japanese

The WEAC Professional Development Academy and the state Department of Public Instruction brought nine Japanese teachers and a Japanese travel escort to Wisconsin this fall to visit schools, educators and students and share perspectives about education.

The Japanese teachers have visited 13 school districts throughout Wisconsin since September. Their tour ends December 7.

In Japan, they teach music, social studies, mathematics, language arts, technology or special education at the elementary, junior high, or senior high level.

Since 1997, participating teachers from Japan have met more than 100,000 Wisconsin students though this program..

Wisconsin is one of only four U.S. states selected to host the teachers. Unlike other programs, where visiting teachers spend their time mostly in classrooms, the Japanese Ministry of Education program encourages teachers to attend school board meetings, talk with business leaders and parents, and visit after-school youth programs.

The teachers from Japan have tried their hands at volunteer community work and helped with chores in the homes of the host families.

The teachers visited schools in rural areas, as well as urban and suburban areas, experiencing the wide diversity in Wisconsin schools. They visited special education classrooms, board rooms, computer centers, art rooms and principals' offices. They met Hmong-American and Tibetan-American youth, listened to young immigrants who don't yet speak English well, played on the playgrounds with rich and poor children, and had discussions with honor students and dropouts, providing them with a good understanding of the range of issues in education today.

The districts that hosted the visitors were Baraboo, Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, Plymouth, Poynette, Reedsburg, St. Nazianz, Southern Door, Stanley-Boyd, Washington Island, Waupun and Wauwatosa.

The visitors, pictured above, are (standing, left to right): Mr. Yamasaki, Mr. Yamane, Mr. Oto, Mr. Onuma, Mr Shiba, Ms. Ikeno (Travel escort); seated: Ms. Itasaka, Ms. Nakai, Mr. Yamanaka, Ms. Endo.

– DPI photo

Posted December 3, 2003

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