On August 9, we held our third workshop on making moving toys using programmable batteries at an after-school day service in Kanazawa.
The workshop was scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m., but when we connected remotely at 9:30 a.m., the work had already been completed.
It seemed that some of the kids had already started making the toys as early as 9:00 a.m., when the service opened.
As soon as the connection was made, the kids started asking me to take a look at their work. Through the screen, I could see that some kids were already concentrating on creating their own works. They even remembered the rather complicated name of the tool, “programmable battery” (sorry for the English name).
It appears that the kids are making good use of the learning environment that makes up this workshop, including not only the equipment and materials, but also me participating remotely, the people who usually support our activities, and the children around us.
This reminds me again that utilizing the learning environment of a workshop requires time to get used to it.
Of course, the advantage of this being the third time is not only in getting used to the learning environment, but also in each student’s work. The kid who was trying to make a work with many gears last time is now trying to make a work that moves in various directions by meshing the gears at 90 degrees. When I asked him about it, he said he came up with the idea “kind of. I think “somehow” is very important, rather than a predetermined goal or target.
The staff members also spoke to each kid differently, saying things like, “That’s nice,” “That’s great,” “Keep at it,” and “Patience is important, too.
Blocks are scattered on the floor, and the workshop seems to be a place for kids to work (or play).
The lack of boundaries between the activity spaces seems to encourage kids to collaborate without their knowledge.
There are also wonderful works made with only blocks, without using programmable batteries.
When I asked a staff member about it, she told me that the child had made his favorite character out of blocks.
The child was creating a work of art that could not be made with the usual blocks because there were not enough of them.
I also noticed another character that I didn’t recognize. When I asked him about it, he answered, “Mr. XX. Apparently, this character represented a staff member.
It seems that the workshops we have conducted so far have been too focused on getting people to use the tools. The kids themselves decide what they want to create, and if they don’t need to use the “programmable battery” tool for their work, they may not need to use it.
This is a workshop where goals and objectives are not predetermined (not designed).
I feel that I received many hints this time again toward workshops as a learning environment where kids design their own activities by utilizing their own experiences and knowledge, the children and adults around them, equipment and materials, etc.
After the workshop ended in the morning, the kids continued to create after a lunch break.
The children who had started other activities gathered their creations, and with the addition of figures from toys they usually use, their creations evolved into new works of art.
The kids decide how long they want to continue. It also makes me think about the constraints of time.
This time, we were allowed to connect remotely for a long time, from morning to evening, and it was a fulfilling time to think about the workshop through the workshop.
I would like to thank the kids and the staff for this precious opportunity and the student members who supported the children’s activities in the field.
Thank you very much.