Smartphones, small devices, and what they can do.
On January 25, a workshop for parents and children using Octostudio, a programming app for smartphones, was held at the Hamagin Children’s Space & Science Museum.
This time, participants worked on their own project with programs using Octostudio, paper bags, and craft materials.
In the workshop, we prepared and used old iPhones.
The small screen of a smartphone is difficult to see for sharing, and it is sometimes difficult to assist children in creating artworks. It is especially difficult for me, with my aging eyes, and I inevitably have to take it in my own hands and remove my glasses to check it, saying, “May I borrow it for a moment?
However, sometimes I wonder if there are advantages to being small and difficult to see when I do workshops using Octostudio.
Because the screen is small and difficult to see, participants naturally become closer to each other. Parents and children huddling together to create a project, children gathered around a single project, and the distance between the children and us, the facilitators, becomes even closer than in a normal workshop.
By shortening the physical distance between participants, communication among them becomes more active. As a result, many ideas may be generated and spread in the workshop.
When we think about workshops and learning environments, we tend to think about removing inconveniences.
However, as in this case, the inconvenience can have a positive impact. If we have our own purpose, we may naturally act to overcome inconveniences.
Once again, we were given the opportunity to think about workshops through this workshop.
I would like to continue to design and support workshops so that each workshop will be a learning experience for all participants.
I would like to thank everyone who participated.
Thank you very much.