New learning style by kids for kids: Soto Yamauchi at TEDxKids@Chiyoda

Soto Yamauchi proposes a new learning style: kids help each other to gain or share knowledge. He asks for the support from the adults and hope that they believe in kids' skills, knowledge and possibilities.

I am the the first prize winner

of a programing contest last year.

So, I am a little programmer.

Today, I will show you

a revolutionary new learning style

from my experience.

Since I was very young,

I've loved making things.

and I was always
playing with blocks and bricks.

When I was 6,

my father gave me an old PC,

and I enjoyed making
stop-motion animation,

newsletters, and so on with that PC.

I was about 8, I made this.

(Applause)

At the age of 10, I went to a library,

and I came across a book on programing.

When you look at this, what do you see?

It attracted me so much,

because it looked like a magic wand.

If I got it, I can make anything I like.

I've been into programming since then.

And now,
I'm a junior high school student.

One morning,

I happened to see some impressive news.

It said, Japanese Prime Minister,

Shinzo Abe's government,

proposed a slogan.

It's called the "Three Arrows".

The first, Bold Monetary Policy.

The second, Flexible and Fiscal Policy.

The third, Growth Strategy.

To achieve the Growth Strategy, he said,

I.T strategy will continue
to be a major pillar

of his growth strategy into the future.

Then I thought,

"What can I do for our world
as a little programmer?"

After hearing the third policy,

I found the answer.

That is,

I should share my programming skills

and knowledge with kids.

I should make

an easy programming workshop for kids.

But,

what kind of programming workshop

should I make?

We can teach how to program to the kids.

Who understand about kids the most?

Parents?

No.

Teachers?

No.

It's kids.

Because we belong to the same generation,

so we can share
our skill and knowledge as an equal.

After I reached this answer,
I moved forward.

At first, I introduced
the fun of programming

to my classmates.

And as I conveyed my thought,

they agreed with me

that we made programming group named -

"It is IT".

We named it because we hope that

it is I.T that will be useful as a tool

for us to learn much more in the future.

And we use the phrase:

"Programming Workshop of the Kids,

by the kids,

for the kids"

as our slogan.

Teachers also agreed to
our plan and cheered.

Their attitude encouraged us so much.

Last month,

we held the programming workshop for kids

at our school festival.

We used a programming language
called "Scratch",

and explained how to make a game.

It was a huge success.

Participants made their own game

and enjoyed programming.

Not only teenagers,

but also kindergarten children and adults

came to join our workshop.

Now, I believe,

there are some things that only kids can do.

Today, I spoke about
my programming workshop,

but it's just an example.

This new learning style -

kids sharing with kids -

will be useful in other fields, too.

Please look at this picture.

Green circle represents a teacher,

and yellow triangle represents the kids.

Nowadays, it's more common for adults

to do all of their teaching.

Yet I believe,

kids have their special abilities too.

And it is kids, like me,

that can help other kids gain

more skills and knowledge.

Kids sharing with kids, in fact,

may be the easiest way for kids to learn.

Because learning happens
while having fun.

So I would like to ask for help

to spread this new learning style.

And we need

the chance to share our information

and support of teachers, parents

and other adults.

So please believe in

our skills,

in our knowledge,

and most importantly,

in our possibilities.

Thank you.

(Applause)