◆◇ Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council News ◇◆ Vol. 070

Reading, sports, good food, and the arts—it has been a fruitful fall.
As the mornings and evenings are starting to get chilly, please take care to stay healthy.

We were delighted to have so many people attend our recent symposium, and
and the entire secretariat would like to express our gratitude.

In this issue, along with a report on DiTT’s activities,
we bring you the latest information on digital textbooks and educational materials.

Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council Secretariat

Table of Contents ——————————————————
・Topics
・Activity Report (Study Sessions)
・Introduction to Pioneer Teachers
・Media
・Information on Digital Textbooks and Educational Materials
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　　　　 Topics
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In April of this year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) established the “Study Group on the Positioning of ‘Digital Textbooks’,” and discussions regarding the introduction of digital textbooks have begun in earnest.
http://goo.gl/Mph92Q

To support this committee, we are planning to hold a symposium, which will serve as a public forum for discussion.
Details will be announced at a later date on the DiTT website (http://ditt.jp/), so please be sure to join us.

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　　　　 Activity Report
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≪Study Session≫
We held our 62nd study session on Thursday, September 17.

Guest Presentations

■ Future Institute Co., Ltd.　
Director and Chief Researcher, Education ICT Research: Mr. Hiroyuki Tameda
“The Front Lines of Educational ICT Adoption: Insights from Leading Examples”

Mr. Shinya Kobashi, Service Designer, Concent, Inc.
“The ‘aicco’ Physical Education App Development Project Using Service Design Thinking”

■Mr. Yusuke Mizuno, Representative, Life is Tech!　
“IT Education That Transforms the Future of Junior High and High School Students in the Digital Age”

*You can view the study session report at the URL below.
http://ditt.jp/action/study.html

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≪Study Session Overview≫

Mr. Mizuno, CEO of Life is Tech!, gave a presentation titled “IT Education That Transforms the Future of Middle and High School Students in the Digital Age.”

Mr. Mizuno, who has experience teaching at the high school level, left the human resources consulting firm where he worked five years ago and founded Life is Tech! with the goal of helping children achieve success through programming education services.
Life is Tech! was created with this purpose in mind.
In this session, he spoke about the programming programs currently offered to middle and high school students, as well as the company’s entry into the education sector.
In the classes, students choose one of 14 courses—such as app development—and are taught in groups of one instructor to six students to ensure that each child’s individual characteristics and interests are carefully addressed.
Regarding these classes, Mr. Mizuno asserts, “Even just three hours can change a life.”
Mr. Mizuno believes that children thrive when pursuing what they love, and that learning leads to motivation; he states that he wants to make Life is Tech!
“the Disneyland of the IT world.”
To achieve this, the key lies in creating an environment that makes children eager to participate; he emphasizes the need to “foster motivation to learn,” “nurture curiosity,” and “ensure they clearly communicate what they want to do.” At the same time, he aims to bring together children who share similar interests, instill hope for the future, and value the importance of “real-world” experiences.
And what they value most is “competing on the same playing field as the pros.”
To date, more than 13,000 children have participated in this program. One middle school student among them
released an app that recorded 80,000 downloads. The children are beginning to achieve various successes.
The adults involved are also undertaking various initiatives, such as holding draft meetings with major companies. Regarding this,
Mr. Mizuno notes that while baseball allows people to experience both the consumer and producer sides, with games, people tend to be on the consumer side.
He argues that, in that case, it would be fine for IT to shift toward the producer side as well.
Furthermore, he states that to improve education going forward, we must change the entry points, exit points, and core content, and identifies
1. Having the necessary skills and confidence; 2. Producing a high volume of output; 3. Gaining recognition at school;
4. The “exit” is crucial (such as placement into universities or companies).
He expressed his desire to build a system—with support from companies—that enables students to become “heroes” based on these four pillars.

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　　 Introduction of Pioneering Teachers
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Case studies have been updated.
■ Oita Prefecture: Mr. Yoichiro Mochizuki
・Viewing… (7) Projecting the stage large on a screen
・Using… (5) Sketching a flag design

■ Niigata Prefecture: Mr. Teppei Mizutani
・Science: Exploring the mechanics of the moon’s phases
・Music: Music activities where students use ICT to reflect on and create their own expressions

Please view them here.
http://ditt.jp/action/case/teacher.html

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　　Media Information
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http://ditt.jp/media/

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　Information on Digital Textbooks and Teaching Materials
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September 1, 2015
(Nara) Smartphone-Based Classes to Be Introduced at Ichijo High School Starting Next Spring
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASH805GZBH80UTIL02W.html

September 9, 2015
Toward the Introduction of “Digital Textbooks” to Broaden Learning Options
http://japan.zdnet.com/article/35070237/

September 11, 2015
Private Junior and Senior High Schools Focusing on Active Learning
http://japan.cnet.com/release/30116082/

September 14, 2015
New Z-kai × KDDI Learning Platform to Launch First at Private Junior and Senior High Schools with a Continuous Curriculum
http://resemom.jp/article/2015/09/14/26875.html

September 26, 2015
BYOD Drives the Adoption of Digital Textbooks
http://www.huffingtonpost.jp/hajime-yamada/digital-textbook_b_8194242.html

September 28, 2015
Digital Education: Discussions with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
http://blogos.com/article/136155/

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　.:*:.:♪*:. DiTT　Now Recruiting Members *:.:♪*:.*:.
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The Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council is currently recruiting members.
Executive members and general members are eligible to participate in study sessions and
committees organized by DiTT.

In addition, we provide information on digital textbooks and educational materials, and
organize networking events and other opportunities for members to exchange information.

Please visit the page below for details!
URL: http://ditt.jp/join

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◆◇ DiTT NEWS ◇◆ vol. 0070
Publisher: Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council
Publication Date: October 1, 2015
Editor-in-Chief: Nanako Ishido
Editor: Asaka Uchiyama
URL: http://ditt.jp/
e-mail: ditt@ditt.jp
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