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Ikeda Junior High School ~ Attached to Osaka Kyoiku University
The missions of this school are:
- To be a school for research for the university.
- To be a school for practice teaching
- To provide in service training for public school teachers
- To aim at developing new styles of teaching
- To become an international school
- And to be a school where returnees (people returning from studying abroad - sometimes these people have a hard time reintegrating into schools in Japan) and ordinary Japanese can study together.
The 3 principles of education here are:
- To help students develop attitudes on their own initiative and to act on their own judgement.
- To provide a secure basis of the basics
- To create individual who contribute to the global community
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Seated here are (from left to right) the head teacher, the vice-principal - Akihiro Ishida, a guidance counselor, and our interpreter. At one point we asked questions about the school and curriuculum. I asked a Blog question submitted by Sandra - great question - Is religion taught in the schools, either Japanese Shinto, Budhism, or other world religions. The vice principal said that religions are identified, but that they are not studied in Japanese schools.
On the right is a photo of me presenting one of my pens with the World Stories Project website address written on it. This was very important to me because I was presenting it to an American teacher of English in Japan. He's been here twenty years and is teaching the students all in English in the computer lab. He seemed very interested in having his students contribute stories to our site.
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The Junior High is part of complex of three schools, a high school and elementary are also in the complex. The elementary school was the site of Japan's worst school trajedy ever. Our group of teachers asked to visit the memorial. Few events have shocked Japan as much as the June 8, 2001 massacre at Ikeda Elementary, an elite primary school attached to Osaka Kyoiku University. In the course of a 15-minute rampage, 37-year-old Mamoru Takuma fatally stabbed eight children and seriously wounded 13 others and two teachers. |
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The monument has the names of the eight children and eight bells which are rung each year on the anniversary of the trajedy. The gate where the children once entered is no longer used, the school was rebuilt, and children no longer have classes on the first floor. We brought flowers to lay at the site in sympathy and respect. |
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| One of the classes I observed was an English class. I was actually quite surprised and thrilled to find out I was the guest speaker. I introduced myself in English and in Japanese and students were invited to ask me questions. They asked what my hobbies were, if I liked sports, if I spoke Japanese, and how old I was. The teacher told them that last question was not polite, but I told them I didn't mind, I'm forty-seven. After that the teacher and I worked together demonstrating by saying one of the dialogues they are studying. The dialogue was about a bike accident. |
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This was sooooooooo exciting to see a computer lab. Computers are an elective so it is not required. I was a little disappointed to see so few girls signed up. The students were working on writing an Osaka (their city) Encylopedia in English. How great is that idea??? !!! I'm going to do this with you, students, about Manchester when I get home! The teacher showed me the site. http://hwm8.gyao.ne.jp/bamboo-tree-jp/F/Job/OsakaEncyclopedia/FrontPage1.htm |
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| What a treat this was! We got a chance to observe students performing Yosakoi, a unique form of dance in Japan. It is extremely popular. The students are wearing happi coats that they made in sewing class. They have been practicing this dance for two months. The video doesn't really adequately portray how cool it was. Read more about Yosakoi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosakoi_Festival |
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