Hello%Everyone,
Like%many%trailblazers%and%pioneers%before%us,%there%comes%a%time%when%you%now%it% is%time%to%move%on.%%We,%ISTE%SIGVE,%have%reached%that%juncture.%It’s%time%to%go.%As%I%write% these%words,%I%am%sitting%alone%at%the%campfire%where%we%spent%happy%hours%listening,% learning,%and%dreaming%of%what%we%could%do%to%improve,%enhance,%and%engage%our%students%in% authentic%learning.%For%so%many of%us,%ISTE%Island%was%our%first%home%in%sl%–%our%home%away% from%home!%Each%newbie%was%welcomed%with%open%arms,%given%the%tools%needed%to%survive,% and%taught%the%skills%needed%to%build%a%new%life%in%this%strange%land.%Like%a%family%we%grew%up% together,%sharing%our%joys%and%sorrows,%creating%digital%pictures,%stories%and%memories%we% will%cherish%forever.%We%played,%we%danced,%we%worked,%we%had%fun,%and%with%each%step% forward%we%celebrated%our%accomplishments.%Together,%we%have%left%infinite%digital%footprints% for%others,%who%may%someday%follow%our%trail.%
Today,%as%I%strolled%around%ISTE%Island,%it%is%quiet.%Eerie%quiet!%There%is%no%one% here.%The%Bloogers%Hut%stands%empty.%The%treehouse%that%Lori%Galli%describes%still%stands%tall,% yet%lonely.%ISTE%Headquarters%is%an%abandoned%ghost%town,%filled%with%artifacts%from%bits%and% bytes,%etched%within%the%walls%and%reluctantly%left%behind.%But%our%past%has%caught%up%with% our%future,%the%wagons%are%loaded%and%ready%to%roll.%“WESTWARD,%HO!”%as%we%journey%to% Eduisland!% http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%9/20/75/22 Here%we%will rebuild%the%community%we%left%behind%and%establish%a%gateway%to%new%adventures%into%other% virtual%worlds.%Get%rid%of%your horse%and%buggy.%Trade%your%cowboy%hat%for%your%space% helmet,%and%then%HOLD%ON,%because%ISTE%SIGVE%is%launching%–%ready%for%takeoff,%to%learn,% explore,%and%claim%a%place%in%other%virtual%worlds%as%we%did%in%second%life.%Hold%On.%.%.% its Light% Speed%ahead!%We%hope%you%will%join%us%and%become%an%active%member%of%our%SIGVE%powerful% exploration%team.%You%won’t%want%to%miss%the%next%chapter%of%ISTE!
A"Place"Called"Home!"Help" ISTE"SIGVE"rebuild."Check" out contest"details," pictures,"stories,"and more,!at:! http://sigve.iste.wikispa ces.net/
In%this%special%issue%of%VEJ,%we%pay%tribute%to%what%ISTE%SIGVE%was%and%look% forward%to%what%ISTE%SIGVE%will%become.%We%celebrate%the%stories%of%nine educators%who% share%with%us%“Why%They%Are%Here.”%%And,%best%of%all,%as%we%go%to%press%on%the%eve%of%VWBPE% 2012,%we%preview%the%highlights%and%look%forward%to%the%excitement%and%joy%of%learning%and having%fun%with%each%other%as%we%share%and%network%with%people%around%the%world%and% metaverse%at%the%Virtual%Worlds%Best%Practices%In%Education%2012%Conference.%To%register%for% the%free%conference,%visit%www.vwbpe.org.%Be%sure%to%check%out%the%posters%(VEJ%poster% included),%have%fun%at%the%socials,%attend%the%Machinima%Fest,%attend%several%sessions,%and% take%a%tour%of%at%least%one%virtual%world%you%have%never%explored!%Pooky%Amsterdam%is% hosting%the%VWBPE%Awards%show%on%Saturday,%4:00%–%6:00%pm%slt.%You%won’t%want%to%miss%it!%
Sit%back,%relax%and%get%ready%to%indulge%in%this%special%issue%of%VEJ!%It%will%take%you%out%of%this% world!% Bon%Appetite!
Roxie%Neiro%(sl)%Rosie%Vojtek%(rl)
In#This#Issue
• Reflections on Six Years of ISTE in Second Life by Jennifer Ragen-Fore (rl)
• Too Much House by Scott Merrick (rl)
• ISTE Island Memories by Spiff Whitfield (sl)/Andrew Wheelock (rl)
• Reflections on Iste Island by Lori Galli (sl) Lori Weedo (rl)
• Got MOOC by Kavon Zenovka (sl)/Kae Novak (rl)
• Food At CAS: An Interview With Owner and Creator, Casandra Jackson by Roxie Neiro (sl)/Rosie Vojtek (rl)
• Café Dining Set by Food At CAS by Roxie Neiro (sl)/Rosie Vojtek (rl)
• The Library Art Gallery at Info Island by Samantha Chester (sl)
• A Virtual Kickoff to a F@F Conference by Kavon Zenovka (sl).Kae Novak (rl)
• 9 Educators Share “Why They Are Here”
• BE EPIC – It’s Time for VWBPE 2012
• Epilicious is VWBPE 2012 by Izzylaunder.Kara (sl)
• VWBPE 2012: Where to Go, To Stay In The Know,
To!Read!VEJ!online!visit:! http://www.virtualeducationjournal.com/ For!more!information!about!ISTE!SIGVE!or! to!join!the!fun,!visit:! http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/
By#Jennifer#Ragen Fore
I!can!recall!the!exact!moment!when!I!first!heard!of!Second!Life it!was! early!2005,!I!was!still!living!and!working!in!Seattle,!and!a!co worker!of!mine! was!describing!how she!and!her!boyfriend!had!created!accounts!in!Second! Life!and!were!setting!up!house.!When!I!found!out!they!paid!a!monthly!fee!for! the!privilege!of!leading!this!double!life,!I!admit!I!was!a!little!incredulous,!and! at!the!time,!couldn’t!quite!wrap!my!head!around!the!concept.!Little!did!I!know! that!a!year!later!I!would!begin!using!the!tool!in!a!professional!context.! My!first!few!visits!in!Second!Life!were!somewhat!unremarkable.!My!main! motivation!for!exploring!Second!Life!was!finding!a!good!platform!for!building! ISTE’s!sense!of!community!amongst!members.!In!mid!2006,!there!were!a!few! educational!spaces!starting!to!set!up!shop,!but!only!a!small!handful!of! educators!in!world!at!any!given!time.!Seeing!what!could!be!built!intrigued!me! and!appealed!to!my!interest!in!design!and!programming.!Still,!it!was!a!lonely! affair!in!those!early!days!and!I!considered!looking!for!other!tools!and!letting! the!whole!Second!Life!idea!go!by!the!wayside.!That!is,!until!I!ran!into!my!first! ISTE!member,!quite!by!accident,!on!EduNation’s!island.!We!chatted!for!about!
20!minutes,!and!it!was!a!deeply!rewarding!experience really!the!first!time! I’d!been!able!to!have!that!type!of!real time!interaction!with!a!member!outside! of!a!f2f!conference.!!
ISTE"Breaks"Ground After!a!few!more!of!these interactions,!I!started!putting!the!word!out! through!the!grapevine!that!ISTE!would!be!interested!in!renting!some!land!and! connecting!with!educators!in!world.!We!weren’t!sure!what!would!come!of!it,! but!we!were!open!to!experimenting.!We!were!lucky!enough!to be!introduced! to!Lori!Bell!who!had!set!up!an!island!for!librarians!and!was!about!to!launch!a! new!space!called!EduIsland.!We!quickly!jumped!at!the!chance!to!become!a! tenant,!and!started!building!our!virtual!presence.
In!those!early!days,!we!really!felt!like!pioneers there!was!a!strong! sense!of!community!on!EduIsland!and!the!tenants!all!helped!each!other!learn! how!to!navigate!in!this!new!environment,!marveled!at!each!other’s!projects,! and!sometimes!grumbled!at!conflicting!events!that!created!full!sims!and! locked!out!participants!(just!a!sign!of!the!growing!popularity!).!As!ISTE! started!hosting!a!weekly!social!event!in!January!of!2007!and!soon!after!a! weekly!speaker!series!session,!the!sense!of!community!grew Peggy!Sheehy,!
Lisa!Perez,!Marianne!Malmstrom,!Kevin!Jarrett,!Scott!Merrick,!Lisa!Linn,! Christie!Thomas,!Lindy!McKeown,!Caren!Levine,!Scott!Swanson,!and!many! others!became!regulars!and!helped!form!the!backbone!of!our!little!PLN.! We!soon!outgrew!the!space!on!EduIsland!(even!with!our!lovely!skypark!that! was perfect!for!hosting!our!events,!we!found!that!most!events!bumped!up! against!our!60 person!cap!and!we!ended!up!turning!members!away!each! week).!It!was!time!for!a!private!island!and!we!needed!reinforcements!
