NISMED Director Dr. Soledad
A. Ulep and Earth Science
Specialist Eligio C. Obille Jr.
participated in the 8th APEC-Tsukuba
International Conference held in
Tokyo, Japan, on 12-17 February
2014. The conference was part of
a three-year-long project that aims
to ‘identify the best practices that
ensure students are learning the
foundation of mathematics and
science, and applying this learning
to real-world issues, such as preserving the environment,
reducing damage due to disasters, and achieving green and
sustainable growth.’
Since 2012, the project has been developing programs
(e.g., booklets on e-textbook format with teaching materials)
for APEC economies to educate teachers and children about
disasters and how to save themselves from disasters such
as tsunami and earthquakes, typhoons and floods, and fires
and volcanic eruptions. This is achieved through the use of
visual materials, sharing of essential evacuation strategies,
and using actual data which are necessary to scientifically
understand the mechanism and influence of disasters. These
materials, developed through Lesson Study, are currently
being used by APEC lesson study project institutions.
In the APEC-Tsukuba International Conference,
mathematics is considered as ‘the major literacy subject
necessary for economic developments.’ Instead of simply
solving hypothetical mathematics problems, the project
promotes teaching mathematics in the context of natural
disasters. Through lesson study, the project aims to produce
an interactive textbook (e-book) that will help students
prepare for an emergency, with emphasis for fires and
volcanic eruption this year. The results will be presented in
September 2014 at Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
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| Through lesson study, specialists from the Asia-Pacific region identify ways to effectively teach mathematics in the context of natural disasters (Photo credit: http://www.criced.tsukuba.ac.jp/math/apec/). |
The conference was attended by various APEC economies
such as Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea,
Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam. The
three-year-long project is led by Dr. Maitree Inprasitha of the
Center for Research in Mathematics Education, Khon Kaen
University, Thailand and Dr. Masami Isoda of the Center
for Research on International Cooperation in Educational
Development, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Part of the week-long conference was a field trip to
Nikko World Heritage Site. Due to heavy snowfall, the trip
was cancelled and participants went instead to the Edo-
Tokyo Museum, and Tokyo National Museum and National
Museum of Nature and Science at Ueno.
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