Hirokazu Kawano finds the collaborative environment of MetaMoJi Share to be an ideal tool in helping him keep students engaged in dynamic and interactive lessons online. Professor Kawano was excited about information technology and its impact on classroom learning. Last year, he conducted an experiment in collaborative group work among his students.
Ten students were each given an iPad pre-loaded with MetaMoJi Share. Professor Kawano used the blank canvas of the MetaMoJi productivity environment to conduct group sessions where students could write ideas (just like on sticky notes) to share among each other. Professor Kawano reported to MetaMoJi that he was impressed with the analog feel of the MetaMoJi Share environment, particularly the ability to sync handwritten notes in real time as students worked together.
One particular exercise Professor Kawano conducted was a social studies project designed to encourage collaboration among students. Groups of students were asked to work together to create newspaper articles designed to share ideas about environmental topics: such as recycling and trash repurposing.
On the first day each student was given a tablet preloaded with MetaMoJi Share for use with classwork. The children dove into the exercise, effortlessly using the app to handwrite text, import illustrations and to create a newspaper layout. At the same time, students were also sharing ideas in real time, collaborating with one another with no difficulty whatsoever.
At professor Kawano’s school, an elementary school associated with Tokyo Gakugei University, teachers are encouraged to promote independent thinking among their students. Professor Kawano holds a philosophy that in group lessons children should be encouraged to actively communicate their own ideas, listen to the opinions of others, and summarize both.
Professor Kawano reported that the interface of the MetaMoJi Share environment is easy to understand and it is designed well for a collaborative meeting environment. He uses voice memo features within the app to for in-class announcements. MetaMoJi Share provides an opportunity for each and every student to participate and share real-time results. He can monitor and interact with students as they work, as well as capture accurate records of group collaboration with recorded voice notes imbedded within the notek.
MetaMoJi Share for School provides many teachers like professor Kawano with an opportunity to engage students, especially in blended learning environments. Since dozens of participants can collaborate in live interactive sessions, MetaMoji Share also expands a set of tools for teachers to conduct tutoring and distance learning sessions as well. Like professor Kawano, many teachers find the MetaMoJi Share environment a way to customize learning sessions and empower both the teachers and students.