Visit to Japan is Enriching Experience
for Salem Teacher

This past June, Anne Woodward, a teacher at Salem Grade School, participated in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program. The program is funded by the Japanese government to promote intercultural understanding between the United States and Japan. While in Japan, Anne and 159 other teachers attended lectures about Japanese government, education, and economy. Smaller groups then broke off to visit prefectures, which are smaller government bodies. They had the opportunity to spend time in an elementary school, middle school, and high school interacting with the students and discussing school issues with teachers. One of the highlights of the program was the chance to stay with a Japanese family for a day and night.

Educators are selected based on an application and "follow on proposal." Anne will be teaching her students about Japan through art, music, and drama, and she will develop Smart lessons to share with the school and the Smart lessons Web site. Educators interested in learning more about the world are encouraged to apply. To learn more about her trip, visit her blog at www.gingerfiles.blogspot.com. To learn more about the program, visit the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program Web site.

In the top photo, Anne's "lunch buddies" from Inagi Daigo Jr. High School joke around. Teachers and students eat together in the classroom. It is very common, she said, for people to make a peace sign when taking pictures. In the bottom left photo, 5th-grade students at Inagi Dainana Elementary School entertain visitors with Taiko drums at a Welcome Assembly. In the bottom right photo, Anne gets a calligraphy lesson at Komazawa Gakuen Girls’ Senior High School.

- Submitted by Anne Woodward

Posted August 27, 2008