Emma is an educator who is passionate about empowering students with emerging technologies. She works with the Ed Farm Student Fellows program, facilitated through the Introduction to Innovation elective course at 30 partnering middle and elementary schools in Alabama and Georgia. This course focuses on computer science, digital skills, creativity, and civics and is structured to engage students in a challenge-based curriculum to solve real-world problems in their communities. Students collaborate with each other to identify and investigate challenges, build digital and coding skills, and create actionable solutions.
Emma first met Kai at the 2022 Ed Farm Future of Learning Summit, where Kai invited educators to move students from consumers to creators with emerging technologies. Kai's platform, Kai XR, not only creates accessible, high-quality Mixed Reality (MR) experiences but also inspires students to explore how they can do the same, elevating pathways to in-demand STEM careers. Inspired by Kai's keynote session, Emma and the Ed Farm team developed a new Student Fellows Challenge-Based Learning unit where students became Mixed Reality Masterminds.
The Become a Mixed Reality Mastermind unit is an immersive learning experience that empowers Ed Farm Student Fellows to become creators in the realm of mixed reality. Over the course of eight weeks, students deep dive into the world of augmented and virtual reality, developing expertise and skills that transform them from consumers to creators.
As part of this unit, students explore how they can leverage these in-demand technologies to share important stories and spaces, creating immersive and interactive experiences in Mixed Reality that emulate the Virtual Tours found on Kai XR. The Student Fellows begin their journey by exploring what is possible with Mixed Reality on the Kai XR platform as they are transported in Virtual Tours and build in the virtual makerspace. Working in project teams, students assume various roles within their own Mixed Reality studio in their classes, collaborating to bring their visions to life in the virtual world.
One notable achievement of the Ed Farm Student Fellows program is the success of the Bush Hills STEAM Academy Student Fellows. These students took the Mixed Reality Mastermind challenge to the next level by leveraging their various tech passions and the expertise of their peers to create a Mixed Reality Music Video. De’andre, Amorah, and Max wrote, recorded, and edited the music for their Mixed Reality Music Video, while Max and Isaiah took the lead on exploring what can be created with a 360 camera. Having never used a 360 camera before, they leveraged YouTube videos and the power of crowdsourcing information on the internet to learn how to best record, edit, and export their film to YouTube–leveraging Final Cut Pro to bring their Mixed Reality experience to life.
Watching this student-driven journey unfold was nothing short of magical. Seeing the Bush Hills STEAM Academy students first explore and see what was possible with Mixed Reality on the Kai XR platform and then turn around and create their own Mixed Reality Music Video proved how important it is to embed emerging technologies in the K-12 curriculum. Emerging technologies promote collaborative learning and communication. As the Bush Hills STEAM Academy Student Fellows showed, when given these in-demand technologies, they will be empowered to work together on projects, share ideas, and collaborate with industry experts to make their ideas come to life. This experience fostered teamwork, communication skills, and cultural competence, all of which are essential for success in the modern interconnected world.
Are you an educator looking to empower your students with emerging technologies and provide them with the tools to become creators?
Follow in Emma's footsteps and reach out to Kai XR today to learn more about their platform and how it can transform your classroom. With Kai XR, you can create accessible, high-quality Mixed Reality experiences that inspire students to explore how they can do the same, elevating pathways to in-demand STEM careers.
Let's work together to empower the next generation of creators and innovators. Contact Kai XR today to get started.
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