On January 22nd 2016 I gave the Power Up Lecture (PUL) to group of English teachers with between 1 and 5 years of teaching experience at the Saitama Municipal Institute of Education. Power Up Lectures are a monthly workshop open to all teachers. This PUL was the first in a series planned on the upcoming implementation of Global Studies. Continue reading
On September 14th 2015 I lead the Saitama City ALTs (65 in all) in starting work on the Saitama City Global Studies Extensive reading Library. Continue reading
The Saitama Orientation is a major event for incoming and current JETs working in the Saitama Prefecture. Hosted by the Prefectural Governments International Division, this event prepares new JETs for their lives and work in Japan. Instructors for the day are mostly current Saitama Prefecture JETs. Workshops on this day ranged from the basics of living in Japan (like taking out the garbage) to planning lessons and team teaching. Continue reading
On July 19, 2015, I gave a short talk about that upcoming implementation of Saitama City’s Global Studies program. Continue reading
On July 16, 2015 I gave a presentation at the Saitama Municipal Institute of Education. The purpose of the presentation was to update the city’s ALTs on the development of the Global Studies Program. Many of the concepts that were central to the presentation came from documents produced by Saitama City and MEXT. One key document was the Second Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education.
One of the key points to the workshop was developing an understanding of the Global Studies program from as wide a view as is possible. The major goals of education, for example, should be found in a recognizable form in any given lesson. These are:
The goal of Global Studies, which is strongly related to the above goals is:
~To raise students who can act independently, and live rich, vigorous lives for a bright future in a global society~
Other key concepts related that are central to Global studies are the ability to resolve issues, take independent action, develop respect for others, have pride in one’s own identity, and have a rich zest for life- all within an increasingly global society.
One of the key points to this presentation was a description of the curricular patterns that were emerging from English Education Research Model Schools. In essence these were as follows:
During the workshop major issues that were emerging in English Education Research Model Schools were also presented. These can be seen below. 
On June 17, 2015 I gave a workshop of being reflective in teaching to the Saitama City ALTs at the Saitama Municipal Institute of Education. Within the workshop I asked teachers to recall and review important teaching concepts that had been developed over the course of the previous 5 years. Another major theme of the workshop was the development and implementation of systematic reflection on instructional efficiency. Many of the core principals of this workshop were based on the work of Elizabeth A. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah E. Fiarman, and Lee Teitel as found in their text, Instructional Rounds in Education.
Over the past 5 years the team dedicated to the development of the English Communication Ability Development Program (ECAD) piloted a number of instructional systems. The intent of each of these was to ensure that the many decisions surrounding teaching could be made effectively and efficiently . During this workshop I reviewed these and asked teachers to renew their understanding of them. This was especially important because of the somewhat transient nature of our staff. We reviewed the following:
During a majority of this workshop teachers were asked to give short instructional demonstrations, then practice reflecting on their teaching. The goal was to help teachers to both give teachers a chance to review lesson plans that will be used during the first term, and to have them practice reflective teaching.
In order for teachers to teach reflectively the following key concepts were presented:
10 students gasped with surprise at the activity. All students worked to sole the problem until the time was up. 5 of the students asked for more time finish before the answers were given. So, this lesson’s activity was interesting for these students.
As with any concept such as this, teachers will need practice at applying the concept in order for it to become an effective part of professional development. Many of the teachers need more experience in giving instructional demonstrations in a way that forwards discussions.
On February 25, 2015 two years of research into the implementation and development of the Saitama City Unified ES/JH Uruoi no Jikan ECAD program at one of the city’s designated Model Schools. The focus of the study was into methods of improving students’ expressive abilities. Brad Semans acted as the coordinator and lead developer of the school’s research efforts between April 2008 and March 2015.
During the first part of this presentation attendees watched a lesson with second grade students. The lesson was the final part of a series of lessons in which students presented as a group. The main focus of the presentation lesson was not on the presenters, but on the audience’s role. Within the ECAD program this skill is called “Active Listening”. The concept presented was that focus on creating an atmosphere in which the presenting group leads a class discussion. The lesson succeeded in that each speaker was asked several questions by a variety of audience members.
Following the lesson teachers present engaged in a discussion that centred on the school’s research theme of developing methods for improving students’ expressive abilities. There were several highlights to the discussion. The first was a discussion about how important it was for students to understand both macro and micro goals. The second was a proposal to improve instruction on Active Listening in earlier years of the program. Finally, there was consensus that the instruction given here could, and should be applied to other subjects as well.
This was a presentation of the action research project conducted by the 8 ALTs serving the Iwatsuki Ward in Saitama City. The presentation was at the March ALT Meeting at the Saitama City Institute of Education on March 16th, 2015. During this action research project the Iwatsuki Ward ALTs assessed the kinds of skills and abilities required by teachers to teach the 3rd edition of Saitama City’s English Communication Ability Development Program (ECAD). The resulting product is a document detailing the special considerations and abilities related to each lesson hour in the junior high school part of the curriculum.
On March 13th at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, I gave a gallery talk for the opening day of a special exhibition entitled, [Essence of Bonsai] Bonsan Juttoku- The Ten Tenets of Bonsan with Kaori Yamada. This special exhibition displays works by Kaori Yamada that were inspired by the ancient Chinese poem extolling the virtues of bonsan, forerunner to modern bonsai. English speaking visitors to the museum were allowed a chance to experience the deepness of bonsai art.