東京理科大学 A英1: Photosynthesis・光合成

Hello!

How are you? Today I have a video for you about photosynthesis (光合成). 

Activity
Watch this video about photosynthesis. It explains what the process of this is about. 

If you go to YouTube at this link, you can turn on Japanese subtitles (字幕) if you need them. 

As you watch, make notes about each step in the process of photosynthesis. 

Watch the video as many times as you want or need. What do you see that happens? What chemical processes are at work? 

When you are finished, explain this process to your classmates based on what you watched plus your notes. 

Have a Happy New Year! See you in 2019!

Image: By At09kg - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17219609

東京理科大学 A英1: Tenerife airport disaster ・テネリフェ空港ジャンボ機衝突事故

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's look at the Tenerife airport disaster (テネリフェ空港ジャンボ機衝突事故) in 1977. Have you ever heard about it? If you haven't - then today you'll find out!

The map above shows where it happened - on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The Canary Islands are controlled by Spain. 

Below are two (2) maps of where the Canary Islands are in the Atlantic Ocean: 

Activity

Watch the video below. It is a re-creation of the accident. 

If you go to YouTube at this link, you can turn on Japanese subtitles (字幕) if you need them. 

As you watch, make notes about each step of events that led to the accident. 

Watch the video as many times as you want or need. What do you see that happened? How do you think it could have been prevented? 

When you are finished, explain what happened to your classmates based on what you watched plus your notes. 

Have a Happy New Year! See you in 2019!

Images: Top – screenshot taken from http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/canary-islands-continue-quest-for-geothermal-energy-utilisation/Maps of Canary Islands in Atlantic & near Morocco – screenshots taken from http://www.world-guides.com/europe/spain/canary-islands/lanzarote/lanzarote_maps.html

Video uploaded from YouTube. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). I do not own the rights to this video. Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

東京理科大学 A英3: Final writing assignment・後学期期末作文

Hello!

How are you? Here is the final writing assignment for our class this year.

Review of topics

For our final writing assignment, you have a choice of themes! From September, we wrote about these themes:

• Cause and effect
• Future jobs, careers, lifestyles, and places to live
• Issues 

Task

For the final assignment, I have two very different, but equally interesting themes for you. Choose one (1) of them:

• Cause and effect (choose one (1) of these) – explaining a scientific or technical principle (such as a complex chemical or mechanical process or reaction). 
• Opinion writing on a different topic or issue than what you wrote about before (such as something in the news about Japan or the world - or - your hometown or the place you live in, something in the university here, or something science- or technology-oriented).  

Important note: 

It is very important that you do not write about the same thing you wrote about before! I can suggest some topics for you if you need them. 

How much to write

I’d like you to write as much as you can, at least 4-5 paragraphs' worth of writing. 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be on January 21st, 2019 (1/21/19). I want you to work on your first draft (下書き) in class today in your notebooks in pencil, plus work on this outside of class.

I do not expect you to work on this during the holiday, so do as much as you can outside of class, with next week (12/24) also as an open class writing day. Please let me see your rough drafts, and I can give you comments, advice, and suggestions about it. 

(If you work this way - do as much as you can both in-class and outside of class this week, plus work in-class next week, then you may not have to do anything over the holiday!)

Special note:

The final version must be typed up on a Word document, with the correct formatting as I have shown you before about name, class, period, and that it is the final writing assignment, with a title and the correct spacing, and handed in on January 21st.

Good luck with this! I look forward to reading your great writing on these themes!

Image: By cogdogblog - https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/16597284924/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56947733

東京理科大学 情報工学科技術英語: Supporting post for final presentations・期末発表のサポート

Hello!

How are you? Here is a supporting post for all of your final presentation projects - a series of TED Talk links that treat different areas of the internet, WWW and AI, and issues concerning views on internet regulation.  

Video links
Here are the links. Each one will take you directly to the TED website. With each one, except one, you can download the written transcript of the talk in either English or Japanese. 

The Japanese subtitling on the videos that have them may still not be exact for the topic, but it generally is better than on most YouTube videos. In the same way, the Japanese transcripts may not be exact, but generally give you good guides that you can follow for a topic if you need them. 

1. Margaret Gould Stewart – How the hyperlink changed everything (2018.03) - click on this link for this talk. 

2. Chris Sheldrick – A precise, three-word address for every place on earth (2017.08) - click on this link for this talk. 

3. Kenneth Shinozuka – My simple invention, designed to keep my grandfather safe (2014.11) - click on this link for this talk. 

4. Keller Rinaud – A mini robot – powered by your phone (2013.02) - click on this link for this talk. 

5. Pratick Shah – How AI is making it easier to diagnose disease (2018.07) - click on   

this link for this talk.

