Prairie Principal in Japan

Retirement

2012-01-08T13:44:00.002-06:00

After 32 years of teaching, coaching, and administration I will be retiring from education. I look forward to starting a new career. I am thankful for all that I have learned and experienced. Thank you to all the great teachers and students.

Japan in My Heart

2010-01-10T10:01:00.004-06:00

It is now 2010 and it has been many years since I visited Japan and made new friends there. I have fond memories of this wonderful country and it's people. I hope that I can return someday. The world is truely a small place and we as a people have much more in common than differences. Peace to All. Let's make this a better world for our children.

David

Welcome

2007-04-08T09:03:00.000-05:00

I have had a wonderful school year. My trip to Japan was an experience of a life time. I have been very fortunate to make new friends with my host family in Chigaskai. As I wind down this school year I have reflected on the many wonderful experiences that I have gained just by presenting this experience to students, teachers, parents, and administrators. I recently gave my final presentation of the school year. I enjoyed the opportunity to visit with a group of parents about the cultural and educational experiences in Japan. While I have completed most of my presentations I am fortunate to be able to present to the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders next fall. I look forward to this experience.

Thank you to all the wonderful conversations that I have had with people. If you would like to visit about this experience,please feel free to respond at this blog site. I will be happy to continue the conversations.

God bless you and keep you safe.
David Zwingel

Teacher Inservie

2007-01-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all that attended the in-service on Monday. For those of you that are interested in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund you can get additional information at fulbrightmemorialfund.jp. I wish could have talked more about all the experiences.

God bless you all and the great work you do with kids.
Davidsan

Video Blocking

2006-10-26T10:51:00.000-05:00

The videos posted will not show at school because the site is blocked by the school filter.

Posting Again

2006-10-25T21:51:00.000-05:00

I opened the blog for posting again. I have added several videos. I think you will enjoy them.

I will be making presentations to Ely Elementary next week. I also plan on giving presentations to the junior high and high school after state testing has been completed. If a community group would like to have me present my trip at one of your meetings, please feel free to contact me.

I am also planning to present to the teachers in our consortium at the winter in-service. This presentation will focus on education issues in Japan.

Kendo Demonstration

2006-10-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

I had posted a picture of students participating in Kendo. This was practiced in the high school physical education program that I had visited. This is a demonstration of a Kendo match.

View of Mt.Fuji

2006-10-25T21:34:00.000-05:00

Mt. Fuji's height is easy to remember. It is 12,365 ft. There are 12 months in a year and 365 days in a year. That is the height of Mt. Fuji.

How to laugh in Kyogen

2006-10-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

In the Kyogen Theater actions and voice are exaggerated. Here is a sample. Notice the actor's body position. He will squat slightly. In the next video notice the body position and shuffle steps of tne actors.

Kyogen Video

2006-10-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

Traditional Japanese Comedy. I sometimes think Kyogen is kind of like a sitcom. On the show, "Seinfeld" the characters always think that they are getting ahead but in the end nothing ever works out for them. Kyogen is very similar to that story line. For example, the rich man does not succeed because he has too much money, the beautiful girl does not get the date that she wants, the witty thief gets caught.

Kabuki Dancer

2006-10-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

This is a sample of the kabuki dance. During the Edo period, kabuki was performed by samurai warriors. Kabuki was performed in low light theaters so the performers used the white and pink paint to make the performer more visible. It also helped to disguise the physical features of the samurai warrior.

Southern All-Stars

2006-10-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

The Southern All-Stars are the most popular band in Japan. They have had hits songs since the 1980's. The lead singer for the group went to the middle school that we toured. The Southern All-Stars orginally came from our host city of Chigasaki.

Baseball Video

2006-10-25T21:13:00.000-05:00

This is a great example of how crazy the fans are at a baseball game. The music and cheers are non-stop.

Final Post

2006-10-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

This is the final post.

I have made many new friends. I have greatly appreciated this opportunity and the experience has truely enriched my life. This experience has helped me understand the Japan culture, our country's perspective in the world, and helped me think about my own school and community. I look forward to being home again and visiting with all my friends and family.

Thank you to everyone at home and I hope to see you soon.

Cool Ideas

2006-10-17T17:55:00.000-05:00

Japan is a very clean place. There is a reason it is clean. The reason is that the people make a effort to take care of the environment.

