ウリハッキョに未来教室を設置したい！ICT教育環境整備の実現を

We want to set up a Future Classroom in Korean School! We want to realize the improvement of the ICT education environment.

 

On the occasion of the school's 60th anniversary, we launched the "Korean School Future Classroom Project Executive Committee" with the hope of improving the ICT educational environment to maximize the learning of the children studying at Korean School. This project will be promoted jointly with the teachers and graduates of Hokkaido Korean School, the education association, the parents' association, and the "Korean School Supporters' Association.”

 

 

Self Introduction

 

Hello. We are the Korean School Future Classroom Project Executive Committee. There may be a Korean school near where you live, but there are currently 66 Korean schools in Japan. There are currently 66 Korean schools in Japan. Our school is the only Korean school in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture in Japan. 

 

Hokkaido Korean Elementary, Middle and High Schools are attended by Korean residents of various nationalities, including Korean and Japanese, who have their roots in the Korean Peninsula.

 

At the Korean school, the children learn about their roots, take pride in their Korean nationality, and aim to become a bridge between Japan and the Korean peninsula in the future in Japanese society through learning the language, songs, and culture of their people.

 

We call the Korean school "Uri/Hakkyo" (our school), and it is the most important center of the Korean community in Japan.

 

The movie "Korean School" (directed by Kim Myong Jun), which was released in Korea in 2007 and won the Oompa Award, the top prize in the documentary category at the Pusan International Film Festival, was filmed and produced at our school. Mr. Pak Tae U, who appeared in the movie as a homeroom teacher for the main characters and was very popular at the time, has been the principal for the past two years.

 

              

 

The school celebrated its 60th anniversary on April 10 this year.

 

A total of 32 students (15 elementary school students, 5 junior high school students, and 12 senior high school students) attend the school, and the school life is led by a small group of 15 teachers and 3 staff members.

 

Subjects include Korean language, Korean history, geography, music, and other ethnic subjects, as well as Japanese, English, mathematics, science, social studies, and world history, just as in Japanese schools.

 

 

What we want for our children is for them to be able to live their own lives. In order to live "as oneself," one must have the language, history, and culture of one's own people.

In this time of social chaos, I think we should return to the basics. The future of our children will shine only if it is an extension of the path we have taken.

 

Korean School will make every effort to further develop ethnic education so that children can "live as Koreans in Japan" and one day become a worthy bridge of friendship between the two countries.

 

           

 

Reasons for the Establishment of the Project

 

Do you know what the title of this project "ICT Education" means?

"The term "ICT" means Information and Communication Technology (ICT). "ICT education is a general term for the information and communication technologies used in education, as well as the efforts to use them.

 

ICT in education ranges from hardware such as electronic blackboards, computers, and tablets to wireless LAN, digital textbooks, and learning software.

 

The implementation of the GIGA School Initiative announced by the Ministry of Education in December 2019 has accelerated the introduction of digital textbooks, tablets, and computers, and the importance of electronic blackboards to support classes using ICT devices as large presentation devices is increasing.

 

In order to foster the skills necessary for the coming AI era in the near future, Korean School is actively introducing ICT education to realize easy-to-understand classes, improve students' academic skills, and develop their "ability to make decisions on their own" and "ability to use information" to independently select and utilize what they need from the vast amount of knowledge and information.

 

We are also collaborating with Korea University in Tokyo and other experts to organize special lectures, study sessions, round-table discussions, and other opportunities for distance education, as well as opportunities to experience diverse ideas through classroom learning with students from other schools.

 

 

Starting this school year, we have been implementing the Urihakkyo Net "Nare", which connects 12 Korean schools across the country online, as well as holding various exchanges and presentations to show the results of learning.

 

However, in order to promote such efforts, our school's online environment is not sufficient, and we lack an ICT education environment.

 

The wireless LAN environment is unstable, the Internet connection is interrupted during learning, and the number of digital monitors is insufficient, so we have to divide classes and use them on a rotating basis.

In addition, the number of PCs and tablets is decreasing due to aging and deterioration, making it inconvenient for students to attend classes.

 

          

 

Until the year before last, due to the outbreak of the new corona virus infection, the school had been actively engaged in exchanges with Japanese schools in the region and cultural exchanges by inviting local people, but such exchanges have become difficult.

 

Considering the geographical conditions of Hokkaido, there is an urgent need to create an environment for remote joint classes, remote cultural exchanges, and remote participation in various events as "daily exchanges" with many people by developing an online environment. There are also many depopulated schools in Hokkaido, and we are eager to have opportunities for joint learning and exchange using ICT technology in the future.

 

As the economy continues to worsen due to the spread of the new corona virus, there is a limit to how much support we can rely on parents and local volunteers to improve the educational environment, including ICT, and school finances are constantly under pressure.

 

The school's finances are in a constant state of pressure, and with the exclusion of Korean schools from the system of free high school education that began in 2011, the financial situation of parents is severe.

 

Contents of the project

 

We will purchase one PC for each student, establish a high-speed, high-capacity communication network, and set up a dedicated online classroom to realize easy-to-understand classes, distance education, and remote exchange.

 

The purpose of this project is to develop an ICT education environment that will maximize the learning and interaction of the children at the school and "foster human resources who can make independent decisions and create new values while collaborating with diverse people.”

 

A total of 3,600,000 yen is needed for the construction of a high-speed communication network environment at the school, the installation of online classrooms with electronic blackboards for remote classes and remote exchanges, the installation of large monitors for regular classes using electronic textbooks, etc., and the purchase of PCs for students to use.

 

We have set a goal of 2,000,000 yen for this project to cover the costs of setting up a high-speed communication network environment, setting up a dedicated online classroom, and purchasing six large monitors.

 

In parallel with the crowdfunding, we are also conducting fundraising activities, aiming to realize the ICT education environment required for the Hokkaido Korean School.

 

If we are able to cover the cost of the ICT education environment with the support and donations received through this project, we will use all of the funds to improve the educational environment for the children to learn without any inconvenience in the future.

 

Use of funds

- 65-inch V-board (electronic blackboard) 780,000 yen　　　　　　

- Camera, sound collection microphone 56,000 yen

- Large monitors (6 x 50-inch) 600,000 yen

- Wireless LAN environment improvement 100,000 yen

- Installation costs 100,000 yen　 　　　

- Return expenses 100,000 yen  　  　

- Commission fee 264,000 yen

- (Crowdfunding target amount: 2,000,000 yen)

 

- 32 Chrome Books (for all students): 1,600,000 yen　　　　　　

- Total amount: 3,600,000 yen

 

Schedule for future implementation　

October 29, 2021 Start of crowdfunding　

December 26, 2021 End of crowdfunding　

Mid-February 2022 Equipment installation

Late February 2022 Return shipment

 

At the end

 

Urihakkyo has been managed by many people, including compatriots in Japan, graduates, and Japanese citizens, with their love and support for the children.

 

We believe that the continuous existence of ethnic education and Korean schools in various parts of Japan will bring Japanese society closer to a richer and more diverse society.

 

Through this crowdfunding campaign, we hope to make as many people as possible aware of the existence of Korean schools and create a more fulfilling environment for students to learn.

 

Thank you for your warm support.