19. The Frontier Classroom: McKenna Akane on Rural Innovation and Emerging Tech
Season 2, Episode 8 of Kinwise Conversations · Hit play or read the transcript
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Lydia Kumar: Today I'm headed to meet McKenna Akane, an award-winning STEM teacher and Frontier Learning Lab ambassador, who has pioneered the use of emerging technology, including virtual reality and conversational AI. From her early days in Alberton School District, McKenna has earned national recognition, including Discovery Education's "Educator of the Year" award, and her class were state winners in the prestigious Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. If you've ever wondered how to move beyond basic AI tools to design award-winning VR projects, or how to tackle equity and cultural responsiveness when bringing new tech into underserved communities, you're in the right place.
Lydia Kumar: Thank you so much for joining us here on Kinwise Conversations, McKenna. For listeners who are meeting you for the first time, can you share a little bit about what brought you from being a first-year STEM teacher in rural Montana to designing award-winning AI and VR experiences, to your current role at the Frontier Learning Lab at the Montana Digital Academy? What keeps you motivated day to day?
McKenna Akane: I did start working at a very rural school in Montana, and Montana is comprised of mostly rural schools. We do have urban schools, but they are far outnumbered by the rural schools because of how large our state is. The journey from a first-year STEM teacher in rural Montana showed me a lot about how a rural school has very different budgeting and infrastructure than a larger school district. And so, what brought me from a first-year STEM teacher in rural Montana to designing award-winning AI and VR experiences? Well, in my first year, I noticed… I guess I should preface, I really wanted to include virtual reality as an extension and an engagement piece to my lessons. And so, what I did, being in a small school, is I fundraised money for four Meta Quest 2 headsets, which at the time were the new and the best. I wanted to use it to extend opportunities for learning to students who were higher achieving, but at the same time to allow students to be immersed in what they're learning. That started the ball with being recognized in emerging technologies across the state and, actually, across the nation.
And then, finally, within the last six months, I was an ISTE Top 20 to Watch award recipient. And that's because I decided to not only include emerging technologies, but to try to implement a course where students are creating with emerging technologies—so keeping them more active in the process of using it ethically, using it in a responsible way, in a culturally appropriate way. I think that initiative that I took is what really brought a lot of attention to the classroom that I was in and the students' work that they were doing. And so, to be able to win recognitions personally and for my class, I think at this point I have five recognitions. Two are national, one is international, and two are within the state.
Lydia Kumar: I know that you also had your students in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, and you were the state winners. And so I'm curious about how did that come into being? What was that like? What did your students do? Yeah, if you can tell us a little bit about that experience.
McKenna Akane: Yeah, absolutely. Samsung has a Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition each year. It is a national competition, and many schools participate in that. The idea of it is that you create something using emerging technologies to solve a problem in your community. And so my middle school students, sixth through eighth grade, in our VR content creation class wanted to help spread awareness of the culture in rural and indigenous communities. The work that they did was very impressive, to the extent that they were able to compete against and beat high school students from across the state in larger districts and to hold their own with their project. And they were named—our class was named the state winner for Montana. So that was a huge achievement for them, being in a rural school. Sometimes those experiences of competing for something at such a high level aren't offered. And so I do think that's worth noting that when you introduce these emerging technologies and students know that what they're working on has a purpose, it does benefit student outcomes. And I'm so proud of those students for being able to place as highly as they did.
Lydia Kumar: And I think it shows that when you are kind of on the front of an emerging technology, you can have your students engage in opportunities that they wouldn't have access to otherwise because there's just a smaller pool when something's emerging. And so if you're at the beginning of that, you can really open up a whole world for the kids in your classroom. I also taught, and as a first-year teacher, you have a lot on your plate. And so I'm really curious about what gave you the drive or the determination or the inspiration to be able to kind of fundraise and bring this new technology into your classroom? Because for anyone who's listening who is a teacher and remembers their first year, it's not easy. And so doing that in that moment where you're navigating so much newness and change is really impressive. How did you do that?
