InfiniD Learning is on a mission to revolutionize education through immersive, experiential learning. The dedicated "education missionaries" are lead by Elder Skyler Carr (Mission President) and Elder Brooks Heder (Assistant to the President). Their team is spending a big part of their summer traveling across the country, visiting conferences and schools showing educators and administrators how InfiniD can transform classrooms into spaceships, inner body ships, and other immersive environments.
Elder Brooks Heder and Elder Skyler Carr in Washington D.C. for the National Elementary Principals Conference. It was their sixth conference this summer.
These missionaries are armed with the good news as manifested in InfiniD's innovative immersive software. Using the software, students and teachers are embracing the power of experiential learning. Instead of sitting passively, students are transported into interactive worlds where they can explore academic concepts first-hand.
Earlier in July, Elder Skyler and two sister missionaries from the InfiniD education team were invited to attend the Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas.
The InfiniD missionaries plan to continue their journey, visiting classrooms across the country and soon, the world. Their goal is to spark a passion for lifelong learning in students everywhere. As one missionary put it, "We want to make education fun again and show teachers and students what's possible when you make learning immersive and hands-on. NOW, do I hear and AMEN !?"
With their innovative experiential approach, InfiniD is out to convert the world of education one classroom at a time. Stay tuned as the missionaries continue their noble quest to reshape education through the power of experience.
InfiniD Learning Launches New Missions This Summer.
'Botanical Break-In' will be the first. The crew must use their knowledge of plant growth to find a rare, stolen plant in Moodoo's greenhouse and escape before it's too late.
Moodoo has stolen a rare and valuable plant species from Tellenor, called the Luminous Lykoris, and hidden it within his alien plant greenhouse. This greenhouse is filled with a variety of unusual, glowing plants that respond differently to sunlight and water. The crew will sneak in stealthily to retrieve the plant, but Moodoo will trap them inside the greenhouse. Students must work together to investigate the growth patterns of these glowing plants (i.e. the effect of sunlight and water on plant growth) in order to find the stolen plant and escape the greenhouse as quickly as possible.
*New Mission*
Forecast Fiasco - Using their weather forecasting skills, the crew will outsmart Moodoo to help Tellenor react correctly to severe weather.
*New Mission*
Laser Labyrinth is now available! Using their knowledge of forces, motion, and mass, students will infiltrate Moodoo's stronghold to get a valuable, stolen crystal back.
Show of Force - 6th-8th grades: After a data breach, the crew must apply its knowledge of orbital motion and gravity to find the Crooked Snakes before it's too late.
*New Mission*
Check out Chloroplast Chaos, our latest 7th/8th grade science mission! Moodoo, the four-inch tall leader of the Fofa Alliance,
is determined to wreak havoc on the planet of Tellenor.
Some Things Never Change. The 33 Year Old Tradition of "The Set Up" and "The Take Down"
The Christa McAuliffe Space Center has been around for nearly 34 years. During those 3 plus decades, some behaviors have become traditions. One of those is the "Set Up and Take Down". Last week I found Silver and Kyson engaged in the time honored ritual of "The Set Up".
The "Set Up" involves transforming Central Elementary School's hallways into the Landing Party or Away Team playground. Everyone who has ever volunteered or worked at any of Utah County's Space EdVenture Centers recognizes "The Set Up" with one glance at the pictures above.
Using whatever items they can find in the school's hallways and in the CMSC's costume and props storage room, they set up blackened barriers of chairs, whiteboards, tables, and desks. To add to the effect, colored lights are strategically located to give that eerie feel and to provide some lighting so our campers and staff aren't tripping over each other.
"We set up this generic Landing Party site so it can be used by all six simulators during the camp," Silver explained. "It can be a ship's derelict hallway, or an abandoned starbase, or a lab on a distant planet, or whatever the flight director says it is. Add a bit of music and an appropriately costumed volunteer and you're good to go."
Cameron, playing an appropriately dressed volunteer. (The Paklid Grand PooPah). Wes, a Magellan Flight Director, is in the
background using his uncanny directorial powers to draw the Paklid character out of Cameron and into the full view of the campers
The only downside to the "Set Up" is the skylight built into the school by the architect. The sky light is directly over the grand staircase - right where many of the landing parties exit the Starbase set and enter the fantasy set. Oh well, it is what it is and you make the best of it.
I lied in the paragraph above. There is one other downside to the Set Up. It is the "Take Down". At the end of the camp, someone has to take everything down and put everything in its place.
Hayden, the First to Receive a 3 Star Fleet Admiral Badge.
As explained in an earlier Troubadour post, the staff and volunteers at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center are receiving their Rank Achievement Cards. Last week I presented the first 3 Star Fleet Admiral card to Hayden Senske. Hayden is in his 5th year as both a volunteer and member of staff. Hayden is a flight director in the Phoenix and Magellan AND if that isn't enough, Hayden is also the head of the media department. Of course he earned every one of those stars many times over. Congratulations Hayden.
Does the "Graphics Guys" Count as the Space Center's First Gang? "It's where the cool kids hang out," Says Head of Department Hayden Senske.
Hayden working with the Graphic Guys last Saturday
If I didn't know better, I'd say the CMSC had a gang. I found this 'gang' in the school's computer lab last Saturday. Instead of souped up Harley's and black leathers, the Graphic Guys have soft, black cotton threads. Instead of gang signs, they flash confident looks to each other to signify an achievement on the screen.
"Me and the boys are using Blender," Hayden explained to me. "It's best you don't ask a lot of questions, but go right ahead and walk around. See what ya think."
With Hayden's permission, I walked down the row looking at the gang's work. Their work, to the untrained eye, appeared to be the graphics of a bank vault. I was relieved to find out it wasn't a bank vault at all, but space ship models.
Hayden tried to get out of the picture before I snapped it but too late. I caught him in a blurred state. "I ain't got a face for pictures," Hayden explained as he walked to the computer lab's windows, parted the blinds and looked out over the parking lot.
To my surprise, I found the director of The Space Place sitting at the far end of the row. Bracken Funk was feverishly working on a project using a new laptop computer.
We aren't talking your normal four cylinder laptop. This was a beast firing on 8 cylinders.
"Where did you get that new computer?" I asked.
Hayden stopped Bracken from answering with a one finger raised. "Mr. W., what did I say about questions?" Hayden muttered though a menacing half smile. "Big Boy Funk here found it on the road. Apparently it fell out of the back of a truck..... right boys?" The room filled with "That's right boss," up and down the table.
Hayden is doing a fine job with 'the Graphics Guys'. He's teaching them to use Blender to design some very impressive 3D models. There is room in this 'class' for a few more. If interested talk to Hayden but remember, don't ask many questions.
Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos from Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience
