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October 1, 2025
Emerging technologies are changing the way we live, learn, and work. Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality, and data science aren’t just tools - they’re forces reshaping our world. For students and educators, this means that knowing how to learn new technologies is just as important as the technologies themselves.
That’s why at Hello World CS we developed the Learning Emerging Technologies (LET) Framework: Connect, Comprehend, Critique, Create, and Contribute. This framework gives students a pathway to not only understand tools like AI but to carry forward a mindset that ensures they can keep learning forever.
And when paired with AI Story Studio, students don’t just learn about AI; they practice the very skills needed to approach any emerging technology with curiosity, confidence, and creativity.
The journey begins with connecting new technologies to prior knowledge. Students ask: What does this remind me of? Have I seen something like this before?
In AI Story Studio, students think about how an AI tool is similar to things they’ve used themselves. For example, they might compare an AI’s ability to suggest story ideas to the way search engines recommend results or how autocomplete predicts text. Making these comparisons helps students ground new concepts in experiences they already understand, building confidence that they can learn unfamiliar technologies.
By starting with what’s familiar, students realize that learning a new technology is less intimidating. It is an extension of what they already understand.
Once connections are made, it’s time to dig deeper. Students ask: What’s happening behind the scenes? What makes this technology work?
In AI Story Studio, this could mean exploring how language models generate text, or how data helps shape outputs. The focus isn’t on becoming an AI engineer but on understanding the building blocks: input, algorithms, and output.
This stage equips students with a baseline understanding of how technology functions, building confidence and curiosity to keep going.
Understanding a technology isn’t enough. We also need to evaluate it. Here students ask: What are the strengths and limitations? What opportunities and risks does this create?
In AI Story Studio, students consider both the benefits and harms of using AI in their projects. They may find that AI helps them generate creative twists or fresh plot ideas, but it can also overlook cultural context or reinforce stereotypes. These moments open up conversations about bias, accuracy, and fairness, helping students practice critical judgment they can apply to any emerging technology.
Critiquing encourages critical thinking. It shifts students from passive consumers to active evaluators who recognize that technology is never neutral.
With knowledge and critical perspective in place, students move to creating. Here the question becomes: What can I build with what I’ve learned?
In AI Story Studio, students bring an immersive virtual world to life. They extend a favorite book by designing a sequel, use AI as a brainstorming partner to spark new directions, and then program their ideas with AI-powered coding blocks to add interactivity and animation. The process blends imagination, programming, and design, showing students how to apply their understanding in ways that are both personal and meaningful.
Creating isn’t just a demonstration of skill. It is a chance to make technology their own, turning abstract knowledge into lived experience.
Finally, learning becomes most powerful when it extends beyond the individual. Students ask: How can I share this with others? How can I use this to impact my community?
AI Story Studio projects are designed to be shared with peers, families, and teachers. Students showcase their work, discuss what they’ve learned, and inspire others to think differently about AI.
This step ensures learning isn’t isolated but connected to the broader world, preparing students not just to use technology but to shape its role in society.
The LET Framework isn’t just about AI. It’s about learning how to approach any new technology, today, tomorrow, and decades from now. Students who learn to connect, comprehend, critique, create, and contribute aren’t just ready for AI, they’re ready for the unknown.
By practicing these skills in contexts like AI Story Studio, students become adaptable, lifelong learners who know how to approach any new technology with confidence and curiosity, no matter what comes next.
