One upon a time in Fukui

On September 18,2008 we students from Mathematics and natural science Syiah Kuala University with 2 lecturers arrived in Japan to attend workshop on education and natural sciences and mathematics in 11 days.
The workshop was organized only to improve education quality in Aceh that hit by giant disaster, tsunami and earthquake in December 26, 2008. We were trained how to teach students with fun and simple methods , use cheap and easy tools. The methods have trained for many countries.

Workshop on physics was 3 days, all of students attended the workshop. The topics was about mechanic, optic, electrostatic and electromagnetic. We also made some demonstration equipments. In three days we were trained by Prof K.Kagawa with helped by some staff. He made the module of the workshop and he also organized all activity that we followed when we stay in Fukui. Workshop on mathematics was in two days and half. In the first day all of the students attended the workshop but in the second day there were biology and chemistry workshop, so physics students divided into two groups. One group attended chemistry workshop and another groups attended biology workshop. We also have a chance to discussed about how to recover education in Aceh. We presented all of the matter that we faced in education sector. We also visited two schools in fukui, they are Tomyoji Junior High School and Fujishima High School. Both of them are best schools, very different with school in Aceh.
Happy to felt cold temperature, discipline community, modern tools and friendly staffs. We also visited some place, they are Kiyomizu-Temple, I-setan, Dinosaurus Museum and Tojinbo cliff . What a wonderful country.

Thursday, Sept 18
10.30
Visited Kyoto Tower
Name of the place is I-Setan, on the top floor of its we saw Kyoto tower , that was first place that we visited in Japan so we took a lots of picture and sometimes felt strange.
11.30
Visited Kiyomizu-Temple
There was a lots of people visited the temple, some of them was praying, took photo, and shopping. We saw sense was praying in one of the temples. We walked around the place with food and took many pictures. I talked to some Japanese students and took pictures together.
17.00
Arrived at Toyoko-Inn
We felt like our second home to this hotel, full of modern and sophisticated facilities and friendly bell boys. We leaved the room with dirty but when we came back our room was tidy and clean.
17.30
Cooked & have dinner in Guest house
Japanese people very appreciated their guest, we could cooked in the guest house to prepare break the fasting and dinner . every evening before we came back to hotel we cooked in this place first.
Friday, Sept 19
08.41
Leave Fukui Station by train
Train with modern tools, every day we used the train to went to University of Fukui. In that train there were special places for old man. We need only ten minutes to arrived in Fukui Daemae (station in front of University of Fukui)
09.30
Opening Ceremony
First time to hear Japanese speech and introducing myself in front of Japanese teachers and students in Japanese language. Met dean faculty of education and regional studies UF Prof. Umezawa and Mr. Norikazu M vice president of Japan Student Service Organization. After opening ceremony me and Milda interviewed by local television. They asked about my impression stay in fukui, about workshop and what we would do next after the workshop finish.
10.30
Orientation
Briefing about the workshop, where the workshop would start, introduced the sense (teachers). We also visited the place where the workshop would start.

13.30
Courtesy call on President University of Fukui
Met Prof. Masaru Fukuda president of University of Fukui in Administration Building. Introduced myself, what we would like to have and extend gratitude. We also get souvenir from the university.
14.30
Campus tour
Saw every part of university, from administration office, Niki’s laboratory, computer laboratory, server room and attended two presentations at physics department.

