◆◇ Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council News ◇◆ Vol. 059

Time sure flies—there’s only one page left in this year’s calendar.
December is a busy and hectic month, but please take care of yourselves and let’s bring this year to a successful close!

We will be holding a symposium on Wednesday, the 10th.
We look forward to seeing you there, so please be sure to join us.

Once again, we will report on DiTT’s activities and provide the latest information on digital textbooks and educational materials.

Digital Textbooks and Educational Materials Council Secretariat

Table of Contents ——————————————————
・Topics
・Activity Report (Study Sessions)
・Pilot Study Report
・Media
・Information on Digital Textbooks and Educational Materials
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　　　　 Topics
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On December 10, we will hold the DiTT Symposium:
“Learning for the Future—Changing Classrooms, Changing Learning!”
We are pleased to announce that Kazuhiro Fujiwara, an educational reform practitioner, and Akira Kaneko of Hiroo Gakuen will be giving presentations.
We hope you will join us.We hope you will join us.
http://ditt.jp/news/?id=2069

Registration:　http://urx.nu/d2Nf

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　　　　 Activity Report
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≪Study Session≫
We held our 52nd study session on Thursday, November 13.

Guest Presentations

■ Sharp Corporation, Digital Information Appliances Business Division
　 Mr. Yasunori Yada, Deputy General Manager, Mobile Solutions Business Unit
　 “Sharp’s Initiatives in Educational ICT”

■ Mitsumura Tosho Publishing Co., Ltd., Mr. Koji Morishita, General Manager, Promotion Department, Planning and Development Division
　Mr. Takaaki Sogawa, Head of the Tokyo Planning Department, Tokyo Headquarters, Shinko Publishing Keirinkan Co., Ltd.　
　 “The Current State of CoNETS Digital Textbooks—Focusing on Japanese Language and Mathematics”

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

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≪Workshop Overview≫
Mr. Morishita of Mitsumura Tosho Publishing Co., Ltd. and Mr. Sogawa of Shinko Shuppan Keirinkan Co., Ltd. gave a presentation titled “The Current State of CoNETS Digital Textbooks—Focusing on Japanese Language and Mathematics.”
Last September, textbook publishers and software companies launched “CoNETS” to jointly develop a platform for digital textbooks.
The digital textbooks currently under development by CoNETS member companies are being developed to realize the
outlined in the “Basic Concepts for Digital Textbooks and Teaching Materials for Learning” included in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Learning Innovation Project Report.
The digital textbooks being developed feature:
• Digital textbooks for all subjects integrated into a single system (all teaching materials displayed side-by-side on the start screen)
• A unified interface
• The ability to freely write notes and leave a learning trail on the textbook
• Create original teaching materials using the textbook screen
• Split the screen for side-by-side comparison
• Learning records are saved as data
• Learning collaboration across grade levels and subjects
• Connects to all students’ devices in the class
These features are designed with the usability of both teachers and students in mind, creating teaching materials that broaden the scope of classroom instruction.
We also introduced a trial version of the teaching materials—scheduled for use in elementary schools starting next April—in a classroom setting.
In the unit on observing three-dimensional shapes, the materials incorporate numerous features designed to make concepts easier for children to grasp, such as coloring the faces of shapes and using net diagrams.
At CoNETS, we aim to create textbooks that satisfy children’s curiosity to learn and make learning even more enjoyable.

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　　　Pilot Study Report
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We are pleased to present the report on the FY2013 pilot study.

■Pilot Study Overview
・Theme: Remote instruction to support students with difficulties attending school in person
・Pilot School: Tokyo Metropolitan Komyo Special Needs School
・Participating Companies: Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd., Uchida Yoko Co., Ltd.

