When I woke up and tried to escape from languidness, I found someone speak lively over the door.I fell out from my bed and go downstair to make sure what was happen.
Soon, I found my sisters had came back from trip. They had traveled Puerto Rico. And They gave me some souvenir such as cigars.
2008年2月8日金曜日
2008年1月28日月曜日
The History of Japanese Education
In 1875, modern education in Japan was launched by imitating French education. Later in 1894, Meiji government prepared the system of primary schools, junior high school, and University. And in 1886, laws of primary schools were proclaimed. Since then, parents have had a duty to make their children go school, but most of parents did not follow that those days.
During the war, education in Japan was very centralized and uniform. The educational objectives were to serve the government and the emperor. And the main subject was Confucian morality. Pupils were taught about the emperor as god.
After the war, Educational mission of America come Japan. They criticized Japanese education, indicating that it should become more democratic. So, Ministry of Education published handbooks which were written about new course of study. That guide book has become today’s teaching guidelines.
In 1951, a heading, to develop individuality, was mentioned in educational objectives in teaching guidance. Child Center Education was conducted and teachers paid attention to student’s daily life because of influence of Dewey, J (1859- 1952).
The character of Child Center Education was liberty. Most lessons were given according to pupil’s interests. That education soon attracted much criticism. In 1958, homogeneous education therefore had come back again to systemize the connection of subjects.
In 1968, Ministry of Education announced that it was necessary to modernize the education to improve scientific technology. That occurrence made student life severe and the number of delinquent boys was increased. So, some specialists in education criticized that they need to change the curriculums.
In response, in 1977, the Ministry of Education changed educational policy, which involved a move from rote learning to the development of student’s individual talents. The number of hours of lessons was reduced in order to select them carefully. And in 1998, lessons on Saturday were finally cut.
As a result, education aims at development of individual talent caused a decline in scholastic ability. The individual talent could not develop in affluent circumstance. In 2002, Ministry of Education released a new curriculum, but nobody knows whether this change will go well.
During the war, education in Japan was very centralized and uniform. The educational objectives were to serve the government and the emperor. And the main subject was Confucian morality. Pupils were taught about the emperor as god.
After the war, Educational mission of America come Japan. They criticized Japanese education, indicating that it should become more democratic. So, Ministry of Education published handbooks which were written about new course of study. That guide book has become today’s teaching guidelines.
In 1951, a heading, to develop individuality, was mentioned in educational objectives in teaching guidance. Child Center Education was conducted and teachers paid attention to student’s daily life because of influence of Dewey, J (1859- 1952).
The character of Child Center Education was liberty. Most lessons were given according to pupil’s interests. That education soon attracted much criticism. In 1958, homogeneous education therefore had come back again to systemize the connection of subjects.
In 1968, Ministry of Education announced that it was necessary to modernize the education to improve scientific technology. That occurrence made student life severe and the number of delinquent boys was increased. So, some specialists in education criticized that they need to change the curriculums.
In response, in 1977, the Ministry of Education changed educational policy, which involved a move from rote learning to the development of student’s individual talents. The number of hours of lessons was reduced in order to select them carefully. And in 1998, lessons on Saturday were finally cut.
As a result, education aims at development of individual talent caused a decline in scholastic ability. The individual talent could not develop in affluent circumstance. In 2002, Ministry of Education released a new curriculum, but nobody knows whether this change will go well.
2008年1月27日日曜日
Evolution of lies
Have you never told a lie? If you say answer “No.”, you are telling a lie. There is no one who has not told a lie. On the contrary, we tell various kind of lies when we work in society. If we don’t do that, we would be incessantly involved in futile quarrel.Telling lies is ordinary behavior but it is hard to understand the mechanism.
So Kanazawa, a Japanese psychologist, categorized lies. He said that there was hierarchy of levels in this form.
Figure.1 A hierarchy of levels in lies
A lot of animals use mechanism of mimicry in order to survive from enemies. When Chameleons capture flies, it changes its color of skin into the same of backgrounds. Another good example is the behavior of common cuckoos. Common cuckoos do not make their nest. They lay eggs in the nest of other species of birds, such as Meadow Bunting. This behavior is called deposit. If a baby common cuckoo is born earlier than the other babies, the bird will pick the other eggs and kill them. These forms, such as mimicry and deposit, are the lowest levels of lies in the respect of involuntary (Lv0).
Skinner, B. F.(1904-1990) American psychologist, explained the next hierarchy. Some animals can be controlled by rewards and punishments. For instance, when a dog is injured by in a accident, the owner of the dog becomes tender. After that, that dog sometimes pretends to be wounded in spite of the fact that it has already recovered. That behavior seems to be explained with operant conditioning. If once the animals are conditioned, they do the same thing again to get rewards (Lv1).
The higher animals act more interestingly. When So Kanazawa worked at Primate Research Institute, he made a chimp drink cough syrup. And a chimp likes that syrup. He seemed to be sick, but just then, he stopped coughing and began hopping around. Kanazawa and his colleague talked about that occurrence. And they conclude that the chimp had pretended. But they also thought how far the chimp had understood. They assumed there were two possibilities. “The chimp coughed again because it had gotten syrup when it had coughed before.” “The chimp assumed that it was considered to be sick if it coughed.” Kanazawa took latter hypothesis. In other words, the chimp had gotten syrup with he assume others mind. He categorized the situation of mind of chimps.