The"Docent"Program"is"Born Before!we!made!the transition!over!to!our!new!island,!we!recognized! that!we!needed!a!way!to!handle!all!the!newly!generated!interest!from! members!and!educators!coming!in!to!Second!Life!in!droves.!Staff!could!only!be! at!the!building!certain!hours!(usually!in!the!evenings)!and there!were!many! hours!throughout!the!day!when!the!building!would!be!empty.!I!remembered! my!first!few!forays!into!Second!Life!and!how!lonely!it!was!on!most!islands!and! how!thrilling!it!was!to!talk!to!real!person—not!just!a!person,!but!a!peer—and!I! knew!that!was!the!key!to!making!our!space!a!vibrant!one.!After!putting!out!a! query!to!our!group,!I!was!happily!surprised!at!the!overwhelming!response.! About!30!people!were!interested!in!signing!up!for!regular!“docent”!shifts!to! greet!visitors!and!help!them!get!started!in!Second!Life.!This!was!before!the! days!of!voice!in!Second!Life,!of!course,!so!those!early!training!sessions!with!
docents!were!carefully!constructed!copy!and!paste!jobs!from!notecard!to!chat.! By!the!end!of!a!two hour!session,!my!fingers!were!tired!and!I!was! embarrassed!at!my!sometimes!poor!spelling/typing!skills,!but!I!was!recharged! by!the!relationships!being!built!and!the!exciting!work!being!done.
Life"on"the"Island With!the!docent!program!up!and!running,!regular!programming!and! socials!happening!each!week,!and!a!look!ahead!to!the!upcoming!NECC!in! Atlanta,!we!set!about!creating!the!island landscaping,!terraforming,!and! envisioning!spaces!that!would!best!support!connecting!and!learning!together.! Why!set!up!traditional!meeting!rooms!when!yoga!treehouses,!perched!high! upon!pine!trees!and!looking!out!over!the!crashing!surf,!could!serve!the!same! purpose?!Why!have!formal!conference!tables!when!crackling!campfire!circles! work!so!much!better?!
More!and!more!volunteers!stepped!forward!to!share!best!practices,! serve!as!tour!guides,!welcome!visitors,!and!host!events.!The!community!grew! exponentially!and!everyone!looked!ahead!to!our!first!opportunity!to!meet! each!other!face!to!face!at!NECC!Atlanta.!!We!made!plans!to!host!an!activity!for! SLers!during!the!conference!opening!reception!which!was!held!at!the!Georgia! Aquarium!that!year,!and!featured!our!first!mixed!reality!event:!an!inworld! reception!in!a!replica!of!the!Georgia!Aquarium!complete!with!the!sea!life,! exhibits,!and!learning!resources!found!in!the!real!aquarium.!
That!event!was!such!a!touching,!fun!experience members!greeted!each! other!as!long lost!family,!most!meeting!face!to!face!for!the!very!first!time,!as! hugs,!shrieks,!and!laughter!were!exchanged.!Scott!Swanson!acted!as!the! ringleader!(or!maybe!the!barker),!welcoming!people!in!and!inviting!them!to! learn!more,!create!an!account,!and!join!us!back!on!ISTE!Island!after!the! conference.!Later!in!the!conference,!the!group!held!its!first!playground!and! lounge!and!this!was!the!moment!when!the!community!really!took!hold.
Building"a"World That!first!year!was!such!a!springboard!for!the!years!ahead,!as!we!added! three!islands,!hosted!several!mixed!reality!events,!started!an!island!rental! program!for!ISTE!affiliates!and!other!educational!groups,!and!undertook! numerous!professional!development!projects.!
One!of!my!all time!favorite!projects!was!building!the!Alamo!to!coincide! with!ISTE’s!conference!in!San!Antonio!in!2008.!Working!with!the!talented! Malinda!McCormick!of!the!local!San!Antonio!PBS,!a!generous!builder!who! created!the!major!structures,!and!scores!of!ISTE!volunteers,!we!replicated!the! grounds!of!the!Alamo!down!to!the!smallest!detail,!right!down!to!artifacts!and! additional!learning!resources!in!each!of!the!buildings.!During!the!opening! reception!of!the!2008!conference,!we!hosted!a!mixed!reality!event!in!which!we! recreated!the!live!band!playing!in!San!Antonio,!streamed!the!live!band!into! Second!Life,!and!displayed!the!in!world!reception!on!large!monitors!next!to! the!physical!world!band.!We!were!pushing!on!the!technology!so!hard!during! that!event!that!I!ended!up!with!a!fried!motherboard!before!the!end!of!the! evening,!but!a!volunteer!generously!stepped!forward!with!a!quick! replacement!to!get!through!the!rest!of!the!event,!which!was!a!success.!
Other!favorite!projects!include!hosting!the!in!world!proceedings!of!the! 2008!SLEDCC!event,!working!with!Linden!Labs!on!the!Experience!Pathway! project!for!educators,!and!launching!ISTE’s!in!world!television!talk!show,!ISTE% Eduverse%Talks all!possible!because!of!the!tremendous!support!and!work!of! our!ISTE!member!network!and!volunteers.!
The"Network"Evolves In!November!of!2008,!ISTE’s!new!SIG!for!virtual!environments!was! officially!launched!under!the!leadership!of!Scott!Merrick,!who’d!been!with!the! group!since!the!very!beginning!and!was!the!perfect!person!to!unite!the! various!volunteer!efforts!on!ISTE!Island.!A!monthly!speaker!series,!a!build!on! the!Reaction!Grid,!a!new!machinima!fest,!and!the!digital!journal!were!all! launched.!New!faces!(and!new!talents)!stepped!forward!to help!plan!socials,! provide!programming,!and!take!the!lead!on!creating!the!conference!build!and! mixed!reality!event,!this!time!an!amazing!replica!of!the!Denver!Convention! Center!and!highlights!from!Colorado!history.!
As!the!volunteer!structure!took!on!more!and!more!of!the!leadership!of! the!island,!my!role!in!Second!Life!scaled!back,!but!I!have!no!less!appreciation! for!the!work!and!creativity!that!happened!there!during!this!most!recent!stage! of!ISTE!Island’s!history.!No!doubt!the!network!has!countless!memories!to! share!from!this!period!of!time!in!addition!to!the!highlights!I!offer!here.
A"Look"Ahead With!this!look!back!at!ISTE!in!Second!Life,!I!find!myself!excited!and! curious!to!see!what!the!next!chapter!will!hold!for!the!group!and!its! exploration of!virtual!worlds.!As!I!write!this,!SIGVE!volunteers!are!leading!the! effort!to!set!up!a!new!space!back!on!EduIsland.!While!it’s!bittersweet!to!retire! ISTE’s!private!island,!I!know!it!also!offers!new!frontiers!for!exploration both! of!the!neighbors!in!ISTE’s!new!backyard,!and!of!other!virtual!worlds!and! spaces.!It’s!been!such!a!journey!in!Second!Life!to!this!point!and!this!PLN!has! been!the!genesis!of!so!many!wonderful!opportunities—from!meeting!some!of! my!very!favorite!ISTE!members!and!volunteers,!to!learning!about!and!being! involved!in!so!many!projects!and!activities!that!pushed!the!field!forward.!I’m! grateful!to!each!and!every!pioneer!who!took!the!chance!to!be!bold!and! innovative,!and!to!step!forward!and!contribute!expertise,!creativity,!and! passion!to!this community!over!the!years.!And!I!look!forward!to!seeing!where! the!community!goes!next!
Too!Much!House by!Scott!Merrick Back!in!the!first!half!of!the!first!decade!of!the!twentieth!century!(can!you! tell!this!is!going!to!be!a!historically themed!piece?),!just before!the!housing! boom!exploded!into!a!nightmare!field!of!shattered!dreams!and!foreclosed! mortgages,!my!lovely!wife,!Lee!Ann,!and!I!decided!that!we!were!living!rather! ridiculously!beyond!our!means.!Don’t!ever!doubt!that!we!loved!our!house, a! 1930’s built!Cape!Cod!Cottage!home!in!a!historic!neighborhood!bordering!the! "uppest scale"!one!(Belle!Meade)!in!the!fair!city!of!Nashville,!Tennessee.!!In!an! odd!set!of!circumstances,!partly!related!to!parental!pressure,!partly!self delusion,!we!had!expanded!it!out!the!back,!doubling!its!square!footage!to! 5,000+!while!preserving!its!original!“street!face.”!Now,!with!our!daughter!just! a!year!or!so!away!from!moving!out!to!attend!college,!leaving!just!the!three!of! us!to!ramble!around!all!those!square!feet,!it!was!looking!like!too!much!house.!
There!were!many!things!we!loved!about!that!house.!For!me,!the! detached!garage!turned!study,!where!I!first!encountered!Active!Worlds!and! Second!Life!on!my!desktop!computer;!the!brick!patio!I!had!fallen!off!one! Saturday!morning,!crushing!two!metatarsals!in!my!hand;!!the!lovingly!hand crafted!wooden!jungle gym!and!slide!play!structure;!the!spacious!upstairs! master!bedroom!(which!we!had!to!restage!on!the!1st floor!to!help!with!the! sale);!and!the!Vignamaggio themed!painted!window!that!I!had!crafted!in!the! master!bath!to!accommodate!the!backyard!expansion!where!a!real!window! had!been those!things!I!will!always!miss.!The!Green!Hills!home!was! conveniently!located!in!that!first!iteration!of!suburban!Nashville,!minutes! away!from!everything!of!importance!in!the!city.
Still,!it!was!too!much!house.
