The last couple of days

I spent the last two days visiting different after school programs and an elementary school that all use LEGO robotics and ROBOLAB. Thursday I visited a LEGO Education Center (picture below). I got to observe the 5 and 6 year old group as they did some LEGO learning... very cute. They learned about patterns. I also got to see some of the older students' creations... I am always amazed at what elementary students are able to create. Then we went to CREFUS (Center for Robotics Engineering and Future Science Study). Another after school program that has 60 locations throughout Japan.



After observing at the CREFUS facility we went out for Okonomi-yaki. This was a very interesting and tasty meal. You actually cook your own meal right at the table. You order what you want in your Okonomi-yaki and the waiter brings out a bowl with all your ingredients. The base is flour, water, egg, and cabbage. You then can order pork, beef, shrimp, squid, other fish, etc to go in it. Then you mix it all up at your table and poor it on the griddle. It cooks much like a pancake. Then you top it off with some sauces and sprinkle on some dried fish shavings. This is a picture of our Okonomi-yaki below.


Friday I went to Keio Yochisha elementary school. Keio is a private school that goes from kindergarten to college. If you are accepted as a kindergartener you are automatically accepted into the college. It is one of the best schools in all of Japan. It was quite an amazing school. The science classrooms look more like a science museum. Each classroom has a 40+" plasma tv. The cafeteria and new addition to the school were designed by the same person that designed the Museum of Modern art in New York City. Here are some pics.


Here are some live ducks as part of the science classroom... the chickens live next door.


Here is the extra play area on top of the roof. With limited playground space for the 800+ youngsters, they built play areas on the roof. Yes, the students are wearing shorts and I took this picture today. The school uniform is the shorts, collared shirt and sweater. Even when it is 30 degrees outside this is what the students wear to school and play outside in.


Here's the dinosaur head in front of the science classroom.


Here is the cafeteria. From 12-1:30 all the students and teachers have their lunch break. The students are not supervised during this period and are basically just running around going crazy!