the world, and seeing it here in Sapporo reminded me of my own childhood, and the basic roles and responsibilities typically found in homes of different cultures or languages. As a significant bonus, I was also able to practice my Japanese on a daily basis, and learned a great deal of valuable vocabulary and verbs from the children. Seeing them interact and play and argue also reminded me of my own childhood, while at the same time teaching me a new word or two that I can use for any future visits to Japan! :-)

Mrs. Sato slicing some delicious whale sashimi!!

Most evenings, I have spent time with one or both parents, discussing topics ranging from education to cooking to language and culture. I think that in a very important way, the game I played with junior high school students here in Sapporo - "Same and Different" - is really just the same thing I have been conversing about nearly everyday with my host family. Regardless of the topic, it takes very little for either me or my host parents to get very excited and animated about noticing the differences and curiousities between our two countries. Even though our ability to communicate quickly is often hampered, gesture and a glass of good japanese beer has helped me be as patient and cautious as ever, and the trip of learning each new detail has always been worth it.

An opportunity like this one is really valuable to me, and I'm sure that Allyson, Sylvia and Jon would agree that it has contributed a great deal to our understanding of terms like 'inquiry' and 'engagement'. Yesterday, the university asked us to make exit presentations about our experiences visiting the various schools here in Sapporo, and all four of us could proudly include much of the pedagogy we had learned from the University of Calgary's Education program. I think that much of the work at HUE here in Hokkaido is closed connected with the philosophies taught in the UofC's lecture series, and is reflected in the research of our faculty in Calgary. In whatever way, I hope that this blog and our stories can help support a continuation of this exchange. At our going away party, several staff and students asked if it would be possible for us to return on this exchange again next year; I hope the answer can always be yes for someone from the UofC, to come and see another environment in which great teaching and research is practiced.

Some Photos

Japan

Maple School

Today our team visited a small rural school called the Maple school, it got its name because of all the maple tree's in the surrounding area. The school has 18 students in grade 1 to grade 6. The school is beautiful in design and function with a large gym shaped like a barn. The students were shy at first, which seems to normal for Japanese students, but warmed up after we had lunch and started to play the game we brought for them to learn. The game we brought from Canada was "What time is it mr Wolf" a classic school yard game that we adapted for Hokkaido by changing it to Mr Bear. The children were quick to join in and have fun. Its still amazing to me that a group of Canadians with limited to no Japanese language can still connect so much with a group of students. When we were leaving the school they wanted to have a photo with us all on the steps of the school, another wonderful memory from Hokkaido to bring back to Canada. Our time is almost over here in Japan, its bitter sweet thinking about leaving. Bitter because of not having the time to see and taste and experience so many of the wonders of this country but at the same time sweet because of the great friends I have made and the amazing students I have been privileged to meet and teach. I look forward to seeing my friends and family in Canada and telling them about the incredible time I have had here in Japan.




Jon

Hands up if you like chocolate!

On Wednesday we visited a Sapporo Landmark...The Chocolate Factory. I can only imagine that as you read the words `Chocolate Factory` you were automatically reverted to `Charlie and The Chocolate Factory` and the ever amazing Willie Wonka. If you weren`t, this is fair warning that I was...

As we walked down the side walk, a sign appeared on the horizon the let us know we were heading in the right direction* `Chocolate Factory`...there in the middle of a mountain range was a magical place that we couldn't`t wait to explore and taste...soon enough the sweet scent of chocolate filled the air and our mouths were salivating. The smell was so intoxicating that I wish I could have bottled it up and brought it home to share with you..I have never smelled something quite like this...rich, creamy and irresistible...

Inside the gates the magic truly began to come to life. As the four five of us (we had the pleasure to be joined by Hina, Sylvia`s home stay sister) passed through the gates we were immediately greeted not only by the smell of chocolate and flowers but our other senses were exercised as well. There were flowers and gardens as far as you could see, tiny houses, bright sunshine, beautiful wrought iron canopies...even a tree house. A train circled around the courtyard for children to ride and squeal with pleasure. A show was beginning-the spectacle was full of energy and enthusiasm as figurines danced and twirled above our heads welcoming us. People stood in awe, grinning from ear to ear at the sight before them.

