Thing 6 Use the Teacher Guide to the Research Project Calculator

This starts with Step 1 Question Teacher’s job: The goal is to generate interest in a topic and guide the learner to generate a question that can be researched and answered. The guides have things like exercises, guiding questions and standards. I think it is very useful when you assign a research project. I have to read a little more and have to study this. We also did excises of evaluating a research project assignment today at the class. I don't usually give a research project assignment but it is good to know these things.

Thing 8. Dribbling Lessons for Information Literacy

I checked the lesson plans by subject area. There is no "world language" subject so I checked language arts and Art. I went into Art, checked "visual arts”, "foreign language" and 9-12 grades, I found "Japanese Woodblock Prints" Lesson. WOW.
Students will study the Ukiyo-e from its early beginnings to its height in the late 1800s;learn about the techniques and development of this process. And students will create their own Ukiyo-e. If I could work with the art teacher, I would love to do that.
I have worked with an art teacher before and students made "Netsuke"(little clay objects) . Although, the art teacher worked more than me, it was fun. I don't want to sound being "old" but it is nice to be able to find lesson plans, in this little magic "Mac Book".

December Blog

I have learned how to make I movies using photographs from other teacher. I tried it and I made a short movie. I am not so sure about the details of how to make it but I got the general idea. I also learned how to add second color to the slide show.
I added phonetic guide to my Japanese program so that all the kanji characters can have the phonetic guide on top of kanji.
I am tired and I need to go to bed now.

Thing 16 MnLINK

"Your Minnesota public library card is your key to a world of information." It is true. You just need to type in your long numbers on your back of the library card. I need to tell my IB students about this and I should check that how many students have the library cards in my class.

Thing 12 Other Search Engines

Here is what I did. I googled, Search Engines. I found Search Engine from across the world. And I found Japan. I clicked Japan and I found several Japanese search engines. I am excited. ATTAKA NAVI (which has a lot of photos) BAIDU( This may not be good for the students) GOO (GOO has good dictionary, Japanese weather and Japanese free on line games) ISCLE (It lists main Japanese newspapers and you can listen to Japanese music, free.) These search engines are good if you can read Japanese. My 4th year students might be able to use some of these.

Thing 13 Subscription Databases

(Kaiseki, Japanese style food)


I studied the databases that school districts offer and the Minneapolis Library offer. My students collected information using the databases such as ABC CLIO and Grolier Online to do research on Japan. I just finished teaching the first trimester and I asked the students. "Tell me the hardest thing you did in my class." Some said the research project, which was done by using the databases. (“And No Googling.") Interesting. I thought students shoud have learned this in social study class or English class long time ago. I don't usually assign students a research project in English. So I learned a lot from this experience, too.