McKenna Akane: When I first decided I was going to fundraise for just four headsets to enrich curriculum, not replace it, and to show students an emerging technology in an educational way, I saw a lot of student engagement, retention, and students who don't typically participate starting to show a lot more engagement and participation in lessons. And so when I first saw that, I thought, our rural school deserves to have these emerging technologies just as much as any other school. And so my personal interest in emerging technologies, combined with what I saw in the classroom, made me think we can take this even a step further at Alberton. In doing so, I fundraised for what was at the time, ClassVR headsets. What that allowed me to do was get a learning management system in and a larger set of headsets so that I could start implementing that more and even starting my own self-created virtual reality creation class.
And so that combined a lot of what I was teaching in my other courses: computer science, computer-animated design, you know, things such as that where I could combine those skills students have already learned and introduce them to virtual reality in a sense where they had ownership of what they were making. They were very proud of what they were doing, so they were actively learning. And me, as a teacher, I was trying to help guide them and help them to understand the uses of AI and virtual reality to create a project that was meant to educate others. So they're creating, essentially, an educational virtual reality experience. So that's kind of the motivation I had, was seeing the success in students and in the classroom and seeing that my own personal interest and drive was helping them to further their education, but also to provide them opportunities to be ready for an ever-evolving future workforce—something that I think both AI, especially, and virtual reality will be prominent in.
Lydia Kumar: It's really cool because it sounds like you were really using emerging technology to solve problems in this project-based learning way where they were able to take the wealth of skills that they had learned and then apply those for something that's practical and useful. I think there's so much more pride when you do a project than there is when you take a multiple-choice test. And so being able to create that in your students, it sounds like you had a classroom culture that was really empowered, innovative, and engaging, and this technology was really an enabler for you to do that.
McKenna Akane: Yeah, it was. Seeing the engagement and the success and interest of students just fueled my personal passion in emerging technologies. So it was a win-win, and I saw the potential for that.
Lydia Kumar: That's amazing. And I think about, do you know the SAMR model for technology? That's like, when we use technology, it's the substitution, and at the bottom is that redefinition level where you're really transforming how students learn because of the technology?
McKenna Akane: Yeah, I like the PICRAT model because it includes both educators and students. So, it's saying the same thing, it's just including, like, how does this affect the student and how does this affect the teacher, and how are we implementing it in a way where we're getting the best for both educators and students when implementing emerging technologies.
Lydia Kumar: Yeah, that's great. And really thinking about, I think what's cool about your story with the VR headsets is there are so many examples of tech coming into classrooms and it's just being the same old thing that we've always done, but now we have a computer, or now we have a tablet, or now we have a VR headset. But you really thought about how do you transform the learning experience so that you're able to use the technology to magnify what's possible while still assessing those core skills that students need to have.
McKenna Akane: Absolutely.
Lydia Kumar: So I know you've mentioned Alberton, the Alberton School District. And so I'm curious about any opportunities or constraints that you had while you were there. I feel like we've touched on this a little bit. I just want to give you a chance to think through that a bit more.
McKenna Akane: Yeah. So as I mentioned, Alberton School District is a very rural community. The students at the school make up half the population of the town. And so, being there in any rural or small school, there are always budget constraints, right? And so to be able to know that that's something that I'm going to have to do on my own because of the limited budget motivated me to look for grants, for community funding—so community businesses that wanted to pitch in and see this virtual reality course and virtual reality implementation continue at the school level. So while the budget was a constraint, being in a rural community, one of the good things about it was being able to reach out to the community, to businesses, to people who really saw the value of it and wanted to contribute to that project. Because there are a lot of options for rural schools to find grants or fundraising opportunities because it's known that those schools have budgetary constraints and that there is an unfair access to technology there. So experimenting with what I did, I saw benefits and constraints with being in a rural school.
Lydia Kumar: Yeah, I really love that you highlight the community aspect of working in a rural district. I think it's so easy to see certain types of school districts from a deficit mindset and to say, like, you know, you're in this rural district, you have all of these constraints, but there are benefits to a rural district. I think sometimes you can move faster because there are fewer district barriers—district policy, district departments—so you can move faster. You have this community that is close-knit and maybe the school is more central to the way the community operates, whereas in a very large area, there are lots of places where communities gather. And so I think just highlighting that… I feel like there are probably people who work in rural districts who feel like technology might seem inaccessible. And your example shows that, you know, there are some benefits actually to being in a rural space.
McKenna Akane: There are. There are definitely constraints, but there are benefits. Like you said, if I need something approved, I can walk downstairs and talk to the superintendent face-to-face. So there are definitely benefits as much as constraints, but I like to focus on the benefits.
