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!)