How can you do well?

Students who attended my courses share below (i) a glimpse of what you are about to embark on and (ii) how you can thrive under flipped and minimally invasive teaching methods

N. (Kids in Crisis, Spring 2025)

This student shares the differences between Japanese and American education systems through their personal experiences and reflections. This student attended both systems. It compares its approaches, philosophies, and cultural impacts, highlighting the student's resilience and growth in navigating these contrasting educational environments.

Key Takeaways

Contrasting Educational Philosophies: The video contrasts the "narrow and deep" Japanese system, focused on a national curriculum and memorization, with the "broad and shallow" American system, emphasizing creativity, critical thinking, and a wider range of subjects.
Socioeconomic Influences: The Japanese educational system reveals socioeconomic disparities, with access to university influenced by parental connections and resources, particularly through the school recommendation system.
Resilience and Adaptation: The student's experience demonstrates remarkable resilience in adapting to the vastly different American system, initially struggling with the emphasis on critical thinking and argumentation but ultimately flourishing.
The Role of Critical Self-Reflection: The student's journey highlights the importance of critical self-reflection, questioning initial biases and assumptions, and the willingness to adapt and learn from diverse sources (including AI).
Active Engagement in Learning: The video emphasizes that true understanding requires active engagement with diverse perspectives, rather than simply memorizing theoretical information.

Testimonials

'To be honest, when I first started your class, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. In Japan, many people still believe that “only Japanese people live in Japan,” and that we are somehow untouched by issues like discrimination or inequality. Because of this, I think it can be hard for Japanese students to find motivation in the beginning of a class like this. Also, the active participation style of your class is very different from the passive learning style we are used to in Japanese education. For students who have gone through that system their whole lives, it can take some time to adjust. Personally, it took me a while before I could truly enjoy the class. That’s why I believe my experience could be helpful for future Japanese students who might feel lost at first but can benefit deeply if they stick with it. Your class is not easy, but it would be a real shame to drop it just because of that. There are many valuable skills and intellectual discoveries that can only be gained by seeing the course through to the end. I sincerely hope more Japanese students will take your class and stay with it until the end.'

'I honestly wasn’t sure if I could pass the course, especially since I didn’t do well on the midterm. So, seeing the final result made me really happy. I’m genuinely proud that I passed your course. It truly means a lot to me. Thank you again for your engaging lectures, your generous support, and your understanding throughout the semester.'

' Your class has reminded me that even as an adult, it is still possible to discover new intellectual horizons. That is exactly why I chose to return to university, not just to earn credits, but to continue seeking new knowledge and experiences that expand my world. Thank you again for all your encouragement and inspiration.'

Elliott Stevens; tut72054@temple.edu; @elliottstevenz (Kids in Crisis, Spring 2025)

It analyzes a student's testimonial, detailing how a professor's praise significantly impacted his confidence and personal growth. The testimonial highlights the student's initial struggles in a challenging course and how the instructor's positive feedback fostered a transformative learning experience.

Key Takeaways

Unexpected Growth: A student initially unenthusiastic about a required course experienced unexpected personal and academic growth.
The Power of Praise: Positive feedback and acknowledgement from the professor acted as a catalyst for the student's self-discovery and confidence.
Transformative Learning: The course, initially perceived as a burden, became a vehicle for personal development and overcoming self-doubt.
Instructor's Role: The professor's approach, described as "tough love," created a challenging yet supportive environment that fostered student growth beyond academics.
Stepping Outside Comfort Zone: The video emphasizes the importance of embracing challenges and pushing through initial discomfort to achieve significant personal breakthroughs.

Letter:

Dear Marvin,

I would like to personally reach out to you and thank you for an absolutely transformative and life altering semester.

We only get so many truly special teachers/instructors in our entire life, and you have been that to me this semester.

I originally intended to take a race and diversity class because it was simply required for me to take it for my Japanese language major, and I had no idea at all I would be paired with an instructor who was going to influence my life and career in such a positive way.

You challenged me, right before the class even began, I remember looking at some of the activities before our first class meeting, and I was thinking, wow... there's already many tasks that I need to be completing!

I was shocked. I had never experienced that before in a class setting, and that was only just the beginning.

And then, classes began, and I remember thinking... is this man crazy??? These outputs are going to take forever!

But, I had this confidence and determination to follow them, step by step, because your calm demeanor and straight forward approach really resonated with me.

To be honest with you, I've never in my life had an instructor single me out and praise my work, I've always been in the background, the underdog, the quiet supporter, I've never in my life been given many opportunities to have leadership. People always have wanted me to play a support role. And that's why your class was so impactful to me.

Your acknowledgment of my hard work was so impactful to me, it created a desire within to keep pushing myself every assignment, and also because I wanted to inspire the other students as well. I had a purpose, and that purpose will continue.

