Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd.
[Supervised by Koji Matsubayashi! ] Persol Cross Technology launches programming education related service “Smileit”
～Limited to 30 slots! Recruitment begins for free on-site lessons at nursery schools, kindergartens, and elementary schools nationwide ~ ……
Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Shinji Masaki; hereinafter referred to as Persol Cross Technology) is a member of the Persol Group whose vision is “Work and Smile.” We will begin providing the programming
education-related service “Smileit” supervised by Mr. Koji, and will begin accepting applications from nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, etc. who wish to receive free on-site classes in 2024.
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Background to the birth of “Smileit*1”
Persol Cross Technology has a “self-actualization support system” that provides financial support up to 1 million yen per year for activities that lead to employees’ self-realization and personal growth. In March 2020, utilizing this system, Mieko Ozeki, an engineer currently working at our company, planned and held an “Unplugged Programming Parent-Child Experience Course.”
A project that started with one engineer’s “I want to do it!” has now been officially renamed “Smileit” and has been officially launched under the supervision of IT engineer/IT educator Koji Matsubayashi. .
“Smileit” has the concept of “programming education that fosters the zest for life,” and Ozeki hopes that through this opportunity, “I want many children to learn the joy of programming.” We will provide “learning opportunities” by providing free on-site classes at educational facilities, mainly elementary schools.
At the same time, the paid service “Smilet Plus”, which focuses on deeper learning about programming and experiential content that parents and children can participate together, has been renewed and powered up with the content of previous classes and courses, and is now available for corporations and individuals. let’s start doing …. *1 Trademark registration pending
“Smileit” overview
1. “Free on-site classes” will be held nationwide in 2024. We have started recruiting nursery schools, kindergartens, and elementary schools that wish to host the event.
The free on-site programming lessons for nursery schools,
kindergartens, and elementary schools across the country, which started in June 2023, received more applications than expected from kindergartens and schools that wanted to incorporate programming lessons, and the number of applications was 20. We were able to hold the event at more than 100 facilities. In response to this year’s response, we will further strengthen our system and hold on-site classes nationwide in 2024 as well*2. In this class, the teaching staff in charge and our staff discuss the goals and messages you want to convey through the class, and it is possible to arrange the class according to the characteristics of the facility/class, proficiency level, goals, etc.
This is a class where you can experience programming thinking, which is a “power to live”, such as trial and error that leads to success while repeating failures, the ability to think on your own, the ability to work with friends to find answers, and the ability to express your own ideas. If you are a nursery school, kindergarten, elementary school, or other organization that would like to
incorporate programming education classes, please contact us. *2 Depending on the date and region, the event may be held online. note that [Class content (partial)]
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*3 Unplugged programming: “unplugged” means not connecting the plug, and refers to learning to acquire “the ability to think logically = programming thinking” without using a computer or tablet.
【detail】
・Recruitment start: From December 12, 2023
・Class period: April 2024 to March 2025 (to be decided after hearing) ・Target area: Nationwide (can also be held online)
・Target organizations: Approximately 30 schools including nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, after-school classrooms, PTA, community activities, etc.
*For organizations other than those listed above, please contact us directly by email.
・Cost: Free
2. The paid “Smileit Plus” offers content that allows you to learn more deeply for both corporations and individuals.
We also offer a paid service called “Smilet Plus,” which allows participants to choose courses according to their level of
proficiency. It is possible to have extra experiences such as classes where parents and children can experience and learn together, classes where they can learn deeper content, etc. that cannot be done within the framework of “classes” at kindergartens or schools.
We offer face-to-face courses, online courses, and on-site courses, so you can choose the class that suits your goals. For individuals, we will notify you on our homepage as soon as the event is decided. We also accept corporate applications from time to time.
3. The official Smilet character is born!
The Smileit character “Nikomaru” has been born. In the future, it will appear on social media and in classes, and children will learn programming together.
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-About Nikomaru-
A prototype robot with a zebra motif and a self-learning
general-purpose AI function made using Persol Cross technology. When I come across something that I don’t understand or don’t know, I keep asking “Why? Why?” and am learning every day.
