To Create is to Collaborate
I first ran into Qing and Danielle through the CSED (computer science education) events put on by the main branch of the Boulder Public Library. We both thought the other was doing really cool things…
Creative Voice & Creative Writing with Toys2Life A.I.
Bring Your Toys to Life Through A.I., Creative Writing & Voice Acting
Fun and Engaging For Grades 4-8
Your Kids Will:
- Take a deep dive into creative writing and story development
- Write and voice act characters' dialog lines and backstories while learning tech in a Windows 10 environment
- Develop social emotional skills such as growth mindset through a focus on reiterative work and creativity
- Feel included, supported, and engaged and become a part of our community
- Practice and showcase their learning
Course Overview: Creative Voice and Creative Writing with Toys2Life A.I.: Unit 1
In this course, kids will have fun by fusing technology, creative writing, and creative voice acting to create a large cast of non-player characters. Kids will write and voice act characters' dialog lines and backstories while learning tech in a Windows 10 environment.
This course is a must for any kids that want to learn how to improve their writing, explore the world of voice acting, and learn about Artificial Intelligence technology.
They will work independently to create their own characters, but will also have opportunities to have their characters interact with other students' characters to develop, share and collaborate creatively with others. Kids will write character’s dialog lines and back stories and voice act the lines while learning the tech and coding of the AI software. They will learn to express themselves through voice acting and story writing while also learning file system basics, troubleshooting techniques and social emotional skills through collaborative creation.
In addition, an overview of several technical skills and tools will be covered including computer coding, Radio Frequency Engineering, Java Script Object Notation, system tagging and variables, and artificial intelligence.
Our courses use social emotional learning within the coding curriculum to encourage students to discover the value of having a growth mindset through reiteration in their work and everyday life as well as by adding creativity. Students will get a chance to share their projects with their classmates and get feedback to help build a sense of community, even in a virtual world.
Course Includes Toys2Life platform and Toys2Life Radio Set ($59 Value)
Toys2Life is an artificial intelligence enabled platform that allows characters to talk to one another.
- Kids will learn to create and populate a large cast of non-player characters (characters not controlled by a player of a game) using Toys2Life
- Allows multiple kids to work together and is free to use
Satisfaction Guaranteed: Our promise to you. If you and your kid are not happy after the first class, we’ll give you a full refund. Or we can help you find a different course.
Parents Love Us
“This summer my child took an online camp through Build-A-Robot Learning called "Creative Voice, Creative Writing, Create with Toys2Life". Isaac Davenport and Bird Marathe were the amazing instructors for this class. They were so great with the kids. They engaged the kids so easily and made the class really fun. They were patient in helping with any software issues. My child loved this course.”
- Julie P.
“We have two daughters who have taken classes with Build-A-Robot. They were both always excited for class, they learned a lot, the instructors have all been great, and we like that there was always a focus on social emotional learning. We highly recommend their courses!”
- Jasmine S.
Course Curriculum
Social Emotional Learning Topics: Growth Mindset, Collaboration and Creativity
Lesson 1:
Technical: Get everyone running and comfortable with the software, learn troubleshooting techniques
Creative Writing: Learn to write compelling characters; create one collaboratively using the software
Lesson 2:
Technical: Record audio within the system, learn about the linguistics of tag variables used in dialog
Creative Writing: Craft a plot and learn what makes a plot strong; write a story collaboratively using the character from Lesson #1
Lesson 3:
Technical: Edit and re-record lines to learn about audio and text editing
Creative Writing: Craft jokes, learn about comedy writing
Lesson 4:
Technical: Discussion of tag variable use in dialog model templates, syntax restrictions, and context
Creative Writing: Write dialog between multiple characters; bring characters to life with voice acting techniques
Lesson 5:
Technical: Learn about radio frequency (RF) Engineering and different ways radio waves are used to communicate
Creative: Analyze the importance of physical space and physical toys in the play experience
FAQ
Is this the right course for my kid?
This course is intended for upper elementary and middle school students who want to expand their creative writing, learn about voice acting, and explore the world of Artificial Intelligence. Experience with block-based coding is highly recommended.
Do you need help picking the right course? Contact Us for help choosing the best option for your kid.
What supplies or software are needed for this course?
- Windows 10 OS - a PC or Mac with Windows interface. Chromebooks will NOT work for this class.
- Microphone and camera for virtual classes
- Access to Zoom: Please go to https://zoom.us/ to install Zoom and set up your account on your device. Here is a video with tips on how to Install Zoom if you need additional support.
- Students will need to know how to share their screen in Zoom.
Software Needs (please download before the first class): Toys2Life Dialog MSI Software on your Windows operating system
What is the time commitment for this course?
Your kid will be part of a small group, live online class that meets 1 hour/week. Outside of class, we expect they may need up to an hour to work on concepts or to finish building/programming that is not finalized in class. However don’t be surprised if your kid wants to do more on their own for fun.
What is social emotional learning?
We believe that human-centered skills and technical skills need to go hand in hand in order to create inspired leaders and problem solvers who will direct positive, social change through technological advancement. With this vision in mind, we add Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to all of our courses. The SEL topics for this course are growth mindset, creativity, and collaboration.
Play Video
- SEL Focus: Growth Mindset, Collaboration and Creativity
