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Sharing with the Japanese |
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Published 7/3/2006
What would Hibbing folks like Japanese educators to know about your schools? Parents, this is something you could ask your youngsters to spend a few minutes on this summer. The question comes up because Japanese educators have contacted me, plan to visit Minnesota in October, and are eager to learn from us.
About ten years ago, Japanese schools were cited as the world's best, and American educators were being urged to learn from them. I still think there are some things to learn from the Japanese. For example, there is a huge respect for learning, schools and educators that I encountered in both my visits to Japan.
In 1967, as a university student, I spent several months studying and traveling around the country. Then, two years ago, I was invited to speak in several Japanese cities about innovations in American education. In both visits, more than 35 years apart, I found the Japanese people to be enormously friendly, and eager to learn about the U.S. While I was eager to share, I wish we could copy their great respect for learning. Unquestionably Japanese people loves sports. But they also admire teachers, and place great value in academic achievement.
They also have a longer day and longer year than most American schools. However, many schools use part of the longer year to help students travel around the country. Unquestionably Japan is smaller than the U.S. But I found many Japanese students who had seen a lot of their country, often thanks to trips that their schools took them on.
This all brings me back to what folks in Hibbing would like to tell the Japanese about your schools. In a letter to me, Jun Ichirou Endou, President of the National Center for Teacher's Development wrote that their overall goal to develop "a higher level of international understanding for Japanese people." They plan to share with their students, and other community members when they return. Perhaps this could lead to email exchanges between schools in Hibbing, and some Japanese schools. Perhaps it will lead to some business between communities here and there.
I don't know what will happen. All I know is that I'd welcome emails, which I will be glad to share with the Japanese visitors. Please send them to
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