Very!long!story!short:!We!managed!to!sell!and!purchased!a!nice,! reasonable,!70’s!ranch!style!home!in!West!Meade,!further!out!away!into! suburbia,!just!a!mile!or!two!from!the!ranch!style!home!in!West!Meade!where!I! grew!up,!if!one!can!really!say!I!ever!did!that.!Now!we!love!our!new!home.!It’s! comfortable,!stylish!(thanks!to!my!style conscious!honey),!and!excellent!for! entertaining.!We!are!surrounded!by!great!neighbors!and!we’re!more!or!less!
living!within!our!means.!We!plan!to!remain!settled!here!for!the!foreseeable! future,!to!sustain!our!family!in!our!cozy!home.
Do!you!see!where!I’m!going!here?!Cut!to!Second!Life.
Back!in!the!first!half!of!the!first!decade!of!the!twentieth!century,!the! International!Society!for!Technology!in!Education!forayed!into!virtual!worlds! in!the!form!of!a!leased!property!on!Eduisland.!That’s!where!I!discovered!them.! I!had!been!in!the!environment!for!a!couple!of!years,!having!used!it!really!as!a! kind!of!second!life,!playing!some!games,!roleOplaying,!hanging!out!with!a! completely!disconnected!community!at!the!Elbow!RoomOOa!legendary!tiny!bar! that!would!more!often!than!not!be!packed!with!avatars!from!every!corner!of! the!globe,!just!dancing!elbow!to!elbow!as!the!name!implied!and!trading!clever! repartee!about!every!subject!imaginable.!Once!I!discovered!ISTE!in!SL,!my! second!life!merged!with!my!first!life!in!ways!that!I!will!forever!cherish.!I!even! killed!my!first!avatar!and!became!Scottmerrick!Oh.
One!of!the!first!avatars!I met!there,!as!I!began!to!make!the!little!ISTE! building!on!Eduisland!a!frequent!stop,!was!a!pony tailed!fellow!in!business! attire.!His!avatar’s!name!was!Kyle!Thorn.!When!I!met!him!IRL!(in!real!life),!of! course,!I!called!him!Scott,!since!his!real!name!was!Scott!Swanson.!I!referred!to! him!more!often!than!once!as!“the!other!Second!Life!Scott.”!He!was!the!first.!We! lost!him!in!2010!when!he!finally!succumbed!to!long standing!illnesses,!but!he! I!will!always!remember!him!as!the!other!Scott.
I!met!many!other!fine!educators,!soon,!and!about!that!time!ISTE!noticed! something!happening,!a!growing!online!community!whose!dynamism!drove!
them!to!upsize!their!Second!Life!home.!In!a!unique!set!of!circumstances!that! was!fueled!by!visionary!optimism!over!the!potentials!of!this!life changing! virtual!world,!ISTE!purchased!their!own!island!and!named!it!“ISTE!Island.”!It! would!boom,!of!course,!into!a!four!island!property,!but!it!would!retain!its! “street!face”!with!its!real world!replicating!Headquarters!while!adding,!over! time,!a!television!studio,!many!rental!properties,!and!at!various!conference! times!a!beautiful!and!accurate!replication!of!the!Alamo!in!San!Antonio,!Texas! and!the!Denver!Conference!Center!with!Red!Rocks!Amphitheatre!behind!it.! Those!were!good!times,!and!the!many evenings!Scottmerrick!Oh,!my!avatar,! stood!on!the!front!porch!of!ISTE!Headquarters!and!“wircled”!(my!coinage!for! the!frequent!event!of!stepping!back!to!widen!the!circle)!to!accommodate!the! arrival!of!new!friends!and!colleagues!into!vibrant!discussions!of!educational! issues!or!teaching!strategies,!or!cooking,!or!music,!or!art,!or!child raising…oh,! my,!god—those!were!good!times.!
We!met!there!in!2010!to!pay!our!respects!to!Scott/Kyle!and!to!share! memories.!It!was!a!poignant!meeting!of!dear!friends.!I!looked around!the!front! porch.!Knowclue!Kidd,!Maggie!Marat,!Kittygloom!Cassady,!KJ!Hax,!Roxie!Neiro,! BJ!Gearbox,!Padlurowncanoe!Dibou,!Clare!Lane,!Komputer!Merlin,!Corinne! Fleury,!Lori!Galli,!Maggie!Larimore,!Mandie!Mimulus,!Louise!Borgnine,!Esme! Qunhua,!Henny!Zimer,!Joie!Despres,!Julie!Sugarplum,!ScubaChris!Wollongong,! Victoria!Gloucester,!Zsuza!Tomsen,!Mo!Hax,!Spiff!Whitfield more!Second!Life! friends,!more!cherished!colleagues!than!I!can!name.!Most!of!them!were! Second!Life!Docents,!a!group!of!ISTE!educators!who regularly!dedicated!time! to!helping!newcomers!see!what!this!“sense!of!place!at!a!distance”!can!mean.
I!would!quote!the!entire!list!of!them!at! http://secondlife.iste.wikispaces.net/docents here!but!for!space.!Most!of!them! I!know.!Most!are!friends!not!just!in!Second!Life!but!friends!I!see!and!share! time!with!every!summer!at!ISTE!Conferences!and!talk!to!several!times!a!year! via!Second!Life!or!Skype!or!Facebook!or!Twitter.!This!is!important:!I!would! likely!know!none of!these!fine!educators!had!we!not!met!in!Second!Life.!!There! is!certainly!no!way!I!would!have!ever!met!or!grown!to!know!and!love!the! quirky,!brilliant,!sometimes!problematic!Scott!Swanson.
ISTE%front%porch%meetup%for%Kyle%Thorn
Cut!to!the!present.!Toward!the!end!of!the!first!year!of!the!second!decade! of!the!21st century,!our!nation’s!economy!was,!well,!a!nightmare!field!of! shattered!dreams!and!foreclosed!mortgages.!ISTE!itself!had!suffered!major! layoffs!and!restructuring.!They!looked!at!their!investment!of!thousands!of! dollars!a!year!into!virtual!property!in!Second!Life.!They!decided!they!had!too! much!house.
Turning!to!SIGVE,!the!Special!Interest!Group!for!Virtual!Environments,!a! group!born!from!the!metamorphosis!of!annual!conference!Second!Life! Playgrounds!into!Virtual!Environments!Playgrounds,!ISTE!asked!for!a!plan!to! downsize.!The!discussions!went!on!for!months!and!considered!all!angles!that! might!be!supported!by!the!generous!though!greatly!reduced!continuing! support!from!ISTE,!and!those!discussions!are!chronicled!in!the!task!force! notes!at!http://tinyurl.com/isteislandtf for!your!reading!enjoyment,!and,!
indeed,!for!your!ongoing!contribution.!We!have!moved!into!the!virtual! equivalent!of!a!cozy!ranch!style!home!in!suburbia. It’s!comfortable!and! excellent!for!entertaining.!
We!are!surrounded!by!great!neighbors!and!we!are!more!or!less!living! within!our!means. There,!on!Eduisland!9!at! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/1/102/23 we!plan! to!continue!sharing!and!sustaining!and!nurturing!our!virtual!family!in!our! cozy!home!for!the!foreseeable!future.!Come!share!with!us.!Anytime.
One!closing!note:!Our new!Headquarters!on!that!property!is!being! designed!via!a!competition!that!runs!through!March!31 and!it!shall!be! comfortable,!stylish,!and!perfect!for!entertaining.!There!is!one!implicit! requirement!not,!stated!in!the!rules,!but!one!that!perceptive!competition! entrants!will!have!no!doubt!already!incorporated!into!their!design:!It!must! have!a!front!porch.!For!wircling.
ISTE Island Memories By Spiff Whitfield
Image from Jokaydiagrid.com. http://jokaydia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/06/alamo2.jpg
I remember..... The Alamo!
No, this isn’t in reference to the classic line from the movie, “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, although there were many big adventures on ISTE
Island. The Alamo build at ISTE Island was a stepping stone for me in so many ways, but also a powerful symbol of the work and meaning that many of us do with virtual world education.
As a “newbie” when the Alamo exhibit was created in 2008, I was captivated by the thought of being able to re -create such a powerful piece of American history through a virtual world. I remember touring the space with my avatar, clicking on the links and notecard givers, and interviewing some of the tour guides. Here, the realization came to me that I was hooked on Virtual Environment Education. If this simple structure could be captured, think what else could be done? And this was the beginning of the group I would later found, The Virtual Pioneers. As a matter of fact our group’s name came from the pioneering spirit of the western settlers. Our group remains strong and vibrant, with new members showing up at our meetings and tours. As of this writing my work continues beyond Virtual Pioneers with my student-centered work on the Islands of Enlightenment. This space is dedicated to bringing students into historical builds, like the Secret Annex detailed in “The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank”. To watch students faces as they interact and create powerful narrative content using avatars is an amazing way to bring history to life.
The kernel of that idea all began with the Alamo Exhibit. Perhaps, had I not seen that, I would have harbored my first impressions that virtual worlds were nonsense and had no role in education. Yet, the pioneering analogy carries on in various ways with virtual environment educators, doesn’t it? When our SIGVE Task Force meetings were going on, we often discussed the pioneer notion of the work we are doing. And that analogy is so powerful for those of us that use an d believe that virtual environments offer great avenues for learning for students AND adults. We are doing the pioneering work in so many ways. We are often dismissed and ridiculed like all pioneers are but we know better, don’t we? Why? Because we have looked over the mountain and seen the other side, that other educators have only guessed at. So, carry on, we must.
