Meta-Toys Workshop and Environment with Squeak

Abstract

This paper discussed an idea of curriculum and the software project named Meta-toys. The first primary motivation of the curriculum was designed for learning way of media-art, but now the goal is more comprehensive for leading generic computer literacy. Through the workshop, students could learn not only how to use computer software, but also how to make software for works along with own independent needs.Using computer, we can create various kinds of art works including painting, music, and literature. In many cases, computer is used just as substitute article of traditional media like paper and ink. To touch more computer specific idea, it would be better to know about generalization. Meta-toys' workshop introduces the way of thinking about how to use computer effectively with making presentation tools.In addition to show the workshop, we describe necessary software features for the workshop. We had a workshop using Squeak etoys because all our students have not special knowledge about computer. Because current etoys is not enough for our purpose, we have developed miner upgrade of etoys rather than major rebuilding. Some of our results could be regard as prototype for new Squeak scripting system. Introduction Definition of a meta-toyA meta-toy is tool or part for making a toy. For example, when a toy car is a toy, a wrench and tires are meta-toys. When a picture book is a toy, a paint brush is a meta-toy. These relationships between a toy and a meta-toy are just relative. Therefore if we see a paint brush as a toy, the material of the brush like axis and hair are meta-toys.In this paper, we are discussing meta-toys in a computer environment made by non-professional computer user. A user not only uses, but also make and exchange tools and materials. We mean "toy" as an instrument for fun. Although a meta-toy can be a serious or practical tool, the reason why we use the word "toy" is we emphasis its process of pleasure but accuracy or function of finished works. It is important that a user improves a meta-toy's functions by having experiments and discussions rather than just use it.There are a lot of pleasures on computer. But there are remarkable feature than as a software player in computer. Computer software is made by computer software. In real world, making tools are much difficult, they need long time, require special instrument, and skill. But for computer programmer, making tools is just a daily job because he doesn't have any limit of material. To make a meta-toy, a user enjoys the process of making tools with such characteristic of computer. Actually, making a Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Creating, Connecting and Collaborating through Computing (C5'05) 0-7695-2325-0/05 $ 20.00 IEEE