Lydia Kumar: So, yeah, I think that's really cool. And just, we all know that there are constraints in a rural district, but it's nice to highlight the things that are positive. I want to move into some of the technology that you've worked with. You've really explored immersive video and conversational AI with Galaxy XR and Gemini, and I'm wondering about any "aha" moments that you've had when you realized AI could really allow learners to have an interactive experience.
McKenna Akane: Yeah. So being in a rural district, I was able to fundraise for headsets and VR, and eventually even VR sets that had their own learning management system within them, which is really what transformed that virtual reality to something that I could manage and keep students accountable for. And I'm sure we'll get to that later. But, as far as Galaxy, I love that. I love the mixing of augmented virtual reality and the ability to use AI conversationally within that. I see the benefits a lot and I've been keeping up on that. And some of the "aha" moments I have, and wanting to be able to implement that in schools, especially in my current role, is that what separates that from just traditional XR and virtual reality and conversational AI is that that's combined. So there are opportunities for you to get headsets that allow you to put them on and look around a room and say, for a practical sense, "Where are my car keys?" It can actually find them and tell you, "Oh, they're on the coffee table by the notebooks." Right? Or in an educational setting, if I have a student who is watching an immersive video and has a question using that conversational AI, they can say, "I didn't really understand what that was. Will you give me more context on that?" And it will actually be able to see what you're seeing and hearing and give you conversational input on that. And so it really does give students almost a direct answer for clarification and deeper understanding. So I see a lot of potential in that in schools, probably in the near future, as affordability costs kind of complement that, to be able to implement it for a lot of reasons. In my mind, I see it helping a teacher to be able to provide different interventions and accommodations to students who want to participate but may need a little bit of assistance with explanation and deeper understanding. And that's something that conversational AI is able to provide, while I can also at the same time work and manage with the other students in the classroom.
Lydia Kumar: So, McKenna, when I was teaching, I taught sixth grade ELA and I did not have virtual reality headsets. I think, my nephew has one, so I have worn one one time. But as a person who taught English but doesn't have a lot of experience, or any experience, using VR for an educational experience, how could I imagine making this kind of technology useful in my sixth-grade ELA class?
McKenna Akane: That's a great question, and I'm going to touch a little bit on my current role, which is at the Montana Digital Academy, which is a statewide online school that provides a wide variety of options for students and schools. I'm going to focus on the Frontier Learning Lab right now because what we want to do is offer AI help with an AI help desk, professional development, but also virtual reality. And so if an English teacher were to say, "Hey,"—and you said you taught sixth grade? Yes. Okay. "Hey, I want to have some sort of extension for learning that would allow students to have an experience in a VR headset that directly relates back to what I'm teaching."
And so there are options for that. I'll take an example. I did teach ancient civilizations for a while, which you wouldn't normally think, "Let's go ahead and add emerging technology into this." What I did is I thought, "We've finished our unit. We are about to test. I want students to have the very brief use of virtual reality headsets to help extend that learning and provide them an immersive experience where they're not just listening and writing notes, they're able to actually be in a place and experience it virtually." And so when I was teaching ancient civilizations, for Rome, I did find a free resource of a tour of Rome. And it's a tour of Rome back in the prosperous times of Rome. So not current day, but it would actually take you back to that point in time. And students' connection to what we spoke about in the curriculum drastically increased when they're wearing the headsets and they're like, "Oh, I see the Coliseum. This is what they did." And so being able to implement it even in a very small circumstance, I think gives that engagement and that "wow" effect to students. But you'll find that being able to experience that even virtually, firsthand, their understanding, their retention, their ability to connect curriculum to that experience, it just deepens their learning. And that was one of the initial times, actually in that example, that I said, "Virtual reality has a lot more potential in education than it currently does." And that was a couple of years ago. And now we are seeing a rise of virtual reality being offered in an educational setting.
Lydia Kumar: I think the example you gave of ancient Rome, it makes me think about how when students approach a text, they're able to comprehend much more of the information if they have some background understanding. And so you can read something more complicated if you know about the topic. And so I could imagine you could really push your students to read a grade level above if they are able to walk around ancient Rome and have an understanding of what that looks like. Then they could engage more deeply with a text that might be inaccessible to them otherwise. And so as you were telling that story, I was like, "Oh, you could use it like this or like this." So I think whenever you can, making something tangible like that was really helpful for me. I know that VR is a pretty high-tech tool that not everyone has access to, but there are a lot of lower-barrier-to-access AI tools that do exist. And so as you've done work with the Frontier Learning Lab and supported educators with AI, what have been tools that you've introduced colleagues or educators to that are easier to access?