I've always had severe confidence issues, and I came to Japan with a spiritual search to find strength to overcome my weaknesses, and turn them into strengths. Your teaching methods became a vehicle for me so I could start doing so.

Whenever we were talking about what the "model man" was a while back, I almost rose my hand and said that you were the type of human, man, that I see as the "model man".

You have the courage and belief to challenge people, even though I know it's "tough love" to push people to their potential. And you also have no problem showing your emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. You are not afraid to be honest with people, because you know it will help them grow.

That's a model man to me. You are the man. And I appreciate you very much!

Looking forward to hopefully collaborating with you in the future. As for me, I will continue my hopes and dreams of being a musician who can write and perform music that impacts people's lives in these very difficult times in the world.

Hope you have a great summer break!

Best regards,

Elliott Stevens

Emma McGrath, @emmanamii, (Kids in Crisis, Spring 2025)

It offers advice on how to succeed in a flipped classroom environment. The core focus is on maximizing learning and participation within a course structured around weekly "outputs" (readings and follow-up questions) and in-class discussions.

Key Takeaways

Outputs are crucial: Success hinges on completing the weekly outputs thoroughly, critically engaging with the material, and using personal reflections. While AI can be used, genuine effort is key.
Active class participation is essential: Speaking up in class, even when others aren't, fosters discussion and demonstrates engagement. This contributes significantly to the grade.
Go beyond the assigned material: Actively seeking out additional sources and connecting ideas enhances learning and shows initiative. This is considered vital for success.
Engagement is key: Turning on the camera and participating actively is crucial for connecting with classmates and benefiting from the collaborative learning environment. Half-hearted efforts on outputs will hinder success.
Time management is important: Don't procrastinate on assignments, particularly the midterm and final assessments; understanding the material before writing is emphasized.

Jun Ito (Kids in Crisis, Fall 2024) shares how students should approach self-directed learning environments.

This video is a student's review of his experience in a Temple University Japan course called "Kids in Crisis," taught by Professor Starominski-Uehara. Jun, a graduating senior, describes the unique teaching style, assignments, and overall impact the course had on him.

Key Takeaways

Unique Teaching Style: Professor Starominski-Uehara employs a flipped classroom model, encouraging student-led learning and research. Students are responsible for discovering and sharing information rather than passively receiving lectures.
AI Integration: The course incorporates AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Notebooklm, among others, teaching students how to utilize these technologies for research and project creation.
Student Connection: The course is designed to foster connections among students, combating the isolation experienced by many during online learning. Activities like group website creation and class discussions aim to build community.
Engaging Assignments: Assignments include research-based outputs, culminating in a book review and essay. Students have significant freedom in choosing their book and topic.
Professor Starominski-Uehara's Passion: Jun highlights Professor Starominski Uehara's passion and dedication, emphasizing his ability to inspire students and motivate them to explore their own interests.

Jasmine Mehta, jasmine.mehta@temple.edu, (Sustainable Environments, Fall 2024) shares how she learned to use generative artificial intelligence to tailor and speed up her learning experiences.

The student appreciated the instructor's approach to teaching responsible AI integration in academic work, viewing this as a valuable long-term skill.

Key Takeaways:

Using AI as a supportive tool rather than seeing it as an adversary
Leveraging AI effectively to:
- Clarify complex concepts
- Define unfamiliar terms
- Simplify difficult material for analysis
Maintaining academic integrity by:
- Doing original work while using AI as a supplementary resource
- Integrating AI constructively across different courses
- Finding the right balance between AI assistance and independent learning

Students' Testimonials and Tips:

Anju Wagner (EDUC 0823, Spring 2025): 'If I were to say anything regarding this class my advice would be, take it assignment by assignment. The topics are all insightful and challenges you to think and write critically and the skills you gain in this class are extremely useful for both university and real life. As someone who struggled with procrastination, I thought this class would be too difficult and while it could be overwhelming at times, I challenged myself to work hard and fixed my bad habits with every discussion post and assignments. I learned a lot and got to improve myself in ways I never thought I could through this class so as long as you take it day by day, assignment by assignment you would do well in this class. Thank you again for this semester! I enjoyed this class a lot.'

Olivia Scheuer, olivia.scheuer@temple.edu (ENST 0842, Spring 2025): 'I would just say for students to not be shy to share their opinions on any matter whether it is just a small thought, because participation is very important and engaging in the class discussion will also help you learn a lot more!'

Kotaro (ENST 0842, Spring 2025): 'I'd like to share that this course requires more effort and time compared to other general education courses. However, Marvin’s attentive feedback on assignments and discussion pages makes all the difference. It's also a great opportunity to tackle complex topics that many have never discussed in their native languages. While the course is challenging, it's absolutely worth the effort. Students can genuinely experience growth in their English proficiency and critical thinking abilities throughout the journey. Thanks again, and I appreciate your dedication to supporting students!

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