Toyohashi University of Technology,
Institute for Global Network Innovation inTechnology Education

News from QC（Vol.7 2014/11/17）

5

Reports

New York Life
Activity Report vol. 4–Taking Specialized Courses–Junji Sasano, Toyohashi University of Technology
After finishing ELI (English Language Institute) Intensive Course in summersemester, the fall semester had started at the end of August. In contrast to the deserted
atmosphere of the campus in summer semester, the campus and dormitory of Queens
College (QC) had dramatically changed to an energetic atmosphere of the beginning of a
new academic year. In fall semester we are supposed to take specialized courses and aspecial course for the enhancement of educational skills in English (Teaching inEnglish), and to do research work. I would like to describe my experience of taking
specialized courses in this report.
In this program, we are supposed to take a course for earning grades and that forauditing. This activity is, I think, aiming at not only just experiencing specialized
courses in English but also learning tips and points in lectures given in English. I
selected Chemical Thermodynamics & Kinetics and Inorganic Chemistry as theearning-grade and auditing courses, respectively.
Chemical Thermodynamics & Kinetics is held from 9:05-10:55pm every Monday andWednesday. Since a Korean teacher is teaching this course, I think it a very good
example of the courses conducted by non-native English speakers. The class consists ofabout 25 students and is mainly performed by writing on a whiteboard without power
point presentations. In the first class I got the syllabus of the course in which theschedule of exams and the score distribution of each exam were clearly described. Twoquizzes, two exams and a final exam are scheduled. So far, I took the first exam in the
middle of October. Although I understood this subject somehow, I had to work hard toprepare for the exam by solving suggested problems and assignments. The first exam
required us to solve 5 problemsin 2 hours. However, I had touse up all the time for solving
the problems because of theamount of calculations. I was
surprised to see no one left in
the class when I looked up
after finishing the exam; so, at
first I thought the students
were so excellent. The graded
result was returned in a fewweeks, and I scored fairly goodresults.

Whenthegraded

Recent textbooks look so accessible because they arecolorful inside.
6

results were returned, the teacher informed us that nearly half of the class scored lessthan 100 in 250 points. The exam seemed to be too difficult for some students. So far,the basics of thermodynamics and thermodynamic chemistry of solution has finished;hereafter statistical thermodynamics and chemical kinetics are going to be covered by
the middle of December. The schedule of twice a week makes it possible to teach suchvast contents only in four months, which are usually completed in a year in Japan.
However, I’m anxious that some students may not catch up with the class. As for me,I’m feeling it difficult recently.
On the other hand, my auditing course, Inorganic Chemistry, is useful as a typicalcourse taught by native English speakers. It’s held from 5:00-6:15pm every Tuesday andThursday. The teacher is good at communicating with students; so, I feel that they arereally enjoying the course. Because the course contains the subjects, such as symmetry,group theory, electronic structure, coordination complex, which are important in myresearch field but I’m not good at, I feel it not only difficult but also worthwhile. I wantto take advantage of this opportunity of learning basics to boost my research work.
Although I didn’t need to take exams of this auditing course, I tried it. The resulted
score was no good as I expected. On the returned answer sheet, there was the teacher’scomment, “Junji, when you are done with this course, you have to grade my teachingstrengths and weaknesses.” I love such wits of American people.
By the way, although both courses happened to fit for my specialty and their teaching
methods are so helpful for me, some other participants of this program didn’t go welllike me, for the teachers of their specialized courses are not necessarily skillful.
Moreover, since QC doesn’t have the department of architecture, those who specialize inthis field had to choose irrelevant courses to their specialties. I think the participants ofthis program next year may want to research well the courses in advance. In addition,some participants are auditing several courses. I think it’s effective for learning various
teaching styles.
It should be noted that the students here look much more active than that in Japan.
Every student doesn’t hesitate to ask teachers questions during classes. So,
improvisational skills are required for teachers. I always see some students waiting inline to ask teachers questions after every class. In the light of globalization of educationin Japan, it seems not enough just to change the language used in classes into English.
Their attitudes made me think that whether students will actively participate in classes
or not depends highly on teachers’ skills.
Anyway, I have remaining two exams hereafter, so I need to continue studying
further. Now I can understand students’ feelings well. Although the pressure of earning
grades is not small, I think this is really a good experience. I would like to continue
studying hard until the end of the semester and being an excellent student, if possible.