Perhaps, The Alamo, represents our current state doesn’t it? As we leave behind ISTE Island, we could easily be daunted and depressed over its loss as that of the Alamo’s tragic history. Yet, our pioneer spirit remains intact, just as America’s pioneer spirit.
So yes, I remember the Alamo, and I will always remember ISTE Island and its inspiration to my ideas and the awesome collaborations I have made since then.
But what remains is so much more meaningful, for I have great friendships, innovative ideas, and the renaissance of new undertakings to pursue! Full speed ahead.
Citations:
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure: The Alamo http://quietube2.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cHLoHou8u Y&feature=youtu.be http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089791/fullcredits
The Virtual Pioneers: http://virtualpioneers.weebly.com
The Islands of Enlightenment http://bit.ly/theilsands
Cherished Memories ISTE Island was one of the first supporters of the work of Literature Alive! in Second Life, and, truly, was one of the best places an educator could go within the virtual world. I am sorry to hear of its closing down, but do understand that the education community has dwindled down since the grids merges and educator discounts were discontinued.
I will always remember the friendly faces of the (so so so) many people that made up ISTE...especially Komputer Merlin and the Docent Gang! My favorite memories include campfire chats and hanging out at the Docent station.
Best of luck to all in their future endeavors!!!!
Desideria Stockton (SL)/Beth Ritter-Guth (RL)
Reflections On ISTE Island By Lori Weedo (RL), Lori Galli (Sl)
Thanks!for!the!memories!ISTE!Island!
Memories!for!me!at!ISTE!Island!first!consisted!of!"living"!literally!in!one! of!the!treehouses.!!My!colleague!(Laural!McCallen)!and!I!made!this!treehouse! our!"home."!!We!logged!on!and!logged!off!in!this!spot!for!two!years,!while!we! learned!to!change!clothes,!went!shopping!and!came!back!to!open!packages,! etc.!
I!will!never!forget!one!time!when!a!docent!flew!up!to!see!if!I!needed! help!and!I!was!dressing.!!It!was!such!an!odd!feeling!to!be!embarrassed,!as!if!it! was!my!real!self, standing!there!half!naked!and!not!"just"!an!avatar.!!This! treehouse!will!always!hold!special!memories!and!I!have!tried!to!replicate!it!to! the!best!of!my!ability!at!SLEEC!Island!as!a!tribute!to!ISTE!Island.!Here!is!the! location:!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEEC!Island/234/184/37
People!are!welcome!to!come!visit!anytime!(they!have!to!be!a!member!of! the!group!SL!Educators!of!Escambia!County)!and!reminisce!about!fun!times!at! the!ISTE!Island!treehouse.!!
I!am!missing!one!very!vital!component! the!Nirvana!Snowy!Owl,!in! which!I!have!tried!desperately!to!track!down!but!with!no!luck!so!far.!!I!will!
continue!trying.!!The!owner!is!Carrie!Grant!and the!owl!is!Nirvana!Snowy!Owl! (medium)!if!anyone!has!one!they!can!sell!me!!!The!creator!is!hardly!ever!in!SL! anymore,!but!I!have!sent!messages,!notecards,!and!left!a!notecard!at!her! customer!support!area.!!Thanks!for!any!help!with!this!!
I!am!giving!you two!pictures!as!a comparison!that I!took!of!the replica:! ISTE!Island!Treehouse!and ISTE!Island!Treehouse!@!SLEEC! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEEC!Island/234/184/37
The!other!wonderful!memories!I!have!of!ISTE!Island!besides!all!the! great!professional!development!meetings!I!attended,!are the!incredible! amount!of!collaboration!and!friends!I!made!while I!was!docenting!every! Monday!evening.!!Good!times!were!to!be!had!almost!every!time!I!volunteered! and!I!was!always!learning!something!new!and!loved!helping!others.!!!I!am!so! happy!to!have!been!a!part!of!this!great!community!!!It!will!be!exciting!to! continue!being!a!part!of!it!at!the!new!location!and!I!look!forward!to!more! learning!experiences,!fun!times,!and!great!friends!
Tree!house!pictures!taken!March!1,!2012
Got#MOOC? By#Kavon## Zen ovka#(SL)
Or, should!we!say!the!VWMOOC!is!coming!
MOOC!– Massive!Online!Open!Course!
A!MOOC!(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course)!is! a!course based!on!the!learning!theory!connectivism.!Since!2008,!there!have! been!a!series!of!these!free!open!online!courses!offered.!The!“Tour!of!Virtual! Worlds,!Games!and!Education”!course!is!informed!by!their!design!and! implementation.!
VW!MOOC!– Virtual!Worlds,!Games!and!Education!is!divided!into!2! parts.
The!first!part!(preOconference!portion!of!Virtual!Worlds!Best!Practices! in!Education)!will!take!place!on!this!wordpress!site! http://vwmooc.wordpress.com/!which!is!functioning!as!the!Virtual!Worlds,! Games!and!Education!Portal.
The!second!part,!which!is!the!actual!MOOC,!starts!the!week!after!the! conference!and!runs!for!four!weeks. This!portion!will!be!held!at!P2P!
U. http://p2pu.org/en/
The!second!part,!which!is!the!actual!MOOC,!starts!the!week!after!the! conference!and!runs!for!four!weeks. This!portion!will!be!held!at!P2P!
U. http://p2pu.org/en/
Program!streams!from!the!conference!volunteered!to!continue!the!discussion! started!at!VWBPE.
So!for!VWMOOC!here!are!the!discussion!topics!and!dates:
Week!1!– Virtual!Worlds!Tours! Mar!19!– 24
• Facilitator!– Aevalle!Galicia
Week!2!– Machinima!Mar!26K Apr!1
• Facilitator!– Tanya!Smedley!(Gridjumper)
• Mentors! Machinima!Working!Group
Week!3!– World!of!Warcraft! Apr!2! 8
• Facilitators!– Biggersby,!Tashidelek,!and!Zarrasia
• Discussion/Social!Media Facilitator Catherine!(Cat)!Flippen
• Mentors!– Cognitive!Dissonance!Guild!Members
Week!4!– Bleeding!Edge!Apr!9!– 16
• Facilitators!– Abacus!Capalini!and!Aly!Warrior
• Discussion/Social!Media Facilitator O Catherine!(Cat)!Flippen
• Mentor!– Kavon!Zenovka
Follow!along!in!social!media:
Hashtag!#vwmooc Flickr!group!http://www.flickr.com/groups/1893308@N24/
Food$At$Cas:$An$Intervie w$With$Owner$and$ Creator,$Casandra$Jackson By#Roxie#Neiro
I!was!so!excited!the!other!day!when!I!was!at!Food for CAS! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Voti/198/36/23 and!ran!into!
Casandra!Jackson.!We!spent!a!few!minutes!talking!about!her!projects!and!her! work.!While!we!were!talking,!I!told!her!that!I!stopped!by!to!get!one!of!her! waiters!for!our!VEJ!Poster!at!the!2012!VWBPE!Conferences.!She!told!me!that! she!had!something!better!and!showed!me!the!café!dining!table!that!you!see!on! the!cover!of! this!issue!of!
VEJ.!I!asked! Casandra!if! she!could!put! the!issues!of! VEJ!into!the! menu!script! and!she!said,! “yes.”!If!you! are!at!the! 2012!VWBPE! Conference! make!sure!to! stop!by!the! VEJ!poster!to! see!the table and!a!special!picnic!blanket!with!several!different!poses,!copies!of!VEJ,!and! different!food!items,!also!from!Food by CAS.!In!addition,!we have!one!of!the! tables!at!the VWBPE!Social area.! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%208/90/11/22 Take!time!to!sit!and play!with!the!table!and!chair!animations!and then,!be!sure! to!VEJOOut!on!this new!March!2012!issue!!Casandra also!gave!us a!picnic! blanket!with!some!of!our!VEJ!issues!for!those long,!lazy!sunny!afternoons and! trips!to!the!beach.!What!FUN!
Casandra!is!a!fascinating!and!very!talented!Second!Life entrepreneur.!! We!have!used!her!food!products!for!many!ISTE!socials.!Here!is!some!of!our! conversation!so!you!can!get!to!know!Casandra!Jackson,!too.!!Be!sure!to!visit! Food by CAS!!http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Voti/198/36/23 and! check!out!all!the!food!items.!Bon!Appetite!
Roxie:!!When!and!how!did!you!get!started!in!second!life?!Are!you!in!other! virtual!worlds?
Casandra: I%heard%about%Second%Life%in%Beta%Test%while%I%was%playing%a% MMPORG%called%TheSimsOnline%in%2002.%%I%had%been%a%Beta%tester%for%TSO,%so%I% applied%to%Linden%Labs%to%test%out%SL,%but%never%heard%back.%%TheSimsOnline%had% been%promising%user%created%content%for%a%long%time,%but%that%never% materialized.%%TheSimsOnline%ended%up%stagnating%because%it%was%so%limited%for% the%players.%%I%tried%THERE%as%well,%but%found%it%too%cartoony,%everyone%there% looks%like%Dora%the%Explorer%going%through%puberty.%A%friend%and%I%decided%to%try% out%Second%Life%(at%that%time,%there%were%no%free%accounts,%you%could%do%a%trial% week%for%free,%then%you%had%to%pay%a%monthly%fee%or%your%avatar%was%deleted).% After%being%on%Second%Life%for%3%days,%I%bought%a%premium%membership%and%paid% for%a%year%upfront.%%The%possibilities%of%Second%Life%were%astounding.%%I%loved%that% your%avatar%could%fly,%that%the%world%here%was%so%varied%and%that%almost%all%in game%content%was%user created.%%It%was%clear%to%me%that%what%you%could%do%here% was%only%limited%by%your%own%imagination%and%skills.
