After Playshop |
From: Koizumi Kazuyoshi (03/24/2000 17:07:00)
After Playshop
Kazuyoshi Koizumi, Researcher, CRN
Since Child Research Net was established in 1996, it has examined issues related to children and learning. Up to now, the events hosted by CRN have been lecture-style conferences with a clear separation between the speakers and audience. Although this method was a very effective means of conveying information to a large number of people, we wanted to elicit more audience participation and have the speakers themselves learn more from the event. This led to our creating Playshop, an experimental event that was held in November 1999.
Playshop was not conducted with a specific research goal in mind; the objective was rather the process itself. In this respect, it was a new endeavor for CRN and required a lot of hard work on our part as planner and producer. In Playshop, we did not make a detailed plan and then implement it. Instead, we tried to extract meaningful essences from the improvisational skits and activities in our meeting venues and give them form, and this made it difficult because we could not see the goal until the very end.
Thus far, CRN's activities have focused on the relationship of children and the media. In this sense, Playshop can also be seen as an extension of this interest. Children themselves are media and instruments used by children are also media. Utilizing these media, Playshop was an attempt to create new information and values as participants communicated what they wanted to express and received messages communicated by others.
This Playshop consisted of group activities with mixed participation by children and adults and this resulted in increased communication. Playshop did not limit itself to high-tech media, but made use of a wide range of media as tools, and showed us the importance of creating a place where both adults and children can learn together. As such, Playshop was not just for children, but it was also a learning venue for educators and researchers.
Japan's public education system is characterized by two features. First, the curriculum is standardized nationwide and teachers are obligated to instruct their students in this curriculum from the first grade of elementary school (seven years of age) to the ninth grade (15 years of age). This is one factor that limits the originality of teachers. Second, educational system groups children horizontally, separating them into classes by school year. Naturally, the social life of children revolves around others who are the same age. Ongoing urbanization has resulted in less communication among neighbors, and with a declining number of children in the family, many children do not have siblings. This has made it very difficult to expand relationships with people of different ages. The significance of Playshop lies in its capacity to bring together the school, the local community and business, and the family, its possibilities for imaginative learning, unfettered by the public school curriculum, and as a place where people of all ages can communicate.
CRN is now engaged in two projects for a second Playshop. The first is a project called "My Museum of Learning Arts," a tie-up with NHK (Japan's national broadcasting network). A studio space will be provided for two months for children to regularly get together and then videotape and edit works based on their experiences there. We are now having discussions with NHK and studying this project with Mudpie members. The second project is a Playshop for high school students. Information on this will be forthcoming as the plans become more concrete.
We look forward to receiving your valuable input. Thank you. |
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