Learning program in Taiwan March 18-22

The first grade students visited National Taiwan Normal University to complete their subject “Intercultural Studies”.

On the second day they had a discussion, named "Round-table Discussion", about cross-cultural topics between Taiwan and Japan, which our students had researched in Japan, with one university student of NTNU and two junior high school students of NTNH. The discussion was held in English and they shared the results from each group on a whiteboard. On the next day, students had a field study with the university students in Taipei to deepen their research. On the fourth day they went to a mangrove jungle in Tainan, a southwestern city, under a training program "Outdoor Observation based on the relationship between Tourism Development and Nature Preservation". After the cruise, Mr. Hsu Hung Te, an associate professor of National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, held a lecture for our students. This SGH program in Taiwan gave them more intense and rich study experience.

After the first grade students returned to Japan, they presented the results of their study in Taiwan, using presentation software. Their studies are going to be collected into volume form.

Having a discussion in English with university students and junior high school students of Normal.

Farewell party with National Taiwan Normal University students who studied with our students in Taipei.

A lecture given by Mr. Hong De Xu, an associate professor of National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology.

Mangrove jungle in Tainan

Our Principal, Mr. Minoru Otani attended a panel discussion March 22

A symposium for launching SGU at Kanazawa University was held in Hotel Nikko Kanazawa on March 22. In the symposium a keynote lecture was given by Mr. Yasushi Akashi, who is the director of International House of Japan and served as a deputy secretary-general in United Nations. Then a panel discussion followed. Mr. Otani attended the panel discussion as a panelist and talked about our activities of SGH.

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Making tours with university students

Our students visited three places with the students who major in English at Kanazawa University and the students at National Taiwan Normal University in order to take part in field work programs. The students had a deeper understanding about different cultures by searching local cultures, local industries, and local tourism.

(1) Excursion around Kanazawa city on January 31

Our students and Kanazawa University students showed the Taiwanese students around the city. They visited 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Kenrokuen Garden, and Kanazawa Castle. After the tour, the students talked about the preservation of traditional culture and the development of tourism.

(2) Visit to Shirakawa-go (One of the World cultural Heritage Sites of Japan) on February 11

Our students and Kanazawa University students showed the Taiwanese students around Shirakawa-go. After the tour they had a discussion in English about what to do to develop and preserve tourism resources and to promote regional developments, by citing that area, as an example which is one of the World cultural Heritage Sites of Japan.

(3) Exposure to Japanese culture on February 14

The students tried to make Japanese confectionery and gold leaf craftwork in tourist facilities in the city.

Special talks about Taiwan

We invited a professor and students of National Taiwan Normal University（NTNU）from January 27 to January 31. This program, named “Taiwan Hour”, is for first grade students to prepare for their visit to Taiwan, scheduled in March. They will have a discussion with university students and high school students at National Taiwan Normal University/High School in Taipei in the trip.

In the first class, Mr. Liu Yeu-Ting, an assistant professor from NTNU, gave a lecture about Taiwan to the students in English. They got fascinated by his introduction of cross-cultural comparison between Taiwan and Japan.

In other classes, NTNU students observed students' presentations and after that they joined a preliminary discussion in each group. The NTNU students gave suggestions how to solve potential problems and issues in a discussion that the first grade students will have in Taipei. By getting the useful advice from Taiwanese perspective, the high school students realized that their presentations in written materials and in questionnaire were not enough. Most of the students were eager for a better preparation for a discussion in Taipei. Every group continued talking even after the scheduled ending time. This program seemed to stimulate students positively. Having experienced this program, we believe, they will have a more productive discussion during their stay in Taipei.

The NTNU students and our students also had a luncheon meeting. They made six groups in each class and each group welcomed one NTNU student respectively. They shared cross-cultural information about Taiwan-Japan in English. From the talking, the students of both sides really learned a lot about differences and similarities between the two cultures. The luncheon meeting seemed a very interesting cultural exchange for the both sides of them.

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luncheon meeting

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lecture made by Mr. Liu Yeu-Ting

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Presentation of Regional Studies

On December 19, presentations of Regional Studies were given by representatives selected from each class. Their themes were:

-Regional development using an unofficial local mascot "Tamahime-chan"(represented by team 3 of class A)
-Festivals in Noto area in the past and today (represented by team 5 of class B)
-Get people to know more about our region by using smartphone apps filled with information of the region (represented by team 3 of class C)

Five teachers including vice-principal served as judges. The highest award went to team 3 of class C, who won the certificate and the prize from the vice-principal. Three teachers from another SGH school, Kyoto prefectural Sagano high school, praised the students’ works.

Our Regional Studies booklet published

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The results of our Regional Studies have been put together into a booklet. Its subtitle is “regional studies on how to bring more happiness to the region and the people, by Kanazawa University Senior High School, SGH project in 2014”. The booklet contains the Powerpoint slides used in the presentation, and the explanations made in the presentation, turning out to be voluminous, 264 pages long. It is to be distributed to other high schools in the prefecture, to other SGH schools, and to our associate schools. It will also be given out to cooperators of the study, such as interviewees, and to teachers who delivered lectures for the regional study subject.

We’ve entered the second phase

Our second project study, “Intercultural Studies” has kicked off. This subject involves comparing cultures and societies between Taiwan and Japan. Initially, the geography teacher and the civics teacher gave some referential lectures about geography and history of each country, and the students are now trying to research on a certain theme domestically.

Math class’s SGH, A-lympiad activity
(on November 24)

In the Netherlands, they have two major math contests, which are like Math Olympic we have in Japan. That one targets fully mathematical concepts. The other handles the application of mathematical ways of thinking to our real life. That one is called A-lympiad, which is a official mathematics contest in the Netherlands. Our school introduces an A-lympiad style learning into the math class as one of SGH projects.

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A-lympiad contest has a preliminary round and a final round. In the preliminary round, each team consisting of 3-4 contestants has to submit a report, working from 9am through 4pm. The final round lasts two days and finishes with the finalists’ presentations. The preliminary round of A-lympiad 2014 was held in the Netherlands in November. Our school was the first participant from Asia. 3 students in the 11th grade and 12 students in the 10th grade entered the preliminary round without leaving Japan. The assignment they tackled was titled “Nothing is uncertain than weather” which relates to the weather forecast. The students handled the task properly with their knowledge of mathematics. We will continue our effort to expand this activity and to enter our students in the final round held in the Netherlands.

Presentations at Izumigaoka High School
(on November 25)

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Some of our students in the 10th grade joined a class of integrated study at Izumigaoka High School, which is one of the SGH-associate Schools. They made presentations of their 'Regional Study research' under SGH project. Two teams gave 20-minute presentations under the titles of “Plan to host a global symposium on the village-vicinity sea and mountains” and "Regional development using a local mascot". The presentations were theoretically-supported, and full of a playful spirit. Students at Izumigaoka high school were impressed by the presentations with a confident attitude. They listened seriously, had occasional laughs, and took notes with interest. Overall, the presentations were received well. The event was a great experience for our students. They made the presentations in front of the audience at another school, and socialized with its students after the presentations. We continue to promote such interschool exchanges.

Discussion with Kanazawa University Students Exchange Program （KUSEP）　(on November 26)

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Our 1st grade students had a 6th discussion with 30 foreign college students, including 20 foreign students from KUSEP. They were divided into 10 groups of 4 high school students and 3 foreign college students. They talked about designated topics, “How would you feel if a new convenience store is going to be built next to your house?” and “What do you think if there is no convenience store in Kanazawa?” All attendees had a fun time as well as learned actively.