Japan fulbright memorial fund teacher program 2008
The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program, sponsored by the Government of Japan from 1997-2008, provided American primary and secondary school teachers and administrators with fully-funded short-term study tours of Japan. The program was designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States by inviting U.S. elementary and secondary educators to visit Japan and share their experiences with fellow Americans upon their return. JFMF participants traveled to Japan with other outstanding educators, learned about Japanese culture and education, and returned to implement a self-designed plan to share their knowledge and experience with their students, colleagues and community.
The successor program to the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program is the Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development. Japan-US Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development. This program provides 24 U.S. educators and administrators with a fully-funded opportunity to travel to Japan to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries.
Traveling and studying the educational system in Japan was my first international professional development program. It opened my classroom to the world. When we arrived in Japan during October 2008, we spent the first week in Tokyo and we attended lectures, discussions, panels and demonstrations on Japanese history, education, and culture. The second part of the trip was dedicated to an in-depth study of the Japanese education system. Groups of teachers were sent all over Japan, my assignment being in the area of Minamisoma, Fukishima Prefecture, Japan. We toured colleges, primary, elementary, middle and high schools and interacted with students. We spoke with business, environmental, and government leaders, and parent groups. We were placed with host families which gave us an inside and very personal view of Japan and Japanese life. Our last days were spent back in Tokyo exploring and collaborating on ways we could bring our experiences back to the United States. I was able to Skype into my classroom while in Tokyo, Japan and did so numerous times. I used my laptop and walked around while talking to students, giving them the opportunity to share in what I was seeing. It made studying other areas of the world tangible to them. When I returned I brought my first hand experiences with me and shared what I had seen. It led to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the history and people of Japan by both my students and me. It made for more lively class discussions when studying Japanese history and contemporary society because I could tell stories and bring it to life. This was the first time I really brought products of technology into my classroom and the impact it had was incredible. Videos and photos made a real connection and a huge difference.
Part of becoming a global educator is being willing to model global competency. Investigating the world, gaining and recognizing other perspectives, communicating effectively and taking action as a teacher is an achievable objective.
The successor program to the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program is the Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development. Japan-US Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development. This program provides 24 U.S. educators and administrators with a fully-funded opportunity to travel to Japan to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries.
Traveling and studying the educational system in Japan was my first international professional development program. It opened my classroom to the world. When we arrived in Japan during October 2008, we spent the first week in Tokyo and we attended lectures, discussions, panels and demonstrations on Japanese history, education, and culture. The second part of the trip was dedicated to an in-depth study of the Japanese education system. Groups of teachers were sent all over Japan, my assignment being in the area of Minamisoma, Fukishima Prefecture, Japan. We toured colleges, primary, elementary, middle and high schools and interacted with students. We spoke with business, environmental, and government leaders, and parent groups. We were placed with host families which gave us an inside and very personal view of Japan and Japanese life. Our last days were spent back in Tokyo exploring and collaborating on ways we could bring our experiences back to the United States. I was able to Skype into my classroom while in Tokyo, Japan and did so numerous times. I used my laptop and walked around while talking to students, giving them the opportunity to share in what I was seeing. It made studying other areas of the world tangible to them. When I returned I brought my first hand experiences with me and shared what I had seen. It led to a deeper understanding and appreciation for the history and people of Japan by both my students and me. It made for more lively class discussions when studying Japanese history and contemporary society because I could tell stories and bring it to life. This was the first time I really brought products of technology into my classroom and the impact it had was incredible. Videos and photos made a real connection and a huge difference.
Part of becoming a global educator is being willing to model global competency. Investigating the world, gaining and recognizing other perspectives, communicating effectively and taking action as a teacher is an achievable objective.