Three Weeks of Class Remain

 Today marks 24 days left until I leave Japan.  I have just three more meetings for each of my classes.  In that time, I will give another 3 or 4 talks/presentations.  There are a few student office visits remaining.

Here are some things I want to suggest to future exchange professors.

    1.  Learn to recognize the N5 and N4 kanji.  There are about 300 of them, which seems dauntingly large at first.  In fact, with 15-20 minutes a day over a week or two you can learn them.  It will make recognizing products in the stores quite a bit easier.

    2.  Speak slowly when talking.  This does not mean speak louder.  Just slow down a bit.

    3.  Whatever lessons you plan, know you have planned them to be too difficult.  Expect to change everything.

    4.  Make sure you are in bicycle riding shape.  I rode all over and I found it very liberating to do so.

    5.  Take one of your lessons to talk about writing a graduation/Bachelor's thesis.  The students do not know how to do this.  Changing a course is very difficult for the permanent faculty to do, but exchange professors have a lot more flexibility.

    6.  Tami can chime in on this, but I would say maintain a blog like I did.  Especially if you are bad at keeping a journal, like I am.  Knowing other people are reading this motivates me to write.  At the end of this all I'll have about 100 entries and hundreds more photos that I would not have taken otherwise.

With the thesis talk today we had the students do two activities.  The first was an idea brainstorm.  We provided them with a list of a dozen or so broad topics and asked them to choose two to expand.  My example was "fishing."  I expanded that by noting many cultures fish, but some cultures use different methods, like dragnets, thrown netting, diving, line, and traps.  It is viewed as a sport or leisure activity in some countries.  I know that fish are a valuable food source.  Worldwide populations of many species of fish are declining, in part due to over-fishing.  Fish farming is a way to increase fish "harvests."

The notion of brainstorming was not new to the students, but putting it into practice was difficult.  This is just the first step.  A good thesis must have a clear statement that answers a question.  The next activity was to look at the expanded topic list and start asking questions from it.  I told them they could focus on a few topics or just one.  What problems are associated with fish farming?  Are there certain fish that are better suited to farming?  How do different cultures view the practice of fish farming?

These two activities were very hard for the students.  First, it was done in a second language.  Second, and more importantly, in order to develop topic ideas and ask questions you first need some base knowledge.  The only way to get that base knowledge is to read, watch, and listen to a lot of different books, movies, television programs, and radio or music.  That foundation allows you to consider connections between ideas and ask questions that you might find interesting.

When you've spent a good chunk of your life doing this type of work, it is hard to stop yourself.  I needed reminding that this is the first time many of these students are being asked to perform this way.  They are very used to giving an answer when a question is asked.  They are not used to finding an answer to a question they ask.

After class a student came to talk with me about all of it.  It was difficult for them to even write down a question they did not know the answer to for fear of me thinking them deficient somehow.  I realized one thing I did not state is that people who do academic work thrive in the space where they do not know the answers.  Finding those questions that allow me to learn something new is exciting.  Hell, just digging up examples about fish farming made me want to learn more and have me wondering if there is a better way to do it.  Less waste, more efficient growth methods, ways to mitigate disease and parasites.  Are there good (or any) tiered systems where farming fish X with fish Y (and Z) gives better results?  I know there are combined fish/hydroponic produce farms.  How can that be modified or improved?

I guess now my question is how do we pass on the love of learning stuff to 20 year-old students who have had it systematically stamped out of them?

Chilidogs and Classroom Games

 The chili dogs went over well.  At least I think they did.  It's difficult because students are not inclined to tell me when they think I've done something wrong or bad.  In any case, they all ate the entire chili dog, a serving of cucumber salad, and an apple turnover.

After we ate we talked a little about cookouts and socializing at these events.  Then they wanted to play a game.  I hadn't prepared one, so I suggested Hangman.  The students enjoyed it, but I could see them struggle.  On the first word they got to "parr_t" and it took a long time for the last guess.  The vowels "e" and "i" had been guessed.  The second word they lost with "_a_on."  I don't recall the other letters (s was one), but I am confident had a native speaker been in the room they would have known the answer.

Some of these students want to be English teachers, so I explained the strategy of the game a little.  I also said some teachers played this with classes to help with vocabulary and spelling lists.  There are only so many ways we create words.  The students were unaware of the fact that in the vast majority of cases, English words will have at most 3 consonants next to each other.  More often it is 2 or fewer.  Knowing that "guideline" exists helps with thinking about spelling.  Aside from that, being a good Hangman player means a large vocabulary based on reading.  It requires good recall and strong pattern recognition.  It would be interesting to make that part of an English language examination.  Here is a partially filled Hangman board.  How many words do you know that will fit?

