Vol, 6, No. 27: September 17, 2007		Get SEAchange by email

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3. Wisconsin schools welcome teachers from Japan

An estimated 16,000 Wisconsin students will have classes with six teachers visiting from Japan as part of the Japan Wisconsin Education Connection. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Education Association Professional Development Academy, facilitates this program, now in its 11th year.

DPI selected 13 outstanding schools in Wisconsin to serve as hosts for the visiting teachers, who will introduce K-12 students to language, geography, history, culture, and daily life in contemporary Japan. The teachers from Japan will be in Wisconsin from September 19 through December 9, spending 3-4 weeks in each host school district, visiting many classes, and living with local host families. They will also learn about Wisconsin's educational system, design lessons on Japanese language and culture, visit classrooms, connect with Native American students, hike northern forests, and harvest cranberries.

The Japanese teachers are curious to learn how Wisconsin schools meet the needs of diverse student populations, how schools utilize new technologies, how the curriculum is designed and tested, and how Wisconsin families live. Subjects taught by this year’s teacher delegation in Japan include all elementary subjects, English, Japanese Literature, Social Studies, Calligraphy, Geography, and Biology.

The participating schools are Grand Marsh Elementary of Adams Friendship Area Schools; Jack Young Middle School in the Baraboo School District; Deerfield High School; Lodi Middle School; Madison Elementary in the Marshfield School District; Menasha High School; Fernwood Montessori School, Vieau Elementary, and Milwaukee School of Languages, of Milwaukee Public Schools; MHLT Elementary (K-8) in the Minocqua J1 School District; Osseo-Fairchild Middle & High School; Waterloo Middle/High School; and Arbor-Vitae-Woodruff (K-8) School.

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Last updated on 9/18/2007