"I feel that different country and different color, it is not different people."
Tohru Sugiura
Capitol Building, Madison, Wisconsin
On March 25, we meet the Lieutenant Governor, Barbara Lawton at the Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin.
We went to Capitol in Madison to Lieutenant governor's Capitol office at 8:30 a.m.
She welcomed us and invited us to her room. At first we said greetings to each other, and then we talk about our MTP project and exchange opinions.
Lieutenant Governor was very interested in our project between Lincoln Elementary School and Omose Elementary School. She asked us, "How did you begin this project? What is your purpose?"
I mentioned, "We are developing our project as MTP of FMF. Our focus is to foster the sense and interest of each child for local nature or environment through the environmental education on each side at first, and then, we are going to broaden children's global perspectives for environment exchanging and sharing their studies via Internet with children who live upside down on the earth."
Lieutenant Governor recognized and admired our collaboration and said, "It is very important points in Education of Future. I hope that the program like yours expands to other schools."
She encouraged us and she promised to support us.
We had a great time and discussion to promote our 'Global Knowledge' Creating Web.
Yukihiko Oikawa
We had an interview with Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton during 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. on Thursday the 25th of March. There was a question from the Lieutenant Governor of what education is performed. The Oikawa teacher talked concretely about the cooperation with the Lincoln Elementary School.
The Lieutenant Governor was impressed very much and said that she expected a spreading and deepening of the further cooperation.
We visited the Department of Education of the State from 10:30 a.m. for 1 hour. International Education Supervisor Madeline Uraneck met us at the door.
We had talks with the Assistant State Superintendent of Academic Excellence Jack Kean and 4 staffpersons.The Oikawa teacher explained the environmental education of Omose Elementary School, and Ms. Becky Rosenberg gave supplementary explanation of the measure of the Lincoln Elementary School.
From the personnel of the Department of Education, there was a question about the environmental education in a kindergarten or the curriculum of a grade stage.
Moreover, even if the method of cooperation in Japan and the United States stuck, the question was made with interest.
There is a guidebook of making a curriculum of environmental education and science in Wisconsin.
In Japan, since practice of the environmental education based on the scientific technique has not yet rooted, it becomes helpful very much. It was a new surprise at the fullness of the environmental education in Wisconsin.
Akira
On March 24, we went to field trip to pothole with Lincoln School 5th grade students.
At 8:30 a.m. in the morning, we got on a school bus of Lincoln School with children of Becky's class, and left for the pothole. It took 20 minutes from school, we got to the pothole. Pothole means 'Wetland'.
In the glacial period, the land was scraped by glacier and it made many holes. After that, the rain and water flowed into the scraped land, so that many ponds and wetlands appeared there. That is called 'pothole'. They are the paradise of birds and wildlife.
Potholes are now decreasing by development of agriculture and urban spreading. The pothole which we went to is protected by national government.
Students separated into groups and start research. The focus of today's research was 'Bird Watching'. They looked for birds and observed birds using field glasses. And they filled out their sheets of kinds, number and place.
They were also thinking about territory and passage of birds. During the research, a boy found an antler of deer in the wetland and a girl found the bone of deer's chin. They were very excited. And they studied the food chain in this pothole.
Students learn of food chain, ecosystem, diversity and preservation of nature through the study of pothole. I recognized that this kind of hands on environmental study fosters appreciation of nature and environment.
Yukihiko Oikawa
Dr. Paul Williams is one of the most important persons for our project.
He took time to speak just with Japanese visitors about his work with Bottle Biology for our project. This instruction will help to develop this project.
We spent very effective time with him. Our time passed early like an arrow.
It was the most interesting time for me.
Dr. Paul Williams taught us the scientific method by discussing the fundamental method and the fundamental viewpoint. The fundamental viewpoint is very important in the study of science. That it is important is an attitude which studies science.
His laboratory was given to him from the University. It is a very old house.
Many persons gather in his laboratory. Many required things also are gathered. Information is also gathered.