Roxie:!What!projects/work!do!you!do!in!Second!Life?!!!!
Casandra: My%main%area%of%creation%is%food%and%drink%items%which%I%started% making%in%2005.%%However,%the%idea%of%food%expands%into%furniture%and%dining% room%items%as%well.%%%%Other%items%I%have%created%are%furniture%(dining%room,% living%room,%bathrooms,%kitchens%and%small%houses),%home%decor,%animations%(for% use%in%my%food/drink%items),%textures%(for%my%own%use%in%my%food/drink%items),% prim%jewelry,%hair,%shoes,%simple%clothing%items,%fashion%accessories,%animation% overriders%and%avatar%shapes.%%%%%I%dabbled%in%other%items%when%I%found%myself% bored%with%making%food%and%drinks%and%needed%a%little%break,%but%I%always%came% back%to%food,%its%what%I'm%best%at.
Roxie: What!projects/work!in!virtual!worlds!are!you!most!proud!of?!!
Casandra: The%first%item%of%mine%that%was%a%big%hit%was%a%bartender%that%could% change%its%image%and%gave%out%32%drinks%via%drop%down%menu.%%That%idea%was% widely%copied%by%many.%The%second%item%would%have%to%be%my%food%placemats% that%I%created%in%early%2007.%%My%first%placemats%rezzed%32%food%items%and%were% used%all%over%Second%Life%in%restaurants%and%homes.%%My%current placemats%rezz% out%69%different%sculpted%foods%and%49%drinks.
Roxie: WOW!!That!is!quite!an!accomplishment.!I!love!your!placemats.!BJ!and!I! have!a!set!in!our!Second!Life!home!!They!are!a!lot!of!fun!!What!made!you! decide!to!focus!on!designing!and!scripting!foods!in!second!life?!!!
Casandra: I%loved%the%idea%of%avatars%on%Second%Life%eating%food,%it%fascinated% me%how%realistic%it%seemed.%%One%thing%I%noticed%about%the%food%on%Second%Life%is% that%it%stayed%attached%to%your%avatar%unless%you%manually%detached%it.%%Eating% would%be%much%more%realistic%if%you%"finished"%your%food%and%it%was%no%longer%on% your%avatar,%so%I%ensured%all%my%animated%foods%had%a%auto%detach%function%built% in.%I%started%making%simple%treats%based%on%things%like%cookies%and%baked%goods.%%
Much%to%my%surprise%and%delight,%other%people%thought%they%were%cool%and% bought%them.%%That%was%a%big%boost%and%I%remember%thinking,%"What%else%can%I% make%that%people%might%like%to%eat%or%drink?"%%%In%the%very%early%days,%I%would% daily%make%several%food%or%drink%items%that%would%dispense.%As%time%progressed,% my%items%became%more%complex,%requiring%more%time%to%complete.%My%platters% (which%give%out%a%plate%and%fork%to%be%used%concurrently),%took%6%hours%from% start%to%finish%for%each%platter%due%to%custom%textures%specific%to%that%food.%It% takes%much,%much%longer%to%finish%a%project%now%since%food%items%I%make%now%are% much%more%complex.%%The%new%placemats%took%over%a%week%to%make.%%
Roxie: It!sounds!like!a!lot!of!work!– but!it!is!always!so!much!fun!to!visit!FoodO by Cas!and!see!your!new!food!items.!It!seems!like!every!time!I!stop!by!you! have!something!new,!especially!for!the!different!holiday!seasons.!So,!who!are! your!customers!and!how!do!they!use!your!products?!!
Casandra: My%customers%are%from%all%walks%of%Second%Life,%from%Lindens%to%new% players.%They%use%my%products%in%their%homes%to%entertain%guests,%to%feed%their%
Second%Life%families%and%to%provide%an%atmosphere%of%welcome%in%their%home%or% place%of%business.%One%of%the%ways%we%show%we%care%for%people%in%our%real%lives%is% that%we%provide%them%with%nourishment,%we%feed%them,%we%break%bread%with% them.%It%should%come%as%no%surprise%that%we%do%the%same%here.
Roxie: Funny!you!should!say!that,!because!on!of!the!skills!we!show! newcomers!to!Second!Life is!how!to!eat!or!drink.!It!is!a!fun!way!to!help!new! people!in!Second!Life!learn!how!to!use!their!inventories!and!how!to!“wear”! different!items.!But,!you!are!right.!There!is!something!about!food!and!drink! that!makes!people!feel!warm!and!welcome.!You!have!designed!and!scripted! some!amazing!food!products!and!furniture.!As!I!said,!we!have!used!your! products!at!many!of!our!ISTE!and!SIGVE!socials!and!events.!What!design!and! scripting!tricks!and!tips!have!you!learned!that!you!can!share!with!other! educators!who!are!helping!students!learn!how!to!design!and!script!similar! objects?
Casandra: I%would%suggest%attending%live%inworld%classes%to%learn%basic%building% skills%or%scripting%skills.%They%teach%good%basics%such%as%proper%alignment%of%and% texturing%prims%and%basic%scripting%language.%%Some%classes%teach%creating%basic% sculpts%with%free%3D%programs%and%a%few%teach%how%to%create%textures%from% scratch%using%GIMP%or%PhotoShop.%Currently,%Builders%Brewery%and%Danish% Visions%give%weekly%lessons%that%are%open%to%the%general%public.
Roxie: Actually,!I!was!just!talking!with!one!of!my!friends!about!doing!that!very! thing.!I!am!so!not!a!builder!and!so!much!a!consumer.!It!looks!fun!to!build!new! items!in!Second!Life.!From!your!perspective!and!experiences!in!Second!Life,! what!knowledge!and!skills!do!you!think!educators!need!to!know!and/or!be! able!to!do,!to!help!promote!education!in!Second!Life and!to!make!learning! meaningful!for!students?
Casandra: Perhaps%an%orientation%program%of%the%basics%would%be%helpful,%in% order%to%get%over%the%"growing%pains"%of%coming%to%a%world%like%Second%Life%to% get%over%all%the%confusing%parts,%like%"Where%do%I%find%things%in%my%inventory?"%% "How%do%I%put%on%new%clothing?"%%%I%think%it’s%hard%to%learn%if%you%are%distracted% or%confused%by%a%new%environment.
Roxie: Even!after!several!years!in!Second!Life,!I!still!need!to!learn!how!to! organize!my!inventory!so!I!can!find!the!things!I!own!!I!either!can’t!find! something!or!I!am!amazed!when!I!stumble!across!something!that!I!had!
forgotten!I!even!had!!So!many!people!I!have!talked!to!in!Second!Life!will!tell! you!that!they!need!someone!to!help!them!organize!their!inventories!!It!might! just!be!one!of!the!biggest!headaches!in!Second!Life!!LOL!!You!have!designed!a! new!cafe!dining!set!that!we!will!be!using!at!our!VEJ!Poster!for!VWBPE!2012.! Please!describe!the!features!and!how!you!envision!avatars!using!this!dining! set.!!!
Casandra: The%Cafe%Set%is%comprised%of%a%table%and%two%chairs.%%%The%chairs%have% 29%animations%to%choose%from%to%mimic%eating,%drinking,%typing,%reading%and% different%variations%of%sitting.%The%Cafe%Table%holds%18%International%meals,% French,%British,%American,%Asian,%Italian%and%Mexican%themed%meals%and%2%sets%of% magazines.%Simply%touch%the%table%to%choose%which%nationality%of%food%you%would like%to%appear.%You%then%get%another%blue%drop%menu%which%has%5%options%of% foods%and%magazines.%%%Make%your%choice%and%it%will%appear.%If%you%are%pleased% with%that%choice,%just%click%ignore,%when%another%blue%drop%down%choice%window% appears.%Touch%the%food%plates%to%get%cutlery%to%use%with%your%meal.%%%Touch%the% pitchers%or%coffee%cups%to%get%cups,%bottles%or%drinks%to%wear.%Simply%wear%the% cutlery%or%beverages%and% choose%the%appropriate% animation%via%the%chair.%Sit%on% the%chair%then%touch%the%chair% again%for%the%menu%of% animations.%There%are%3%pages% of%animations%to%choose%from.% Click%which%animation%you% want%your%avatar%to%be%doing,% eating,%drinking,%typing%at%a% computer%or%just%sitting.%Try% all%the%poses,%its%fun%!
Roxie: I!agree!!We!have!been! having a!lot!of!fun!trying!out! the!different!options!with!our! friends.!I!also!like!the!timer!so!that!you!can!set!it!up!so!it!stays!one!way!or! have!the!dishes!cleared!and!put!away!after!a!set!period!of!time.!If!only! someone!could!design!a!system!like!this!for!real!life!!! What!are!your!future! plans!and!goals!for!your!work!in!Second!Life or!other!virtual!worlds?!!