McKenna Akane: So, I mean, without actually mentioning platforms, because I think the platform depends directly on what district you're in, you know, what's in that tech stack, I think looking for AI tools that support student authorship. So ones where students are accountable for being able to author their own work, but with the use of AI in a sense that you're using it more as a "write and check" or almost like a tutor to be able to help you better your own student authorship. Because what everyone I think is afraid of, and I'm not disagreeing with this, is that our students are using AI perhaps unethically to do their homework, to write their essays. And there are platforms that help us to keep teachers and students on the same page and accountable. But what I believe is if we can allow students to use AI in a responsible manner, in an ethical manner, their understanding of AI and how it works increases as well.
Lydia Kumar: Do you have tips for educators on how to start doing that?
McKenna Akane: How to start implementing AI?
Lydia Kumar: Yeah. Like you said, "if we allow students to use AI in a responsible manner, in an ethical manner, they're going to figure this out." I have talked with a lot of teachers who haven't really used AI at all yet, and so there is this push and this tension between, "What if my students are cheating and using it in this unethical way that disrupts the processes that I've built and how I understand myself as an educator?" And then at the same time, this technology is important to understand. And so, as I know that you're doing some work with educators, especially through your new role, how do you start?
McKenna Akane: How would I help an educator who has questions about AI and how to implement it because they're a novice, correct? Yes. Okay, well, I would be happy to introduce what's from the Frontier Learning Lab at MTDA. Essentially, the Frontier Learning Lab is a statewide initiative to help educators. However, we do have a platform called the AI Help Desk, and that is meant for educators—primarily in the state, that is who we would prioritize for an answer—but really anybody in the nation who says, like in your example, "I'm afraid of students cheating," or "I don't have a very good grasp of this, where do I start?" That's where I would suggest people go to ask those questions and to get a response from MTDA in the Frontier Learning Lab, where we have vetted platforms, we have help with prompting, we can direct you in areas if you're worried about student cheating. To be able to make sure that not just that you are trying to check if a student is cheating, but to be able to have that conversation of ethical use, responsible use, and keep them accountable by almost an agreement between educators and students on what is allowed within AI, what questions should we be asking, and how—kind of circling back to prompting, right?
We don't want to just say, "Here, classroom, here's AI. Use it ethically." You want to show them how it can be used unethically, which is why I said an important tool is any one that promotes student authorship, right? And so that's where I would direct people to go. Because right now, our AI Help Desk is the first of its kind in the nation. And as much as we want to help Montana educators, we want to help anyone in education. So if you have a question about AI use, from novice to proficient, I would suggest you send it there because the whole goal is that we are able to help educators feel confident in being able to implement AI, be it in mini-lessons or in assignments, so that the students know what their responsibilities are, what's ethical, and what's not. The teacher has identified the proper ways they would let you use AI, and so it becomes more of a group effort of the educator and students to come to this agreement and hold each other responsible so that, again, our students aren't using it in an unethical manner. They're using it as a way so that they can have AI tutoring, they can have AI options where their work is put at the forefront, and AI is there to merely add suggestions or to give examples of where context could use improvement.
Lydia Kumar: As you were talking about building these norms and agreements between educators and students, it just reminded me that educators have been doing this forever—thinking about what are we going to agree to as a class and then working together to make sure that students are on the same page as their teachers. And so, even though AI is an emerging technology that presents a lot of opportunities and a lot of challenges, there are still these base-level things that people already know how to do, like have conversations about how to use tech, how we're going to use this thing that's in front of us. Whether it's, you know, "How are we going to use this Play-Doh today?" to "How are we going to use AI?" There's this norming and this clarity that doesn't solve everything, but it at least gives you a leg up. And so I appreciate you naming that and, you know, pointing out that there is this AI Help Desk that can provide more specific and differentiated answers than maybe the broad stroke that you're going to paint in a podcast answer.
