Teach Computer Science to Japanese high schoolers

Mattori Birnbaum Start Date: May 1, 2018 - End Date: Aug 31, 2018
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad

My Travel Story

by: Mattori Birnbaum Start Date: May 1, 2018 - End Date: Aug 31, 2018
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Leadership/Training Program
  • TEFL/Teach Abroad
I have been accepted into HLAB for Summer 2018, so I will be traveling to Japan to teach high school students about a topic of my choice. I have decided to teach about Computer Science, an area I am very familiar in and have a lot of love for, with an emphasis on the liberal arts aspects; that is, I will be focusing on topics such as how Computer Science teaches us ways to think about problems and model the real world.

HLAB is at first glance simply a program for teaching a seminar for a week, but it is also an opportunity to develop peer mentor relationships between people from around the world (including me!) and our high school students. Part of what enables this is the dormitory environment, which means that we do not just disappear after classes end but instead continue interacting with students. There will also be workshops wherein mentors are able to get creative and share something that might not be found at school – for example, I am considering teaching a workshop on dance and my experiences with KGY, the k-pop dance group at my college. The goal is for the students to not only learn whatever the mentors teach but to also form a real relationship, albeit in a short week-long timeframe.

More Travel Information

Adventure Registry

  • Summer research stipend

    800
    Grinnell College
    • Granted