Casandra: I%have%a%long%"to%do"%list%of%new%projects%to%make,%older%items%to% revise%and%update.%%Customers%often%make%suggestions%on%items%they%would%like% to%see%here,%so%those%are%added%to%the%list.%%%I%am%constantly%revising%my%previous% items%to%look%and%function%better.%I%have%created%literally%thousands%of%items% here,%so%there%is%never%a%shortage%of%things%to%do.%%
Roxie:
I!can!only!imagine!!So,!in your!free!time,!if!you!have!such!a!thing!when! you!are!in!Second!Life, what!do!you!enjoy!doing!for!fun?!!! Casandra: I%love%the%myriad%of%events%going%on%in%SL,%and%enjoy%exploring%great% builds.%I%played%in%the%Xmas%Zombie%Event,%you%received%a%HUD%and%different% levels%of%weapons%to%kill%zombies%that%rezzed%randomly%over%2%sims%for%1%week.% The%Zombies%could%also%attack%and%"kill"%your%avatar.%%Your%avatar%would%be% "dead"%on%the%floor%and%could%not%interact%for%30%seconds.%%You%had%to%pick%up% pieces%of%energy%left%by%your%killed%zombie%in%order%to%keep%up%on%energy%points.% Occasionally%after%a%Zombie%kill,%a%small%reindeer%would%rezz%presenting%you%with% a%gift%ticket%which%you%could%redeem%for%a%prize%at%the%participating%merchants% sponsoring%the%event.%%The%amount%of%work%that%went%into%holding%that%event% was%enormous,%from%the%gifts%that%were%given,%to%the%creation%and%scripting%of% weapons%that%interacted%with%both%your%avatar%and%the%zombies,%to%the%website% that%updated%constantly%with%new%game%stats.%It%was%a%game%within%a%game,% incredible!%I%revisited%the%Drowsy%sim
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Drowsy/209/77/27 ,%which%sadly,%is% closing%at%the%end%of%March.%%The%sim%is%just%so%whimsically%pretty%and%mystical,% everything%there%makes%me%smile.%%I%recently%visited%the%area,%Captain%Nemos% Adventures http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA11/102/106/21 built%by Aley%who%is%the%alternate%avatar%of%the%famous%Arcadia%Asylum.%%%Wow,% what%a%fantastic%build,%underwater%and%above%ground,%its%a%pirate/Captain% Nemo%theme%and%will%only%be%up%through%this%month.%%%If%you%have%not%visited% these%two%incredible%places,%you%really%must%before%they%are%gone%forever.%%Don't% miss%the%sea%serpent%at%Drowsy!%%
Roxie: Thank!you!for!sharing!those!two!sims!with!us.! I!can’t!wait!to!explore! the!two!sims!and!hope!our!readers!will!be!able!to!visit!them!too!before!April!1,! 2012.!Thank!you!for!taking!the!time!to!share!your!work!with!our!VEJ!readers.! The!items!you!make!are!truly!amazing!!Once!again,!I!would!just!like!to!remind! our!readers!to!check!out!the!VWBPE!Social!Sim,!the!VEJ!Poster!at!VWBPE (pictured!above),!or!Food!At!Cas!after!the!VWBPE!Conference!to!see!the! wonderful!items!you!have!made!!!Thanks!again,!and!to!all!of!our!readers,!
CAFÉ#DINING#SET#by#FOOD#AT 2 CAS
by#Roxie#Neiro/Rosie#Vojtek
BJ!and!I sat!down!and!checked!out!the!new!Café’!Dining!Set.!We were!very! impressed!(do!you!think?)!with!the!design!and!scripting!options!on!the!new! Café!Dining!Set!by!Casandra!Jackson.!You!can!see!the!Café!Dining!Set!at!FOOD! ATOCAS,!!http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Voti/206/28/23
Or,!better!yet,!visit!the!VEJ!Poster!at!VWBPE!2012!in!the!Poster!area!for!the! conference!March!15!– 18!at!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduCommons%20Alpha/205/124/2 5 or!on!the!VWBPE!Social!Sim!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/EduIsland%208/92/10/21
You!will!be!amazed!at!the!details!in!this!dining!set.!!Once!the!table!and!chairs! are!rezzed,!the!set!will!load!the!menu.!When!the!menu!is!fully!loaded!you!can! touch!the!table!to!rezz!your!meals.!!There!is!also!timer!option!that!can!be!set! for!so!you!can!choose!!the!length!of!time!you!wish!your!meal!to!stay!rezzed.!
The!prim!count!for!meals!rezzed!varies!from!a!low!of!10!to!30!prims.!!Only!the! Owner!of!the!table!can!set!the!timer!to!choose!how!long!meals!stay!on!the! table.!!The!Timer!option!will!not!appear!for!anyone!else!but!the!owner!of!the! table.!!To!rez!the!meals,!touch!the!table.!!The!Meal!Options!are:!
Mexican Burritos&Margaritas! Laptops&PanConPepitas! Magazines&Cups! Tacos&Beer!!
American HotDogs&Fries! Laptops&CinBuns! Magazines&Cups! Burgers&Fries!!
Italian Pizza&Zinfandel! Laptops&Biscotti! Magazines&Cups! Spaghetti&Meatballs!!
British Fish&Chips! Laptops&Tea! Magazines&Cups! Bangers&Mash!!
French Cheese&Wine! Laptops&Croissants Magazines&Cups! CoqAuVin&PinotBlanc!!
Asian Sushi&GreenTea! Laptops&Mochi! Magazines&Cups!
BJ and!Roxie!enjoy!Italian!Spaghetti!Dinner! Every!plate!gives!out!a!folder!of!cutlery!when!touched!to!use!with!the! animated!chairs.!!Plates!with!the!laptops!give!different!breakfast!pastries.!!The! glasses!and!cups!rezzed!on!the!table!are!for!decor!and!do!not!give!out!glasses.!! If!there!is!a!bottle!or!beverage!container!on!the!table!it!will!give!out!beverages! to!hold.!!There!is!a!19th!option!available!with!every!nationality!of!food!to!rezz! out!magazines!and!cups!for!decor.!!
If!meals!are!rezzed!on!top!of!each!other,!just!press!CLEAR!to!remove!all!meals.!! If!food!is!rezzed!and!the!table!is!moved,!the!table!loses!the!ability!to!clear! those!plates!already!rezzed!and!the!plates!will!have!to!be!removed!manually.!!
Regarding!WineGlasses,!CoffeeCups,!TeaCups,!JuiceGlass,!WaterGlasses,! Chopsticks,!Spoons,!Forks!and!Knives,!with!the!infinite!variety!of!shapes!for! avatars!on!SecondLife!it!is!impossible!to!fit!every!avatar.!!Simply!wear!and! adjust!positioning!of!said!items.!!There!is!also!a!copyable!vase!of!lilies!(1!prim)! to!add!to!your!table!as!you!wish.!!
The!dining!chairs!have!29!menu!driven!animations!to!choose!from,!to!vary! your!dining!experience.!This!is!the!most!animations!per!dining!chair!in!
SecondLife.!There!are!4!eating!animations,!3!drinking!animations,!2!reading! animations!and!the!rest!are!for!seating.!!HAVE!FUN!
The#Library#Art#Gallery#at#Info#Island## by#Samantha#Chester#(SL)
The!Library!Art!Gallery!at!Info!Island!reopened!March!1st with!an!exhibit! by!Isabel!Hermano.!!The!Library!Art!Gallery!began!scheduling!exhibitions!and! events!on!Info!Island!in!late!August!2007.!!The!Library!Art!Gallery!is!a!non for profit!art!gallery!that!exhibits!artistic!creations!in!Second!Life!for!display!
purposes!only!(art!on!display!is! not!for!sale).!!Artists!provide notecards!describing!how!to!buy! their!art.!Artists!interested!in! exhibiting!at!the!Gallery!should! contact!Sam55!Chester.!!
We!enjoy!hosting!fine!art!of!all! formats!and!genres:!!painting,!still! life,!modern!art,!contemporary,! photography,!abstracts,!stained! glass,!pottery,!sculptures.!!We! offer!live!music!and/or!DJs!with! our!exhibition!openings!and!other! special!events!and!programs.!!The! Library!Art!Gallery!is!also!available!for!art!librarians,!art!aficionados,!other! individuals!in!the!Arts!&!Humanities!and!Education!community!to!hold!their! own!events!such!as!open!forums,!Q&A!sessions,!or!tutorials.!!Those! individuals!or!groups!should!contact!Sam55!Chester!for!details!and!scheduling
Our!goal!is!to!highlight!progressive!artists!who!fully!utilize!SL!as!a!creative! medium.!!We'd!like!to!see!the!Library!Gallery!grow!to!participate!in!broader! SL!arts/media!events!if!possible.!!We!are!open!to!partnering!with!other! groups!and!organizations,!within! and!outside!of!the!SL!library!and! arts!communities.!!We!hope!that! events!at!the!Gallery!Space!can! evolve!into!inclusive!conversations! with!artists,!scholars,!and!guest! curators,!from!RL!and!SL.
Info!Island!is!part!of!Info! Archipelago!started!in!2006!by!the! Alliance!Library!System!of!Illinois.
.!!