McKenna Akane: I really do encourage educators anywhere—and if any Montana educators are listening, you know, try it out. There's from the most basic of question to anything complex, we're here to help you so that you feel confident in implementing it in your classroom, and you feel confident that your students will be able to get something tangible from that.
Lydia Kumar: Awesome. I want to ask you about equity, because this has come up a lot in what you've shared. And I think Montana is such an interesting state because there's just a lot of space in Montana, which means, you know, your rural areas can be a little bit disconnected from a major hub. And so you navigated that as an educator and are now leading the way in Montana, in a state that has a lot of diversity and some really rural areas. And so I'm wondering about access gaps. Now that this has played out in your classroom as you got these VR headsets, but now you're having this more state focus and national focus, how are you thinking about access gaps in your new role and in this more systems-oriented role?
McKenna Akane: Yeah. The goal of the Frontier Learning Lab is to be able to provide our different options for professional development, the AI Help Desk, different opportunities. Specifically with VR, that's something I have a passion for in addition to AI. Our rural towns and our indigenous communities and those schools, they often see the biggest struggle in access to quality internet, or access to recent developments or newer models in technology that their school is using. And so the point of the Frontier Learning Lab is to meet schools where they're at and help them define solutions to all of that.
Specifically with the VR/XR implementation of that, we want to be able to provide schools with that technology so that they can get a classroom kit. And, you know, let's use me as an example, as a resource to connect with and say, "Hey, I want to do this project in my classroom and I want to be able to utilize the Frontier Learning Lab to get those emerging technologies like headsets and different platforms to use, but I'm going to need a little bit of help." And so to be able to provide that help to educators so that they have the confidence that they know what they're doing and that they have a resource to rely on so that their vision is really put into play, it plays out the way that they were hoping for it to. So to be able to provide headsets to them so they don't have to worry about all that goes behind grants and fundraising, so that they can try their hand at it and see its implementation and all that's good that comes from that from student learning. And I would even argue teachers—I personally got really excited about the technology. It made me want to learn more and how it can apply to education.
And so just getting our foot in the door and saying, "Hey, we're here for you to provide you these materials and guide you step-by-step through your process if you need that," is hopefully going to allow schools to see the benefit in these emerging technologies, be it AI or extended reality, and then to be able to help them to either implement that within their school and find them resources to fundraise for those technologies, or just to frequently check in and see if they can use our technology in different subject areas across the entire school. So being able to spread the word and have educators experience firsthand its impact, and then letting everyone in the state know we're here to help you. Whether you're at ground zero or you have some information but you need guidance, that's what we're here for.
Lydia Kumar: That's awesome. I think sometimes when you do something for the first time, it can be helpful to learn from people's experiences and not just what went well, but if you had any challenges. I think we learn really well from the struggles that other people may have encountered. And so I'm curious, when you go back to your first experiences implementing VR and AI in your classroom, did you have any missteps that you would avoid if you could do it all over again?
McKenna Akane: I do have… knowing now the capabilities of extended reality in education and AI in education, I do look back and wish I could have done things a little differently, but the technology wasn't there at that point. Taking it back to what I said earlier, fundraising on my own for VR headsets to be able to use as an extension of learning and something to help them immerse themselves in content—what those headsets didn't have was a learning management system. And from my first year implementing that in the classroom, I did fundraise more to be able to get education-based headsets so that I'm able to supervise what students are doing. I can see what they're seeing through their headsets. I can assign specific modules for them to work through. Whereas in my first year, I was working with Meta Quest 2 and although I had educational offerings on there, it was hard for me to know sometimes if a student was actually working on what I was asking them to work on. And so to be able to have those learning management systems early on, I think I would've been able to implement it a lot more within my classroom.
But even in just two years, the amount of education-based AI and virtual extended reality has progressed so fast that some of those issues I experienced are being fixed by different organizations because they know what teachers need. And so the technology is progressing. What isn't, is the professional development and the ability to ask somebody like the Frontier Learning Lab for advice and guidance on how to move through with a project. So the technology is there and it's ever-expanding. What teachers, administrators, even anyone who works in a school needs, is that professional development and that ability to rely on a help desk to be able to ask questions for clarification.
