October 1 to 31.2005
Sony Preschool Education Program for Children
1. Sony Preschool Education Program for Children Holds Applied Preschool Education Research Workshop (Exploratory) at Izumigaoka Nursery School (affiliated with Tokiwakai College)
The Sony Preschool Education Program has set up a series of three Applied Preschool Education Research Workshops (exploratory) that include participation by those interested Advanced Project Schools of 2004. One of the workshops was held October 29 at the Izumigaoka Nursery School (affiliated with Tokiwakai College).
Not limited strictly to nursery school teachers, the workshops included elementary and junior high school teachers, as well as parents and guardians. A key feature of the workshops is that all participants, regardless of background, are able to join in the discussions.
Discussions were conducted in the buzz session format, with participants divided into five groups of approximately ten members. Based on the main theme of "fostering children with an appreciation for the sciences" discussion focused on the sub-theme of "developing powers of observation." Reports presented on research included a number of specific examples designed to make it easier to understand for the participating parents and guardians.
Workshop members were able to hold lively and open exchanges of views within what seemed a comparatively short two-hour period.
The results of this year's three exploratory sessions will be carefully studied with an eye to holding the Applied Preschool Education Research Workshops on a more formal basis next year.
"Wellspring of Science Inspiration---Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams"
A review of the Program's first "Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams" course, held August 20 to 25, has been posted on the web site. The following events and reports are presented together with assorted photographs and video clips.
Opening Ceremony
The attending parents and guardians of the participating students, as well as the students themselves, listened enrapt during the opening presentation by the head teacher, Dr. Hideki Shirakawa, as he shed light on the central theme of "learning from nature." Dr. Shirakawa combined the following insights with recollections of his own experiences when he was about the same age as the students participating in the course.
"The first step in learning from nature starts when we begin to discover nature firsthand. This is an important step during which we must make sure to look at things carefully, make observations, take detailed notes and conduct our own studies.
Nature is full of mysteries, many of which are yet to be solved. It is a treasure trove of fascinating and wondrous discovery. As we learn we must always remember that the word "nature" also encompasses the idea of "naturally" in the sense of "learning of oneself and by oneself." The "Wellspring of Science Inspiration" program is intended to provide students with an opportunity to know the enjoyment of learning from nature and through that process discover how learning "of and by oneself" just comes naturally.
Learning from Nature (Intra Grade Level Activities)
The students participating in the Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams began the course by going out into nature to discover new things. They came back with a host of questions as to "why" and "how" things in nature are the way they are. Back together again, the students divided up into groups of four or five to discuss the various "whys" they had brought back, then set about choosing appropriate group topics. Chosen topics were discussed in detail over the coming five days. The review posted on the web site includes the interim reports and reports on final conclusions presented at the end of the six-day course. An evaluation survey conducted at the end of the course showed students ranked this activity the "Number one fun activity of the course."
The young students came up with a variety of unique and interesting topics, including "What kind of insects do ants drag back to their nests?" and "Why are wall lizards able to climb straight-standing trees?"
Lectures and Experiments on Conductive Plastics
Head teacher, the Professor and Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Hideki Shirakawa, gave the students a lecture on the subject of "Serendipity and the Discovery of Conductive Plastic." are you curious about the result and want iscover whether the conductive plastics students attempted to make in their experiments did actually conduct electricity? [If so, be sure to visit the course posted on the website.]
Activities by Same Grade Level Groups
Students also formed same grade level groups to conduct a variety of activities. It was with great enthusiasm these groups tackled such projects as "building a Stirling engine with marbles," "constructing an astronomic observation device," "assembling a crystal (germanium) radio," "crafting an Alsomtra design aeroplane," "blowing bubbles together" and "investigating the properties of dry ice." Through their efforts students were able to savor the satisfaction of finally being able to put to good use or operate something that they had fashioned with their own hands.
Evening Activities
The young students were given the opportunity to create and strengthen the bonds of friendship through such evening activities as giving self-introductions, brainstorming on group names or just sitting and chatting around campfires together. The good times enjoyed during the evening activities helped make the task of completing the interim and final results reports a lot more fun.
With such activities as going on nocturnal insect gathering expeditions and plotting astronomical charts, the evenings offered their own special learning opportunities. The students were hard at work at night, as well, with one student successfully catching an Emperor moth and another single-handedly plotting as many as six or seven astronomical charts.
Closing Ceremony
The six-day Children's Schoolhouse of Dreams course was brought to a conclusion with a ceremony in which Dr. Hideaki Shirakawa presented each student with a certificate of course completion. The head teacher then gave a concluding talk that was followed by a presentation from the student representative outlining the various impressions gained by the students and their aspirations for the future. The enthusiastic and energized young students, with their beaming faces, showed no signs that they may have been a little short on sleep after all the activity and excitement.
