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Education in the Center of the World and Attraction of Queens CollegeProviding a Learning Place across Different Fields
Eri Yoshida, Toyohashi University of Technology
Furthermore, this students’ training meets

Winter seems to arrive in New York about amonth earlier than in Toyohashi.

community needs, indicating the high quality ofAs soon as I

had felt early winter cold at the beginning of

the American education.

October a skein of wild geese migrated

education conducted by the incorporation ofsouthward over Queens College.

New York City, the university, and community
in the center of the world have been producing

The fall semester started late in August andhalf a term has passed.

Such substantial

distinguished leaders in every field.

I have acclimatizedThe

myself to new classes and have been enjoying

English support class has been focusing onthem.

mastering correct pronunciation of English for

I have registered 3 major courses for acredit and observation in this semester.

sounds challenging for Japanese speakers andIn

addition to the major subjects, I have been

onpaying

considerable

attention

toattending teaching in English and English

grammatical errors often made by nonnative

support classes prepared for our training atspeakers in writing.

Queens College to improve my English andThe City University of New York, Queens

understand the education system in the US.

College (QC) has the ground area (310,000 m2)

I

have been learning the American educationfrom various angles based on basic teaching
methodology,

educationcurriculum,

T H E A A RO N C O P L A N D S C H O O L O F M U S I C P R E S E N T S

andGala Concert Celebrating the 90th birthday of NEA Jazz Master

assessment to be implemented for the City
University of New York in next April.
particular,

thenation’s

firstandJIMMY HEATH

In

Aaron Copland School of Music Professor Emeritus

largestoff-campus internship program since 1966 by
the City University of New York partnering

LEFRAK
CONCERT HALLWEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 5, 2016
7:30 PMwith New York City's Department of Cultural
Affairs is a remarkable education program towith faculty, students, and alumni,
and special guest stars fromthe jazz world, including

provide undergraduate and graduate students

DAVID BERKMAN, pianowith opportunities to serve their communities

MICHAEL MOSSMAN, trumpetand learn about careers in the public sector in

TIM ARMACOST, tenor saxophone

ANTONIO HART, alto saxophone
DENNIS MACKREL, drums

various fields, such as law, education, social
work, graphic arts, journalism, and engineering(www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/html/work/psc.shtml).

Donations suggested, with proceeds
going to the Jimmy Heath Scholarship Fund.

The students are able to acquire professional

For additional information, call or email Jane Cho at 718-997-3802 or jane.cho@qc.cuny.edu

Aaron Copland
School of Musicskills and experiences during their 6-monthtraining and to surely prepare on campus for theA leaflet of Gala Concert Celebrating the 90th

future by taking courses and a degree proper tothevocation

until

thebirthday of Prof. Jimmy Heath

graduation.
1

similar to that of Toyohashi University of2

4Heath, who is a distinguished jazz saxophonist,

departments of arts and humanities, education,

musical composer, and emeritus at QC and thismathematics and natural sciences, and social

year’s Satchmo™ Award presented by thesciences, containing 50 divisions on campus.

Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation to

QC has the advantage in obtaining information

him based on his enormous contribution in theon different fields without realizing it based on

world of music and jazz education.

close location of buildings belonging to theto my heart’s content the joint performances bydifferent faculties and on web information

him, faculty professors of the music division,delivered to students by the college.

coupled with their students.

Technology(360,000 m ),butholds

celebrating the 90th birthday of Prof. Jimmy

Students

I enjoyed

To say nothing of

can receive the information and participate intheir superb performances, his statement ofvarious events across their specialties to“Teaching is learning” has been deeply

strengthen the friendship between people from

impressed on my mind.

different fields.

Many events including

professors to the student even on a stage also

seminars on chemistry and biology, sports andimpressed on me their enthusiasm for musicarts events of watching a succor game and aeducation.

violin concert were held on campus in thisfestival has been held on campus this weekend

October.

toFortunately, a gala concert wassplendidly held at a music hall on campus,

provide

Strict guidance by theFurthermore, the first annual arts
acommunity

resident

withopportunities to enjoy arts.

A midterm report for the QC program
Masayoshi Sekiguchi, National Institute of Technology, Kisarazu College
1. Colloquium

talk, I tried to make it accessible by students, soColloquia will be held on almost every weekthey said they enjoyed my talk while professors

at the departments of Mathematics or Physics.

unlikely enjoyed it.

Colloquium is a kind of open seminar organized

I wonder I don’t have a chance at aby departments, in which researchers present

colloquium of the department of Physics, too

their academic studies etc. When I was athough I hope so.

graduate student of a department of Astronomy,
students always give a talk, while here in QC,

2. A course for taking credits

students don’t give a presentation. Commonly,

The program I am participating in requires ussome audiences or speakers come from outside

to take credits of any course. I selectedof the departments.