There are vending machines everywhere. The difference between our vending machines and theirs is that there are a huge variety of drinks in Japan and the serving size is much smaller. The typical drink in a vending machine is about 6ozs. compared to our 16 and 20 oz. drinks. Also there are no garbage cans located anywhere. There are recycling bins at the vending machines. If you arer thirsty you go to a vending machine, drink your drink, then despose of it in the recycling bin. People do not walk and drink on the streets. This concept is something for us to think about.

These mirrors are all over the place. Because the roads are so small and narrow the driver can not see around the corner so they use these mirrors. There are probably a half dozen mirrors on every block.

They use these nets to cover the garbage on garbage day. This is to prevent any garbage from blowing away. This is another reason Japan is so clean.

This idea is not unque to Japan but is very cool. In the hotels, the room key is on a stick. The stick is placed in the light switch. To use the lights you must insert the stick. If you leave the room you must take your key with you therefore turning the lights off. Save energy.

Final Post Soon

2006-10-17T02:41:00.000-05:00

I will try to update the blog one more time. I would like to post a few pictures of some of the things that are unque in Japan. I hope to be able to have time to do that tomorrow. I am back in Tokyo today. On Wednesday we meet as a group and we have follow up activities.

I fly out on Thursday and I figure it will take me 22 hours to get from Tokyo to Rugby. I am not looking forward to the flight. Thank goodness I don't have school until Monday.

Japan is a wonderful and amazing country. I have had a fantastic experience here. The thing that surprises me the most, and it shouldn't have, is that people all over the world just want to raise their families, they want good things for their kids, and they want to be safe. Kids are kids and that shouldn't be a surprise. A lesson to learn here is that this is a wonderful culture, different in many ways from our own, but more alike than different.

I miss you all and can't wait to get home.
Love
DZ

A Very Big Domo Arigato Gozaimasu to My Host Family!

2006-10-15T06:09:00.000-05:00

My New Friends ... I hope they come to visit us in Rugby.

Eat Black Eggs and Live Long

2006-10-15T05:57:00.000-05:00

Eggs are boiled in the hot water from the active volcano. The eggs turn black once they have been cooked. I ate THREE!

Elementary 8

2006-10-15T05:38:00.000-05:00

Elementary 8

2006-10-15T05:34:00.000-05:00

Elementary 7

2006-10-15T05:28:00.000-05:00

Elementary 6

2006-10-15T05:26:00.000-05:00

Elementary 5

2006-10-15T05:03:00.000-05:00

Restroom Slippers

Reading Time With Parent Volunteer

Jazz Band

Elementary 4

2006-10-15T05:01:00.000-05:00

Reading in the Library

Kitchen

JFMF Map

Teacher Work Area

Elementary 3

2006-10-15T04:58:00.000-05:00

Elementary 2

2006-10-15T04:54:00.000-05:00

Visitor Slippers

Elementary 1

2006-10-13T05:23:00.000-05:00

Coming to school.

Answer to Blood Type Question

2006-10-12T15:23:00.000-05:00

Question: Do they get to blood-type their own blood? We used to, but don't anymore because of the AIDS and other universal pre-cautions concerns. We can only use simulation kits now.
Hagen

Perhaps this picture will give you the answer.

Junior High School 1

2006-10-12T10:53:00.004-05:00

Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them. Welcoming ceremonies. My visit to this junior high is one of my most memorable experiences that I have had in Japan. This school has 600 students in grades 7,8, and 9. School starts at 8:30 and goes to 3:30. Students have club activities from 3:30 - 5:00. Japanese students go to school 190 days per year. At this school they compete with other schools in baseball and surfing.

No bleachers. Students sit in rows on the floor and teachers stand in the back.

I enjoyed the company of the school principal.

The band welcomed us to the song, "Pretty Woman".

Welcome speech by one of the students. The speech as prepared in english.

Junior High School 2

2006-10-12T10:53:00.003-05:00

Student shoe lockers.

Each grade has its own building. The junior high is grades 7, 8, and 9.

Earthquake / fire helmets. There is one helmet in each classroom. These helmets are located outside the principal's office.

Relaxation garden.

Guest slippers.

Junior High School 3

2006-10-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

Students must clean the school each day.

Junior High School 4

2006-10-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Junior High School 5

2006-10-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

Computers located in the principal's office. These are used by teachers. All schools are required to have at least 41 computers in each school. All the computers are located in one lab.

9th grade science class - blood classification lesson.

Teacher's work room.

Integrated studies class. The student does research on a social problem, compiles data, and then does an oral presentation. The students evaluate the student's presentation.