Figure.2 A hierarchy of levels in the chimps thinking
It is significant to think about Lv3 in respect of own minds appear the others mind. If we want to tell a lie, we need to distinct our mind from other’s mind. It is not until we can tell a lie that we reach Lv3. Kanazawa illustrated with concept of evolution.
If we evolve higher, what will happen to us? We can not stop thinking but we have to mention that we can not always stay at Lv3. Some tragedies arise because of our staying at Lv2. And also, we need to make our children to be up to Lv3.
So Kanazawa, a Japanese psychologist, categorized lies. He said that there was hierarchy of levels in this form.
| Lv0 | Mimicry and deposit which does not intend to do |
| Lv1 | Lies with physical casual relationship |
| Lv2 | Lies with someone guess others mind |
| Lv3 | Lies with someone guess others thinking of someone’s situation |
A lot of animals use mechanism of mimicry in order to survive from enemies. When Chameleons capture flies, it changes its color of skin into the same of backgrounds. Another good example is the behavior of common cuckoos. Common cuckoos do not make their nest. They lay eggs in the nest of other species of birds, such as Meadow Bunting. This behavior is called deposit. If a baby common cuckoo is born earlier than the other babies, the bird will pick the other eggs and kill them. These forms, such as mimicry and deposit, are the lowest levels of lies in the respect of involuntary (Lv0).
Skinner, B. F.(1904-1990) American psychologist, explained the next hierarchy. Some animals can be controlled by rewards and punishments. For instance, when a dog is injured by in a accident, the owner of the dog becomes tender. After that, that dog sometimes pretends to be wounded in spite of the fact that it has already recovered. That behavior seems to be explained with operant conditioning. If once the animals are conditioned, they do the same thing again to get rewards (Lv1).
The higher animals act more interestingly. When So Kanazawa worked at Primate Research Institute, he made a chimp drink cough syrup. And a chimp likes that syrup. He seemed to be sick, but just then, he stopped coughing and began hopping around. Kanazawa and his colleague talked about that occurrence. And they conclude that the chimp had pretended. But they also thought how far the chimp had understood. They assumed there were two possibilities. “The chimp coughed again because it had gotten syrup when it had coughed before.” “The chimp assumed that it was considered to be sick if it coughed.” Kanazawa took latter hypothesis. In other words, the chimp had gotten syrup with he assume others mind. He categorized the situation of mind of chimps.
| Lv1 | The chimp thought that he would get syrup with it cough. |
| Lv2 | The chimp assumed that if it would cough, humans would think that it was sick and gave it syrup. |
| Lv3 | The chimp even assumed that if it would cough, the researchers would consider that the chimp would think the experimenters would think they would give syrup because the chimp is sick. |
It is significant to think about Lv3 in respect of own minds appear the others mind. If we want to tell a lie, we need to distinct our mind from other’s mind. It is not until we can tell a lie that we reach Lv3. Kanazawa illustrated with concept of evolution.
| Lv0 | Innate behavior | Insects / The reptiles |
| Lv1 | Physical casual relationship | Mammal |
| Lv2 | Assuming other’s mind | Anthropoid |
| Lv3 | Think my mind in other’s mind | Human being |
If we evolve higher, what will happen to us? We can not stop thinking but we have to mention that we can not always stay at Lv3. Some tragedies arise because of our staying at Lv2. And also, we need to make our children to be up to Lv3.
2008年1月23日水曜日
Shogi players and their severe circumstance
For young Japanese men who want to be professional players, there is a club called Shoureikai. Its members are very competitive. And its law stipulate that young shogi players are to be promoted 1st dan (shogi rank) by the time they turn 23 and to be 4th dan by the time they are 24. If they cannot achieve that, they are expelled from the club.
They always feel pressure in this period, and they play shogi in an extream situation. It goes without saying that their daily life is quite different from ours because all of them have been playing shogi since their childhood. But most of them are forced to quit. Some of them know few things expect shogi. A young shogi player might not even know how to buy a train ticket for instance, but they have to begin new life.
Shouji Segawa,36, who is a professional shogi player was also expelled when he was 24. He began work as a system engineer. He had been out of shogi for a long time when he played in an amateur competition. As a result of that, he was given the unprecedented chance again in 2005. And now he is a conspicuous figure in the professional world.
I wonder where the strength of these players comes from. Some are betrayed by destiny. And their disappointment is long. Nevertheless, they do not abandon their enthusiasm. Consequently, something good will occur in their lives. Young shogi players show me this.
They always feel pressure in this period, and they play shogi in an extream situation. It goes without saying that their daily life is quite different from ours because all of them have been playing shogi since their childhood. But most of them are forced to quit. Some of them know few things expect shogi. A young shogi player might not even know how to buy a train ticket for instance, but they have to begin new life.
Shouji Segawa,36, who is a professional shogi player was also expelled when he was 24. He began work as a system engineer. He had been out of shogi for a long time when he played in an amateur competition. As a result of that, he was given the unprecedented chance again in 2005. And now he is a conspicuous figure in the professional world.
I wonder where the strength of these players comes from. Some are betrayed by destiny. And their disappointment is long. Nevertheless, they do not abandon their enthusiasm. Consequently, something good will occur in their lives. Young shogi players show me this.
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