🚀 go-pugleaf

( - lots of editing - )

(Matsuda)
> >Are the kids communicating in Japanese? or in English anyway?

(Campbell)
> I imagine it will be somewhat mixed, but our ultimate goal is
> to be able to communicate in Japanese.  We might try to make
> a joint bilingual school newspaper - we'll see, any ideas?

(Matsuda)
Hmmmm. This sounds very difficult, but challenging. Hope your
project succeds!

(Matsuda)
> >Are we talking about Japanese kids who live in the U.S. and Japan?

(Campbell)
> I plan to have the English kids at our school communicate with Japanese
> kids who live in Japan.  This is an exciting time - MITI
> just unveiled a plan to connect 100 elementary and junior high schools
> to the Internet with IP/TCP connections!  Schools outside of Japan
> that teach Japanese will be in great demand very soon.  Since our
> school teaches Japanese culture, we were invited to participate. I
> was told this by Richard M. Pavonarius, Kidlink Japan Coordinator,
> Koga City Board of Education, Japan.

That's very interesting. I teach at a "Nihongo Hoshuko" or Japanese
language supplementary school in Massachusetts. It is one of the many
oversears schools for Japanese kids, supported by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education, but practically run by 
their parents (typically expatriates of Japanese firms and their 
spouses). The vast majority of them are Saturday schools, and most
pupils are Japanese nationals. 

The Ministry of Education is trying to set up network services for
those who are involved in such schools outside of Japan. For 
example, teachers can retrieve teaching materials, and parents
can look for information about schools in Japan that are better-
equipped to accept kids who are returning to Japan. Unfortunately
for educators, this network will rely on PC-VAN. I wish they
provided TCP/IP connection. Anyhow, if you are interested in this
project, look for such a school in your area and ask them for
more info. Also, there should be somebody in the local Japanese
conculate who is in charge of these schools. Call them, and 
identify that person, and ask! (If you are from Maryland, you
might as well try the Japanese Embassy.)


> An interesting
> thing about the update is the replacement of Teach Text with
> Simple Text - I wonder what will happen to Teach Text-J (I was
> considering using Teach Text J1-7.1 as our off-line "word processor"
> to compose KIDLINK-J messages).  I'll check out the YooEdit you mentioned...

As you may have noticed, SimpleText is slow, and I stopped 
using it immediately after downloaded it. One interesting merit of 
using this new editor from Apple is that you can paste sound. 
Maybe your kids can paste their voice messages in their letters, 
Binhex the files, and send them off! 

My favorite editor these days is "Edit 7." (Sorry, I completely forgot
where I obtained it.) The software is not completed yet, but the 
author is trying to make a text editor that perfectly supports
WorldScript II. Good stuff.


 Sincerely-

		Ken Matsuda