معرفی
Senior Lecturer in Japanese Atsuko Takahashi has served Smith College for two decades, specializing in student-centered Japanese-language pedagogy, extensive reading (Tadoku), and inclusive curriculum design. Currently on sabbatical (Spring 2025), she continues to lead national and international collaborations that advance open educational resources and diversity-focused language instruction.
Education
- M.S.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
- B.A., Japan Women’s University
Research & Teaching Focus
Dr. Takahashi’s scholarship integrates metacognitive learning theory with extensive reading pedagogy. Her projects explore how sustained Tadoku practice enhances learner autonomy, well-being, and intercultural competence. She has pioneered classroom-library partnerships that embed information literacy into beginning Japanese courses, and her open-access “Tadoku Tree House” platform democratizes graded-reader resources for educators worldwide.
Key areas of ongoing investigation include:
• Micro-habit formation in language learning
• Digital portfolio assessment for diverse learners
• Post-pandemic transitions from remote to in-person instruction
Publications & Scholarly Output
Across six peer-reviewed pieces (2012-2022), Takahashi documents longitudinal classroom studies, curricular innovations, and the affective benefits of extensive reading. Her corpus reflects a clear trajectory from foundational curriculum design to cutting-edge DEI applications and well-being metrics.
Awards & Recognition
- Association for Asian Studies Grant (2010) – established the Japanese learners’ book collection at Neilson Library
Collaborations & Grants
- Principal collaboration with NPO Tadoku, Tokyo – co-production of Tadoku books and national teacher-training workshops
- Creator and curator of “Tadoku Tree House” OER (Open Pedagogy Portal, OERCommons, Merlot)
Lab & Resource Hub
The Tadoku Tree House serves as an open, sustainable repository where students and educators co-create graded readers, fostering inclusive language communities beyond the Smith campus.
