When I woke up Thursday morning I had no idea I would spend my morning in the presence of greatness. The day began as usual with Taka picking me up at my weekly mansion at 7:20, the drive to school, and the morning faculty meeting. Mrs. Takahashi brought by a copy of the local PTA newsletter and asked if I would write a short piece to be included in the next issue. She also wanted a photo. Of course I agreed and told her I would bring it by in about an hour. When I went to the biology lab I found her working with a middle aged man in jeans who was apparently helping her identify bugs found in soil we harvested a couple of days earlier. We introduced ourselves. It was Dr. Satoshi Shimano, an expert in microbial ecology and soil zoology from Miyagi University of Education in Sendai. He was there to teach Mrs. Takahashi before attending a regional conference on education for sustainable development. It was my lucky day. I explained I was a government teacher from Texas and I knew nothing about microbial bugs and he saw me as fresh meat. We spent the next hour exploring a variety of bugs I did not know existed. He was a teacher's teacher! He also showed me how to make a device to collect the microscopic critters out of cardboard and paper (the same device bought from a science catalog would cost big bucks).He was representing a "fractal" as Dr. Jones has explained to us. But, my whole week was filled with marvelous encounters.

The second week of our stay in Kesennuma was incredible! Even though last year featured meeting many important people from the Ministry of Education and the Vice-Governor of Miyagi Prefecture, along with the wonderful people from Miyagi University of Education, this year was was more exciting because I had begun to understand how everything fit together. It took most of my first year to grasp the concept of the Global Knowledge Creating Web. This year I had the opportunity to spend more than one hour with Katsunori Suzuki, Senior Fellow of Education for Sustainable Development Programme at United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies. In his soft-spoken, down-to-earth manner he explained how large and small areas could work together to share knowledge that would create Regional Educational Centers leading to "a dynamic undertaking which envisions a world where everybody has the chance to benefit from quality education and to learn the lifestyles, behaviors and values necessary to build a sustainable future." A decade for Education for Sustainable Development was declared by the United Nations in 2005 and focuses on knowledge that would enable "local communities to address global challenges such as environmental protection, fullfillment of human rights, and promotion of economic justice, including poverty alleviation."

I know this is a little long winded, but I hope you will stay with me just a little longer. Omose Elementary School hosted a regional conference where this program was explained to school representatives throughout the area. Danita Ortowski of Callisburg Elementary School described how Callisburg ISD fit into the web. Dr. Kousuke Takahashi, vice-president; Dr. Takaaki Koganezawa, professor of environmental education and economic geography; and Dr. Satoshi Shimano, professor of microbial ecology and soil zoology; each addressed the audiance. Thanks to Nobuko Murakami, an interpreter from the Little International Embassy of Kesennuma City, we were able to understand the lectures. We may be little cogs in a very large wheel, but when you look at the wheel from the perspective of these global thinkers, one can understand how a single teacher in a backwoods corner of Texas can make a difference in the future of the world.

Dr. Shimano taught me a lot in the short time we were together. He has incredible energy and a love for teaching. He is a specialists in ticks and mites (something we suffer from a lot in Texas). He also took me out to the soil in Kesennuma High School's grounds and taught me how to properly take soil samples (it's a little different than the version we learned earlier.)

Of course other days the second week we just as exciting. I visited and co-taught classes and then went to Sendai for the regional conference. It was great seeing all of the other JFMFMTP participants and hearing of their equally exciting experiences.

There is an old Christmas song entitled "I wonder as I wander". It seems to me it is a fitting title of my stay in Kesennuma. There could not possibly be a way to make learning more exciting!

Ja Mata.

Tim

Attach file:

---

  Danita Speaks at Conference.jpg (265.15 KB)


  Atsushi\'s Home Room Class.jpg (317.47 KB)


  Taking Soil Samples.jpg (430.55 KB)


  Katsunori Suzuki United Nations University.jpg (283.66 KB)


  Dr. Koganezawa.jpg (283.52 KB)


  Dr. Shimano.jpg (388.37 KB)


  Making bug collector.jpg (285.84 KB)


  Finished Product.jpg (271.81 KB)


  Other Collection device.jpg (264.66 KB)

I never cease being amazed at the people we come into contact with on this program. Great experience. I hope you took good notes! Thanks Tim. Jim, East High