Lydia Kumar: That's a great point, and it sounds like a lot of the challenges you faced were these technical issues of not having some aspect of the technology needed. And I think anybody who's been scrappy at some point has figured out how to make it work, but it can be hard when the technology doesn't quite meet the needs that you have. And so I'm sure as you're supporting educators, you're able to make sure that they have a learning management system in whatever virtual reality tool that they're choosing to use.
McKenna Akane: And that's a blessing from working in a rural school, is I do understand your issues, the connectivity issues with internet or just the issues with being able to acquire these technologies. And so what we're here for is to be able to say, "We hear where you need help and we're here to help." And as you move through this project, we're here for you to rely on for questions and advice moving forward. Specifically with AI, there's a rise in schools saying, "Alright, we need to help our students and help our faculty to better understand the ethical, responsible, and safe way of using these technologies." And so what the Frontier Learning Lab's goal is, is that we're here as an asset and as a resource, and our goal is that the students in Montana are able to have the exact same access to emerging technologies that larger urban schools in the state have.
Lydia Kumar: Yeah, I think that's such a valuable and purposeful mission that you and the Frontier Learning Lab share, so I'm excited about the work that you're doing and the access that you're making sure your students have. I'm curious because AI is evolving a lot and it's becoming more prominent in schools and classrooms and workplaces. And so I'm curious about the role that ethics and cultural responsiveness play in these classroom deployments, especially when you may be working with Indigenous or other underrepresented communities.
McKenna Akane: Yeah. So the ethical implementation is a responsibility of educators to understand themselves and to be able to teach students that just like plagiarism, there are ways you can unethically use artificial or augmented intelligence. So to have educators understand the way that they should be delivering and introducing students to the ethical and safe, responsible use of AI in the classroom is at the forefront for students understanding that they are still the owner of their work, and so they need to have student authorship at the forefront of that. We can use these tools effectively and we can use them ethically, and here's how.
In response to cultural responsiveness, I like to also just note that AI is not an embodiment, it's not an embodied entity. And so though it can speak to the information that it finds, what it's not doing is taking what a human can do and having perceived, lived experiences where they embody different perspectives and have that play in. Because if we're using AI, AI is using a language model, right? So if you're using AI and you're asking it a question about a culture, what it's getting is information taken directly from the web. So the responses you get may not actually be accurate to that culture. And so to be very aware of the fact that what you're using as a tool doesn't have the same capabilities you as a human do. It can't tell you what it hasn't experienced. What it's telling you is what it's able to find off of the web. And so to be culturally respectful and responsible, you really do need to include those in that culture who are able to add context and add input in saying, you know, "This isn't totally accurate," or "This is the way that this culture perceives this and this is how we would like it represented." Because, you know, and I'll use the Indigenous communities, I can't speak to those experiences that they have. I can't speak to that culture. And I can use AI, but I have to keep in mind that what AI is giving me also can't speak to those cultures. So speaking to an individual who has actually lived those experiences and been in that culture, you need to make sure that what you are working on is actually accurate and respectful to that community.
Lydia Kumar: It's a good reminder that machines, artificial technology, and augmented technology can all help us build things and build our understanding, but there's some information, person to person, human to human, that is important and incredibly valuable. And when we think about bias in training data, for instance, one way to combat that is to be present with the communities that are being represented by the technology. And so I really appreciate you highlighting that. And I'm sure that working with so many school districts in Montana—Montana has many Indigenous communities—that's very top of mind for you.
McKenna Akane: Absolutely. And they're all very different, with different cultures, languages, stories to tell. And so you need to be very mindful of the fact that those are the individuals who should be choosing how to display their culture, how to represent it. And we can teach them how to use these emerging technologies, but letting them know that you are the person who's lived this life, who has those experiences, who has the perspective. So ultimately, you are the person who is able to say whether or not what you're receiving is biased. And I don't want to necessarily blame the emerging technology, it's just the way that it works. And so knowing that it's a tool that's helpful, but in any course, in any subject, you do need to take what you've gotten from AI and even AI image platforms and be able to fact-check that it is actually correct and relevant and unbiased. So again, as you've mentioned too in your projects, it's human-first. You're using a tool, but it's human-first, and ultimately your responsibility as that human is to be able to make sure what you're getting is factual, it's culturally respectful, and that it's something that you can put out and use, knowing that you've crossed off all of the different factors that go into creating something that is ethical, factual, and respectful.