After Hangman we talked about other games.  I came up with Seven Up, Pictionary, and Charades.  I really struggled to remember any more than that.  I don't think Board Races makes sense.  For young kids, BINGO is a good game in a foreign language.  20 minutes of listening to numbers.

If you think of something played in elementary school classrooms, please let me know.  I'm looking for ideas for next week.  

I'm planning an early night.  I need some rest after the busyness of the weekend and the start of this week.

I'll do double today

 Yesterday was a busy afternoon for me.  I met with two students, met with Taniguchi-sensei about the talk tomorrow, stayed late to play a game Yuko purchased when she was in the US 10 years ago, and then prepared the food for today's class.

I still haven't figured out the toaster oven, so the apple pie/apple turnovers are not really browned well.  The filling is cooked through and the flavor is fine.  I'm not pleased with the color, though.  The chili turned out well (I think), and the tomato, cucumber, onion salad looks and smells right.  I had to use a vegetable peeler on the cheese because the apartment does not have a shredder.  I'll go back home during the period before my class to cook the hotdogs, reheat the chili, and bring over the warm food.  Here's to hoping it goes well.

Happy 4th of July!

 This week I'll be giving my 4th year students a chance to try chili dogs, apple turnovers (instead of pie), and cucumber, tomato, and onion salad.  The last is something my mother makes during the summer, and as I know I'll never approach her potato salad, it's the best I can do.  In preparation for it I went shopping yesterday and today.

I found kidney beans at the regular grocery store by accident.  I had been looking for them for almost a month now.  I was at the salad dressings looking for Italian when another person came up and was looking for something.  Body language tells us quite a bit.  I could see she wanted a bottle of something my cart was blocking.  Since I was crouched down looking at the bottom row with little success, I stood up and took a step back.  Sure enough, she grabbed a bottle of something immediately and continued on her way.  As I was getting set to start looking down low I noticed canned corn.  I turn my head a little, and there are red beans with キデニー printed on it.  "Kidney."

I found the Italian dressing.  And cheese, buns (called "hot roll"), and all of the other pieces I needed to make the food except for pickle jalapenos.  That's okay.  I have some fresh peppers that I can make work.  This afternoon I went down to Tokushima station and the mall near there.  Jupiter is a chain here that has imported food.  I went looking for whatever I might find and I found sauerkraut.  Now I just need some sort of serving plates and flatware.  I have until Tuesday, so there's lots of time.

As it is the Fourth, I was planning to go to the beach with some students to set off fireworks.  On Friday it looked like it was going to rain, so they asked if we could change plans and go for dinner instead.  I said I'm good with either way.  One will pick me up at 5:30 and we'll head to wherever we are eating.  A common theme for me is people pick me up, and I have to trust that I'll end up back home by bedtime.

I was talking with Malachi this morning and pointed out that I'll be home in 28 days.  Sometimes it seems like I just left Michigan and other times it seems like I've lived here my whole life.  Most of the time the feelings are pretty "middle of the road."  As I was riding home after my Jupiter shopping trip I was thinking about how to talk with other faculty about doing this exchange.  It's very much worth all the... everything we had to go through for me to get here.  There's no denying it would be very nice to have my family here, but the experience of being alone so many hours on the weekends and evenings has given me lots of time to reflect.  I appreciate all three of the more.  And for that, I am grateful.

A Summary of "Keisei Awa no Naruto"

 This is from the English translation provided to me by the puppet theater.

    In this play, Jurobe and his wife Oyumi are living in Osaka.  Their only daughter was left behind in their hometown Awa province, present day Tokushima prefecture, and she is being taken car of by her grandmother.  Jurobe was ordered to look for a treasured sword of his master in the Awa Clan.

>>>This is where the segment of the play I saw begins.<<<

    While Oyumi is doing some sewing, a ten-year-old pilgrim girl comes to the house of Jurobe saying, "I am a pilgrim.  I am here to beg your favor."  Since the girl has speaks with the Awa dialect, Oyumi asks many questions and realizes that she is her daughter, Otsuru, who was left in the care of Jurobe's mother.  Oyumi learns from Otsuru that she has been traveling alone on a pilgrimage in the hope of meeting her missing parents.  Oyumi embraces Otsuru and almost reveals her identity, but then refrains for fear of involving Otsuru in a dangerous situation.  

    While Jurobe and Oyumi began looking for the sword, they disguised themselves at thieves.  Over time, they became real thieves so they were wanted by the police.  Oyumi, after an agonizing dilemma, decides not to tell Otsuru she is her mother and firmly tells her daughter to leave the place with a tearful farewell.

