Tama Method Ground School, or rather Bobbie x ERAU Method

Video materials and classroom courses

The knowledge required to obtain pilot certification is now available in a variety of formats, from free videos to lifetime online video courses for a couple hundred dollars, to classic face-to-face classroom methods. I think it's good to have a wider variety in the sense that the student can choose according to their preferences and plans. On the other hand, with so many options, which one is the best? Where should I start? Even if you ask people, the answers will vary... I can also see the problems that are unique to this era of information overload. In the past, it was easy because there were no options (lol)

So what should I choose?

I honestly don't care which one! LOL.

I personally think it's important to understand one thoroughly.

Courses that focus on passing the knowledge exam are quite popular. I think it is possible to finish passing the knowledge test for now and focus on flight training. On the other hand, if you start flight training without taking such a course, it will be like participating in a sports game you have never played before without knowing the rules.

Most aviation courses are conducted in English, and if you are not good at English (especially listening), there are many people who try to do it from a textbook. Surely you can read at your own pace and translate as you go, but this is the beginning of the road to frustration (lol)

Is it okay if you can understand English? Not necessarily. Is it okay for Japanese people to just read school textbooks because they are written in Japanese? It's the same thing. Even Americans don't understand, which is why video courses are so popular.

Here is one case (lol) that proves it.

I was teaching a Private Pilot classroom class at a US military base with about 25 students. Of course, they were all Americans and had no knowledge of airplanes. The style of the class was to use a Jeppesen (very famous) textbook that I had purchased in advance and explain it using the Jeppsen specified syllabus and lesson plans. I had a new Japanese instructor teach the first part of the class just for practice (at the behest of the American manager at the time). The chief, Tamanaha, Me, and the American manager would observe, and Tamanaha would change to the main class in the middle. That was the plan.

The American manager was Bobbie Suell, the person who picked me up and brought me up.

That's when the Japanese way of teaching (or should I say the old way?) started. Silently writing on the board: ..... Just kept writing on the board...

The students in the class were quiet at first, but then they started to get bothered, and one of them finally asked, "Are you writing the contents of the textbook?" The instructor said, "Yes," and continued writing on the board... From this student, “Can you explain it to me! I can read the textbook!"

Then the manager says, "Yes! End!" Needless to say, the manager gave the new instructor a hard time after the class.

"It's your job to explain the textbook! Use your students interactively!"

What they used to do in my class at the U.S. military base, and what we often had them do in our classes, was group discussion and group work.

It means that you can't tell alone if you understand something or not. Most of the time, you think you understand. There is no doubt that choosing the correct answer to a question with three options is the goal of the knowledge test, but it is not the same as understanding it. Passing the exam is just a requirement for taking the practical exam. This is because the practical test requires a real understanding of the knowledge that you will be asked by the examiner to answer.

Use your surroundings

This means that it is important to deepen your understanding by actively studying the learning pyramid in the diagram below. Studying with other trainees is a natural part of flight school. Most of the pilots say, "If it was me alone, I might not have been able to complete my training or get my license." Of course there is the mental aspect, but it is also essential to check each other's knowledge.

Do you need to just wallop to play tennis? Is it enough to dribble and shoot to play basketball or soccer? It's the same thing.

It is only through real interaction that we can train and become stronger.

But what if I want to watch a video and study on my own? What if I'm not in school yet?

Don't worry! In this era, you can connect to them via the Internet.

University Distance learning

Let me tell you about my experience at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's correspondence graduate school, which he "commuted" to during his time at the U.S. military base mentioned earlier.

Since this is a university class, there is a professor in charge of each class you register for, as well as a student who has registered for the class. You will get the necessary course materials when you register for the class, and then you will be ready for the first day of class.

This is a class on the Internet. By the way, this was long before COVID-19. It was about 10 years ago or more. Blackboard is set up on the university's class site, and that is where the interaction between professors and students, and students and students, takes place. Students from all over the world participate in the class, so they don't have to join the class at the same time. Exams also start at the time of your choice. However, once you start, the time is up at the stipulated time!

