Teachers from Japan were in Norman this week learning about Norman schools.

"I am particularly happy to see how the children are different from Japan, to see the differences," head teacher Katsumi Kosuge said through a translator Tuesday at Truman Elementary School.

He said there are many things in common in the teaching of Norman and Japan, but it was interesting to see the differences as well.

"There seems to be a lot of individual attention to the students," Kosuge said.

The visit this week is part of Hitachi Computer Products' teacher exchange program. Each year, teachers from Norman and Japan apply for the program which is funded by Hitachi.

"It's a big investment in our school system because we want that culture and exchange," said Jeannie Green-Lacroix, Hitachi affairs representative.

In the first part of the exchange, three Norman teachers traveled to Odawara, Japan, for 12 days this summer to learn about education in Japan. Johnnie Keel, Truman third grade teacher; Tracy Miller, fourth grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary; and Susan Wright, library media specialist at Jefferson Elementary, participated in the program from NPS this year.

The teachers have shared their trip with their classes and schools. Keel gave a Power Point presentation and shared pictures with her class.

"I didn't just talk about a place we can visit but a place I've been to," she said.

Keel said she learned a lot on her visit that she'll be able to use in her classes for years into the future.

"It's not just a one-year type of experience," she said.

She was able to compare Norman schools with those in Japan and learn from the differences.

"It's been interesting to see, not just studying culture but to see how their schools are set up," Keel said.

Japanese schools don't have any physical education during school hours, it's all extra-curricular, she said. Also, schools run year-round and students don't enter public education until the first grade, she said.

This week, the Japanese teachers learned about Norman Public Schools. Kosuge, Mayumi Hirano and Katsumasa Watai arrived Saturday, saw the sights in central Oklahoma Sunday and visited four schools Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday, the Japanese teachers visited Truman Elementary School. They attended a morning assembly that featured American Indian dancers from within Norman Public Schools. Later, parents in Keel's classroom provided lunch. Parent Andrea Marler said they had originally planned to have sushi, but the sushi chef wouldn't have been able to prepare it fresh, on-site. So the parents settled on a catered Thanksgiving feast instead.

"It kind of reflects that we're together and meeting each other and sharing information," Marler said.

Earlier Tuesday, the visiting teachers met with individual Truman classes. Keel had prepared her students for the visit by teaching them about Japanese customs.

She had business cards made for each student and showed them the proper way to give the visitors their cards. (You should take the card in both your hands, pause to acknowledge the other person respectfully, then hand the card to them. The recipient will treat the card respectfully and not put it away until the giver has turned aside, Keel said.)

The Japanese teachers were in turn able to learn about American cultural practices. One big one they experienced this week was football. Watai said he enjoyed playing football in Keel's living room with her grandson.

"Running -- on the sofa; touchdown!" he said.

Julianna Parker Jones 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com