Learning Learning 『学習の学習』21 (2): local Get Together Reports

Getting Connected: Local Get Together Reports
from Kansai,Tokyo, and Hiroshima
つながりを求めて：関西・東京・広島
2014 Tokyo Get-together Report
Andy Barfield, Ken Ikeda and Stacey Vye
We’ve had six get-togethers in 2014 until now,with one more to come in December, which
will feature the Creating Community:
Learning Together informal conference (URL
http://ld-sig.org/blog/creating-communitylearning-together/ ), a relaxing Sunday
afternoon event with students and teachers
taking part and presenting. This provides anew focus to the end of the year for Tokyo
get-togethers, and we’re all excited about
how things will go in December.
The 2014 get-togethers have beencollaboratively written up using Google Docseach time, where all the participants havebeen invited to contribute to the write-up in
the week immediately after a get-together.
For more details, please see <http://tokyogettogethers.blogspot.jp/>
This year, we’ve had an average ofaround 15 people taking part each time
(January, February, April, May, June, &September), with September the largest
gathering yet:
* January: 13 participants (9 apologies)* February: 14 participants (7 apologies)* April: 14 participants (15 apologies)* May: 17 participants (9 apologies)* June: 15 participants (11 apologies)* September: 19 participants (6 apologies).

April get-together, Otsuma Women’s University

One point that has been really intriguing
about participation this year is that 38
different people took part in the get-togethersfrom January through to September. Of these,
just a little more than half have participatedin one or two get-togethers in 2014, and justunder half have taken part in three gettogethers or more so far:
* 1 person has taken part six times* 2 people have taken part five times* 3 people have taken part four times* 10 people have taken part three times* 9 people have taken part twice* 13 people have taken part once.
So, the get-togethers this year have hada shifting sense of identity from one month to
the next. This has led us to consider how tocreate better continuity and involvement fromone get-together to another, because without
this it’s difficult to explore issues in depth
together over time.
At the September get-together, we
reported back to the whole group on thepatterns of participation in the get-togethers
this year. We briefly talked about reducing thenumber of get-togethers for 2015 and trying to

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Learning Learning 『学習の学習』21 (2): local Get Together Reports
synchronize more with the rhythm of theschool year. That might mean, for example,
holding get-togethers in April, May, June,
September or October (depending on when
the JALT conference takes place), with aninformal afternoon conference in December
2015, to provide a space for teachers andstudents to share their work and research
publicly at the end of the calendar year.
These changes for 2015 are still just asuggestion at this point. To encourage morediscussion and get further feedback, we hopeto run these ideas past Tokyo area LD
members once the October 19 deadline for
proposals for Creating Community: Learning
Together	  has passed. We are looking forward
to hearing SIG members’ views and toreporting in further detail for the LD SIG AGM
at JALT2014.

LD Get-together Report: Kansai
Brandon Kramer

The Kansai Chapter needs your help! Heading
into 2015 we are looking for someone who canstep up and become the Kansai Get-Together
Coordinator, bringing everyone together forfriendship, networking, and festivities! It’s agreat way to meet new people and help othersbuild lasting connections in the Kansaicommunity.
2014 has been a bit of a transitional
period for the Kansai Chapter. Although we
expect good representation from our members
at the JALT2014 National Conference, theKansai chapter has not been able to meet
together this year, something which we hopeto turn around heading into 2015!
If you are interested in taking on theGet-Together Coordinator position, or have
any ideas for events and activities, please
mail them our way. We are looking forward toseeing you in Tsukuba at the JALT2014
Conference!
Osaka PrefecturalEmblem
A cluster of gourds, orsennari byotan, was thecrest used by Toyotomi
Hideyoshi (1537-1598),
the warrior who unified Japan and built Osaka Castle.
It has been stylized as Osaka's prefectural emblem,

Tokyo Sky Tree(http://ameblo.jp/tokyoskytree777/)

the 'O' of Osaka linking with the three circles above itthat symbolize hope, prosperity and harmony. Thisemblem was officially adopted on the 100th
anniversary of Osaka Prefecture (June 21, 1968).
http://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/en/introduction/
symbols.html

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Learning Learning 『学習の学習』21 (2): local Get Together Reports

Autumn in Miyajima

2014 Hiroshima Get-together Report
Jim Ronald
Hiroshima's LD Get-togethers in theory meet
every month, and typically there are half adozen of us.
In July there were just three and sincethen we haven't met up. Wondering how muchcontinuing interest there is in continuing theget-togethers, I surveyed regular—and not soregular—attendees. There was a very
encouraging response, both in numbers and inenthusiasm for the get-togethers, and we will
be starting up again after our long summerautumn break very soon. In fact, as you readthis, I hope we will already have met up andbe glad that our group is up and runningagain.
We still do need more than one person
basically running the get-together—not that I
don't enjoy it—I do, of course!—but whenthings get busy, I may forget to plan the next
get-together, or wouldn't have time to join it
myself. As for what we do, one participant's
description fits the reality of what we do:"brainstorming sessions of research/teachingideas. sharing resources, reading suggestions,etc.", while another reminds us that in someways our purpose is to supplement, orcomplement, what our wonderful Hiroshima
JALT chapter meetings do: "Unlike JALT
Hiroshima monthly meetings, the LD gettogether is a more friendly and relaxing smallsociety, so participants can express theirfeelings, opinions, complaints about teaching
and learning more freely. From their casualconversation, I learn a lot of small things. The
accumulation of these small informations are
more valuable to me than formal academic
ones. I hope this get-together will create
mutual understanding between teachers andlearners." To be honest, I don't think we do a
lot of complaining, but as well as everythingelse it is, our get-togethers are a place to let
off steam and appreciate each other as acommunity of teachers and learners.

Winter illumination is coming to Hiroshima soon!

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