January 1 to 31.2005
Sony Science Education Program for Children
Awardment Presentation Ceremonies For Qualifying Schools
The awardment presentation ceremonies for the 110 awardment qualifying schools of the Sony Science Education Program for Children commenced January 17. Awardments include financial assistance and grants of Sony manufactured equipment intended for educational use. The presentation ceremonies are conducted at the schools by representatives from Sony Group manufacturing and business sites in each local region and will be completed by the end of February.
In areas with high numbers of awarded schools, such as the Chiba and Aichi Prefectures, qualifying schools are instead being invited to presentation ceremonies held at leading Sony manufacturing sites located in the region.
- Chiba Prefecture venue: Kisarazu Technology Center, on January 24 (Mon), 2005
- Aichi Prefecture venue: Kohda Technology Center, January 31 (Mon), 2005
Sony Foundation for Education Activity Orientation Meeting for the Sony Science Teachers Association (SSTA)
The SSTA is one of the main recipients of the educational assistance the Foundation provides. A series of four orientation meetings were held at principal locations to bring the SSTA up-to-date on the current focus of the Foundation's assistance for children's education in Japan.
Meeting Agenda:
- The SSTA plays a key role in developing educators capable of fostering children with a keen interest in the sciences and the Foundation will reaffirm support for the SSTA's activities as one of its leading priorities.
The number of venues available for the workshops conducted for the class of young educators progressing from their second to fifth years in teaching has been increased from three to five. The workshops being held during May and June will now accommodate 120 young educators. - The Sony Science Education Program for Children encourages schools to submit applications for awardment for educational projects designed to foster children with a keen interest in the sciences. The Foundation has designated this Program as an arena where educators actively engaged in researching and applying methods designed to foster such children to take on new challenges.
Participating in the Program also gives school principles the opportunity to develop ways to more effectively foster children with a keen interest in the sciences. - With an eye to placing greater emphasis on the processes of drawing up and implementing educational projects plans, the Sony Science Education Program for Children will revise the scoring system it uses for evaluating projects that are designed to foster children with a keen interest in the sciences.
Under the new system, fifty percent of the scoring will be allocated to educational activities conducted so far and their review and evaluation and the remaining fifty percent for the educational project for the coming year that is built upon those pass achievements.
Basic policy orientation meetings were held January 15 in Okayama, 22 in Tochigi, 29 in Gifu and February 5 in Oita prefectures. The workshop leaders and heads of SSTA chapters attended the meeting scheduled for their local region. After the orientation they separated into several group discussion meetings to formulate plans for their 2005 activities by discussing 1) methods effective for fostering children with a keen interest in the sciences and 2) ways to inject new vitality into chapter activities.
Sony Preschool Education Program for Children
Awardment Presentation Ceremonies for the Qualifying Schools of 2004
Presentation ceremonies for the 44 schools that qualified for awardment during 2004 commenced January 17, 2004 and are expected to finish by the end of February.
Work Commences on Compilation of Selected Reports for 2005
The inaugural edition of the Compilation of Selected Reports, which focus on the theme of "fostering children with an appreciation for the sciences," was issued in 2004. The Sony Preschool Education Program for Children created the Compilation of Selected Reports because it recognizes the importance of preserving a record of reports on the best and most unique projects that qualify for awardment each year. This is done so that teachers at nursery schools and kindergartens throughout Japan can apply the knowledge and experience the reports offer to their own important work.
The Compilation of Selected Reports for 2004 included superior examples of practical application, unique approaches, inventiveness and ideas unique to individual schools. Based on the model adopted last year, we are currently working on the Compilation of Selected Reports for 2005.
The Compilation of Selected Reports for 2004 can be viewed at the following URL on the Sony Foundation for Education web site.
http://www.sony-ef.or.jp/preschool/practice/index.html
- The content of the Compilation of Selected Reports for 2004, which describe various concepts and approaches to practical application by various schools, is listed below.
- Chapter 1: What it Means to "Foster Children with an Appreciation for the Sciences"
- Chapter 2: Examples of Practical Application in Fostering Children With an Appreciation for the Sciences
- A. Children Discovering Appreciation for Science in Nature
- B. Children Discovering Appreciation for Science During Play
- C. Children Discovering Appreciation for Science Through Interacting With Others
- Chapter 3: Originality and Innovation in Fostering Children With an Appreciation for the Sciences *1
*1: Introduces innovative approaches (including learning environments) taken by teachers at various schools as they strive to foster children with an appreciation for the sciences.
