As a graduate and doctoral student at Tokyo's Tokyo Gakugei
University (TGU), Riew Kinoshita became intrigued with
the American approach to technology and vocational education.
So, when Phillip Cardon, associate professor and coordinator
of technology education at Eastern Michigan Universit,y
traveled to TGU for his own research on technical literacy,
Kinoshita seized the opportunity to work with the EMU educator.
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A VOCATIONAL VIEW: Riew Kinoshita, a post
doctoral
researcher at Tokyo's Gakugei University,
was the
first to participate in an academic exchange
program
between Eastern Michigan University and Gakugei
University. During his stay, he researched the history
of vocational education in America. He plans to write
a Japanese language textbook on the history,
philosophy
and curriculum development of
technology
education in an effort to advance
vocational and
technology
education in Asia.
|
"Dr. Cardon is one of the most famous technology education
researchers," Kinoshita said of Cardon, who has taught
at EMU since 1999. "I like to discuss my research topics
with him."
That trip to Tokyo was the beginning of an alliance that
would open the doors for technology education students
a world apart and would begin the process of defining philosophies
and curricula for vocational training throughout Japan.
After Cardon returned to the United States, the two universities
continued cultivating the relationship, bringing TGU's
Yoshimi Tanaka to Michigan last fall to begin negotiations
for an innovative exchange program designed to benefit
both institutions through the exchange of knowledge and
resources.
Kinoshita accompanied Tanaka on the short trip to EMU.
He returned 10 months later to begin his own research on
the history, philosophy and curriculum development of technical
and vocational education in the United States.
The academic exchange agreement, which was finalized in
May, is designed to promote the exchange of students, faculty
and staff for the purpose of progress in science, education
and culture.
"This is one of the few such agreements within the Tokyo
area," said Cardon, who added that most vocational programs
are located in more rural areas. "This is one of the few
within one hour of Tokyo."
Though a post-doctoral researcher and not an exchange
student, Kinoshita was the first to participate in the
TGU-EMU program. Plans are underway for an EMU graduate
student to study in Tokyo during the winter 2008 semester.
Cardon stresses that EMU students interested in studying
at TGU need not be concerned about a language barrier.
"Most (Tokyoans) speak English," he said.
The key benefit of research Kinoshita conducted,
while in the United States, will be the effect his work
will have on the future of vocational training in Japan,
Cardon said.
Largely as a result of his research here, Kinoshita
plans to write a Japanese language textbook on the history,
philosophy and curriculum development of technology education
in an effort to advance vocational and technology education
in Asia.
"In Japan, we have schools that focus on vocational subjects
within technical education," said Cardon. "We have technical
schools here, also, but we differ from the Japanese (because)
we have a more comprehensive approach."
Japanese students are tested at the end of eighth grade
to determine whether they will go to vocational or academic
school. Although development of vocational and technology
education has become well defined over the last 100 years
in the United States, that is not the case in Japan, leaving
room for significant improvement in Japan's approach to
vocational and technology education, according to Cardon.
"Riew's research will help to form the philosophy of technical
and vocational education in Japan," Cardon said.