The!Library!Art!Gallery!resides!on!Info!Island
(http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island%20Library%20Gallery/31/83/ 23/
A#Virtual#Kickoff#to#a#F2F#Conference
By#Kavon#Zenovka#(sl)
The!Second!Life!SITE!Building!Group!for!The!Society!for!Information! Technology!and Teacher!Education!(SITE)!2012! Conference! http://site.aace.org/conf/ invited!all!educators!to!their! conference!kickoff!in!Second Life!on!Sunday, March!4,!2012
In!honor!of!Austin,!the!city!hosting!the!F2F!Conference,!the!theme!of!the! build!is!Cowboys!v.!Aliens!!The!build!SITE!CITY!LIMITS!was!designed!by! volunteers!from!SITE,!ARVELSIG!and!VWBPE!and!is!hosted!on!EdTech!Island! in!Second!Life.
The!build!includes!Machinima!City! an!Old!West!set!that!is!currently! showing!the!winners!of!the!EduMachinima!Fest!from!VWBPE!2011!Machinima! contest!(http://www.vwbpe.org/blog/poster and machinima winners)!,!a! stunt!corral!with!information!on!social!presence!in!virtual!worlds,!a!Blogger's! Saloon!( http://slurl.com/secondlife/EdTech/185/179/24/ ),!a!"Western! Epic"!seating!area,!the!Gadgetz's!Workshop,!A!Tours!Office!created!by!Aevalle! Galicia!and!the!3D!Games!Lab!House!(http://3dgamelab.org.shivtr.com/).
The!hoe down!kickoff!included!DJ! Barely!Texan!and!Aliens v.!Cowboys! costume!contest.!The!winner!of!best!cowboy!costume!was!Roxie!Niero!in!a! deconstructed!western!ball!gown!and!cowboy!hat.!
Edith!Halderman!won!the!best!alien!costume!in!a!version!of!an!avatar! from!Pandora (on!next!page).
SITE!CITY!LIMTS!is!hosting!sessions!at!the!Virtual!Worlds!Best!Practices! in!Education!conference!from!March!15 March!17,!2012.!
The!Blogger!Saloon!is!also!the!inworld!location!for!the!TweetChats! being!conducted!for!the!Virtual!Worlds!MOOC! (http://vwmooc.wordpress.com/)!and!will!be!the!general!inworld!!gathering! place!for!the!MOOC.!
Screenshots!are!up!at!the!SITE!CITY!LIMITS!flickr!group! (http://www.flickr.com/groups/1860777@N25/)
Edith!Halderman!wins!the!best!alien!costume
Second!Life!SITE!Building!Group
Lisa!Dawley,!Boise!State University
Trina!Davis,!Texas!A&M!University
Chih Feng!Chien,!Texas!A&M!University
Sabine!Lawless Reljic,!Ed.D.,!Ashford!University Aevalle!Galicia/Stasia!Weston,!University!of!South!Alabama
Wrath!Constantine,!Constantine!Air!Werkz Sandra!Jett,!Texas!A&M!University,!KATE!Project!Consultant
Kae!Novak,!Boise!State!University Chris!Luchs,!CCCOnline
Hold!on!to!your!hats!and!glasses!!Here!are!just!a!few!pics!to!wet!your! appetite!for!48!hours!of!networking,,!learning,!sharing,!and!just!plain!fun.! Check!out!the!VWBPE!master!schedule!at!www.vwbpe.org!. Follow!the! conference!on!Twitter!#VWBPE,!
Epiclicious is VWBPE 2012 by#Izzylaunder.Kara#
One!of!my!friends,!a!fellow!Second!Life!resident,!asked!me!why!should! she!care about!the!Virtual!Worlds!Best!Practices!in!Education!(VWBPE)! Conference?!!What!could!have!prompted!this!question!from!this!educator!who! is!inworld!every!day?!!Possibly,!it’s!because!I’ve!been!so!busy!working!on!my! part!of!the!constructions!at!the!Social!and!Poster!Presentation!venues!that!I’m! not!able!to!spend!time!exploring!the!many!wonderful!spaces!developed!in! Second!Life!by!educational!and!special!interest!groups.
Why!do!I!give!up!so!much!of!my!time!to!work!on!something!that!will!last! for!three!days!then!disappears!into!the!digital!ether?!!This!year’s!VWBPE! Conference!is!“Be!Epic”.!!What!do!you!envision!when!you!see!the!word!“Epic”?!! Is!it!the!Great!Pyramids!of!Giza,!the!Great!Wall!of!China,!human!footprints!on! the!moon, or!the!discovery!of!the!Rosetta stone?!!Of!course,!all!of!these!were! epic!accomplishments!of!human!kind.!!But!then,!so!is!VWBPE!2012!
VWBPE!2012,!by!its!very!name!is!EPIC!!!How!is!it!epic!you!might!ask.!! For!one,!it’s!Virtual!!!Everything!from!the!ground!conference!goers!stand!on!to! the!presentation!or!machinimas!exists!only!as!ones!and!zeros!in!computer! simulations!supported!by!a!vast!network!of!servers!and!routers.!!Prior!to! 2003,!how!many!of!us!thought!that!we!would!one!day!be!immersed!in!a! computer!simulation,!a!network!of!virtual!worlds?!But,!it!is!these!virtual! worlds!that!make!it!possible!for!thousands!of!educators!from!all!over!the! world!to!simultaneously!collaborate!on!a!unified!dedication!to!the!sharing!of! ideas,!research!and!experiences!that!add!to!the!advancement!of!Best!Practices! in!Education.
Yes,!best!practices!in!education.!!Can!you!envision!anything!more!epic!than! the!education!of!the!human!mind?!!All!the!epic!accomplishments!mentioned!at! the!beginning!of!this!writing,!were!they!accidental!achievements?!!No,!they’re! all!the!result!of!educated!human!minds!working!together!toward!a!common! goal.!!So,!in!this!modern!age,!I!can!think!of!nothing!more!epic!than!the!VWBE!
conference.!!Thousands!of!avatars, representing!human!minds!from!all!over! the!world, will!converge!to!educate!and!learn!from!each!other!about!how!to! best!use!virtual!worlds!as!learning!environments!for!the!digital!natives!that! are!our!future.!!This!is!what!makes!VWBPE, “Epiclicious”! The!VWBPE!Social!Tea!House!Izzy!built.!Izzy!is!playing!the!flute!in!the!middle.
VWBPE#2012 : Where#to#Go,#To#Stay#In#The#Know Official Website: www.vwbpe.org
Master Schedule: http://vwbpe12.vwbpe.org/
Twitter: @vwbpe and Hastag #VWBPE
Official Social Groups:
Conference LinkedIn Group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Virtual-Worlds-Best-Practice-in3754644?gid=3754644&trk=hb_side_g
Conference Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/vwbpe Conference Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/67701516968/
Pinterest Board: http://pinterest.com/ruriknackerud/vwbpe/
Listserv: SLED listserv
Flickr
VWBPE Social http://www.flickr.com/groups/vwbpesocial/ VWBPE Posters http://www.flickr.com/groups/vwbpeposters/ VWBPE http://www.flickr.com/groups/vwbpe/
MOOC
Virtual Worlds MOOC http://www.flickr.com/groups/vwbpeposters/
Bloggers:
GridJumper’s Blog http://gridjumper.net/Tanya SmedleyVirtual Outworlding http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/Selby EvansCenter4EduPunx www.center4edupunx.orgKae Novak, Chris Luchs, Karla Schorzman, Kate Hagerty and Rurik NackerudCtrl + Alt + Teach http://www.ctrlaltteach.com/Cat FlippenSouth Alabama’s Educators in Second Life http://saeslgroup.wordpress.com/Stasia Weston
Alive Learning http://blog.edu.gr Stylianos Mystakidis
Daniel Voyager’s Blog http://danielvoyager.wordpress.com/ Daniel Voyager Immersive Technology 4 Learning http://immersivetechnology4learning.ning.com/ Gordon Holden, et al…Oh Virtual Learning! http://scottsecondlife.blogspot.com/ Scott Merrick Virtual Worlds, Games and Education http://vwmooc.wordpress.com/ MOOC Working Group
We!asked!our!readers,!“Why!Are!You!Here?”!!We!had!many!interesting! responses.!On!the!next!few!pages!you!will!meet!9!individuals!who!share!their! passion!for!working!and!playing!in!virtual!worlds.!
Name: William Burns
Why!Are!You!Here?
I'm a virtual environment SME with about 15 years in the industry. I am here because from the first day I saw a virtual environment (Blaxxun) I knew that the Internet was destined to be in three dimensions and our perception of communication and experiential reality would be altered for the betterment of mankind. As a result of this vision for our future, I have devoted my academic and professional career to the advancement of this technology in all forms.
Asking what I like to do in Second Life and narrowing it down to two pictures is hard. I love to build, write, hang out with my partner, go dancing, listen to music, visit art galleries, attend shows, and so much more. More importantly, two pictures may be what I don't like doing in Second Life. However, I've tried to narrow it down to four.
Email!Address:!darianknight@gmail.com
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you! work!or!play!in?
Worlds - 1994
ActiveWorlds - 1996/97
SecondLife - 2007
Quite a lot of others, if you would like to delve into the past as well as beta testing purposes.
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
Aeonix Aeon in SL
What!year!did!you!enter!that! virtual!environment?!1994
Aeonix at Home: Building/Design is one of my passions, and also video games. Hanging out at home and playing a TRON arcade cabinet that I made as a collector item.