Saturday, Sept 20
09.00
Physics workshop I
At that time we learned base of physic they are mechanics. The experiment was about gravity using ping pong ball. Make two similarly sized ping pong balls and fill different weight material. It was brilliance idea to make same height we used string. So, when practice began we knew which ping pong ball that first touch ground. Then change the mass one of ping pong ball with sand and make empty the other, so when we fall it we know that the ping pong ball that we filled with sand touch the ground first. With that demonstration easier to confirm acceleration is the same regardless of mass.
We was introduced to Fine Plastic Beads that would make frictionless. That was great idea but simple and easy to memorize if we demonstrate mechanics with beads that make frictionless. With beads we could demonstration Newton’s first law. We demonstrated constant speed movement on the frictionless plate. Then the second low using Petri dish and a string connected to a pulley. The last is action and reaction law using two magnetized-Petri dishes moved in constant speed. The easier way to memorize the third law is using frog-toy and Petri dish placed on the frictionless. By varying the mass, the speed of Petri dish changed. Demonstrated momentum conservation. We still using frictionless and two pieces of the same aluminum disks.
In energy conservation we added plastic sheet to make slope.
13.30
Physics workshop II
Speed measurement demonstration was easier, because using shooting equipment. We could measure the speed of Petri dish that we shot with digital speed meter. With added two small dolls in the Petri Dishes we could demonstration relative motion. Then make the table inclining slope to prove the acceleration are the same. Monkey hunting also can demonstrate in frictionless table. With this demonstrate we could explain why rain fall looks like inclining. By added a weight in a Petri dish we could explain zero gravity. We also could demonstrate kind of collision with simple way using two Petri dishes. Then about wave we made the Petri dishes or plastic lids connected with tin rubber string. Then swing the plastic lids to make a wave. With those demonstrations would make students more understand than we just tell the theory.
18.30
Home visit to Mrs. Yoshida’s house
Traditional Japanese house, tasted Japanese food and took some photos. While we was eating we was talking each other and with Yoshida-san. That was Japanese habituality.
Sunday, Sept 21
09.00
Physics workshop III
Made water prism, 2 triangles and a beam. Use rubber bands to hold the slides together then apply some power glue. make a small hole in the top of triangle so you could fill clean water until almost full. Then seal it with black tape. use the water prism and direct parallel light. then place your eye in water prism you could observe rainbow-colored object with underwent refraction.
Then explain about ,moon shape. Use volleyball to make the explanation easier. Caused of the sunlight just shine only half of the moon so in the earth sometimes we see the moon like a half ring and sometimes we see full shape of moon.
13.30
Physics workshop IV
Demonstration experiments for fundamental optics, using smoke box and battery lamp as a point of light source could see image of the shadow . change the battery lamp with a candle so we could see the across shadow, add one more candle, move one candle from right to left and left to right to make sure where source of the light came from. That experiment would make principle of pinhole camera explanation easier to understand. another experiment could be done with laser pointer and bulb, you could change pointer laser with battery lamp.
Then we constructed pinhole camera. Pinhole camera made from tissue box, milk carton, hard carton paper, white hard paper, black carton and black plastic sheet.
17.50
Break the fasting at Mr.Khairuman House
He is Aceh Student that study in University of Fukui for Doctor program. He also our lecture in physics department faculty of mathematics and science Syiah Kuala University.
Monday, Sept 22
10.20
Visited Tomyoji Junior High School
We met a teacher that could speak in Indonesian language. He ever went to Jakarta about a year. We also have some science souvenir. They have 15 classes and the students about 500. We joined cooking class and science class. In cooking class they learn how to prepare plates make a food and wash their plates. In science class they learn about stone,, mountain , volcano.
13.00
Visited Fujishima High School
The school was not so far from university. The best high school in fukui, with complete facilities, large yard and smart students. This also the oldest school in Fukui. We attended mathematics classes, at that time they learned about propability in first grade and logarithm, limit, differensial in second grade. Talked to the students, interviewed the headmaster and staffs.
16.00
Continued physics workshop IV
Continued make pinhole camera. After finishing the construction we could see like real camera. Just add convex lens and black plastic for the holder of the convex lens. That was fastest and easiest way to teach and learn principle of fundamental optics.
18.30
Ate Sushi in Sushi Shop
We divided as two groups, each group sat in a table. We ate sushi as much as we could. It would make sushi more delicious if we ate with a few ketchup. Not all of them Halal food, so we had to choose a good one.
Tuesday, Sep 23
09.00
Physics workshop V
Demonstration experiments for electrostatics and electromagnetic. First we constructed a simple electro leaf meter. With cheap materials like glass bottle, nail, aluminum foils, metal dish, and blade of cutter we made important measurement in electromagnetic. Simple and easy. After constructing to prove charge amount we use 2 or 3 ping pong balls. Put the balls in noodle cup then shake. Put the balls one in leaf meter then observe the leaf meter would react by increasing number of ping pong ball. We also could proof charge amount with water same as ping pong balls. Then use instant conductive epoxy-adhesive blow it then put at leaf meter, observed the leaf meter would spread. After that we tested by our hand to the leaf meter, the charge flew to our body through the material. In the dark room we charged up leaf meter until maximum. Touch the fluorescence lamp electrode to the leaf meter then we observed faint emission. We also observed disperse light in water prism.
13.30
Physics workshop VI
First we saw spectrum color using sunlight and tubes that filled with water in outside of building. Then Constructed CD grating spectroscope. Ones again we used cheap materials like small piece of CD grating, cake box, hard paper and others. After constructed the spectroscope we confirmed that the color dispersion is much higher than case of water prism method.
All of the contents of physics workshop were written by Prof.Kagawa in a module.