■Report
・Classes Utilizing the Microsoft Office 365 Video Conferencing System
　　　　　　　　＝Yoshito Kamuro, Information Education Coordinator, Tokyo Metropolitan Komyo Special Needs School＝
　　　　　　　　＝Naoko Taira, Head Teacher, Soyokaze Branch Classroom, Tokyo Metropolitan Komyo Special Needs School＝　　

　The Soyokaze Branch Classroom of the Tokyo Metropolitan Komyo Special Needs School is located within the National Center for Child Health and Development.
Students who are hospitalized for long periods at this hospital can attend classes at the branch classroom from their hospital rooms, allowing them to learn while receiving treatment.
In addition, lessons are sometimes conducted at the bedside as needed due to treatment or other circumstances.
　One of the challenges of classes at the branch campus is that children inevitably have fewer opportunities to interact with their peers of the same age.
Therefore, with the cooperation of DiTT, we attempted to organize exchange activities between the Soyokaze Branch Campus and the main campus of Komyo Special Needs School
using a video conferencing system (Microsoft Lync and Polycom CX5000).
to facilitate student interaction between the Shoyokaze Branch School and the main campus of Komyo Special Support School.
　What we realized after trying this video conferencing system is that seeing each other’s faces helps deepen the sense of connection. We also heard feedback from students—such as those unable to attend school for extended periods or those in private rooms—who expressed how happy and enjoyable it was to be able to talk with their friends. Furthermore, since we can observe the students’ condition, there is the added benefit of being able to monitor their physical well-being—such as whether they are participating in activities despite feeling unwell—and ensure they are not taking part in activities against medical advice. This time, while we used a mobile router for the connection, the signal was unstable at times, making the video difficult to view; however, we were able to use the chat function to communicate.
whether they were participating in activities while feeling unwell. On this occasion,
we used a mobile router for connectivity, and while the video feed was sometimes difficult to view due to unstable connectivity, we observed students finding their own ways to adapt—such as enjoying interactions via the chat function—and expanding the scope of the activity on their own.

　Although we were unable to fully evaluate this aspect this time, classes utilizing video conferencing systems offer significant benefits even for children and students who find it difficult to leave their hospital rooms. While it is necessary to be considerate of those around them—such as by using headsets to manage noise levels—and to maintain hygiene standards, increasing opportunities for communication can help promote psychological stability, among other benefits
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　Children attending schools within hospitals often feel anxious about being cut off from their daily lives,
but video conferencing systems have the potential to serve as a means for them to truly feel “connected.”
Ideally, in the future, we hope to connect them with their previous schools (the ones they attended before hospitalization).
　We intend to continue implementing this initiative and work to enhance the learning environment for our students.
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　　Media Coverage Information
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http://ditt.jp/media/

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　Information on Digital Textbooks and Educational Materials
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November 4, 2014
Suwa-dai Middle School, Arakawa Ward / Promoting Daily Career Education Through the Use of ICT
http://ict-enews.net/2014/11/04arakawa/

November 6, 2014
Symposium on Programming Education to Be Held in Roppongi on December 7
http://resemom.jp/article/2014/11/06/21286.html

November 12, 2014
SoftBank and Benesse / Services to Support the Use of ICT in Educational Settings to Launch in Fiscal Year 2015
http://ict-enews.net/2014/11/12softbank-2/

November 12, 2014
IBM Japan and Others Develop Classroom Program for Middle School Students to Learn About Big Data Utilization
http://resemom.jp/article/2014/11/12/21396.html

November 13, 2014
Z-kai Introduces iPads into Correspondence Education; Courses to Be Offered Starting in 2015

Z会／通信教育にiPadを導入　2015年からコース提供

November 14, 2014
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) / Approves Distance Learning in High Schools Under Certain Conditions

文科省／高校での遠隔教育を一定条件のもと容認

November 19, 2014
JustSystems / Launches New Advanced Classes for Elementary School Correspondence Courses
http://ict-enews.net/2014/11/19smile-zemi/

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　.:*:.:♪*:. DiTT　Now Accepting 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
committee meetings organized by DiTT.

In addition, we provide information on digital textbooks and educational materials, and
organize social gatherings 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.0059
Publisher: Digital Textbook and Educational Materials Council
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Editor-in-Chief: Nanako Ishido
Editor: Asaka Uchiyama
URL: http://ditt.jp/
e-mail: ditt@ditt.jp
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