Friday nights sessions from the Friends and Family Virtual Event would not disappoint, examining the Innovation Hub from 7:00 – 7:25 PM

Mc’s by Dr. Paul Marty FSU’s Innovation Hub was highlighting the numerous and exciting developments of technology happening there!  Dr. Ken Baldauf begins telling how starting in 1996, the Innovation Hub began and started off to probably where they had no idea where they would be now, the area is like being lost in Disney!   I liked the fact that he said it is an area of intersecting concepts.  That should be in every school library’s mission statement and he indeed stated how the mission statement was vital, especially to the Innovation Hub.

It was amazing to see the initial images of the space and how this space is being utilized currently.  Starting with 18 3D printer and now operating 40 printers, with services currently free to students, this is an amazing service and a place to learn and be amazed at the technology of 3d printers.  We have one larger one at the Library Media Center and it ceases to amaze students.  Additional tech that can be hands-on used is the  laser cutter, the programmable router/cutter, headsets for virtual reality,

Circuit board and robot development supplies, a developing recording studio, where all can begin to empathize, ideate, and build, as their mantra is seen all over the Hub. The applications manipulated in The Hub showed and extended to engaging social workers to help stretch the longevity of their careers (as you can imagine the turn-around rate is high due to the demands of the position), conducting virtual reality fairs, and now increasingly learning to earn badges to become an innovative scholar and recognized at graduation for such; all which shows built in assets that result from being IN the Innovation Hub, and what individuals can take OUT of the Hub. With the forum Teachers teaching Teaches and Paul Allison in New York with the concept of Badges, I see how over a wide spectrum the idea of badges can be used to increase the levels of challenge and creativity that can be found in technology, as well as in the Innovation Hub.  The use of post it notes almost to an extreme was awesome, as you can see constant byte-size creative projects represented as a result.

When Kirby Kander came on board and shows the leaps and the gains Seminole Productions made, you really obtained a sense  of what happens inside The Innovation Hub, does NOT stay in the Innovation Hub and you can see connections between what might not have been intended but how tech can affect the world outside. 

Having had experience in charge of park management at the Astro’s stadium, s sports director involved with NBC Sports, ESPN and now FSU, Kander brings a very exciting perspective to FSU.  He showed how they change sports broadcasting by having studios set up where the action is on campus, rather than having to have units go to the sports, the studios are set up all over campus to already be in position to cover the events that occur in the FSU campus. As a former intern for the Pittsburgh Pirates, I can easily compare where we have come since the 1997 season and how FSU and Kander uses the creativity found in technology, and enhance the sports world while enhancing the knowledge of FSU students, definitely a home run (or touchdown) for FSU.  The largest takeaway was showing that no matter what field, no matter what device, there is the element of creativity that can be taken and most importantly applied to the outside world, the real world, where so many parties can play a part in making such events happen.