When the show had ended, we wandered through the tiny houses, took our photos by a hillside of flowers and decided it was time to see what the factory had to offer inside- again we were warmly welcomed as we paid for our tickets. Iron dog footprints lead us on our tour. We would stop and watch as chocolate cookies were made-the workers moving with precision. It was a sight to see. Everything within the factory was decorated in celebration of the work that took place there...there were figurines above the heads of the workers of children and animals who loved chocolate and were excited to be a part of the magic. We would walk through hallways that were decorated with fancy gold plating and special antiques...there were toys museums, music museums, hot chocolate cup museums, chocolate container museums, chocolate labelling and advertising museums...it was unreal.

Near the end of the tour, we came across a table of boutonnieres and tiny cakes...as we got closer we noticed that they were made of chocolate and sugar....they are made by hand each day-it
would have taken so much patience from the person responsible for them because there were
hundreds of tiny globes, each containing a beautiful piece of art.

We walked past a chocolate cafe where you can buy pieces of cakes, cookies or pure chocolate itself..across from the cafe there was a grand piano...it was playing a beautiful song without a musician. Hina enjoyed this the most...she stared in awe as the keys moved independently...

She played her own invisible piano on the train ride home....

At the end of the tour we went outside with some of the goodies we had bought to devour them in the sunshine...

Hina and I `cheersed` over a can of super thick, rich chocolate milk...

YUM!


We had lunch across the street over looking the mountain range and soccer field...afterwards we decided we should go souvenir shopping...we came to a shop that I`m almost certain sold everything you could ever desire....

We walked into the store and sure enough, we were right...you can find ANYTHING here...including a crab hat...

WAY TOO HILARIOUS!!








After a little shopping we were off for supper! A local Izakaya always hits the spot!





KAMPEI!!!

One Week...

As our time in Japan speeds toward the end, I find myself thinking about everything I wanted to do while I was here. I begin reminiscing about one afternoon a week or so before getting on the airplane to come here and I was sitting on my bed thinking about all the magical, wonderful things I would get to do, see, hear and taste while I was away in Japan. Many of the excursions I wanted to do and things I wanted to see I had only heard about in movies and magazines. I began compiling a mental list:

Cherry Blossom Festival
Fish Market
Ainu Cultural Museum
Otaru, flower festival and pottery shops
Shinto Temple
Downtown Sapporo
Sapporo Station
The Train
Onsen (preferably with monkeys...lol...)
Outdoor Markets and Shops
Royce Chocolate Factory
Sapporo Chocolate Factory
Beer Museum/ Factory
Traditional Japanese Dance
Kimono Lessons
Cooking Lessons
etc...


Some of the above list was added after arrival...most has been completed and experienced...some has not...Even though I had compiled the majority of this list before departure, due to miscalculations of time and how quickly it would go by, there are things on my list that remain *Un-checked*...As we sat around chit chatting after class in the international room, panic set in for the four of us realizing that our time was now very limited. We had one weekend left here to explore and create memories. I knew that I would not fit everything that I wanted to do into my remaining time and so, my list began to dwindle. As I cut out the `not as importants` and focused on the `oh my word super importants,` I began to question why it really mattered to me what I did while I was here. I think that the true importance is how I felt, what I learned and what I can take home with me via memory...Not the photo`s, souvenir`s or brochures of places I have been.

The value of this trip for me has been insurmountable. I have enjoyed my time of immersion in another culture surrounded by new and exciting things. I have made so many memories that I will cherish forever...but most importantly, I have acquired so much new found knowledge through my short period in Japan...

...hmmm KNOWLEDGE...

I find it interesting that the opportunity to visit Japan was presented to me because I am a student of the faculty of Education at the University of Calgary...the reason I say this is because my time in Japan serves as a metaphor for teaching...Often times I have heard an educator say `Oh I just don`t have enough time to cover everything I wanted to`...well, neither have I...the parallel comes into play in the fact that activities that fill your time are not as necessary as the lessons that surround you and the knowledge that can be acquired from them. The glory is in the trip as a whole and the memories made, not the minor stops along the way...

In saying that, I can honestly say that if I were to leave Japan today my heart would not be broken for the things I did not experience but rather for my separation from the nostalgia I have felt while here...

I will walk away from this trip with warm memories and magical reminiscence...I will forever be
LIVING*LAUGHING*LOVING*NIHON

Kevin the ALT and Japan's new plan for Elementary English Education

On Thursday, we went across the shared courtyard from the attached Junior High School to observe the classes at the attached Elementary School. Like the Junior High, this school is a bit of a testing grounds for new ideas in education. And just like the Junior High, this school seems to have attracted students and teachers of higher than average caliber. Some of my first observations were that the students at this school all wear a school uniform, which is uncommon at such an early age in most of Japan. We were than told by the principal that the teachers at this school - similar to those at the junior high - all have a great deal of experience and a reputation and desire to go the extra mile for their students. This can mean later days, but also the willingness and flexibility to try new approaches to education.

This then brings us to the education of English as a foreign language. When I was an ALT in Wakayama, I remember visiting some of my school's feeder elementary schools. This was done very infrequently, and I didn't know at the time exactly how - if at all - this teaching fit into an overall national plan for English education. On this exchange however, all the teachers and university staff has been very helpful and knowledgable, and has explained that there has been a plan in place for around ten years now to include English education starting in grades 5 and 6. So, in hindsight, my teaching at these feeder elementary schools was quite deliberate, albeit not as complete as it is nowadays. Taken to the most current example, the attached elementary school we visited on Thursday was just plain amazing. Not only did many of the teachers in the school speak English well, and not only did they have an ALT from Canada come the school every Thursday, they also employed an English 'head teacher' and curriculum designer to create all of the year's lesson plans for the elementary generalists. Like Canada, most elementary school teachers in Japan are responsible for teaching all of the core subjects, which now includes English. But - in my opinion, and as stated by a few school representatives - many of the teachers in Japan share a similar discomfort as to how exactly teach a language with which they themselves may only have limited knowledge of, or interest in. I think that the same situation can be observed in Canada's system, when a teacher may personally state a difficult with, or disinterest in one of the assigned disciplines, such as P.E. or math.
In the case of the attached elementary of this HUE campus, one of the most impressive solutions to this dilemma is Kevin, their ALT. Kevin comes once a week to spend one period with each class, and to help support their early English language program. When we visited, he also took some time out of his day to explain exactly how and why he does what he does, and how it connects with the latter junior high curriculum. His goal - or the goal of the overall program - is to attain 35 hours of English per grade per year. What makes this number really interesting to me is that the policy, whether official of simply implied, is that these hours should include little or no writing! For the class we participated in and observed, Kevin wrote almost nothing down on the board, and students were never expected to read or write the English language! Instead, the entire time was designed to practice their listening and speaking skills. The classtime we observed involved introducing some target vocabulary, and then using a game or two to practice it's usage, and to review/assess the students' comprehension. Kevin is also extremely attuned to the climate of the classroom, and infuses his lessons with a ton of energy and sound. He was not only teaching the target vocabulary, but also intonation, body language and a little bit of fun slang. For example, as we introduced ourselves to the students, he insisted that the students respond to each new fact with an UH-HUH (and a head bob!) In an English speaking country like Canada - where Kevin's also from - this is how people communicate on a practical level, so Kevin included it in his lesson.
The net result of this approach according to Kevin was that students build confidence in speaking English, and that they can carry this into junior high school, when they will start to learn about English grammar and more reading based activities. Also, their years of practice with only speaking English and listening to English will hopefully allow them to understanding using the language to communicate and answer real world problems, rather than simply get the correct answer on the test. Much of what is taught later in English education is test-driven, and Kevin said that to some affect this new "no word" policy in elementary English education will help students think more creatively about the language. ( Pictures coming soon!)

Lost and Found in Translation

I have learned so much so far from our school visits and seminars, but I think I have learned just as much, of not more from my time with my host family. There are many lessons I am still processing, but one has been on my mind a lot. I have been figuring out how to make connections with people despite a language barrier. My host family does not know a lot of English, and I know hardly any Japanese. Apart from the logistical difficulties of trying to communicate, I also worried about how I would create bonds with people that I struggled to have even basic conversation with. I often bond and connect with people over laughter. I grew up in a household where there was always a lot of laughter and teasing and making fun. It is how my siblings and I show affection for one another. My first few attempts at making jokes with my home stay were total flops. I got blank stares, and trust me, after using a pocket translator, Japanese phrasebook and emphatic hand gestures, a joke is pretty much dead. The only laughter the first day was at my pathetic chopstick skills.


The ice between my homestay sister, Hina, and I was broken after a couple days when the four of us were sitting together in the living room. She was getting up off the floor when she accidentally kneed herself in the face. Neither of her parents saw, and once I saw that she was okay, we made eye-contact and both burst out laughing. Her parents had no idea what was going on, which made us laugh even harder. A bond was created in a hilarious instant. Lesson one: physical comedy is pretty much universal.


During my first week, I was fighting off a cold, and my homestay mother bought some cold medicine for me, including this small bottle of liquid I was supposed to drink. I asked what it was, and the three of them struggled for the words to explain it. I wanted to save them the trouble, because I trusted that whatever it was, it would be good for me, so I asked, "Genki juice?" Genki is a Japanese word for health and vitality. My host family thought this was hilarious and it has become a running joke in the house. Hina was tired yesterday after our outing to the zoo, and her mother joked that Hina needed some Genki Juice to revive her. My first attempt at a Japanese/English hybrid joke was a success!!


It has helped our relationship so much that we are trying so hard on both sides. I have been trying to form sentences and use as much Japanese words as I can, and they have been trying so hard to use English. Hina is the strongest speaker, but she is only 9 and I think sometimes it is trying for her to always be the translator. Her parents and some of her friends call her "Super-Helper" and it is so true. It has definitely been a challenging, but rewarding experience. The desire for communication and connection is there on both sides which creates a bond in itself and when we do really connect on something, it feels amazing. One night, we traded well-known sayings, or adages. My favourite on that they shared basically translates as "A journey of 4000 kms begins with one step" I think it is beautiful, and applies to so much of my time here, and my future journey as a teacher.

University Attached Junior High School

This week, we have all been invited to visit, observe and teach at the University of Hokkaido's attached junior high school and elementary school. These two schools are closely related to the work that goes on at the university, making entrance into these schools very competitive. The teachers of these schools are also especially well-trained,  and willing to try new techniques of teaching.

Today is Wednesday, and our final day of visiting and teaching at the junior high school. In a de-briefing after our last class, Mrs. Oga mentioned that we should expect to observe a difference in the character or nature of the students in "other" public schools, largely due to the fact that the schools we are at this week have an elite student body as well as some of the more experienced staff in the Ainosato area or Sapporo.

So what did I notice? In general, I would say that I observed teachers practicing inquiry in the classroom, rather than a typical stand and deliver format. For example, we observed a math class - 3rd grade perhaps? - in which students were asked to work in groups to attempt to prove a geometric equation was true. While there are conceivably many different ways to teach such a proof, this math teacher allowed students to come up with varying methods, and to share their different viewpoints with the class. In total, four different student group leaders came up to the board - one at a time - to explain their group's decision, and their mathematic explanation. For most of the time, the teacher remained outside of the discussion, but at times did enter the debate to suggest or to guide the conversation around a particular problem or curiousity in a group's decision.
Only afterward did the teacher summarize everyone's work as having particular strong points, or in fact as having similar solutions. In some cases, students' work involved the same equality of angles or lengths of the given triangle, and these similarities were made clear only at the end of the lesson. In my opinion, this approach fostered a great deal of trust in the students, and they were able to experiment and feel comfortable in the field of geometry to try - and to also accept - various viewpoints in solving a given math problem.

In this example, another extremely interesting event occured. One group came up with a solution that involved mathetic principles that hadn't been taught yet. The teacher commented that while this solution was correct, he couldn't go into further explanation, since the national curriculum of Japan has instructed him - as the teacher - to not teach that particular principle until the fall. He commented quite openly that this was a clear problem with the Japanese education system at large, and that he understood the benefit of pursuing a student's correct - and advanced - understanding of the discipline in real time. After the class, he and I had a great chat about the differences between Canada's and Japan's education models, and I decided to pass on to him the Alberta Program of Studies curriculum guide for K-12 mathetmatics. I just forwarded it on to him today, but I hope to hear something back from him soon. He was very animated and interested in the values behind curriculum development, and was genuinely surprised to hear that - generally speaking - math teachers in Alberta can construct their own timeline for teaching mathematic concepts, and are largely in control of the content itself.

This is in polar opposite to what I have heard about Japan. Our friend and translater Tomoyo said in an aside that the constitution of Japan has mandated that education be uniform in both access and content. While Canada shares the view of access to education for all Canadians, the meaning of "content" clearly has more than one possible interpretation. Tomo also helpfully printed us an English copy of the Japanese constitution as it applies to education. I look forward to reading it... (no pictures just yet! lol)

International Friendship

One unexpected aspect of this experience is getting to meet all the other international students that are taking classes at the Hokkaido University of Education. We actually have met a Linguistics student from the University of Calgary. She was very excited to meet other people from Calgary, after 8 months here in Sapporo. We have also met a couple of people from Alaska, some from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and some from China. It is a really cool experience for them because they are from all over the world and their common language is Japanese, so they became fluent very quickly. We have also met a lot of Japanese students who are studying English education and are eager to practise their conversation skills with us. All of the students have been so friendly and welcoming to us.

One student invited us to a Charity event that she was a performer in called the Meeting of International Friendship. There was live music and a lot of traditional Japanese and Hawaiian dancing. The costumes were so beautiful and it was so interesting to see all of the different types of dancing.

One of my favourite performances was an Indonesian musical performance. They were playing instruments made of bamboo called angklung. It was so cool.

It is just a multi-cultural love-fest up in here, and I dig it.

Hurray for Education!

While it may seem that the main purpose of our blog is to make you extremely jealous of all the adventures we are having, and all of the delicious food we are eating, we also must touch on the educational portion of our time here. After our thought-provoking visit to the elementary school on Tuesday, we had the privelege on Wednesday to discuss the Japanese school system with an expert on the subject, Professor Awano. The four of us shared with him some of our reflections after visiting the school. For example, I was surprised to see a home economics classroom at an elementary school. We all were impressed by the mention of an inquiry-based class that the students have which combines disciplines and allows students to choose the subject of their research. This was exciting to hear about after all of our discussions about inquiry in the MT program.

Professor Awano started by sharing with us some of the recommendations for Japanese education from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. One recommendation expressed concern about the highly competitive school environment that exists in Japan. Students have to take entrance exams before being accepted into high school, and even though the birth rate in Japan has been declining, more schools close each year. This puts a tremendous amount of stress on students　in Japan.　Another recommendation had to do with the increasing number of consultations for ADHD in Japan, which sparked a very engaging conversation between the four of us and Professor Awano about ADHD, learning disabilities and the Alberta system of coding. Japan has separate schools for special needs education (we will be visiting one during our stay) but is slowly moving towards some inclusion, with the introduction of a resource room system. However, there is no extra funding allocated to special needs students. We talked about some of the rewards and challenges of the inclusive practices that Alberta Education is implementing.

Overall, a very stimulating and interesting session.

Now, back to making you extremely jealous.

Sapporo beer factory. Sampling some of Sapporo's finest exports.

My First Kimono Lesson

Today was memorable for me as I feel honoured to have been fortunate enough to partake in a special piece of Japanese culture-learning to wear a kimono....
Rie, Hono and I pulled up to a house in Sapporo...the garden was immaculate. The bonsai were perfectly trimmed, the flowers luscious and bright as if plucked from a movie. In the doorway of the house stood a woman with jet black hair hanging loosely to her shoulders. She wore a kimono that was picturesque accompanied by a perfectly tied obi. She welcome us in-dozo. We followed her into her living room-we drank matcha. Her living room was very traditional and we sat on our knees on pillows. She told us that she used to be a leading person in the tea ceremonies in Sapporo a few years ago. After we finished our tea, she asked us to follow her upstairs.
We climbed the solid wooden staircase and came across a room with tatami (sp) mats, busts of mannequins wearing kimono`s and a large wardrobe.
She opened the wardrobe, took out a few items and asked Rie and I to change into the kimono undergarments...we did. As we did she took more layers of kimono from the wardrobe and closet. We were ready to begin. Our kimono`s took 15-20 minutes to tie. We watched her every move to ensure we were doing it correctly..she reassured us that we were: `hai, hai, hai.`
When we were finished we looked beautiful in our yukata`s (summer kimono`s: sp). I took a lot of photos as I want to remember this moment. It was so rich, so surreal...
Hopefully I will be able to load a photo soon to share with you...
I was excited to tie my own obi..it is difficult and takes patience but, with the right sensei, anything is possible. I have another lesson before I go home and I cannot wait

<3

Tea Ceremony

Some of the tea ceremony students and members of the University club.







