October 23, Dear ALT,

Transcription

1 October 23, 2012 Dear ALT, Please find enclosed information regarding the Shimane AJET* Scholarship Fund. This year, for the first time, we are sending this material directly to the ALTs rather than the JTEs. In the past we have found that for some JTEs, receiving a large packet of information such as this can be confusing or perceived as too much work for their already busy schedules. Our hope is that by sending it to you, you can familiarise yourself with the programme first, and then work with your JTEs to advertise it to your students. The Scholarship Fund is an amazing opportunity for our students. We give each winner an award of 200,000 yen (~$2,500 US) which they can use to study English abroad on a programme of their choosing. The money is a gift and does not have to be repaid. $2,500 is a lot of money. This year we decided to double the award (it was previously 100,000 yen) in the hope of increasing the chances for students with less money to be able to afford a study abroad programme. The application process is very simple. All the students need to do is fill out a short form and send it to us by post before January 18th. We then hold interviews in the early new year and shortly after, announce the results. This is where we need your help the most. We re sometimes told by ALTs that my kids don t go abroad or my JTE thinks it will be too much work. All we can ask is that you just give it a shot. We ve tried to make advertising as easy as possible by including information for teachers in Japanese, posters, a DVD, a quick lesson plan for class time and more. Preparations and advertising the fund is quick and should take you less than 2 hours. However, the process for interested students talking to their parents, JTEs, etc. can take weeks, so please start talking to your JTEs/students as soon as you have the time. How to advertise the SF is laid out in more detail in the pages enclosed but in short, it involves; Talking with your JTEs Copying and putting up posters Showing the DVD in class and telling the students some information Copying and handing out application forms to interested students Lastly, it s no exaggeration to say that going abroad as a teenager can completely change your life, even more so for a Japanese teenager. Most of our students have never been abroad or even on a plane, so giving them the opportunity to go to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand is huge. We realise that all this will be a little bit of extra work for you, but it will only take an hour or two, and as Helen Lovejoy was fond of saying, Won't somebody please think of the children!?" Kind Regards, Shane, Kyle, Tash, Rory, Lisa, Sarah-Jane Shimane AJET * Even if you re not a JET Programme ALT, this fund is still open to your students. Please feel free to contact us with any questions (shimaneajet@gmail.com) and we want to thank you for helping out. If you feel you are unable to promote the fund due to contractual issues, please give the information (minus this letter) to your JTE.

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5 The Shimane AJET Scholarship and ALTs You can use your role as an ALT to actively and enthusiastically promote the Scholarship to your school, co-workers, and students. As your students' ALT, you are their connection to the outside world and the gateway to international understanding. Short Time, Lengthy Process From the time you receive this information about the scholarship, until the deadline in January, it may feel like you have lots of time. But please bear in mind that your students do not. Within the course of only two months, interested students have to: Approach their parents about wanting to study abroad Find an English speaking country and study abroad program that suits them best Talk with teachers and JTEs and fill out the application form All of these factors take a large amount of time and consideration. So please start promoting the Shimane AJET Scholarship as soon as possible. How to Work Cooperatively with your JTE It s important to work well with your JTEs and the school staff in order to promote the SF effectively. Some JTEs may be reluctant to take on what they see as extra work, especially if they are not sure what is required of them. Here are a few tips for working cooperatively with your JTE: Follow the chain of command. It is important to understand that the Japanese take their chain of command quite seriously and you should work within this to avoid conflict. A good place to start is with your JTE supervisor and the head of the English department. If you get along well with one of your JTEs, having an ally to back you up can be very helpful. Just be careful not to skip anyone important. Be prepared. Think of what you want to say beforehand. Simply handing over the information packet to your JTE is a sure way for it to be ignored. It is important to start a dialogue with your JTE, and having a prepared pitch will help your case as you will appear confident and informed. Share the Workload. Assure your JTE that the scholarship will not take a significant amount of time away from his or her work. Some JTEs disregard the scholarship process because of how it affects their work situation. Make it clear that you are willing to help in any way you can and that the scholarship application process should not take up too much time. Decide on a leader. Does your teacher want to run the show? Or does he or she expect you to do everything? Sit down with your JTE and discuss who is in charge of what. Will you do a presentation? A short blurb at the start of class? Draw up a plan with your JTE on how you will approach your students and get started. Make sure to keep it short and simple.

