Hello!
My name is Gabby Schwalm, and for my Freeman Asia internship, I am in Chiba, Japan for 6 weeks.
At IWU I am a Computer Science major with minors in Japanese Studies and Music. Originally, I was slated to assist with an English language center at a University in Japan. There, I would have given mini-lectures in English to students about computer science-related topics. However, due to some paperwork complications, that university was unable to host me. Instead, I am interning at SOLTILO GSA, an international preschool, where I am acting as a teacher’s assistant for the school’s 3-year-old class. While it is not computer science related, I have worked with children in the past and am very excited about my experience at SOLTIO. Because the goal of any preschool/kindergarden is to prepare children for attending school, working at SOLTILO will give me a unique insight into Japanese culture that wouldn’t have been available to me at any other internship experience.
As it is an international preschool I interact with the children in English to aid their development in speaking and comprehending English as their second language. I also assist generally with classroom management, serving food, etc…
During my time in Japan, I am being hosted by the wonderful Wanatabe family. Youko, my host mother, likes to run her Facebook blog, so she was excited to hear that I need to keep up a blog as well!
Through food, pictures, stories, and writing, my goal for this blog is to explore the various experiences I have while abroad!