The Troubadour welcomes three new InfiniD Labs into the growing network of schools that house experiential learning simulators inspired by the original USS Voyager. These three new ILabs take the official number of simulators both past and present to 47. The Simulator Database is accessible by clicking on the top link on the blog's sidebar.
Are you curious about InfiniD? Did you think there were only a small handful of starship simulators at a few local Utah schools: The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center, The Telos Discovery Space Centers, Farpoint Space Education Center? If so, you are mistaken.
InfiniD is the world's fastest growing network of school based, computer lab simulators committed to continuing the vision of simulator based experiential education pioneered in my 6th grade classroom back in 1983 and fine tuned and expanded with the building of Simulator 1 the USS Voyager in 1990. Today 11,000 students across Utah have a monthly experience in an InfiniD Lab where they apply what they are learning in the classroom on a mission in InfiniD Labs.
To summarize; InfinD's mission is to provide every school world wide with an experiential simulator of their own. That's a big goal and they're determined to make it so.
The West Point InfiniD Lab
Location: West Point Elementary School, West Point, Utah. Davis School District
The West Point InfiniD Lab was set up and running it's first mission in one day!
Location: Valley View Elementary School, Roy, Utah. Weber School District.
Location: Franklin Elementary School. Provo, Utah. Provo School District.
Vae View InfiniD Lab Gets an Upgrade
Location: Vae View Elementary School. Layton, Utah. Davis School District.
The team at InfiniD are proud of the work David Pendergast has put into the Vae View Elementary InfiniD Lab. Dave sent these pictures showing what the team has done, all on their own, to take their INFINI D Lab to the next level. InfinD really does work with the best and most committed educators in the world.
InfinD Educates Principals on the Art and Science of Simulator Based Experiential Learning at the Utah Association of Elementary School Principal's Conference in St. George.
Getting to cause explosions and talk to principals in an alien voice really makes for some memorable trade show interactions. Brooks Heder and team had a blast meeting many of Utah's great principals from this year's conference!
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| The InfiniD team had a great time heckling and hydrating the principals at the UAESP Conference golf tourney. |
InfiniD Provides Continuous Flight Director Training to its Network of Educators
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| Skyler Carr, Brooks Heder, and Casey Voeks conduct InfiniD Lab Flight Director Training to the teacher / directors |
Flight Directing is the where the rubber hits the road when it comes to simulator based experiential education. InfiniD understand this and provides continuous training to their teacher / directors.
As part of their commitment to flight director training - InfiniD, along with the Farpoint Space Education Center and the Telos Discovery Space Centers, will co-sponsor the new Flight Director Association (FDA). The FDA will dedicate itself to the art and science of flight directing as well as provide flight directors the opportunity to network and learn from each other and from those who've been in the business for decades.
The Flight Director's Association will hold its first meeting on March 23rd at Renaissance Academy in Lehi, Utah; home Farpoint and the USS Voyager. All flight directors from Utah's space education centers and the InfiniD network of Labs are encouraged to attend. The program starts at 6:30 P.M.
The Weekend Warriors of the Space Centers
The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center
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| Matt Robison is learning to fly the Galileo under the watchful eye of Brylee Perry at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center. Orion is enjoying a tasty vitamin ring generously provided by a kindly visitor. |
Those of you long time Space Center and Troubadour fans know how much I enjoy stopping by the various space education centers on a Saturday to meet the outstanding people who make these centers the 2nd happiest places on earth (come on, we have to pay ultimate homage to Disney).
Here are a few pictures taken from my visits.
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| Josh Anderson was at the helm of the USS Magellan at the CMSEC with Lindsey as his 2nd Chair. Sitting and assisting was a young man from the visiting crew who needed time off the ship. The mission was a bit too intense. Josh and Lindsey were great with the boy. They gave the restless youngster a dead mic and let him make quiet comments to his friends on the bridge. As I said, the mic was dead so his friends didn't hear a thing, but it sure kept the boy entertained and happy. |
The Telos Discovery Space Center
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| I found Megan Warner at her cafeteria desk. She was working away at all those things that keep directors busy. The TDSC was busy Saturday afternoon with flights on the Everest and Pathfinder booked all day into the late night. |
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| Now that's how you create a wall for a landing party using whatever you happen to have on hand. |
The Best Gifs of the Week Edited for General Audiences.
