David Campbell: Education

Tue, 29 Oct 2002 00:00:26 GMT

Interns find more revved-up roles. Firms still have youths fetch sandwiches, but many plug top prospects into key positions. [Christian Science Monitor | Work/Money]

This in an interesting idea that Japanese universities and companies should explore. There has been talk about having public school teachers work in other fields during their school vacations to give them an idea of what is happening in the real world. This idea was first put a few years ago, but I haven't heard anything more about it recently.

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 22:40:08 GMT

Cooperative learning as been one of the strong points of Japanese elementary school education, but it seems, watching Kai's junior high education, that it is being used at that level too. Listening to the high school teachers that I know it sounds like there isn't much done. I wonder if it would work with the passing the exam mentality that dominates the academic high schools.

Sun, 06 Oct 2002 11:44:49 GMT

Tuning into the changing face of higher education

By YOKO HANI

Staff writer

Japan's universities are at a crossroad. The notion has been voiced in some quarters for many years, but now -- by common consent -- the fact of the matter is impossible either to deny or to ignore.

This is the beginning of a series of articles that should be interesting. I will link to them in future. This article does outline some of the points facing secondary education in Japan, but how the universities deal with them will have an impact throughout the system. Which includes schools like JOY.

Fri, 07 Jun 2002 01:01:17 GMT

We hung the most dimwitted essays on the wall. The biggest case against standardized testing might be the people who score the tests -- people like me, for instance. [Salon.com]

I guess this really doesn't surprise me, but you would think that the companies or states would require some kind of quality control. I will have to check back at the Salon site to see what the follow up comments are like.

Wed, 08 May 2002 12:20:50 GMT

Where Did Our Heroes and Heroines Go to College?
Washington PostBy Jay Mathews
Tuesday, May 7, 2002; 9:52 AM
Didn't get into Princeton? Poor baby. Wait-listed at Stanford, Williams and Rice? Big deal. In Japan there is a great importance placed on the university or even the high school you graduated from, so there is the exam hell to get in the right high school or university. I have always thought it would be interesting to see what percentage of people from top Japanese universities actually go on and do something memorable or worthwhile.

Wed, 08 May 2002 11:41:57 GMT

States Teeter When Balancing Standards With Tests. A study has found that most standardized tests are poorly matched to state standards. By Richard Rothstein. [New York Times: Education]

This article adds an interesting point to the testing debate. I reminds me of a comments made by Professor Gerald Brown, an expert on testing, at a JOY TEFL Forum a few years ago. He said many teachers in Japan were blaming the tests for forcing them to focus on grammar instruction, but he believed that the entrance exams had been changing and the teachers were just using it as an excuse for not changing their teaching methods.

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 04:16:07 GMT

Letters on Students' Weight Ruffle Parents.

As health officials have become increasingly worried about growing obesity among the country's children, a number of schools are taking action. By Bonnie Rothman Morris. [New York Times: Education]

This is an issue that is starting to come out in Japan. We were watching a TV show that had elementary school children from throughout Japan. The Hokkaido kids were much bigger than the ones in Honshu and the other islands. It will be something parents will have to worry much more about.

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 07:50:52 GMT

Well, as of today I am the parent of a teenager-- Kai turned 13 today. These are supposed to be the interesting years. In the last several years there have been many sensational crimes committed by teenagers in Japan so when I saw this article yesterday in The Atlantic about the random acts of violence committed by teenagers in Vermont and the possible causes I was intrigued. It was a sobering article. The issues the author presented seemed similar to those here, but it is hard to know if we are doing the right things when raising our children.

Thu, 21 Feb 2002 04:33:50 GMT

Parenting Impacts Sucess in Kindergarten

This is an intereting take on kindergaten and one Japanese parents might find strange. In the States kindergarten is just the year before a child enters 1st grade of elementary school. In Japan, it is usually a three year program with a lot more struture than in the States. Attending kindergarten or daycare (a different type of school) has become so common that parents who don't send their kids have a hard time finding other children for them to play with in the morning or early afternoon.

Thu, 21 Feb 2002 03:42:06 GMT

Test Season in Japan

It is entrance exam season in Japan now. This ia a high pressure time for Japanese kids and somethng most kids have to endure. I have been following the trend for testing in the States and after seeing what happens in Japan I wonder if it is the way American education should go. Don't Panic Over Poot Test Scores, from the Washington Post talks about the testing situation in Maryland and the test described sounds much better than most. In describing the reasons why the test scores were lower it sounds like it came down to the teachers not doing as good a job teaching for the test. I am not totally against testing, but I do think America needs to move slowly in this area.

Wed, 20 Feb 2002 09:43:58 GMT

Japanese need to be more expressive, says translator

Japan Today
Interesting idea and a point that many English learners need to think about. What do they want to say English? Being a good communicator in English doesn't always mean having perfect grammar knowledge or wonderful pronunciation. It is more important to have something you want to share with other people and a desire to learn something about someone else.

Mon, 18 Feb 2002 06:35:38 GMT

'Toys? But I'm 10 Now!'
As the Barbie Set Gets Younger and Younger, The Industry Retools >br> By Fern Shen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 17, 2002; Page H01 This made me stop and think about what type of toys Kai has played with through his different stages of develpment. We have never had a video game console (he thinks he has been deprived) or many other hi-tec toys. He spent most of his time playing with blocks, painting, and putting together model cars. When he had the chance at a friend's house he did love playing video games. Was it good or bad I am not really sure, but I am glad that he seems to enjoy reading. That may not have happened if he had had easier access to video games.

Tue, 12 Feb 2002 09:56:58 GMT

Children, parents at odds on shorter school week<

Going to a 5 day school week is being met with mixed feelings. Many parents are worried that their children won't be learning enough and working parents are worried about what their children will do while they are work on Saturday mornings. Kai is looking forward to sleeping in on Saturdays, but little does he know the chores list will be getting longer.

I asked some students if they thought the new five day school week would impact the number of companies still working on Saturday mornings an most of them said no. I disagree. I think medical and dental clinics will be forced to close because the women will have a hard time finding someone to take care of their kids.

Tue, 28 Aug 2001 06:30:45 GMT

The last integrationist?. A Memphis attorney is using a 1963 desegregation lawsuit to block expansion of suburban schools and get a better deal for inner-city black students. [Salon.com]

This article will be of interest to the Step 4 classes. We started talking about the Civil Rights Movement last week and this article deals with one of the major issues; the integration of schools.

In reading the article remember that in the US schools are controlled locally and most of the money to support the schools comes from property taxes. There are also four levels of government: the federal, state, county and city. In this article it talks about the overlapping responsibilities of the county and city governments and how it affects school funding.

If you have any questions e-mail me or we can talk a little about it in class.

Tue, 28 Aug 2001 06:09:12 GMT

The Over-Testing of America?. An adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, says the trend toward more standardized testing epitomizes what's wrong with America's educational system. By Jeffrey Benner. [Wired News]

The testing movement in America worries me after seeing the impact of testing in Japan. I watch students in junior high and high school struggle with the entrance exams and it seems to be such a waste of time. Granted we have bad schools in America and there are many kids who do slip through the cracks, but testing is not the answer to these problems.