Moving forward to the third and final phase: in-person discussions with a classroom of 3rd graders! Here is where I found very intriguing information that propelled my into my design process. 

A common theme in my research was that students ages 8-11 prefer to learn with technology rather than without it. Also, I found out that a lot of schools are starting to replace computer labs with iPad carts. This is when I decided that I wanted to create an iPad application. It will be used both in the classroom and outside of school if they have the technology available. 

I wanted to design an app that puts some power into the hands of the children and allows them to learn about what they want to learn. School and common core curriculum will always be there, but I wanted to create a digital space where children can learn from various digital services and collegiate mentors. 

LIFTOFF is a both an educational and social platform that allows elementary school children to learn about their passions while being connected to a college student who is also experienced in their interest areas. In a way, the college student on the other end is acting as both an educator and an mentor, but we will talk about that a little later.

To begin the registration, the student will personalize their profile from a list of interests. There list of interests ranges from hobbies, to majors, to career fields. The students can select any and all fields they have any interest in. This selection process makes LIFTOFF a unique experience for every user, rather than everyone learning the same things. 

Once the student is registered, they enter LIFTOFF which is broken into 3 main parts:

The dashboard acts as the "home" of LIFTOFF. Auto-generating digital news pages, videos, online journals, interviews and more based upon the interests selected in registration, the dashboard is a place of learning about topics ranging from Bob Ross to the importance of honey bees. 

This is where college students can get involved. After registering at their university, college students are able to "go live," in categories like creative, science, athletics, and more. They will be live in the classroom, in the lab, and anywhere where an interesting, educational moment may be taking place. This will allow children to search through the categories, watch the stream, and ask any questions to be answered in real time. 

Continuing with the collegiate mentors, the final part of LIFTOFF is the messaging section. Again, using the registration tools, the app will automatically connect the elementary students with a handful of college students who are majoring and studying in the areas of interest. This allows for direct conversation between student and mentor (still student) in an educational atmosphere. The children can ask general questions about college, specific questions about an area of focus, or simply ask for advice from a friend. 

Altogether, LIFTOFF gives unique opportunities to students that are overlooked by the current educational system in America. Children are allowed to have a say in what they learn and are able to go about it in their own, unique way.