JFMF Application Information

2006-10-11T12:37:00.000-05:00

If you are interested in participating in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Program , the 2007 JFMF competition is underway. In 2007, up to 400 teachers and administrators will be selected to participate in this wonderful opportunity. The JFMF application is again offered online for the 2007 competition via their website at www.iie.org/jfmf - the deadline is December 7, 2006. I encourage you to visit the official JFMF website at www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp for more information about the program. This is wonderful experience.

High School 4

2006-10-11T06:07:00.000-05:00

Computer class - look at the girls in back.

School cooks. My lunch cost 400 yen (about $4.00). I ordered noodles, vegetables, and pork.

This photo was taken for Ms. Hagen. It is the science lab.

These girls presented us with information about school uniforms. They do not like to wear school uniforms. A uniform set costs about 100,000 Yen. Tuition at the school is 500,000 Yen per year.

High School 3

2006-10-11T06:02:00.000-05:00

This school is six years old.

There are cosmetics on the desk and kids not paying attention in class.

If you look close you will see smiles.

If you look close you will see smiles. Notice my name tag. I decorated it with beads that Mrs. Lindseth gave me. I wanted to promote our Native American culture from North Dakota. The kids were very interested in Native Americans and Bison.

Some kids don't pay attention in class.

High School 2

2006-10-11T05:58:00.000-05:00

If you look close you may see some smiles.

If you look close you may see some smiles.

High School 1

2006-10-11T05:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, cell phones in school.

These are 2nd year math students. This is a very good teacher because he asks his students lots of questions.

This is a private Christian high school so we started the morning with devotions. We sang "Amazing Grace" in Japanese. On 3% of Japan is Christian.

Nice hat.

This student is known as the best piano player in all of Japan for his age (14). He performed for us at lunch. It was outstanding!!!

Favorite Picture So Far

2006-10-09T16:21:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite picture so far. This little boy and his family were praying at the Great Buddha Shrine in Kamakura.

This bronze statue of Amita Buddha was cast in 1252 A.D. by the sculptus Ono-Goroemon and Tanji-Hisatomo at the request of Miss Inadano-Tsubone and Priest Joko, who not only orginated the idea of building this large statue and the temple covering it, but also collected donations for it.

In 1498, a tidal wave swept away the great temple of the Buddha, leaving only the foundation stones. In the 500 years since then, the statue has been exposed to sunshine, storms, and snow.

The latest repair was done in 1960, to strengthen the Buddha's neck and to make it possible for the Buddha's body to move freely on the base to prevent damaging shock to the statue in case of an earthquake.

The statue is 13.35 meters tall, and weighs 121 tons.

Keeping Up on Sports

2006-10-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

I followed the Vikings game over the internet last night. Great fourth quarter! I was up at 3:00 in the morning reading the internet updates. I could not follow baseball very well here. The Japanese League is in the playoffs. The Japanese don't seem to care to much about American baseball or American Football. They do follow their japanese players that are in the U.S. I did watch Rugby, the sport not the town, on TV. It was wild. It is way more physical than football. I also watched field hockey.

Agenda for Monday through Friday

2006-10-08T17:48:00.000-05:00

Today, Monday, (it is Sunday in Rugby) we are going to the Jokenji Temple, the Chigasaki City Museum of Art, South Beach, Kamakura, the Great Buddha, and the Hase Temple.

Tuesday, we visit the Mayor of Chigasaki City and the Superintendent of the Chigasaki Board of Education. We will visit Yokohama National University.

Wednesday, we will visit Aletheia Shonan High School.

Thursday, we will visit Chigasaki Daiichi Junior High School.

Friday, we will visit Chigasaki City Midorigahama Elementary School.

Busy Intersections

2006-10-07T04:34:00.000-05:00

I wonder how the crossing guards at Ely would handle these intersections?

Everyone waits until the signal changes then large groups of people come from every corner. Many times they come from five or six crosswalks at one time. I NEVER saw a jay walker.

Of course, they all must be going to McDonalds. There are McDonalds everywhere. I also saw Wendys, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dennys. The japanese people are not obese but I think this may change as they begin eating western style food.

Japan Diet

2006-10-07T03:40:00.000-05:00

The Japanese Diet is not something that you eat. The Diet is the name of the Japanese government. The Diet is similiar to our Congress. The House of Representatives is located in the Diet. There are many political parties in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party has the majority of the government seats at the present time. Japan has a Prime Minister. The present Prime Minister is Prime Minister Abe, promounced "ah-b-a".
A poster in the gift shop shows Prime Minister Abe and Prsident Bush. Japan and the United States are strong allies.