6. Olga Yurkova – Inside the fight against Russia’s fake news empire (2018.4) - click on this link for this talk. 

7. Trevor Timm – How free is our freedom of the press (2016.2) - click on this link for this talk.

8. Daniel Engber – How the progress bar keeps you sane (2018.3) - click on this link for this talk.

9. Tamas Kocsis – The case for a decentralized internet (2018.11) - click on this link for this talk. 

Important notes:
Talks #6 and #9 do not have Japanese subtitles or transcripts, but both show some timely issues with the internet. Talk #9 is also longer - at 10 minutes - but again, is a powerful talk and is the latest one here, uploaded to the TED website in November. 

NEW - Presentation tips and example
Here are two (2) videos for you on presentation that may help you as well. Rather than making a separate post, I have decided to include them here.

The first one is a funny, but important one on good and bad presentation habits:



The second one is a TED Talk from a 12-year-old app developer. It's a great model for a confident, informative, and interesting presentation:



I hope these links and videos will be interesting and informative for you. 

Take care!

Image: By GEDA_screenshot2007.png: Stefan Salewskiderivative work: Wirepath (talk) - GEDA_screenshot2007.png, GPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8894381

電気通信大学 AE2Y II: Final project supporting links

Hello!

How are you? Today I have some TED Talk links that connect to our writing project themes for all of you. 

Video links
Remember that you are taking your written abstract topic and now developing a fuller paper with it. These TED Talks may bring some key examples and details to your topics that can add more and help you to develop your compositional writing.

Do not limit yourself to these TED Talks. There may be more examples on the TED website, plus other websites as well, that you can explore. The more original research that you can do the better! But these are some good examples that you may find interesting and informative.

Check out any of the following links:

1. Gary Kovacs – Tracking our online trackers (2012.2) - see the video at this link. 

2. Elza Dunkels – Internet safety for children (2010.4) - see the video at this link. 

3. Laura Galante – How (and why) Russia hacked the US election (2017.5) - see the video at this link. 

4. Olga Yurkova – Inside the fight against Russia’s fake news empire (2018.4) - see the video at this link.

5. Tamas Kocsis – The case for a decentralized internet (2018.11) - see the video at

this link. 

6. Andrea Difilippo – Some doors aren’t meant to be closed: Parenting in cyberspace (2017.12) - see the video at this link.

Important notes:

TED Talks #1, 2, 3, and 6 all have Japanese subtitles and written transcripts if you need them. #4 and 5 do not have Japanese support - but the topics connect with what many of you are doing, so they may still be very useful for you. 

If you check these two TED Talks out, especially take your time with them - stop the video as many times as you need. 

I hope these links help you. Of course, at any time you can do your own research - I recommend that you do - there are many sites in both English and Japanese you can find that connect to your topics and interests. 

Good luck! Take care!

Image: By Juliana Rotich on Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/afropicmusing/15462562052/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49028402

東京理科大学 A英3: Supporting post for writing assignment 6 - about hikikomori・作文6のサッポートポスト「ひきこもりについて」

Hello!

How are you? Here is another supporting post for all of you who might want to write more about issues with hikikomori. 

Once again, this is a heavier topic, so anyone wanting to try for this for their writing will get some extra points. 

If you need to refresh yourself about the 6th writing assignment, go to this link here. 

Support & preparation (準備) 
This is another video - this time, a TED Talk in Japanese of a mother who had an adult hikikomori son. This might give you also some more background, this time from someone directly involved with this issue, about hikikomori and what they need to re-enter society. 

Watch it as many times as you need. This time there are no questions - but note down your reaction.
What do you think of it? 

Good luck with this! See you next class!

Image: By Hiroh Satoh from Japan - HIKIKOMORI night, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28635776

東京理科大学 A英3: Supporting post for writing assignment 6 - about refugees・作文6のサポートポスト「難民について」

Hello!

How are you? Here is a special post to go with our 6th writing assignment (作文6) - your opinions about refugees (難民) and what they need for immigration (移住).

If you want to refresh yourself about the 6th writing assignment, click on this link to check it. 

Support & preparation (準備) 
If you choose to write about this topic, here is some support for you. 

I've chosen this topic as one thing you can do because Japan lets in very few refugees, but because the Japanese population is getting older, greater refugee admission may be one thing the Japanese government will have to look at in the near future to keep up the working population. 

Video 1:
Refugees have many problems, and many things they need. Watch this video. It's mostly in English, but with Japanese subtitles (日本語の字幕). 

Watch the video as many times as you need to. When you are finished, answer these questions in your notebook about the different parts of the video (you can make notes in English or Japanese). 

You do not have to show me these notes - they are for you, to get more of a background about the topic and sense of what the issue is. 

