I work on language analysis for the MindScribe research team. A large part of my work involves transcribing stories created by young children. I analyze the language that the children use in their stories to identify how the MindScribe tool supports children's agency and promotes meaningful interactions. I also identify ways to improve the tool in future iterations.

One thing which surprised me when I first started working on the project was how much the children came out of their shells while telling stories with Stripes, the stuffed animal that the team brought to the preschools. Often, the children will be quiet and shy around adults but will create intricate stories using incredibly creative language. When I first started working on the project, Layne told me that one of her colleagues was skeptical of the virtues of talking to a stuffed animal. She encouraged him to try talking to Stripes for a bit and he was still going strong 20 minutes later.