On Wednesday afternoon, we were treated to another traditional Japanese experience, the tea ceremony. It turns out that this university has several clubs, one of which practices the centuries old discipline of serving tea. When I lived in Wakayama, I remember hearing about the extremely refined motions and significance of every gesture in the ceremony, but never was able to experience it myself. So I was super excited to go through the ceremony for the first time in Sapporo with my classmates. Because the master and her students of the club were primarily fluent in Japanese, we were thankfully taken to the club by our new friends Tomo and Eriko, who translated all of the details of the ceremony for us. (arigatou!)



Tomo and Eriko enjoying a drink!



Our class, looking our finest, aka before our legs hurt!



I think that both Tomo and Eriko were also relatively new to participating in the tea ceremony , and were excited like us to learn about its intricate details. I'm writing this on Saturday, but my legs still hurt from having to sit in the traditional - and expected - position of having one's legs underneath the body. This sitting position is brutally difficult to maintain for me, so I made sure to post a picture of when I could actually sit correctly! Special thanks to Eriko for taking most of these photos

The parts of the ceremony which I remember include:

1. The careful and deliberate actions of the tea server in preparing the tea.

2. The deliberate rotating and positioning of the cup of tea by us, the recipients.

3. The step of observing and appreciating the artwork of the teacup itself. (pictures included)

4. The bowing at several key stages to thank the server for bringing the tea, and for taking the empty cup away.

5. The deliberate slurping to signify having finished one's drink.

If I've forgotten anything, hopefully my classmates can fill in the blanks! :-)

Each of us had a different cup, from a different maker, with a different design.

Photos!

Some of us have been having trouble loading photos to accompany our posts, so I thought I would share some. The first two are of our first of two welcome parties (they are very welcoming here). The rest of the photos are of our excursion into downtown Sapporo, through Odori park, and into Marayuma Park, where we visited a Shinto shrine and saw cherry blossoms. More photos to come!

Last night with Hono, my `sister` was truly amazing and I want to share it with you...

I have been teaching Hono English. She is seven and English is not taught formally in school until students are 12 or so. Each night she asks me to read a story or what something is called in English..I tell her and she will usually reply by pointing at an object and saying `Nihongo onigaishimas. Dore wa nandesko?` (Japanese please. What is this?)..Last night I came into the living room and saw Hono working away...I walk over to the table and she gestures me to come and sit with her. I do. I see that she has written the numerals `one` and `two` on a piece of paper along with the corresponding hiragana for each. She motions to me to trace over her hiragana...

I am Canadian and because of this I form letters with downward strokes first and then horizontal. Hono was not impressed that I did my hragana this way. She labeled which line was to be done first and the order to follow...I re-did my hiragana and passed her test. I wrote, on the bottom of the page `one, two` in dotted lines for her to trace..she saw them, looked at me and fake yawned saying `sleepy`...it was only quarter past 8...she still had daytime clothes on. I said `I traced, you do too`...so finally the seven year old did.

Once she had finished, she flipped that paper over and wrote A LOT of hiragana characters on the back. She then labeled the order to which each character MUST be written, looked at me and said `your turn`...we both burst out laughing. I pointed to her and said `Nihongo Sensei`..she pointed back saying `English Teacher`...more giggles followed...

I am thankful for this experience for the leaning that ensues. I love my evenings teaching English and in return learning Japanese...Without this experience I would not have met a sweet little girl who has a caring mum...nor would I have been smiling through slight jet lag :)

Was that complexity theory?

