JAPN 301SL: Advanced Japanese Service Learning
Course Description: This course gives students opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and to develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations. Taught in Japanese.
Reflective Narrative: Out of all the other courses I have taken at CSUMB, the course that stands out the most and unique to CSUMB would probably have to be "Advanced Japanese Service Learning". This course proved to be one of the most time consuming classes I took during this semester but in the end, it was the most rewarding and fun. I was able to improve my knowledge of the Japanese culture, my critical thinking skills, my sense of compassion, social responsibility, justice and diversity, and I was able to gain invaluable teaching experience at Highland Elementary School in Seaside, CA.
My group was placed at Highland Elementary School volunteering through a group called "Community Partnership for Youth" which helps keep at risk children off the streets and out of gangs. My group primarily worked with 4th and 5th graders to instill the basic foundations of Japanese culture and juxtaposing it with their own culture. We developed weekly lesson plans that introduced different aspects of Japanese culture, and also prepared all the class materials to engage the students. Of course, it was difficult at first keeping the children interested at times, but with the help of engaging hands on activities and the assistance of Community Partnership for Youth staff members, we were able to overcome any hurdles as well as misbehaving children. However, we were able to utilize the concepts we learned in class, and put ourselves on the same level of the students in order to gain their respect and trust. We did this by participating in the activities with them, rather than giving them an assignment and having them do it themselves. This was very effective, and by the end of the course we had built great relationships with our students. Throughout the process, not only were we able to introduce them to Japanese culture, but we also got to learn about their culture as well, as most students were of Hispanic origin. They would tell us about their own experiences at home, and when we would teach them words in Japanese, they would tell us how to say it in Spanish. Thus, I felt we were able to achieve that “exchange” that Service-Learning promotes.
Course Description: This course gives students opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Japanese language and culture through their community service and to develop communication skills through discussions, reflection essays and presentations. Taught in Japanese.
Reflective Narrative: Out of all the other courses I have taken at CSUMB, the course that stands out the most and unique to CSUMB would probably have to be "Advanced Japanese Service Learning". This course proved to be one of the most time consuming classes I took during this semester but in the end, it was the most rewarding and fun. I was able to improve my knowledge of the Japanese culture, my critical thinking skills, my sense of compassion, social responsibility, justice and diversity, and I was able to gain invaluable teaching experience at Highland Elementary School in Seaside, CA.
My group was placed at Highland Elementary School volunteering through a group called "Community Partnership for Youth" which helps keep at risk children off the streets and out of gangs. My group primarily worked with 4th and 5th graders to instill the basic foundations of Japanese culture and juxtaposing it with their own culture. We developed weekly lesson plans that introduced different aspects of Japanese culture, and also prepared all the class materials to engage the students. Of course, it was difficult at first keeping the children interested at times, but with the help of engaging hands on activities and the assistance of Community Partnership for Youth staff members, we were able to overcome any hurdles as well as misbehaving children. However, we were able to utilize the concepts we learned in class, and put ourselves on the same level of the students in order to gain their respect and trust. We did this by participating in the activities with them, rather than giving them an assignment and having them do it themselves. This was very effective, and by the end of the course we had built great relationships with our students. Throughout the process, not only were we able to introduce them to Japanese culture, but we also got to learn about their culture as well, as most students were of Hispanic origin. They would tell us about their own experiences at home, and when we would teach them words in Japanese, they would tell us how to say it in Spanish. Thus, I felt we were able to achieve that “exchange” that Service-Learning promotes.
highland_elementary_community_scan.pptx | |
File Size: | 3833 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
service_learning_final.docx | |
File Size: | 19 kb |
File Type: | docx |