MAED 4490 or MAED 7900
Date: June 2 - 18, 2010
The new Georgia K–12 performance standards in mathematics support a strong, cohesive, and coherent curriculum that provides a clear path to higher mathematics and intelligent citizenship. They draw on the strengths of the Japanese school mathematics curriculum: coherence, leanness, and rigor.
(Georgia Performance Standards for Mathematics, Executive Summary)
The results from the TIMSS video study showed that Japanese mathematics teaching was very different from typical mathematics instruction observed in the United States. Moreover, Japanese lessons appear to exemplify the type of teaching many US mathematicians and mathematics educators recommend, including mathematics teaching through problem solving.
If you are interested in observing mathematics lessons in Japanese schools first hand, please join us on a 2 week study abroad trip to Japan. We will visit various elementary and middle schools in Japan, to observe mathematics lessons, discuss mathematics teaching and learning with Japanese teachers and mathematics educators, and interact with Japanese preservice teachers.
The trip will be led by Dr. Tad Watanabe of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of Kennesaw State University. Dr. Watanabe will provide the simultaneous translation of lessons. Dr. Watanabe is originally from Japan, and he was one of the leaders of the Lesson Study Immersion Program in Japan, which took a group of US and Canadian teachers and administrators to Japan in 2007.
The program cost is anticipated to be around $3,900. You will need some additional money to cover meals and optional activities. The program cost does not include tuition for the 3-credit course, Mathematics Teaching and Learning in Japanese Schools, which you must be registered for in order to participate in the study abroad trip. It is possible to take this course as a graduate level course.
If you have any question, please contact Dr. Tad Watanabe:
e-mail: twatanab@kennesaw.edu
phone: (770) 423-6376
KSU has just approved funding for STARS student assistants to aid program directors with study abroad programs. Each program may hire a student assistant, chosen by the program director (me). The duties will include assisting the program director before and during the study tour. Each student assistant will receive $500, which is considered as a taxable income - this is not a financial aid. Click here for more details.
Click here for the official program page created by the Study Abroad Office. You can now apply online through this page, too.
Interesting Links on Japanese Schooling
