MISS SAIGON（Symphonic Band Arrangement）
1) Overture
2) My dream of the heart
3) Saigon surrender
4) Now is at this time
It is a performance in the 2007 amoto wind-instrument music competition.
Performance:Nishigoushi-minami Elementary school Symphonic Band
Kumamoto-JAPAN 25,Jul,2007
Duration : 0:7:22
Errol Morris’ Oscar-winning documentary, THE FOG OF WAR, is about Robert McNamara — a statistician so smart that he was asked by two presidents to use his smarts at the very highest levels in matters of life and death. Another way of looking at it is that McNamara, who was the secretary of defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, is the Donald Rumsfeld of his time, widely considered to be the architect of the Vietnam war. Using over 20 hours of interviews, Morris uses McNamara to give an insider’s view of recent history, as well as a portrait of a man grappling with his responsibility for the millions of deaths that occurred as a result of his counsel.
To download a lesson plan based on THE FOG OF WAR to be used in classes, visit http://www.sonyclassics.com/fogofwar/ and click on “lesson plan” in the lower left corner. You can also visit http://www.brown.edu/Research/Choices/resources/detail.php?id=55
For more ReThink Reviews, go to http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B5DFC2A5707C5EBB
Duration : 0:3:37
**Permission granted by this shogakko for posting on my page**
Usually I’m mobbed at recess after lunch when I visit elementary schools – the kids are eager to chat or have me draw something or ask me to play a game. But today my kids were busy after lunch rehearsing for their upcoming graduation ceremony, so I took advantage of the uncommon quiet and filmed a vlog talking about teaching at elementary school 小学校 しょうがっこう。
I enjoy my elementary school visits, but I wouldn’t want to only teach at elementary school. The kids are great, but the lessons are limiting and unless you can teach with them on a very consistent basis, it’s hard to see any real progress. But that will change for me in April, when my daily schedule will include many more visits to shogakko than I’ve had in the previous school year. (more about that in a future vlog)
If you have questions about teaching at elementary school (grades 1-6, ages 7-12), then leave a comment.
And maybe if you’re all really good I’ll give you the same quiz I gave my students in a future vlog! 
-Jason
Duration : 0:6:54
Sitting down outside at the local sports park, I discuss the challenges and rewards of teaching at shogakko (elementary school) in Japan.
I hope to film one more vlog touching on some other important aspects of teaching at elementary, so if you have any questions related directly to teaching younger kids, then please leave a comment and I’ll address them in the next vlog on this subject.
小学校 (shougakkou) is grades 1 (１年生) ichi nen sei – thru to grade 6 (６年生) roku nen sei. So usually we’re talking about kids age 6 to 12.
This term I’m teaching 5th graders and 6th graders exclusively, as my area is trying out the newly introduced English textbook, Eigo Noto 1 and Eigo Noto 2.
Every week I visit 5 different elementary schools, in addition to my regular teaching at one of my two Jr High Schools.
I plan on doing a separate vlog about the book being used and possibly I’ll go over some of the lessons I’ve been teaching this first term so you can get an idea of what level of English we’re talking about.
By way of example, yesterday I taught two classes of 6th graders the names of the months in English.
OK – hope you enjoy this vlog and more soon.
-Jason
Duration : 0:10:57
We take a peek inside the bag I tote around when I visit my elementary schools.
Most of you that end up having shogakko visits will also be teaching at one or more Jr High schools, so it’s a good idea to keep the materials needed for shogakko visits separate from your JH materials.
I used a bag given to me in my first year, and I add/subtract from it all the time.
The one thing I didn’t show was SLIPPERS! I also keep a pair of slippers on top of the bag and I take them to each different shogakko so I can wear slippers that actually fit my feet, instead of the smaller slippers on hand for guests at every school.
Thanks for watching!
-Jason
Duration : 0:9:35
Hey everybody, I just found out yesterday where I’m going to be back in japan later in the year when I start my english teaching job. I’m going to be in Iwate-ken (岩手県), which is a prefecture near the northern tip of Honshu. It’s Japan’s second largest prefecture and looks beautiful with various mountains, beaches, and hot springs. It certainly will be a much different experience than living around Tokyo and hanging around Shibuya and Akihabara, but I think this will be a great experience and really allow me to see more of the traditional side of Japan. I can’t wait to get over there and start my job!
Thanks everybody for watching, and I’ll post back again with more updates as I get them. See you next time! Oh and here’s a link to the wikipedia article about Iwate-ken:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwate_Prefecture
Duration : 0:3:38
Sports festivals (undokai in Japanese) are an important and anticipated event in schools throughout Japan. These events were in the past most often held in the autumn though many schools today prefer to stage these events during the spring. The typically sports day will include an opening ceremony followed by speeches from such dignitaries as the school principal and representatives (kids) from each of the competing teams. Most schools divide the class body into three teams, identified by color (often the school colors) and composed of a fairly equal number of kids from each grade. The older kids typically take a leading role and will ist and guide their juniors through the events. You can spot a sixth grader helping little Emily (at that time a first grader) with her class dance. These helpers are called partners and are typically igned to help the smaller kids throughout the school year.
Nearly all of the events are group-oriented and designed to help the kids learn to work as a team. Different schools may have unique events though some activities (such as the giant ball games and bean toss) seem to be popular with nearly all schools. Cheerleading is a very important part of a sports festival and especially energetic cheerleaders are greatly admired and appreciated. Watch the cheerleaders as the pull their bodies back to begin a cheer and urge their team members to join in and root hard for the competing athletes.
Sports festivals are not just for kids and many communities will stage these events for the benefit and pleasure of an entire neighborhood of village. Our little community has an annual sports festival in which adults and children compete together. This event is held on the grounds of this same elementary school and is great fun! The old folks of the community especially seem to appreciate our community sports festival and their turnout and management of the event is important and appreciated by all.
Duration : 0:9:53
Unlike most schools in America, Japanese schools don’t have cafeterias. Instead students eat in their classrooms. In this video, the kids are playing up to the camera a lot, but you can still get the idea of what lunchtime in a Japanese elementary school is like.
Duration : 0:1:40