Junko's Page

I was born and raised in Saitama, Japan, a city just to the north of Tokyo. After graduating with my undergraduate degree, I came to the U.S. to study, and since that time I have lived in different states throughout the U.S. Currently, I live in San Diego, and teach undergraduate Japanese courses at the University of California, San Diego.

One thing you should know about me is that I like novel and innovative ideas and I am always looking for ways to integrate new thoughts and technologies into my classes.

Some of the key ideas that have significantly influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning are constructivism, student-centered learning, cone of learning, and service learning.

Some of the key experiences that have significantly influenced my philosophy of teaching and learning include teaching different levels of courses of Japanese and Spanish at different types of institutions (private and public universities and a community college), designing new courses in order to offer students a Japanese major, starting to learn Spanish as an adult, and participating in workshops and seminars for my professional development.