Lydia Kumar: That's such a helpful and healthy thing for us to remember as we engage with new technology. I'm wondering, as you work with different educators throughout the state and the nation, if you could look five years into the future and imagine what it might be, how do you envision STEM classrooms leveraging AI to foster creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration? What do you hope for for the classrooms in 2030?
McKenna Akane: So what I hope for, five years down the line, is that our educators become more open to the idea of implementing those emerging technologies. I was eager to introduce my students to emerging technologies, something that would put them in a place where they're ready for the workforce of tomorrow. And so what I hope for is that educators are open to the idea, and that by using the resources that we offer at the Frontier Learning Lab, they're able to gain the confidence that they know what they're doing to be able to provide that to their students, and that if ever there's a point where they need clarification or they need suggestions on platforms, that we're here to help with that as well.
Lydia Kumar: I also hope for that openness because the technology exists, whether we acknowledge it or not. And nothing goes away that you ignore. And so I see AI and emerging technology as an imperative for educators to be aware of and comfortable around, because students have been using emerging technologies that they have access to for as long as they've had access. And so it's important to have safe adults to guide and talk with. So I'm totally on the same page there. My last question for you, this is the last question I ask everyone on my podcast, is about an idea or question that is really sitting with you. It might spark hope, concern, or curiosity. This could be the question that keeps you up at night that you keep pondering, and I'm wondering what that is for you.
McKenna Akane: Yeah, so my biggest concern and worry is that with how frequently and rapidly these emerging technologies continue to develop, that our educators and our administrators are able to feel comfortable in also keeping up with that. I do worry that if these technologies are advancing so quickly, are our educators, administrators, anyone who works in a school, comfortable with being able to keep up with that improvement? Which sparks concern, but also curiosity. And the hope that I get from that is that they utilize—and this is my state specifically, but like I mentioned before—the Frontier Learning Lab. With their AI Help Desk, they're able to offer that to educators anywhere, as long as their question is AI education-related. That they're able to lean on us as a support. If you do not feel like you are keeping up or if it is overwhelming, ask us, from the most basic to the most advanced questions.
What we're here to do is make sure that you feel confident that you are keeping up and that you are able to introduce that into the classroom. We are always here to help. These technologies, they're not going away. They are going to be prevalent in the workforce of tomorrow, and I think educators, rightfully so, should feel that it's overwhelming, but to know that there is a place where you can lean on so that you are able to make your workload as a teacher, to prevent burnout, a lot lighter. That you're able to focus more on how you deliver to students, how you're preparing students. So being able to realize, "Yes, it advances quickly, but there are resources out there like the Frontier Learning Lab and the AI Help Desk that want to make sure that you feel confident that you understand how to use those advancing technologies in an ethical and responsible, safe way within your classroom."
Lydia Kumar: Well, McKenna, it's really cool that you are actively trying to combat the thing that worries you. So yes, I really appreciate you sharing your story and letting folks know about resources like the AI Help Desk.
Lydia Kumar: That's a wrap on our inspiring conversation with McKenna. She is a true VR visionary and STEM innovator, and we thank her so much for sharing her on-the-ground insights. We have a few takeaways from our discussion. First, technology should serve the community, not the other way around. McKenna's VR project shows how AI can be used not only for novelty, but to preserve a community's culture, language, and heritage with deep respect. Second, we can look beyond automation to interaction. McKenna's experiences with conversational AI and immersive video show us the potential for truly dynamic learning experiences. And finally, equity must be designed from the start. Addressing access gaps in devices, connectivity, and digital skills is a non-negotiable for ensuring these powerful new tools benefit all students. To learn more about McKenna's work, check out the links to the Frontier Learning Lab and her award-winning projects in today's show notes at Kinwise.org/podcast.
And if your own school or district is ready to build a community for ethical and effective AI, Kinwise offers everything from educator PD pilots to leadership labs that help you draft board-ready guidelines. Details and bookings are at kinwise.org/pilot. And finally, if you found value in this podcast, the best way to support the show is to subscribe, leave a quick review, or share the episode with a friend. It makes a huge difference. Until next time, stay curious, stay grounded, and stay Kinwise.
