My Winter Vacation Story!

This winter vacation was very busy for me. I had classes until December 25th - Christmas Day! I was shocked at first, and it was upsetting to have classes then as I usually don't. This year was different, however. But, I didn't mind it that much! My students and I listened to Christmas music and learned the story of Christmas. Then they had to write a 300 word essay about a social issue that they care about, such as global warming, obesity, aging population, economic disparity, gender issues, etc. I allowed them to write the essay while they listened to the Christmas music, and it seemed to be very enjoyable for them. They were able to write 300 words relatively easily. After they finished, they printed out their papers and exchanged them with partners. Their partners were to read them and then give comments and advice on how to make their partners' papers better. The students were able to give comments quickly, but giving advice was a bit harder. This is probably because the students lacked confidence in their own writing.
     After that, my students and I went on a research trip to a small town in Amakusa called Miyajidake. Miyajidake is a small town in the middle of the biggest island in Amakusa - Shimoshima. It is a beautiful place, but unfortunately there is nothing there. The rural area has been suffering from a drop in population for the last decade, and recently nursery and elementary schools have closed as young people move away to larger towns in search of jobs. However, this leaves the town depleted of the energy and vibrancy of young people. The residents there want to change that and invite many people, including foreigners to the area. And this is where we come in...our lab was invited to research the situation to see what could be done to further develop the area. And so this is what we've been doing. More info on this later!