ブックタイトル縁19号

概要

縁19号

Oyadomari: Right. Real experience is a key driver of learning motivation, especially at the beginning. Surprisingly,very few people are aware that these kinds of schools exist. Those who do know are at an advantage.Our strength is that many of our teachers are younger, or have had jobs in other sectors. As a result,our students can relax and learn in the way they find most natural, but when they need more discipline thestaff is still there to provide them with instruction. The fact that much of the program takes place outsidethe school extends this variety.ENISHI: Was IP part of your job when you were at MEXT?Oyadomari: No, I was not very familiar with that topic when working for the minister. I was studying universityeducation, became interested in teaching in schools, and I decided to take the leap when I heard ofthis intriguing project to create a new style of school.ENISHI: That was a fateful encounter.Oyadomari: My original enthusiasm is still paying off in so many different ways. Every year, Chihaya welcomesvisits from a lot of international trainees, and we have them interact with our students. It's a preciousopportunity, available only through our unique program. We even receive requests from many graduates tocome back and participate in the program. These activities are connecting many people, inspiring new anddifferent plans and actions to make the school more exciting and dynamic. Chihaya is aware of the need totake up new challenges in order to survive.ENISHI: What and how many classes do you teach?Oyadomari: My teaching assignment this year consists of first-year level Business Basics for four units, second-yearlevel Community Design for three units and practical programs for third-year students, such as ResearchProjects, Advanced Business/Economics Studies and Community Design Workshops. In these programs,students learn about real business in cooperation with real companies and apply basic knowledgeacquired over the previous two years. Patents and other IP topics are regular subjects of these programs.ENISHI: Do you go into creating utility models and how to improve something that's been made?Oyadomari: We ask a number of companies to send someone to our classrooms to give necessary instructionsfor students to discuss product development plans in groups. Take a specific example from AdvancedBusiness/Economics Studies, which involved Parfun, an innerwear planning and production company.Students proposed product plans for innerwear and other items, and the company made trial models basedon the plans. Then, the students improved the models through cut-and-try efforts to develop commercialmodels, which were actually placed on the market. This activity is mutually beneficial. Students can enjoy asense of achievement from the successful results of their planning and production efforts, and the companycan collect ideas and survey data of young people on the significant scale of the entire school. Other projectsresulting in market launch were carried out in cooperation with Shimamura, First Retailing and RIZAP.ENISHI: Do you receive royalties?Oyadomari: No, we don't. Instead, we receive sample products to be used by the students. These proj-38 ENISHI IP Friends Connections August 2018 No.19