Wednesday, Sept 24
09.00
Exchange Program (introducing mathematics education in Japan)
First workshop was about introducing our math education. Like a discussion sometimes they asked about our department, after we answering the question they told about theirs. Then Prof.Saburi introduced Japan mathematics culture and education. Some of mathematics and higher mathematics education imported from China. Japanese mathematics education is falling into a serious dysfunction now. One of the reason is because of curriculum. They still find the answer what kind of reform is required to overcome that dysfunction.
13.30
Mathematics Workshop I
Introductions of statistical analysis wit software R by Prof. Chieko Matsumoto. Statistic is very important in mathematics, because statistic very useful in human life. R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. One of the reason why we use R is because fastest and easiest way to compute and analysis the problems. In this workshop two students had one laptop to practice R software.
Thursday, Sept 25
09.00
Mathematics Workshop II
Only mathematic students attended the workshop, because there were biology and chemistry workshop too in other room.
The workshop was about music and mathematics. We used guitar as the object. Guitar is a music instrument which produces a sound by vibrating the strings. At that time prof. Irei played the guitar in front of us. He is a good guitarist. After calculating the ratio among the lengths of neighboring tones by using the electronic calculator we made flute using a paper and pipette. Very interesting demonstration that not only workshop in mathematic subject but also art subject.
After constructing a flute we played “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” song.
Then we made various of shape from carton, we calculate where were the balance point and put yarn in it then confirmed that the object was balance or not.
Prof. Irei also gave us module of mathematics workshop I but almost of it in Japanese language.
13.30
Mathematics Workshop III
Prof. A.Sakuramoto taught us how to solve mathematics problems with software Maxima. Like R software, Maxima also a free computer algebra software. We can download the software in website that Prof.Sakura was written in his module. To make the workshop more interesting and to practice how to use the software, everyone had one laptop.
Friday, Sept 26
09.00
Mathematics Workshop IV
For the second times Prof. Saburi was our teacher in that workshop. He introduced to us little bit about American mathematic education. It was about patterns.
We also get the hard copy of book that taught at American high schools. That method is one of interactive and interesting way to teach patterns to the students. The samples using daily situation and object like eggs, money, bagels and others.
14.00
Overall discussion on present situation and its recovery of Sciences and Mathematics Education in Aceh
Presentation from each department in mathematics and science faculty, Syiah Kuala university. We explained about Aceh education condition before and after Tsunami hit Aceh. There a lots of things that we have to fix to improve our education such as curriculums, teaching method, equipments, infrastructures,
18.30
Farewell Party
Japanese people usually celebrate that party if someone will leave. We sang two songs Aceh Lon Sayang and Doraemon. We also joined tea party. fresh tea but little bitter. Japanese has beautiful culture because there were samurai show and traditional Japanese dance. In that party there were also sushi and sashimi. We were got pictures together in the end of party.
Saturday, Sept 27
10.00
4th International Symposium
International Support Networking For Natural Disaster Victims-Sumatra Tsunami, Support Activities And Recovery, Its Process And Problems
This symposium discussed about how to recover disaster such as earthquake, volcano, flood and others. First presentation by Matsumori Kazuto was about aids for the victims of disaster. We must think how the victims could sleep, eat and where the bathroom. Some of victims didn’t need any equipments but they really need money. Because if they want to have something they could buy it.
Second presentation was about earthquake and tsunami that hit Aceh and Sumatra island and then presentation about fundraising, support activities its process and problems. As we know when earthquake in Jawa people of japan gave their aids to help the victims and recover the disaster.
Then presentation by Sakai Akiko. She tell about how to recover victims that heart by disaster. From injury situation and mental rehabilitee like trauma when they saw the flood or because of lost families.
The fourth presentation was by Prof. K.Kagawa that talked about education side. We must improve our education system that was collapse and one of the way to do it is by starting a short workshop using cheap and simple materials that easy to find in Indonesia.
The last presentation was about disaster in china. Most of the victims that really need help were children and mass media really gave a big help when the disaster came.
13.30
Shopping at 100 yen and Seibu
Wasted our money to bought souvenir for families and friends. The cheaper one we went twice to make sure everything that we need we bought. Because of that our baggage was over loaded.


20.00
Continued physics workshop VI
Demonstrated about rainbow using many source of light. First we used lamp we saw the color wasn’t continues. Then used lamp made from mercury, after that we saw only blue color when used lamp as the source. When we used candle as the source the light was continues then we added some salt and orange color looked clearer and continues. When the lamp bandaged with paper the color still continues. The last we used laser pointer as the source and we only observed red color.
Then explanation how to count distance between string in a sieve using the shadow of the sieve. The last was explanation of collision.
Sunday, Sept 28
10.30
Visited Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
The most famous place, the second dinosaur museum in the world. There were a room where all of the fossil are original but you have to pay more to get in and you can’t take any Photos in the room. You could see animals that live thousands years ago. In other room they made replica, some of them could moved. There also video screen that played dinosaur movies.
12.00
Visited Tojinbo cliff
The place where Japanese people usually doing suicide. The cliff is beautiful. there were a telephone if you need a help don’t worry because it was wrote phone number and some coin. You could waste your money in road to the cliff. The souvenirs are unique and cheap.
Monday, Sept 29
04.00
Leaving Japan
Wake up in early morning. Got into the bus and went to the airport. Said good bye to bell boys for serving us in 11 days, some of international staff came and Indonesian students too.