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MTDA Frontier Learning Lab Discover the hub of McKenna Akane's work at the Montana Digital Academy's Frontier Learning Lab. The FLL is a statewide initiative dedicated to helping educators, especially those in rural and Indigenous communities, gain access to emerging technologies like AI and VR, professional development, and hands-on support for their classroom projects. https://montanadigitalacademy.org/fll/
FLL AI Help Desk Have a question about using AI in your classroom? The AI Help Desk is a first-of-its-kind resource for educators anywhere in the nation. Whether your question is basic or complex, the team provides vetted information and guidance to help you implement AI ethically and effectively. https://montanadigitalacademy.org/fll/ai-help-desk/ Send questions directly to: ai.help@montanadigitalacademy.org
FLL Field Notes on Substack Stay up-to-date with the latest insights, practical tips, and stories from the front lines of educational technology. The Field Notes newsletter offers a direct look into the projects and progress from the Frontier Learning Lab as they explore the future of AI and VR in education. https://frontierlearninglab.substack.com/
University of Montana Alumni Feature Read more about McKenna's journey and national recognition in this feature from the University of Montana's Phyllis J. Washington College of Education. The article details her innovative approach to teaching and her commitment to bringing cutting-edge technology to rural students. https://www.umt.edu/education/coe-news/alumni-feature-akane.php
Connect with McKenna on LinkedIn Follow McKenna's journey and connect with her for insights on educational technology, VR/AI implementation, and her work with the Frontier Learning Lab. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenna-akane-a07622239/
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5 Prompts for Exploring AI in the Classroom
1. The Community Problem-Solver
Based on the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow project.
Use Case: Brainstorming for project-based learning and identifying local challenges that students can tackle with technology.
Prompt: "Act as a creative educational strategist. My students are participating in a national competition to solve a local community problem using technology. Our school is in a rural area with a rich history in [insert industry, e.g., farming, logging, fishing] and a growing tourism sector. Generate 5 specific, age-appropriate problems our middle school students could address. For each problem, suggest an innovative solution that uses AI, VR, or another emerging technology."
2. The Immersive Experience Designer
Based on the Ancient Rome VR tour example.
Use Case: Creating engaging, supplemental activities that deepen student comprehension and extend learning beyond the traditional text.
Prompt: "I am a 6th-grade English teacher, and my class is about to start reading the novel [insert novel title, e.g., The Giver by Lois Lowry]. I want to create a pre-reading activity to build background knowledge and engagement. Design a 15-minute immersive VR or AR experience that introduces students to the key settings and concepts of the book. Describe what students would see, hear, and interact with. Suggest a follow-up discussion question that connects the virtual experience to the book's main themes."
3. The Cultural Preservation Assistant
Based on the discussion of working with Indigenous communities.
Use Case: Planning culturally responsive projects that use technology to honor and preserve local heritage, with a focus on ethical collaboration.
Prompt: "Act as an ethical technology consultant. My class wants to partner with a local [e.g., Indigenous tribe, historical society, community elders group] to create a project that preserves and shares their stories and language. Outline a step-by-step project plan. Your plan must prioritize community ownership and cultural accuracy. Include key questions we should ask our community partners at the beginning, suggest three different technology tools we could use (like creating a conversational AI chatbot, an AR walking tour, or a digital archive), and list three potential ethical pitfalls to avoid."
4. The Classroom AI Policy Co-Creator
Based on the conversation about student authorship and ethical AI use.
Use Case: Facilitating a classroom discussion to establish clear, shared expectations for how and when to use AI tools for assignments.
Prompt: "I am a high school teacher introducing AI tools into my classroom for the first time. I need to create a simple, student-friendly 'AI Use Agreement.' Generate a draft document that outlines three levels of AI usage for assignments: 'Green Light' (AI is encouraged as a thought partner), 'Yellow Light' (AI can be used for specific tasks like checking grammar, with citation), and 'Red Light' (AI use is not permitted). For each level, provide a clear example of a task a student might do."
5. The Grant-Writing Assistant
Based on McKenna's experience fundraising for VR headsets.
Use Case: Identifying and drafting grant proposals to secure funding for technology in under-resourced schools.
Prompt: "Act as an expert grant writer for educational technology. I am a teacher in a rural, low-income school district and I want to secure funding for a classroom set of 15 VR headsets to improve student engagement and provide new learning opportunities. Identify three potential grant foundations that support STEM education in underserved communities. Then, write a 200-word 'Statement of Need' for a grant application that powerfully articulates why this technology is essential for my students' future success."