724/7 “24 hours a day, 7 days a week” -New York Fall, 2014 Shoichi Furuyama, National Institute of Technology, Toyama Collage
It has been two months since I wrote

examination of the class. I thought I

last QC letter. I have kept well-regulated

would get 100% score for appealing thelife such as getting up at 4am and going

Japanese high ability of mathematics;

to bed at 10pm. I also spend at Gym for

however

one hour every day. Nowadays I usuallyapologize deeply for all Japanese people.

use the treadmill and record the heart

I go to laboratory every day for researchrate data like as the following graph. It

activities. We can’t stop chatting because

looks healthy activity but sometimes II have desk in students’ room. They looks

can see Pegasus by the Glute training

very interested in Japanese culture andmode (30 minutes and 7.5 miles/h pace). I

politics, they ask me a lot of things ofam not sure it is healthy or not but myJapan.

athletic performance has been improved.

activities of my original theme. It isSupplements

acid,

difficult to have enough discussion about

creatine and protein are very popular in

the collaborative research work because

US. They are very attractive for me. I

the supervisor at QC has gone abroad fortried various supplements like as a photo

his sabbatical trip and he won’t be backfor my health. I am sure I will be able tountil I am going to leave New York. At thefight with Ebola and of course defeat it bymoment I think that it is the best way to

training these activities and taking thesemake relationship for our future researchsupplements.

work.

suchasaminoII

couldn’thaveachieve

proceededthat.

Iresearch

At the night time I cook a simple dinner
by myself. Basically I eat vegetables(photo). We often go Irish bar near thedormitory because we are not permitted
to drink in the dormitory. Other day I go
Heart Rate DataSupplements

to bed 10pm. We need strong body, wellsleeping and refreshing of mental. I have

After morning trainings, I go to school

no problems for them. Anyway I cut myfor a class. I have taken the class which ishair. It is buzz cut. I decide the style“Differentialsuddenly,Equations:

Numerical

Method 1”. I am studying it with second
degreeofbachelor

students

sosomecolleagues

surprised. But I am all right.

inmathematics division. Moreover I amstudying about teaching skills in English
formathematics class suchas thecontents of the class, communication skill
withstudents

andexpressions

oftechnical terms. Anyway I had a midterm

Vegetable Dinner
8Irish barwereIt is colder and colder in New York.

am trying hard work until the end of theBeanie is important item for my head. I

year in New York.

Issues about Water-New York -Yoshitaka Matsumoto, National Institute of Technology, Toyota College
I report water issues in NY; various

overflow, discharges with storm water

information and stories about what I hadrunoff

experiences, as I'm a researcher of civil

combination sewer system operates in NY

and environmental engineering division.

City. He evaluates the mechanism of theto Hudson River, because aemission of these gases affected by CSO,
Hydrology, Urban Planning, Disasterand his research relates with the climate

Prevention

change owing to these gases have a

NY has only 1200 mm precipitation ahighly potential of green house gas. I

year much lower than that of ordinalwent to the river cruise survey with themJapanese regions. I used an umbrella lessto do experiments with uncomfortable

than five times even I stay here from July.

waving on the ship (Photo 1).

I found inundation anywhere in NY City
locatedlowerarea

duringlarge

precipitation, because of the weakness foraflooddisastermanagement.

Themanager of NY City Office of Emergency
Management talked me "The urban
system didn't work several days forinundation in Manhattan after attacking
Hurricane Sandy, 2012. " NY has one of
the big problems against flood disasterthat is the weakest point for most modern

Photo 1 Survey at Hudson River

metropolitan city in the world.
Sanitary Eng. and River Environmental

Engineering Happiness *search these words onEng.

YouTubeI'm working with Marine Microbiologist

The drinking water in NY is safe andand Soil Scientist in QC. Ph. D. course

tasty. There are lots of microbreweries atstudent, who belongs to their lab.,a suburban of NY City, but I'm not suremonitors the emitting amount of carbon

whether the rich amount of water source

dioxide and methane from Hudson River.

and high pure quality make easier toHigh concentrations of nutrients andbrew

carbonsewageparticipate in beer fest that sometimes

water, known as a combined sewerholds in NY City. I love to go there withwatercontaminating

9ornot.

Thesemicrobreweries

colleagues and refresh my exhausted
mind (Photo 2).

Photo 2 Beer Fest in summer, author isat rightToyohashi 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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