6 Promotion Checklist: Introduce Shimane AJET Scholarship to the school staff Color photocopy the posters Put posters in classrooms, the library, et cetera Introduce Scholarship Fund to students (in class, direct contact to interested students, etc.) Assist students with writing their applications. (Encourage them to write as much as possible on their own.) The Interview Students who are successful with their applications (the large majority) will be called for interview in early February. At this time, talk to your JTE about doing a mock interview with your qualifying students. Come up with some simple questions in English and help think of interview tips and advice. Speed Bumps Be prepared for the possibility of being told "no" before you've even had the chance to talk about advertising the fund to students. Hitting a brick wall in this process is not uncommon, but unless your JTE is absolutely unwilling to even discuss the issue, a compromise on how to promote the scholarship fund can usually be reached. Even if all you are able to do is hang up the poster or make a few flyers, please do anything you can to get the information out there.

7 Example lesson plan (5-10 minutes) for promoting the SEEF The goal of this short lesson is to increase students interest in studying abroad, and to increase awareness of the Shimane English Education Fund (SEEF) Scholarship. The number of applicants has decreased over the past few years, and its up to us to get students excited about the prospect of going abroad again! Note: This lesson is just an example, and does not need to be followed exactly. You know your kids better than anyone else, so adapt your own plan to best suit their needs and learning styles. Materials to bring to class: Worksheets, a copy of the poster, the DVD, some application forms for interested students. Lesson Plan: (Before going up to the class, give your JTE the information in Japanese on the following page to help refresh them about the important points of the SF) ~Begin by talking with your students about the value of travelling to foreign countries. Emphasize the positive things you have experienced since coming to Japan, and how they have affected you as a person. ~Show the DVD (roughly 6 minutes) ~Distribute worksheets, and give your students a few minutes to complete them. The worksheet is not for a grade, but rather just a fun, mental exercise. They can talk with their classmates, just make sure that they re talking about the questions. ~Talk about the answers to the worksheet. Note: English is an official language in 54 countries around the world. Ask for some volunteers to talk about their desired travel destinations. ~Inform your students about the SEEF. Inform them about the scholarship amount (200,000 yen), important deadlines, application process, etc. Show them the poster. Emphasize that anyone, not just stellar English students, can receive this scholarship with the right attitude. ~Distribute application forms to interested students, or inform them of how the forms can be obtained. Some students might be shy about asking for a form or coming up after class. You know the strong English speakers in each class better than anyone else. So, after the bell rings go and put a form in their hands, even if they didn t raise their hand. A blank application form starts the daydreaming!

8 Encouragement to JTEs for promotion Help your students have the experience of a lifetime! This year, the Shimane English Education Fund will give scholarships to junior and senior high school students in Shimane to help them achieve their dreams of studying abroad. Winners of the scholarship will each receive 200,000 yen to study English in a foreign country. The scholarship is administered by Shimane AJET, an association of ALTs and CIRs in Shimane. However, we need the help of JTEs to promote the scholarship to students. If possible, please take 5 minutes during your English classes to inform your students about this great opportunity. Interested students must complete an application by January 18th, and mail it to Shimane AJET. If you have any questions about the scholarship, please ask your ALT for more details. Thank you for your help! JTE ) Shimane English Education Fund 20 ALT,CIR JTE 1 18AJET ALT

9 Instructions for displaying the poster Please use this poster as an original copy. Please make colour A3 photocopies to display around the school. Note: some schools are strict about colour copying, if you re unsure maybe ask a JTE first. For every copy of the poster you make, please make a B&W copy of the Student Information Sheet (the deadline/company information sheet). Try to put posters in: The 1st/2nd year (SHS) and 2nd/3rd year (JHS) year corridors. The back wall/notice board of each class you advertise to. The library (librarians are usually great at helping you promote) Anywhere you think appropriate. When you put up the poster it s essential that you stick/pin the Deadline/Company Information beside the poster. Thanks! Notice Board Where will you go? Information/ Companies