At the school visit of Takuhoku Elementary school, we spent a few minutes watching a sports lesson on the school's outdoor field/practice area. What made the lesson unique for me was watching the teacher(s). Instead of having the adult teachers run the class, the students were divided into groups, and led by a student from an older year. This leader had already learned the game they were about to play, and it was her/his responsibility to teach the rules to his/her entire team. We left shortly after, but were told that the students would later compete in friendly competition with what they had learned. Implied in this style of instruction is the desire to win, so each teacher and group must try their best to learn and to listen to the instructions of how to play the game.
Anyways, this all reminds me of Dr. Towers' seminar class, where she introduced complexity theory to us. At the time it sounded very strange, and perhaps I'm misunderstood what she was talking about. However, it certainly reminded me of what I saw yesterday, and gave me serious reason to think about using this strategy with students of my own. I'll post a few pictures later; I didn't bring my camera to this school, but will ask to borrow some from my classmates.

Today was a very interesting day here is Japan. My fellow students and myself visited a elementary school. We taught a English song to 90 grade six students and had a tour of the school. I am really happy with how our song and story went over, the students played along and sang the song. After the lesson we taught there was a time for questions from the students, the questions started off slowly with only a small amount of students asking, after a few warm up questions the students became more comfortable and started to ask us about Canada and if we had heard of famous Japanese singers and celebrities. They had a real desire to know more about Canada and also to know what Canadians think about them and their country. They asked us if we had heard about the earthquake they had in Japan, it really made it clear to me that the information we heard about the disaster being in the north of Japan was false. We are in the north of Japan and the disaster was 700 km away from here. The students and staff of the school were very warm and welcoming to all of us Canadian visitors and it made us feel at home.

Jon

Learning Japanese, all over again!

Wow, today was a tough one! lol I thought that I had gotten used to the idea of attending a university, but today was a tough reminder of how demanding the life of a student can be. We started off the day - our first day at the Hokkaido University of Education - by going through our schedule, followed by a tour of the campus. Summarizing our weeks of school visits and lesson plans was difficult, since many of the details of our trips have yet to be ironed out. It was a welcome sight to see the student cafeteria, and not just for the fantastic prices. I had a curryrice dish that was literally served in a gigantic squarish plate; the way every student would hope! ^^ I forget the exact price, but it was something that would make any uni student smile, and the atmosphere of happy university students is something I always enjoy.

After lunch, we began the real work of tweaking our lesson plans for a 20 minute joint taught class that we will give tomorrow at Takuhoku Elementary School. Instead of our more lengthy plans, we will likely teach a short song, followed by a story about Canada's weather and geography. Or something like that. Sylvia's got the books, so I'm kinda talking about something I don't really know. . . lol For me, the really grueling part of the day then began, as we settled into our first Japanese language lesson. Because Sylvia and I are already able to read and write basic kana characters, we worked together on a different lesson than Jon and Allison, who were whisked into another classroom. They can speak about their experience, and likely will, but I can definitely say that it was extremely difficult to try and operate in Japanese for two full hours. Our teacher, Mrs. Onishi (sorry about the spelling) is fantastic, and thinking of her teaching style makes me want to dedicate another entire blog entry to education, and the University of Calgary's curriculum of 'inquiry' for education undergraduates. The quickest thing I could say right now is that Dr. Field's mention of 'N+1'as an effective approach to literacy is a perfect description of what took place for me this afternoon. Actually, I will write an entire blog entry about this, but not today. But I will say that this experience will add a lot to my understanding of effective teaching strategies, and in my own understanding of what a student of mine is likely to go through in order to learn literacy in any language.



My favorite Japanese street food. Takoyaki , aka , octopus balls!



What a fantastic end to a two and a half hour Uno game!! :-)

Yesterday, as Allison mentioned, we also went to Hanami, the cherry blossom viewing festival. A new friend from the University took us downtown to the Maruyama park, where we ate takoyaki and took pictures. Here are two of my favorite pictures. Oh!, and I lost at a game of Uno to my host family's father, who must have been cheating! lol I mean really, who picks up seven 6-cards in a row! :-)

The walkway up to the jinja (shrine)

Cherry Blossom Festival

So it is day 2 of the exchange and I have to say that I am whole hertedly enjoying my time (and the fact that jet lag didnt hit as hard as I had anticipated). I am in a homestay in Ainosato with a mum Rie and her daughter Honoka. Rie speaks English and Honoka learns with me each night. It is cool because as I teach her English, she tries to help me with Japanese...

