Hey everyone!
I hope you all had an alright week! I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what went down last week. It was a pretty busy one for me, especially with our XR project that’s been keeping me on my toes.
So, the idea we’ve been working on is to create a historical reenactment of the gold rush. And you know what? I think historical reenactments are a pretty cool way to learn about history. They make it way more interesting and engaging than just reading from a textbook or listening to a lecture. With reenactments, you get to see and experience what it was like back in the day. It’s like stepping into a time machine!
Now, the tricky part has been getting all the technical stuff right. We’re using Blender and Unity for this project since it’s going to be in VR. Let me tell you, learning these new tools has been a rollercoaster ride. There have been moments of frustration and confusion, but also those “aha!” moments when things start to come together. It’s definitely been a learning curve, but I’m excited about the possibilities that VR offers. It’s a whole new way of storytelling and immersing ourselves in different worlds.
Moving on to Tuesday, we had a lunchtime lecture with Dr. Zarecor. She told us about her focus on architecture and urbanism, and she shared some fascinating stuff with us. Her research focuses on the cultural and technological history of architecture in the former Czechoslovakia. It’s pretty mind-blowing to think about how architecture can reflect the values and ideas of a society.
But wait, it gets even cooler! Dr. Zarecor’s latest project is all about the quality of life in small and shrinking rural communities in Iowa. She’s investigating how these communities can thrive and improve with the help of research and technology. And get this, her project is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Smart & Connected Communities Program. It’s inspiring to see how research can have a real impact on people’s lives and make a difference in our own backyard.
All in all, last week was a whirlwind of challenges and eye-opening moments. Working on our XR project has pushed me to learn new skills and explore the exciting world of virtual reality. And Dr. Zarecor’s lecture shed light on the incredible ways architecture and research can shape our lives and communities.
Alright, that’s enough reflection for now. Let’s gear up for another week of learning, growing, and embracing new opportunities!