>>>This is where the segment I saw ends.<<<

    Jurobe returns home and says that he met a pilgrim girl.  He found that she had a lot of money so asked her to give him the money so he can make repayment (I'm not entirely sure what this means, but that is what is written).  The girl becomes scared and refuses his request and cries for help.  Jurobe then covers her mouth to make her quiet, unintentionally suffocating her without realizing it is his daughter.

The puppet manipulation, the music, and the tone of singing conveyed all of Oyumi's emotions without need to understand the words.  It was very clear where Oyumi was speaking with Otsuru and where she was speaking to herself in an aside.  Each puppet is controlled by three puppeteers.  The chief controls the head and right arm.  The second controls the left arm.  The third controls the legs.  The third has to perform in a half-crouch.  In the past it was about 10 years of training to be a second or third puppeteer and 20 years to become a chief.

Here is Otsuru coming to the house.

And here is Oyumi sewing.

This is after the play.

The music is primarily played on this three string instrument called a shamisen.  It is played with the paddle (at the very bottom) called a bachi.

Since the chief puppeteer needs to be able to work and see higher, he or she uses wooden clogs.  To minimize the sound from walking straw cushions are wrapped, kind of like rope, on the bottom.  If the chief is particularly short and the second is taller, these clogs may be as high as 15-20 cm (8") or more.

The insides of the puppet's head is very complicated.  By manipulating strings, the eyes closed and mouth can opened.  Since the default positions are open eyes/closed mouth, there are springs inside.  The easy ones to see in this picture are the black curved bits.  Traditionally they were made from baleen.

Before we watched the performance and toured the small museum there was an informational video about the history of puppet theater in Japan and Tokushima prefecture, specifically.  One woman had been interviewed for it.  She started a successful and long running group in Tokushima after she moved here when she was married.  Her father-in-law suggested she do it, so she started.  It was very interesting learning what she said about it.  English translations are always difficult to fully trust because there is so much nuance and implied meaning in many statements.  However, she said one thing she has learned is in order to perform well you must experience life.  Happiness, sadness, anger, fear, hope... you have to know all of it from your own life before you can express it in the puppets.  At the same time, the puppets help you know your emotions.  A creative outlet along with embracing life is important for us all.

Very short post

 I had a busy day.  Tech support/planning, meeting about thesis writing, puppet theater with Masami, and now dinner with Hachiro.  I will write about the theater later tonight, or more likely, tomorrow.  Here is a picture, though.

We saw one act of the play "Keisei Awa no Naruto."  According to the information I was provided, the full play is so long it was only performed once in the 18th century.  It is a tragic story, and I will tell you about it tomorrow.

Preparing a Thesis

 For Taniguchi-sensei's class next week - the one where we are combining our students - I will talk about how to prepare a graduation thesis.  This will include how to pick a topic, dig into some research, and craft a thesis statement.

One refrain I've heard here is some of the senior theses read like informational reports.  It is difficult to blame the students because their entire academic career has been focused on standardized tests.  They do some writing.  But the only time they really have to do anything research related is this one document at the end of their university degree program.  If you have no experience writing a thesis, it is almost impossible to do.  So, I will do what I can to describe the process.

As an armchair reader (and blog writer) it is easy to say "if students are expected to write a thesis, then just teach a class where they learn."  One statement made by one of the older people I've met here explains why this won't happen.  Japanese people may be willing to say something should change in this way or that way.  Their bosses/supervisors could be comfortable agreeing the change needs to be made.  And that's where it stops.  It takes a very long time to change anything here.

On top of that, once you sign up for or agree to do something, it is almost impossible to stop doing it.  It is easy to imagine being a professor where making changes to schedules and courses is difficult, if not impossible, with the added stress of knowing there is no "1-year commitment" to a project, and you don't really have time to devote to developing a new course.  If I were in that situation, I would be reluctant to work on making curriculum changes.  No matter how valid and important I might feel they are.  It just takes so much energy.

I have the advantage that everyone expects my courses to change.  The syllabus I submitted at the beginning is long gone.  Everything is different.  So I can pretty easily make one of my classes an outline of this process.

Early today I was talking with a student about her teaching practicum.  She explained about being nervous and trying to make changes.  She said one thing she figured out is that if she wants to teach English, she needs to figure out how people learn English.  This student had to miss some of my classes because she was out of town.  As a make up assignment, I asked her to write a short paper about how she learns English.  What does she do to build her skills?  What did she come up with on her own and what was she told to do?  How can she know if it is working?

At first she thought I meant for her to write about how she learned English.  The classes she took, the books she used, that sort of thing.  When she figured out what I was saying her response was "That is much more difficult!"  I agreed, but "if you think you need to figure out how people learn English, you would do well to start with yourself."  We will meet every Thursday morning to talk about her progress and what her thoughts are.  We'll see how far she can go.