06/10/2022
We interviewed Director Oka of Shinobu Kindergarten about the exchange between Shinobu Kindergarten (Tokyo) and Waterford’s Golden Hearts Community School (Kenya).
Shinobu Kindergarten Hideki Oka Principal Interview
*The interview was conducted in January 2021.
Q1) What is the background to the implementation of global exchange through EN-TRY?
In December 2020, I interacted online with New Zealand children in order to somehow excite the children who are forced to endure due to the corona wreck. Connecting children who grew up in the same era in distant countries and taking an interest in each other was a concrete practice of SDGs and ESD, and it was a valuable experience for the children as well. And last summer, in order to provide even more excitement, we started interacting with children in Kenya.
Q2) How was the content before the live exchange?
By exchanging video letters with Kenyan children and videos that let them learn about Kenya in advance, we were able to raise the excitement of the children before performing the live. Also, during the rehearsal, I was able to ask some questions and exchange opinions (eg, what is the curriculum in Kenya, how the class is structured, etc.) with the teachers of this kindergarten and the teachers of Warterford's in Kenya. I think it was a good experience for both of us.
Q3) How was the live exchange day?
I enjoyed it throughout. I was able to hear that Kenyan Waterford's Garden side was well prepared on the day, and I thought that the Japanese side would like to do more. In the exchange of dances, Mr. Warterford's kindergarten showed us a traditional Kenyan rhythm dance, and the children of our kindergarten imitated it through the screen, but they themselves swayed to the foreign culture and music. I think the experience turned out to be very good. It was the summer season, so it was nice to be able to see the Shinobu dance (a unique Bon festival dance) in a yukata.
Q4) How did the children and their parents react?
It seems that some of the children were uneasy about interacting with Kenya for the first time before the implementation, but it seems that it was a very good experience.
(Children's voice below)
・It was all fun. I want to go to Kenya!
・She was good at dancing and it was fun to dance with her.
・I was happy to be able to show the Shinobu dance.
We have received very positive feedback from parents as well.
・Not only on the day of the event, but thanks to the parents sharing the Kenyan learning videos that the children have watched in advance, as well as the video letters of the Kenyan children, we were able to draw out the interest of the children through conversations between parents and children. was made
・I think it's a very good initiative that will sow seeds for children's future (increase options).
・In the future, globalization and understanding of diversity will be essential, and I thought it was a very good experience to be able to interact with Kenyan children of the same generation.
Q5) Do you have any comments regarding this exchange program?
This exchange itself was good, but with this as an opportunity, at last year's Christmas party, the year-round class played a play introducing greetings and cultures from around the world. It was a very good flow to have the costume cooperation of the guardians. I think that this was a very good example of how exchanges do not end as a temporary event, but are fed back into the education of ordinary children.