The point is to use a tool like an online forum.

It starts with the submission of assignments from the professor. For example, you are required to read this part of the textbook. After you have read it, give your opinion. What do you think about this or that? and so on.

The students write in and out. Other students write their opinions on the other students' posts. This is the same behavior as in a real class, where students speak up and give their opinions to each other.

Class evaluations are based on attendance, class participation, opinions, and exam scores.

Even with my poor English, if I were able to communicate with each other and the content, we could get a grade of A. I earned points for speaking up and participating. To be honest, when each student introduced themselves in the first class, I thought "Oh no…". There were so many smart students from all over the world. It's a lot of pressure to do well in that environment.

Don't you think this will be useful when you get a job as a pilot after you get your certificate?

What is the Tama Method?

The Tama Method (Bobbie Method x ERAU Method) is a Ground School where the instructor acts as a facilitator to get the students interactively involved. This is the most important learning process.

The ERAU Blackboard-like concept is put into practice in Google Classroom. Tamanaha will upload the class materials and discussion points. Participating students will write their opinions on it. The students will give their opinions on the written opinions. At the end of the class, the exam is uploaded and students answer the questions at their own time.

As in the ERAU system, the degree of participation and the content are scored, and then the exam score is added to the total score to determine if the student is good, excellent, acceptable, or not acceptable. However, unlike college, even if you get added to the class, you can still finish the class.

So what is the purpose?

I believe that the process of actively participating, thinking, and expressing one's opinion will deepen one's understanding and eventually make one a person who can be active on globally. Some people are able to master the skills after joining the actual flight training environment, while others can't get used to the environment and end up flying in a lazy manner. The license is something that you can pay for. Whether or not it becomes a usable qualification depends on the preparation for it. That is Tamanaha's theory.

This is the study session that Tamanaha recommends. I've intentionally left out some of the details, so you can take it and run it with your friends. Of course, the facilitator needs to guide them well. These actions are also a requirement for MCFI. Let's practice them and contribute to the aviation education industry.

We will use the designated materials for the basic knowledge needed for that discussion. It's the same in any world, whether it's classroom learning at a US military base or at ERAU. The materials used are Rod's, which I highly recommend! It's a textbook, but super easy to understand!

If you're not good at English, you don't need Tamanaha's class on "Rod's Method of Teaching in Japanese!" Those who can speak English don't need my class! If you can speak English, just read that material and watch the video.

Tama Method Ground School Flow

1. the designated chapters of the Rod Method (English & Japanese versions) are submitted as assignments from the classroom

2. The Japanese version of the Rod Method will be taught for 3 hours from 9:00 a.m. every weekend.

(1) Ground classrooms to acquire knowledge will be held every Saturday.

(2) Ground classrooms for Flight lessons on how to fly are held every Sunday.

These will be conducted using a platform called MasterIn, and although the school starting in September 2021 will not allow students to join in the middle of the course, the syllabus originally allows students to join from anywhere. It will eventually be possible to join from anywhere and at any time.

3. discussion topics are assigned to the classroom at the end of class

4. students begin their group discussion! Tamanaha will act as a facilitator. Students do not have to discuss in real time at the same time, so they can actively participate in the class more and more on their own time.

You can do the material at your own pace and participate in the classroom only. 5.

5. exams will be assigned in the classroom later in the week

6. The overall score will be sent to you individually by Tamanaha based on your work in the classroom and your score on the exam.

7. the next week's lesson begins and the process is repeated 👆.

(1) 17 weeks (about 4 months) for the ground classroom to acquire knowledge.

(2) 16 weeks (about 4 months) for the flight classroom to learn how to fly.

This kind of syllabus creation can meet the requirements of MCFI. Please make use of the individuality of each instructor to serve the aviation education industry.