日本のメッセージ
1. What did the first woman say about coming to Australia as a refugee?
2. What did the second woman say about communication between the government (政府) and refugees?

シンポジウムから待たヒント
What did Ishii-san say about the two women's refugee stories?

日本にできること
What did Moriya-sensei from Hokkaido Educational University (北海道教育大学) say about the needs of refugees?

長野県松本市の取り組み
What did Takizawa-sensei from Toyo Eiwa Women's University graduate school (東洋英和女学院大学大学院) say about help for refugees in Matsumoto city in Nagano (長野県松本市)?

求められる視点
What did Daniel Alkhal (ダニエル・アルカル ) from the UNHCR (国連難民高等弁務官事務所) say about the three different steps of support refugees need?

Make these notes in your notebook. You can make these notes in Japanese or English. 

Video 2: 
Now here is another video, but this time with no questions. It's also a TV Tokyo report, about refugees from Burma (Myanmar) who are now living and working in Tokyo as nail artists. 

This may also give you some more background about what some refugees who have re-settled in Japan are able to do. 

Task 
Now look at your notes and write 3-4 paragraphs about what you think of refugees and their needs, especially in coming to Japan.

If you believe that refugees should not come to Japan, give your reasons why.

I know this is a deeper topic than what some of you have done before - so as I say in my blogposts about hikikomori and our 6th writing assignment, I can give some extra points to you for trying for this topic. 

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing about this issue if you choose to write about it. 

Take care!

Image: By DFID - UK Department for International Development - Children are the amongst the most vulnerable refugees, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30786740  Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only. 

東京理科大学 A英1: Money from around the world・海外のお金

Hello!

How are you? The picture you see above are dong notes - Vietnamese money. 

Activity
Which countries do these different kinds of money come from? Talk about your ideas.

1.

Now try these!

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Homework 

Let's find out more about money from different countries! On the internet, find one (1) example of money from another country, with 2-3 pictures of it. Find out how much the money is in yen. 

Have fun! See you next time!

Images: Top -  Personal photograph/1. "Russian Roubles Currency Background" (courtesy of David Castillo Dominici) 2. "New Brazilian Currency - Real" (courtesy of David Castillo Dominici) 3. "100 Euro" (courtesy of Ambro) 4. "Uk Sterling Money Notes And Coins" (courtesy of -Marcus-) 5. "Hundred Thai Baht" (courtesy of foto76) 6. "Australian Cash" (courtesy of zirconicusso)/All images except top from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

All rights reserved on personal photograph.

東京理科大学 情報工学科技術英語: Final presentations・期末発表

Hello!

How are you? Here is our final presentation assignment. 

Once again, I am very sorry to post this later than what I had planned! While we still have a lot of time left in our course this semester, I had intended to post this on the day of the class this week. Please accept my apologies once again on posting this late!

Topic & task

Select an area or issue of AI (artificial intelligence), IT, the internet or the World Wide Web – for example: 

• a technical area of AI or IT – for example, how AI or IT can play a role in different areas of society and culture, such as medical care, or education, or even the arts – or –

• a general issue about the pros and cons of regulating the internet by governments or public or private organizations – or –

• a specific issue on the internet/WWW – for example, how to regulate fake news and spread of misinformation, or whether or not governments should intervene wherever there is any publicly harmful content on the internet

Along with this, develop a short, 5-6 minute presentation about your topic, including methodologies and results, and also your opinions and suggestions, on implications and directions of what your topic subject is about.  

As one example – on the issue of regulation of the internet: If you believe that the internet does not need to be regulated by local or national governments, state your opinion about it – but do not stop there. Exactly why, in your view, does it not need to be regulated? What research and studies, or journalistic investigations, can you find about the dangers of outside organizations regulating the internet?

Or by contrast – is regulation by bodies such as government organizations, or even through governmental law-making itself, necessary to keep the internet and WWW a safe area? What actions of internet regulation on such public levels have been taken in some countries?




Guidelines

You have a choice of making a Power Point or other digital display, as we have done before, with a summary that shows some background to the area or issue with any research or investigative reports about the area or issue, plus a statement on what you will focus on in your presentation. In addition, you will also develop an outline for your topic showing main and supporting ideas, and points of details of the topic.

Deadline (締め切り) 

We will turn in the summaries and outlines, and do the presentations, on January 22nd (1/22), so you have more than one month to do these. 

During our planning and preparation time, I will allow you to bring in your devices (laptops and/or tablets) and work in class, with my guidance and some supporting paper material and blogposts, to develop your summaries, outlines, and spoken presentation delivery. 

Good luck! I look forward to seeing your choices of topics, and helping you to develop them. 

Image: By Kevin Jarrett - https://www.flickr.com/photos/kjarrett/8295289152/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24031884