Education versus Entertainment

[Masami Kikuchi]

Victoria:

(apology for such an elongated message: Masami Kikuchi)

Not quite successful, but I have been trying to introduce technology-
telecommunications-based entertainment into non-school or off-school
activities, stationed in Chiba, Japan. It's not quite an "education", because
I am not a school teacher nor acadimician; I am a kind of "cultural
facilitator" or "culturalist" using technology, if there be such terminology.

The background and motivation of my current activities, aside from my
"feeding" job of technical translation and graphic design services, have
derived from the devastating phenomena of the kids' world in Japan. And
entertainment, if properly programmed, certainly entertain and empower kids
AND adults:

[BACKGROUND] Most kids, urban, suburban or rural, go to the "juku"
(originally a kind of prep school, but nowadays it is a private lucrative
institution that gives the auxiliary skill programmes for entrance
examinations for the upper schools; they give the "tendency" of examinations
for such and such highschools and colleges.), to get reassurance of ability
to "maybe" pass the exams.
This has now long been a serious problem not only in education but also in
society and academia.
Japan is not a "gun" society, but many cases arise that kids of teens "kill"
(literally) his or her schoolmates or irrelevant people, probably affected by
such a distorted "education" style.

[TURN INTO ACTOIN] I have long been volunteering to ask for kids into social
activities in my community, but now the number of kids decreased
tremendously, and my activities accordingly faded away.
This is my second try with another means to give my hands to kids to
revitalize their life, and hopefully their future. This time with assistance
of technology and telecommunications to cause differences among kids, though
it IS COSTLY and needs TIME, ENERGY and REAL SPACE to develop.

Those who are interested in my projects, please try to visit my website at:

http://onlineworkshop.net/ (or if not accessible, vist:
http://208.56.196.240/)

Thank you for your patience, generosity and attention.

Regards,

Masami Kikuchi
producer/engineer/consultant
video-linked intercultural communication
Video Online Workshop
Chiba, Japan
email: masami at acm.org

<p>Victoria Vrana wrote:

> Jodi,
>
> Welcome to YouthLearn!  It's wonderful to see so many people from all over
> the country, and the world, on the list.  What a variety of experiences we
> have to draw from.
>
> I know that other programs struggle to develop curriculum that uses
> technology to educate and not just entertain. We are currently collecting
> examples and how-to materials for the YouthLearn Web site (coming soon to
> the Internet near you -- we're launching in August!)
>
> In the meantime, does anyone have examples of activities that help an
> afterschool program move from the game/surfing level to the educational
> project level?
>
> Thanks again for joining,
>
> Victoria