June 1 to 30.2005
Sony Science Teachers Association (SSTA) Assistance Activities
Young Teacher Training Workshop
Young Teacher Training Workshop meetings were held in June 4th and 5th in Aomori Prefecture and June 25th and 26th in Hyogo Prefecture. These workshop meetings, held at five venues located across Japan, completed the full round of meetings scheduled for 2005. Attended by a total of 108 young teacher trainees, the scale of the workshop has expanded over last year, with the number of participating chapters increasing from 32 to 37, young teacher attendance growing from 49 to 108 and venues up from three to five. Although actual participation dropped below the scheduled number of 120 (from 42 chapters) due to illness and other reasons, participation was up significantly over last year. The increased attendance was mainly from areas where new teacher hirings have been on the increase.
The SSTA continues to play a meaningful role in helping young teachers to improve their true teaching capabilities. This is being done through conducting experiments, and studies of teaching materials using real objects and providing instruction on how to structure classes, with the overall focus on teaching the sciences.
Sony Preschool Education Program for Children
Announcing Schedule of Report Presentation Meetings for Advanced Project Schools for 2005
Notice announcing report presentation meeting scheduled for July 27 (Wednesday) at Akasaki Nursery School (Tottori Prefecture) posted together with application forms for participation at the following URL.
http://www.sony-ef.or.jp/preschool/2005exhibition/index.html
Schools interested in participating are encouraged to apply. All enquiries and applications should be addressed to Akasaki Nursery School.
Introducing Web Magazine "See it for Yourself! Children Learning Appreciation for the Sciences"
This section of the web site features examples of practical application of educational ideas taken from essays submitted together with educational project plans to the Sony Preschool Education Program For Children. Intended as useful reference for nursery schools and kindergartens throughout Japan, the examples focus on the seasons, themes common to children's daily lives and the most memorable quotes heard from children.
Installments focusing on current seasonal themes are posted bimonthly on the first and third Mondays. Make sure to visit regularly and follow developments as they happen.
The installments from June are introduced below.
- Vol. 3: Pill Bugs! Oh Boy, Can I keep Them?
(Observing children as they discover the world of insects.) - Vol. 4: Splish Splash--We Love to Get Wet!
(Observing scenes of children discovering the rain and playing exuberantly in their sand boxes.)
Visit the Following URLs
For Pill Bugs:
http://www.sony-ef.or.jp/preschool/webmag.html
For examples of practical application taken from the Compilation of Selected Reports:
http://www.sony-ef.or.jp/preschool/practice/index.html
