Digital Textbooks

2015.08.03
[Newsletter] Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council News, Issue No. 68 Published

◆◇ Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council News ◇◆ Vol. 068

With midsummer heat continuing day after day, it’s hard to even think about going outside.
Please take every precaution against the heat so we can all get through this scorching summer.

We plan to hold the fourth installment of our symposium in September, so
please stay tuned.

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)
・Media
・Information on Digital Textbooks and Educational Materials
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     Topics
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At the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) review meeting held on July 21 regarding the status of “digital textbooks,”
Secretary General Ichiya Nakamura gave a presentation as a representative of a related organization and called for the formal recognition of digital textbooks.
http://goo.gl/oatOAN

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     Activity Report
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≪Study Session≫
We held our 60th study session on Thursday, July 16.

Guest Presentation

■ Mr. Hiroshi Fukuyama, Visiting Researcher, Regional Revitalization Research Institute, Inc.
“The Relationship Between Regional Human Resource Development and Child-Rearing Support Through the Utilization of ICT for Regional Revitalization”

■ Ms. Nanako Ishido, Chairperson, CANVAS NPO Corporation
“Creating Learning Environments for Children in the Digital Age
            ~Reading, Writing, and Programming~”

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

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≪Study Session Overview≫

A lecture by Ms. Ishido, Chairperson of the NPO CANVAS.
The title was “Creating Learning Environments for Children in the Digital Age ~Reading, Writing, and Programming~”

Established in 2002 to provide children with learning environments that foster independent, collaborative, and creative learning,
CANVAS has carried out numerous activities through collaboration among industry, government, and academia.
One of these activities is the “Workshop Collection (http://wsc.or.jp/),” which brings together carefully selected workshop programs for children from across the country;
it has been held annually since 2004
and has now become the world’s largest children’s creative event, attracting 100,000 participants over two days.
Programming workshops have become extremely popular at this event over the past two years or so.
Through programming—which is essentially a form of creation—children build their own knowledge and acquire the ability to solve problems, as well as the ability to create new value through collaboration with others.
Our philosophy is, “We don’t want children to just ‘learn programming’; we want them to ‘learn through programming.’”
In 2012, after organizing programming workshops for 600 children over a six-month period in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake,
we decided to formally begin delivering programming education to children nationwide, which led to the launch of PEG (Programming Education
Gathering). In 2013, with sponsorship from Google, we achieved our goal of having 25,000 children participate within a single year,
and we aim to provide programming education to 10 million children in the future.
To reach more children, cooperation from schools, local governments, and education-related organizations is essential, and
CANVAS plans to train 1,000 instructors and focus on building a sustainable operational framework, with the goal of expanding nationwide.
In addition to CANVAS’s activities, we’d like to introduce several apps released by Digital Ehon Co., Ltd., which was founded to provide high-quality content to children growing up in the coming era.
We remain committed to creating a society where children can unleash their creativity through a variety of initiatives.

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   Media Coverage Information
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■ Domestic and International Education
Active Learning Through Digital Technology
http://ditt.jp/office/20150730_naigai.pdf

http://ditt.jp/media/

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 Information on Digital Textbooks and Teaching Materials
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July 3, 2015
Realizing a Learning Style That Blends Analog and Digital… Yokohama Junior High School Affiliated with Yokohama National University
http://resemom.jp/article/2015/07/03/25526.html

July 10, 2015
KADOKAWA and DWANGO Make a Bold Move! Announce Preparations to Establish an “Online High School” for the Digital Native Era
http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/10332339/

July 17, 2015
Try Home Tutoring Launches Free Online Classes “Try IT”
http://resemom.jp/article/2015/07/17/25830.html

July 21, 2015
What Did Students at Shinagawa Girls’ Academy and Seiko Academy Gain from IT-Based Learning?
http://diamond.jp/articles/-/74921

July 27, 2015
Hiroo Gakuen’s Initiative to Centrally Manage 1,000 iPads for Student Learning
http://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/special/20150727_710025.html

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  .:*:.:♪*:. DiTT—Now Accepting Members *:.:♪*:.*:.
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The Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council is currently accepting new members.
Executive members and general members can participate in study sessions and
committee meetings 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 more details!
URL: http://ditt.jp/join

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◆◇ DiTT NEWS ◇◆ vol.0068
Publisher: Digital Textbook and Teaching Materials Council
Date of Publication: August 3, 2015
Editor-in-Chief: Nanako Ishido
Editor: Asaka Uchiyama
URL: http://ditt.jp/
e-mail: ditt@ditt.jp
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