Innovating Schools in Japan
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?
Haruka
Yoshida
Project Workshop
, 3, Tokyo
, 3, Tokyo and multiple cities throughout Japan
Other.
Public (tuition-free)
1‐5 years
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Operating for 1‐5 years
Writing Workshop and Reading Workshop offers radical learning and teaching processes in classes to transform schools in Japan.
Writing and Reading Workshop serves academic skills as well as emotional, social, and life skills to contribute successfully in society.
Since 2008, Writing Workshop (“Authors’ Time”) has so far reached some 540 teachers to experience all over Japan and approx. 160 teachers are actually practicing it in their classrooms. Teachers reported that Writing Workshop could actually draw out and develop student’s potential abilities than they thought which wouldn’t be revealed if they taught in current one-way method (vise versa, meaning that current teaching method of writing is pulling back student’s ability). Students who do Writing Workshop demonstrated significant growth on intellectual ability, which they actually noticed they have improved their own writing skills. In addition, teachers acknowledge that students acquired emotional, social and life skills including cooperating, accepting others, listening to each other, showing empathy and caring for others, concentration, calming down, willing to improve themselves, problem solving, management and leadership skills. (Please refer to attached documents for further lists.)
The number of teachers participating in experience sessions for Writing and Reading Workshop is set at 2000. From our past experience, 1/3 to 1/2 of the participants implement in their classrooms. By expanding Writing and Reading Workshop in both public and private schools (especially elementary schools) in Japan, it will certainly giving the impact on developing students intellectual and potential abilities as well as emotional, social and life skills so that they will be able to contribute successfully in their next stage.
We believe that seeing those joyful students and teachers through Writing Workshop and Reading Workshop will create a soil of Japanese education system which set new mindset and open-welcoming atmosphere that willing to implement new effective methods in schools.
Strategy is set to hold Writing Workshop once a month, 100 new teachers will experience and 30-50 new teachers begin to launch.
Find someone who can help us making a strategy to expand Writing Workshop and Reading Workshop as soon as possible.
In May we will hold a Writing Workshop for 20 teachers. From then, we will be holding Writing Workshop once a month.
Simultaneously, working out funding system by approaching funds, company CSR, and seek for collaboration campaigns.
Gave social impact in Japan and reformed people mindset so that expanding rate increases rapidly. Up to 250 teachers launched.
The structures have been set so that workshop for teachers held constantly at least once a month.
“Learning Together Center” is on action and people work together to expand and launch Writing and Reading workshops.
Produce a documentary and or publish a book on Writing and Reading Workshop with students and teachers voices/interviews.
I myself did not really like to learn in schools in Japan since most classes were taught passively and I was not in the center of learning. I liked to learn and express myself in art, drama, and dance because I enjoyed hands-on experiences, thus I became a designer.
But when I noticed about Writing and Reading Workshop, it gave me an “Aha!” moment; that learning process can actually be creative and be able to express myself! I just did not know how to learn that way. I realized that I disliked to “study” what I was told to do. Although, Writing and Reading Workshops will change the situation, which most students feel, by setting them in the center of learning and providing creative learning process. Innovative part is that everyone acquire skills to write and read while enjoying this workshop enhancing their emotional, social and life skills at the same time. I saw the vision of by applying these workshops is the solution to make change in the Japanese society as well as the world.
We do not have partnerships as of now. We will contact marketing/PR/branding professionals, strategists, creators, and companies who might collaborate with us and or become partners.
Especially following three areas are the keys for Project Workshop and have to work/collaborate with professionals in achieving our milestones; planning, expansion and funding.
It is essential for us to team up with marketing/PR/branding experts, strategists, creators in website/motion pictures/graphic design field and advisers in education field.
At the beginning, it would have to be a volunteer-based team until when we establish sustainable funding system. As we develop sustainable funding system and becomes financially available, some teammates might become staff or advocate members.
Reading Workshop project has just launched, it is effective to do it with Writing Workshop simultaneously. (Also, it takes more time since teachers have to shelve so many books in their classrooms before launching.)
Since not every teacher can show interest in writing and reading, we are in the process of developing science workshop, history and geography workshop, and math workshop as well.