Differential Geometry which covers local andI got a chance of my presentation at a

global analyses of curves and surfaces bycolloquium of the department of Mathematics

means of Calculus. It is a sort of introductoryon September 14, 2016. I consumed 80 min.

course for master students to differential

There were not many audiences. Some students

geometry including the famous among experts

taking a course by Professor Maller, mentioned

Gauss’s Theorema Egregium. Professor Sudeb

below, attended it because he made an

Mitra gives lectures twice a week for 75 min

announcement in the session before. For myeach, in which about 15 students attend. I have2never been absent.

Both professors are not good at writing on

In this country, asking questions is welcome.

blackboards.

Professor

Mallerwrites

Mitrawrites

I have ever heard of an episode in which a

cacography

Japanese student had never been absent, taken acalligraphy. Anyway, their letters are hard tofull note of the lectures but never asked aread.

question. The professor got angry and forbade

well-organized. I understand the contents

his further attendance to a class because of abecause I am not a beginner, but I guess it hardlack of contribution to lectures. I don’t carefor students. In fact, some students complained.

such results. I just tried to ask a question every

I believe I am better than them. A carefulsession.

observation of their teaching, however, clarifies

while

Moreover,

Professor
theirwritingisnot

their intension to foster good students. Exams
3. Class observation and my review lecture

are not easy. The lowest score to take credit is

We are required to observe a class other than

70. American students are always forced tothe course for credit. I selected Differential

compete with others, and feel stress. At theEquations with Numerical Methods I, andsame time, they feel themselves to grow. On theemailed to Professor Michael Maller for aother hand, how about in Japan? It ispermission of observation. This course covers

impossible; therefore, avoidable to summarize

ordinary differential equations including second

Japan. But my own impression on Japaneseorder nonlinear equations. Numerical Methods

education is that an intension to train students

in the title will be taught in the next semester.

up has gone to evaporate. Are these differences

The frequency, length, and the number ofbetween Japan and the US ignorable because ofstudents are same as Differential Geometry,culture?

twice a week for 75 min each, and about 15.
When asking my observation, I asked a4. Tutoring

chance to give my lecture. He permitted it in

One day, a girl asked me to teach after classspite of no merit for him. After some sessions,of Ordinary Differential Equations. I guessed

he gave two chances on October 17 and 24,

she looked at me solving problems of the2016 when he cannot come to QC. See thetextbook while the session. She said thisphotograph below. I gave review lectures forsemester was the last chance for her. If she

fewer students than usual who were glad

failed to take credits, she will lose scholarship.

because of a midterm exam just after myBut she cannot solve problems, and she needs

sessions.

help. I welcome her because a tutoring is goodfor my English exercise. Thus, I started tutoring.
There is a special room called Math Laboratory
in Kiely Hall which has lecture rooms for mathclasses, etc. There are many black boards on
almost all walls except for windows, manychairs, many desks with old computers in theMath Lab. Many students study, and old men
who look like ex-teachers are teaching in theroom. I am tutoring her in this room.
Photograph 1: My lecture

Sometimes other students ask me questions, for3

instance, on differentiating compound functions

enjoyed discussion on various topics. These

which is typically hard for Japanese students,

might look out of the course plan, but agree totoo.

the course idea. We discussed education inEnglish. Particularly, one of the important

5. Special courses for learning English

elements of our program is to change Japanese

Host professors at QC provide us with two

typical attitude: from a quiet listening-based

special courses. Teaching in English is asession to a discussion-based session.

discussion course on education in general, inEnglish.

Inthebeginningweeks,

The other one is Academic Language

hostSupport Course. It covers English language,professors talked too much and Japanese spoke

namely, pronunciations, grammars, idioms andtoo few, so we were not able to enjoy

vocabulary.

discussion. I felt we must change it. Therefore,I proposed I hoped to give a presentation at the6. Writing a bookfirst session of October, on Model Core
CurriculumoftheNationalInstitute

Here I enjoyed learning Mathematics andofEnglish. I wish other substantial results, andTechnology which I have engaged in for fivedecided to write a book for my field, which hasyears. This attempt succeeded. The following

a worldwide contemporary problem: aging

three sessions in October were occupied withpopulation with decreasing youths. I wish toother presentations by colleagues on a series ofcontribute to my field by writing a book foreducation reforms in Japan, internship or job

students. Writing in English is necessary to getseeking in QC, the higher education in Japan

many readers and agrees to the purpose of ourviewed by a foreign student, some aspect of theprogram. I declare to write a book in English inelementary education in Japan, etc. Thus, weorder to make it an obligation to myself.

Toyohashi University of Technology
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education
Center for International Education
1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Tel: +81-532-81-5161
Mail: unireform@office.tut.ac.jp

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