Wisdom is produced. That is a very wonderful space.
We felt a part of the study going on.
We began a collaboration between Omose and Lincoln. It is very honorable.
Masa Abe and Susan O'Leary
Meeting is very important, and meals can be a way for people of different cultures and viewpoints to do this. People can come together in understanding over meals.
Eating is very pleasant and wonderful experiences can be carried out. The taste of many new foods and cuisines is important, but more important is meeting new wonderful persons. We shared meals with persons we already knew and new persons. Our discussions produced new knowledge and created familiarity.
Stephens Point is internationally famous for environmental education. I have read about it in Japan.
Jennie Lane, who is a researcher at the Environmental Education Center, came to our school in February. It was a pleasure to meet her again.
She introduced the new researcher to us. Her name is Susan Ermer. They travelled by car over two hours to meet with us. It was very delightful.
They are experts very knowledgeable in energy education. It was very meaningful to talk with them about environmental education. We were able to build the new network.
Jack Kloppenberg and Sara Tedeschi are the teachers of the University who are interested in
establishing networks between organic farmers and school lunch programs. We visited Jack's house. The organic lunch he prepared for us was very delicious.
As we ate, we discussed the present condition of American and Japanese consumer and nutritional education.
Sustainable agriculture is a very important idea in their research. The School to Lunch program hopes to support local organic farmers, help students to understand where their food comes from (the seed sources, the farmers, the farms and transportation networks), and to provide more nutritious meals for the students.
A Japanese student at the University of Wisconsin and a Japanese researcher visiting at the University also participated in this lunch. The discussion was very interesting for me. I want to build the network from now on.
The pot luck dinner with the staff of the Lincoln Elementary School is experience which will not be forgotten. Staff members each brought a dish to share. We were able to enjoy this delicious meal created by so many, and to talk with many friendly staff.
It was a very pleasant time.
The principal Ms. Beth Lehman was very much pleased with our present. We were very glad. Experiences like this are an important element in our project's success.
The lunch with DPI staff was a pleasant time. It is because we met with someone we have come to know through our project. Her name is Madeline Uraneck, and she is very important for this project.
She arranged for the new staff to meet with us. We talked about teacher training for established teachers. In Wisconsin, teachers must continue to study about teaching after they become teachers.
I regarded as enviable that they could study at a University during their summer vacation.
Masa Abe and Susan O'Leary
Today, I visited the Lincoln Elementary School for the first time.
First we observed appearance of children in school. And they gave us a hearty welcome Assembly. After our introduction, some grades expressed the welcome with the song or the dance.
We can understand their feelings without language. I think that it is the first and highest communication.
We made a deep impression on the lap of the low grade child very much. After the assembly we separated and inspected the lesson.
Hatakeyama participated with the lesson of the music of a kindergarten and a first grader. He taught 'The song of a tulip' to children in Japanese. And he tried to be able to teach how to call a color in Japanese. In gymnastics, I was surprised. all children played the tag game of movement like 'Oni-gokko' in Japanese.
They had the wristband which take their heartbeat.
Generally, we had the following children's impression. They were active and were hearing a teacher's talk firmly as well as the children of Omose Elementary School. I thought that exact judgment of teachers and frantic action were more wonderful than anything.
After school, we heard from Kevin Little about the surveillance system of electric energy. It was the system which can know the amount of consumption of every day and month, year and its change. It will become the data of the lesson about an energy problem in our program.
Written by Yuichi
2003-2004 Bugs and Soils Project
Becky in Japan 2003 Includes daily/weekly updates and messages from Becky!
Japanese Teachers in Madison, Wisconsin
Three Educators From Japan Visit Madison and Lincoln School March 2002
Pothole Page Year long investigations of life at a wetland
New Pothole investigations 2002
Photo of the Capitol Building courtesy of the 
Wisconsin Government Web Site
Last update: March 30, 2004
Editor/Publisher:Eileen Potts Dawson epottsdawson@madison.k12.wi.us
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