Students on a field trip to the Diet.

Bikers

2006-10-07T03:16:00.000-05:00

You know that I couldn't go to Japan without checking out the bikes! Here I am at the Tokyo Harley Davidson Store. It is very small and just like the United States - very expensive! There are many great bikes in Tokyo. Naturally they are all Japanese bikes but I did see two Harleys. They like to customize their bikes just like us.

Here are two cool bikes. One is riden by a policeman. He was happy to pose for the picture. The other biker stopped along side the road and we tried to talk about bikes. His name was Shomoiko. He did not speak english but we knew that we were brother bikers. I tried to tell him that his bike was cool and that in the United States his bike would be called a "bobber". He did not understand. We smiled allot. We knew that we had something in common, bowed and even shoke hands.

Tokyo Subway

2006-10-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

Everyone travels by subway in Tokyo. Sometimes it is very crowded. People traveling in a subway are very respectful. They do not talk very much and many times people sleep while riding the subway.

Sometimes the subways are very attractive. One photo shows a beautiful wall mural. One photo did not turn out very well but the entire ceiling of the subway was lit up with black lights and the ceiling had all the stars above. When the sun came up the black lights turn off and you don't see the stars anymore.

Tokyo Fish Market

2006-10-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

This is one of the largest fish markets in the world. 1/6th of all the fish sold in the world comes through this fish market. At 5:00 a.m. each morning the fish is brought in to an auction. The large tuna pictured sells for as much as $10,000 each. I have never seen so many different kinds of fish and eels. Many of the fish are kept alive in tanks. You don't want to eat sushi on Wednesdays because the market is closed so you may eat day old fish on Wednesdays.

View of Tokyo from Hotel

2006-10-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

Buddhist Temple and Shinto Shrine

2006-10-05T09:51:00.000-05:00

We went to a Buddhist Temple and a Shinto Shrine. At the Buddhist Temple you can have your fortune read. In the picture there is a metal container with a hole in one end. There are sticks with japanese writing on them inside the metal box. You turn the metal box until a stick comes out. Once you have the stick you look at the writing on the stick and then match the writing to the symbols on the wood boxes. Inside the matching box you will find your fortune. There is a piece of paper with your fortune in the wooden box. There are 100 fortunes. If you have a good fortune you keep it. If you have a bad fortune you tie it on to the wooden sticks. This is to keep the bad fortune away from you. You can also get good luck by purchasing a good fortune and then set it on fire. You then wisk the smoke over you for good luck.

I received fortune #13 Best Fortune out of 100. Pretty Good!

When spring comes, you will get good fortune.
Just like flowers bloom on old branches, something happy will come.
When spring comes, your life will change to be prosperous just like rice grows. You will be able to reach the highest position.

Your wishes will be realized. A sick person will recover. The lost article will be found. The person you are waiting for will come. It is good to make a trip in spring and summer. Marriage and employment are all good.

Kyogen

2006-10-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Kyogen are short plays 10-25 minutes long. Kyogen were plays that usually looked at the funny side of life. The lives of people were studied in the plays to show that not all things work out the way that they are supposed to. Kyogen were kind of like sit-coms. The everyday occurances of ordinary people were acted out on stage. Things did not happen as everyone thought. The rich man could be made fun of by the poor man, the thief would not be successful and get his due. The one with beauty may not get the handsome boyfriend, the ugly duckling may.

Enclosed are pictures of some masks used by Kyogen performers. The devil mask looks MEAN but if the actor looks up to the sky then it looks as if it smiling. Things are not as they appear in Kyogen theatre.

Yomiuri Giants Baseball

2006-10-05T09:01:00.000-05:00

I went to a Yomiuri Giants baseball game on Thursday Night. It was a great time. The fans are NUTS! When their team is up to bat they sing and chant cheers. They play trumphets and drums. They all wear team jerseys, head bands, and hit plastic bats together. When the visiting team is up to bat the home team sits there quitely and the visiting team does cheers. All the fans stay to the end of the game. The score was 9-0 in favor of the Giants but the fans from both teams stayed a cheered until both teams had left the field. I never heard them question an officials call. They were very respectful but had a GREAT time. It cost 2,300 Yen to go to the game and 320 yen to take the subway to get there. Guess what I ate at the game?