Nikomaru is a zebra, but it runs slowly and is not good at exercise. He also has a complex about being mistaken for a white horse because he doesn’t have stripes on his body. He has a friendly and lonely personality, and loves playing and thinking with others. I am very interested in programming, which is the basis of AI technology, and I would like to learn about programming together with everyone and further evolve it.
Comment from Koji Matsubayashi
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As a software engineer, I am involved in development, and at the same time as an educator, I strive to convey the essence and appeal of technology to kindergarteners, university students, and working adults, while trying to learn together. We have been making efforts. I met Ms. Ozeki, who was involved in activities that became the predecessor of “Smileit,” and I strongly sympathized with her aspirations and philosophy, “I want to convey the appeal of computer technology to as many children as possible and increase their future options.” did.
I hope that as many children and parents as possible can become familiar with the “feel” of computers. I hope that people will become more interested in and familiar with the mechanisms of information systems that are essential to their daily lives. Furthermore, in the future, I hope that even one more person will be able to use and create digital technology on their own. I decided to take on the role of supervisor because I thought I could help with that.
I would like to continue to enhance the production of content that conveys the appeal of “information technology” in a broader sense to a wide range of age groups, without being limited to “programming thinking.”
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【profile】
Koji Matsubayashi IT engineer/IT educator/author
https://www.rhythmaning.org/ Born in 1970. Dropped out of the doctoral course at the Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka
University. After serving as an assistant at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Ryukoku University, he entered the world of open source software development such as Linux. He was also responsible for the Japanese translation of the photo-sharing SNS “Instagram” during its early years. Meanwhile, in addition to teaching programming classes at local elementary schools for many years, he has also served as a visiting professor at the Korean Institute of Technology (2017-2020) and as a judge for the national elementary and junior high school programming competition (2016-2021). iU Information Management Innovation Professional University Visiting Professor
[https://www.i-u.ac.jp/people/12263/]
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Comment from our engineer Mieko Ozeki
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Programming is necessary for everyone, not just special people, and the knowledge and experience gained through programming education will be a great weapon in life. We want to deliver this “true value of programming education” to as many people as possible.
As a professional who handles programming, I would like to help teachers who are worried about programming education, parents who are unsure about programming education, and others.
“Smileit” was born when I voiced my thoughts and received the full support of my company and friends. Our first priority is to make people feel that programming is fun, and we want to deliver new awareness and discoveries to those who use it.
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【profile】
Mieko Ozeki (Ozeki Mieko) Belongs to Persol Cross Technology Born in Ibaraki Prefecture. I considered where to go to college based on the condition that I grew up in a single-parent household and “lived without my parents’ help,” and selected “Information Technology” from the departments offered at the school. After graduating, he gained work experience as an IT engineer as a full-time employee, temporary employee, and freelance. Moved to Tochigi Prefecture after getting married. At the same time, he joined Persol Cross Technology and worked as an IT engineer. While spending time with his two children, he developed an interest in the keywords “the future in which children live” and “the meaning of learning programming,” which led him to his current position.
▶Please also take a look at the activities of ozeki.
https://touch.persol-group.co.jp/20201116_6560/
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●For more information on “Smileit”, please check here.
(School) https://persol-xtech.co.jp/service/smileit-bussiness/ (Individual) https://persol-xtech.co.jp/service/smileit-individual/ ●For consultations or questions regarding “Smileit”, please contact us here (schools/individuals)
https://persol-xtech.co.jp/contact/
■About Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd.-https://persol-xtech.co.jp/- Persol Cross Technology Co., Ltd. was established in January 2023 through the business integration of Persol R&D Co., Ltd., Persol Technology Staff Co., Ltd., and Persol Professional Outsourcing Co., Ltd.
We provide technical support to companies through technical
consulting, contract work, engineer dispatch, and quasi-delegation, from manufacturing such as automobiles, aerospace, industrial equipment, home appliances, and robots to IT fields such as systems, communications, and web. . We will solve social issues by bringing about changes in the way people and organizations work.
■About “PERSOL”-https://www.persol-group.co.jp/-
As a “working well-being creation company”, Persol Group aims to “create better working opportunities for 1 million people by expanding people’s potential” by 2030.
By responding to the diverse needs of working people and expanding their possibilities, we will create a society where everyone around the world can experience the joy of working and having fun.