Aeonix at IEEE: As the Object Interoperability Lead for IEEE Virtual World Standard Group (P1828), I enjoy working with the group to handle complex tasks such as our Stargate Project. Pictured here is Tom Starai, Kevin Simkins and myself.
Name: Tom Layton Why!Are!You!Here?
My goal is to discover the best virtual world teaching and learning configuration for individual educators and their students. My current experiment is “Teach From The Beach” http://maps.secondlife.com/sec ondlife/Cheshire Island/70/132/22and consists of four beautiful, completely furnished, homes on a homestead island in SL. Educators coordinate with each other to make sure that no more than 20 avatars are on the island at any given time. This provides attractive comfortable affordable intimate settings in which to engage with students.
If successful, these “Teach From The Beach” islands will completely surround Alice Academy http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alice%20Academy/137/129/31 , a Full Region dedicated to teaching SL skills and culture to educators and their students.
Alice Academy also provides shared facilities that can accommodate larger groups for short term events.
Educators in the first trial include Joel T. Keener (Cheyney University of Pennsylvania), Pam Wicks (Aurora University) and Sumitra Srinivasan (University of Toledo). There is currently one TFTB house remaining. Anyone interested?
Alice Academy = http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alice Academy/153/128/31
Cheshire Island (TFTB) = http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cheshire Island/67/129/21
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?
Second Life
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
ArthurConan Doyle
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment?
August 10, 2006
Email!Address:!Thomas.G.Layton@gmail.com
Name: Peter Leong
Why!Are!You!Here?
I teach and conduct research in Second Life. My passion for exploring virtual worlds for teaching and learning stems from my desire to create truly immersive learning experiences for my online distance students. I have been teaching online since the early 2000s. One of the challenges of online distance education is the geographic separation between the instructor and students. I have used different communication technologies through the years to teach at a distance and the virtual world environment has, by far, the most potential to provide students with an engaging and immersive learning environment. I quote from one of my student’s course reflection, “It felt as if we were meeting face-to-face which made me pay attention a little more than in other (online) synchronous classes.”
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or! play!in?
Second Life
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
Ikaika Miles
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual! environment?
2007
Email!Address:!peterleo@hawaii.edu
Here is the slurl of our College of Education's SL island: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UHawaii!COE/112/193/26
Touring the Polynesian Voyaging educational simulation created by my students
Name: David Dixon
Why!Are!You!Here?
I teach graphic design, illustration, and related computer art courses at East Tennessee State University. I began using Second Life to stay informed of emerging graphics technologies, and found it to be a fascinating platform for testing and sharing creative ideas. I maintain a virtual gallery on the ETSU site that includes a variety of student work: graphic designs, illustrations, paintings, drawings, and photographs.
I use the Second Life gallery as a resource for demonstration purposes and as a virtual studio for student projects. Students gain practice in using conventional graphics software for creating de signs in RL, and use the virtual gallery as a venue for presentation. Students have tested their logo designs on t-shirts created in my Graphic Design I class. They have also used the building tools to make 3d models that would be cost-prohibitive and wasteful to produce in RL, such as human-scaled, point-of-purchase displays for my Display and Package Design class. My illustration class has used SL for creating illustrated narratives, too, taking snapshots to use in scenes that would be impossible in RL.
I have found that some students love it and some students hate it for a variety of different reasons. But either way, they are discovering the new and important role graphic design and illustration skills play in emerging technologies for visual communication.
Here is a blog that has a few pictures that show how I'm using SL: http://etsuvirtualart.blogspot.com/ Here is a personal website that provides some biographical information about me, and also recent examples of my work, some of which is directly connected to Second Life: http://daviddixon.artistwebsites.com/
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in? Second Life
What!is!your!avatar’s!name? Professor Bimbogami
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? 2007
Email!Address:!dixon@etsu.edu
Name: Dr. Jim McDermott
Why!Are!You!Here?
Since my doctoral research in 1995 on virtual reality simulation I have focused on the power of science simulation. In a nation of collapsing school budgets the virtual world offers both a low cost and effective solution for engaging the digital generation. Inside Second life I build science labs and holodecks in support of any school which is serious about conducting a course in world. The good news is many schools are serious and I am providing support for their success in science. We need more models of success in conducting actual classes inside Second life. This will provide the tipping point for broad use across the academic spectrum. My 5 years in Second life suggest the only limitation is your imagination and the cost of a region is dirt cheap if it is actually used for real courses. The faculty champions need to step forward and embrace what is possible in serious pilot projects leading to formal courses. ProfJ Merlin
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?
Second Life
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
ProfJ Merlin
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment?
1990 (2006 for Second Life specifically)
Email!Address:! drjim75142@yahoo.com
Inside a science holodeck Profj Merlin activates an acid-base chemistry titration lab using the NaOH titrant and the HCL titrate to demonstrate how it can be done in the virtual world. Profj Merlin will send you a lab cube containing a chemistry, physics, and biology lab upon request through the Second life IM system.
Name: Don Singleton
Why!Are!You!Here?
To learn, and then to teach, building and scripting, and to explore the use of Virtual World for communicating with others. I am disabled and homebound, yet through the use of Virtual Worlds I can teach people not just in the US but Europe, Australia, etc.
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?
Second Life
Inworldz
Avination
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
Second Life, DJ Earnshaw, 11/8/2007
Second Life, Professor Viper, 5/15/2009
Inworldz, DJ Earnshaw, 9/17/2010
Avination, DJ Earnshaw, 3/2/2011
Avination, Professor Viper, 10/9/2011
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? Noted above
Email!Address:!donsingleton@cox.net
Name: Ray Hart
Why!Are!You!Here?
While the number of visitors to the SL shop is less than to the website however more information is gleaned about the visitor and so better online communication and market research.
Online is cheaper than fuel for car/train/plane and greater range is achieved than walking/cycling.
Following a documentary on BBC TV about social networks I was very surprised at how popular virtual goods are and people around the world are prepared to buy them.
I'm pictured standing with some book stands at the book shop h2rh Trading at Emmelia(160,228)
The shop has changed in its look slightly since. This is where I sell RL new and used books. The prims link to web pages and you can buy the RL books via PayPal. Payment for these with Lindens may be coming soon.
We now also have an arrangement to sell books through Epiphany Island and are looking for any other suitable outlets. Web site www.knowlebooks.com which includes other things as well. (e.g,. Trumpet lessons within a 10 mile radius of Bristol UK.)
We also sell virtual Solar Panels. These can be bought with Lindens. They are also used on the roof of h2rh Trading. An example of our real DIY solar installation can be seen at www.sunshineenergy.co.uk
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in? SecondLife Avination tried OSgrid, Worlds, Active Worlds
What!is!your!avatar’s!name? Ray2009 Hazelnut
What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? 2009
Email!Address:!rh@h2rh.com
What!is!your!website? http://www.h2rh.com
Name: Dudley Turner
Why!Are!You!Here?
I’m busy with 2 things in SL:
(1) I bring students in for a less threatening approach to “being different” and continuing with discussions of diversity, perceptions, judgments and dealing with others.
(2) I am developing a quest-based game for first year students at our institution to give them an opportunity to learn about services and opportunities on our campus in ways other than lecture, speaker, or “go find it yourself” - a pilot this semester to see if this approach that is more interactive, flexible, and different is somehow “better” in helping them learn or want to learn.
What!Virtual!Worlds! do!you!work!or!play! in?
I am in Second Life (only) What!is!your!avatar’s! name?
Dudley Dreamscape (and Zoeken) What!year!did!you! enter!that!virtual! environment?
I started in 2008 (under another name)
Name: Aggeliki Nikolaou
Why!Are!You!Here?
As knowledge management has been gaining more importance among organizations and the luck of professional development opportunities are taken into consideration, 3D virtual environments are seen as a promising solution of transmitting both types of knowledge explicit and tacit knowledge (tacit is hard to take a shape and to be transmitted to other people).
Interacting!in!Two!Fish!Art!Landscape:!Unconventional!aspect!of!Art!by Rose Borchovski. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cariacou/100/113/21
Moreover 3D virtual environments allowing users to communicate interactively, asynchronously and synchronously:
• contribute to the diffusion of the most valuable body of knowledge (the tacit knowledge)
• provide opportunities for self–paced learning in both formal and informal context,
• facilitate communication among like-minded-people globally,
• encourage and facilitate users to create and develop their one learning networks.
But mainly 3D virtual environments, as Second Life, provide conductive venues for informal learning.
SL provides me a way:
• to access the collective knowledge by exchanging resources and learning tools among educators,
• to improve my teaching and learning practices,
• to engage me in consistent dialogue,
• to deepen feelings of trust and connectedness with the participants of my learning network in world.
This learning network is different from other social networks, because it focuses on learning and on specific professional interests.
Collaborative!activity:!Open!workshop!by!the!Library!and!Information!Center!of!University!of! Patras. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/61/96/501
Concluding, I would like to add that the nature of informal learning in SL is self-directed, highly social and participatory. These are very important affordances for life-long learning and consistent evidences of future adoption of 3D environments as tools of knowledge diffusion.
What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?
What!is!your!avatar’s!name?
Ageliki Mekanic (sl)
Email!Address:!anikola@freemail.gr email