Kabuki

2006-10-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

This is not a geisha. This is a Kabuki performer. Orginally the word "kabuki" meant something "off-beat" or not quite moral and began with colorfully dressed swaggering ex-samurai, coutesans and other street people in the early Edo period (1600-1868).

Today, Nishikawa Masako demonstrated the song and dance of the kabuki. Here she demonstrated how she gets dressed for the performance. She paints her face with a very heavy white cosmetics.

The wig is a steel cap with human hair glued to the frame.

Nishikawa paints her hands last so that she does not get white on her kimono.

Kiyomoto plays the music for Nishikawa's performance.

Kabuki is not popular in Japan. It is considered as just "old stuff" by most people, perhaps like square dancing is not enjoyed by most people in the U.S.

Welcome to Japan

2006-10-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

We were treated to traditional Japanese music .

A local college student took us out for our first meal in Tokyo

Here I am pictured with our hosts at the japanese inn. We have fried eggplant, fish liver, radishes, japanese pickles, and soup.
Here I am pictured with some new friends that I met.

Will Respond Soon

2006-10-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

I am having some trouble connecting with internet in Japan. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

I flew out of Minot North Dakota at 5:00 a.m. and had connecting flights in Minneapolis, and Denver. I arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in San Francisco at about 2:00. We had a brief meal and then we were greeted by the Deputy Consul General, Kazuyoshi Yamaguchi. During the orientation we were presented with a panel of past JFMFers. They provided us with insights from their past Japan travel. One of the most interesting parts of the orientation was a demonstration by David Satterwhite and Reiko Masuda. They demonstrated the proper protocol to exchanging business cards. In Japan the business card is an expression of the individual. The exchange of the cards is held with great respect. We learned the following protocol:
• Bow
• Present the card with both hands.
• The card should be facing the person you a giving it to so that they are able to read the name and the position.
• You state as you present it; I am …. (David Zwingel) I am the …. (Principal at Rugby High School)
• They other person does the same procedure as you.
• After the presentation of the card, you take the other person’s card with one hand as they take your card with one hand.
• You both then hold the other person’s card with two hands, bow and say “Thank you”.
• It is impolite to write on a business card in front of the giver.

I found the exchange of business cards to be a very respectful and polite method of greeting.

Third graders:
For a fun activity you might want to try making a simple business card. Put your name, address, phone, etc. on it. You could decorate it with a picture or symbol of something that represents something you like.

Once you have a card you could then go through an exchange it with someone in your class or with your teacher. If you follow the steps for exchanging cards you would get to experience how the Japanese express great respect for others through the exchange of cards.

Konnichiwa

2006-09-29T12:28:00.000-05:00

2006-09-29T11:58:00.000-05:00

One year ago, I filled out a bunch of forms and made all sorts of promises in order to apply for a travel and study grant to Japan. Six months later, I learned that I was accepted into the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program and now, my departure date of October 1, 2006 is finally close at hand. First, I will spend a day of orientation in San Francisco, California. Then, I and the other 199 educators who were selected from across the USA to participate in this wonderful program will fly to Tokyo. After spending a week in the city which I have heard described as "New York on steroids", we will be divided into smaller groups of about twenty people. Each group will travel to a different prefecture or province. I am going to the city of Chigasaki in the prefecture of Kanagawa. It is a sea coastal town with a population of 220,000. I understand that Chigasaki is known for its wonderful beaches.

The purpose of this trip is to learn about the Japanese educational system and culture so that international dialogue and understanding will be encouraged and strengthened. Every day will be filled with presentations and visits to all levels of schools from prekindergarten programs on up through college level institutions. We will be treated to performances of traditional Japanese theater and explore ancient shrines and temples. I will stay with a Japanese family for a weekend and spend a night at a traditional inn. Maybe I'll ride a bullet train or get to go to a baseball game. Hopefully I won't experience an earthquake.

When I return to the United States, I am obligated to share what I learned with my students, education colleagues and greater community. So be prepared to hear me talk your ear off about Japan this and Japan that. (Really, I will try to restrain myself unless encouraged...) For the record, I never thought that I'd have a reason, inclination or desire to blog, but this seems to be a good way to keep track of my daily activities and to communicate my thoughts as I travel about Japan. I am especially eager to stay in touch with my school community at Ely Elementary and Rugby High School, Rugby, North Dakota. Hi, Everyone! So, besides being an actual physical journey, this trip is prompting me to explore the (new to me) virtual world of blogging. Wish me luck.

Thanks to my superintendent, Mr. Jeff Lind and Rugby Public Schools for supporting me in this wonderful adventure!