We have had a very sincere welcome beginning with a group of Hokkaido Uni of Education students greeting us at the airport, having two seperate welcome parties so far and the care of our home stay`s.

Yesterday we met other exchange students who have been living in Hokkaido for 6months to a year now and were invited to go out with them. They took us downtown Sapporo to the cherry blossom festival...I was instantly awe struck when we reached the park...although we are at theend of cherry blossom season, there were still blossoms everywhere. I took so many photos that my camera died and took over Jon`s... :) he didnt mind...

We walked through the first park and eventually happened upon the second which was even more intriuging than the first...there were trees everywhere: this park was like a forest in the middle of the city. When we got a little further into the park there was a small pathway leading up the hilly terrain...along the sides of the pathway there were vendors similar to ones that are seen on the midway of stampede...

As we reached the top a peak began to appear that was not part of the environment, it was a Shinto shrine. Before we could go up to the shrine we had to wash in a special basin in a specific order:
fill the cup with water from the basin, wash your right hand by itself
fill the cup and switch the cup from left hand to right
was your left hand independant of the right
dip cup once agan and tip cup so that the ater can run down the long handle of the cup onto your hand
place cup back on holder
do not wipe water from hands, allow to dry naturally (unfortunately for us it was very cold and windy out...and the water was not warm either...)

We then walked up to the shrine. One by one, or in pairs, we walked up to the main gates and thre a 500yen coin into a wooden box with slits in the top. You then bow twice, clap twice, turn and leave...really wonderful experience...

I was so thankful to our new friends John, Christie and Alex for our amazing day...it was a once in a lifetime opportunity...

I apologize if my spelling is `off` or if my words run together...I cannot get internet on my computer and am not used to this keyboard that wants to continually turns my words into Japanese characters....

Arrival in Sapporo

The four of us, moments before leaving for China, Japan, and adventure!

After a few flights, and good times in several airports, we have finally made it to Hokkaido. It looks like I may be the first to write about our arrival, and I won't hesistate to use the spare minutes I have been placed in a homestay with four children, all under the age of 12! :-) This family is so funny and energetic, I know that I'm going to enjoy my time here. The youngest daughter, Sumide, has already taken me on as her full-time Japanese language student, and I have learned a lot. Despite the fact that she is only five years old, I find the lessons very challenging, and I have difficulty taking her teaching style seriously, since she often cries for no reason! lol Just kidding! But seriously, the Sato children are really amazing kids.

Last night, I was treated to a delicious homemade okonomiyaki. This is probably one of my favourite Japanese foods, and the reason I was treated to it. Right now, it's 9am in Sapporo, and I just finished a fantastic breakfast of egg, miso and rice. What really took it to the next level - and something I had for the first time - was mashed daikon radish and soy sauce. As simple as it sounds,this combination is really delicious, and incredibly easy to make. So I'll probably be making this in the future in Canada! hahahahaha

Cherry Blossoms さくら

One of my professors this year was Dr. Jim Field. When I mentioned to him that the four of us were both heading to Hokkaido for this exchange, he immediately lit up with suggestions and feedback. When this inter-university relationship was first established, Dr. Field was involved in the process, and has made the trip to Sapporo in past years.

The reason I write about it now is that he reminded me of the cherry blossom season, which we will get to witness. It turns out that Golden Week (an important series of Japanese national holidays) - and our subsequent arrival - are closely timed to the blooming of the cherry trees throughout Japan. Because Sapporo is on the Northernmost island of Hokkaido, this means that we will arrive at the absolute peak of cherry blossom viewing! ^^

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html

This website shows the general weather and cherry blossom schedule for the entire country, which is quite delayed in the case of Hokkaido. Other cities have already seen their trees blossom, and the petals have long since fallen. On this japan-guide website, you can see the various parties around the country, as well as the fantastic scenic spots around castles and temples where these trees are usually planted.

The festival that coincides with these blossoms - hanami - is fantastic, and something I hope we also get to experience. Beautiful weather, drinking and eating under the flowering trees is unforgettable, and yet one more thing I'm looking forward to!!!!