Thursday, December 13, 2007
Second Metaverse Meetup
The Stanford Humanities lab held their second "Metaverse Meetup," this time featuring Jamais Cascio. Cascio discussed "The Metaverse -- what does it include, where is it going, and how will it change our lives?" See the video here.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Howard Rheingold Rocks the NMC House!
Among other excellent presentations, the NMC Symposium hosted Howard Rheingold who spoke on "Co-Evolution of Technology, Media and Collective Action." Check out the excellent presentation here:
http://sl.nmc.org/2007/12/10/co-evolution-keynote/
You can find other session resources as they are posted at:
http://www.nmc.org/2007-fall-virtual-symposium/resources
Enjoy!
http://sl.nmc.org/2007/12/10/co-evolution-keynote/
You can find other session resources as they are posted at:
http://www.nmc.org/2007-fall-virtual-symposium/resources
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Land of Lincoln Events Scheduled!
The Alliance Library System and the SL Librarians have announced several events in conjunction with the Land of Lincoln experience. Contact Lorelei Junot or Maxito Ricardo in-world for details and LM's.
*The Land of Lincoln planning group will meet Tuesday December 11 at 5 pm SLT on Land of Lincoln at the new London punch exhibit and book club room.
*Join the Land of Lincoln Book Club facilitated by Maxito Ricardo.
Each month, this group will read a book about an aspect of Lincoln's life, his family, and his work.
Each session will start at 6 pm SLT and will be held at the London Punch exhibit and Lincoln reading room.
*The first book group session will be held January 15. "One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln's Road to Civil War" by John Waugh will be discussed.
* The February discussion will be held February 12 (Lincoln's birthday). The book to be discussed is "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
*On March 12, "The Madness of Mary Lincoln" by James Emerson will be discussed.
*On April 10, the book for discussion is "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" by James Swanson.
*On May 12, the book for discussion is "The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln." by James Oakes.
*"The Case of Abraham Lincoln" by Julie Fenster is the book for June 12.
Contact Maxito Ricardo (SL) with any questions.
*The Land of Lincoln planning group will meet Tuesday December 11 at 5 pm SLT on Land of Lincoln at the new London punch exhibit and book club room.
*Join the Land of Lincoln Book Club facilitated by Maxito Ricardo.
Each month, this group will read a book about an aspect of Lincoln's life, his family, and his work.
Each session will start at 6 pm SLT and will be held at the London Punch exhibit and Lincoln reading room.
*The first book group session will be held January 15. "One Man Great Enough: Abraham Lincoln's Road to Civil War" by John Waugh will be discussed.
* The February discussion will be held February 12 (Lincoln's birthday). The book to be discussed is "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
*On March 12, "The Madness of Mary Lincoln" by James Emerson will be discussed.
*On April 10, the book for discussion is "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" by James Swanson.
*On May 12, the book for discussion is "The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln." by James Oakes.
*"The Case of Abraham Lincoln" by Julie Fenster is the book for June 12.
Contact Maxito Ricardo (SL) with any questions.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Video Lecture on Augmented Reality
The Stanford Humanities Lab recently hosted another "Metaverse Meetup" featuring Mike Liebhold, a researcher at The Institute for the Future, who discussed Augmented Reality. Video
This lecture was part of the "Metaverse Meetup" series. The next Meetup discussion is on November 29, 2007 and will feature Jamais Cascio on the "Metaverse Roadmap" (pdf here.)
Want to attend in-world?
When: Thursday, November 29th 2007 from 6pm to 7:30pm PST/SLT
Where: Wallenberg Hall, Stanford University and at Spaceport Bravo in Second Life.
RSVP, please, to: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=7507931740
This lecture was part of the "Metaverse Meetup" series. The next Meetup discussion is on November 29, 2007 and will feature Jamais Cascio on the "Metaverse Roadmap" (pdf here.)
Want to attend in-world?
When: Thursday, November 29th 2007 from 6pm to 7:30pm PST/SLT
Where: Wallenberg Hall, Stanford University and at Spaceport Bravo in Second Life.
RSVP, please, to: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=7507931740
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
"Professor Avatar"article (A. Foster, CHE) in-world
I have received express written consent from the Chronicle of Higher Education to distribute the latest piece on education in SL by Andrea Foster. Simply find a kiosk and touch it - and the article will be delivered to you!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Request for test users please!
by Jennifer Young
My name is Jennifer Young (SL jmy Writer), and I'm a lecturer in Creative Writing at the
University of Hertfordshire in the UK. I've been using SL to create an
online student magazine which is hosted inside a virtual literary festival.
The magazine, Orb, is staffed by UH students. The publishing remit is to
publish the best creative writing by UK university students.
The magazine will launch on October 23 with a streaming performance by UK
performance poet Patience Agbabi.
We are in the final stages of design, and we're looking for users to
provide feedback. Would you be willing to spend a few minutes walking
around our site and giving us some feedback? There are post boxes on the
site, or you can email me at j.m.young - at- herts (dot) ac (dot) uk. The SL address is:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/SMIRKworld/128/128/0
Just to make you aware, the pieces of creative writing that are up are
still in draft mode and are acting as place holders. Before the magazine
launch in October, the authors will record audio and provide visuals to
accompany their work. At the moment it's just text with the student
editors' voiceovers.
Thank you for your assistance
My name is Jennifer Young (SL jmy Writer), and I'm a lecturer in Creative Writing at the
University of Hertfordshire in the UK. I've been using SL to create an
online student magazine which is hosted inside a virtual literary festival.
The magazine, Orb, is staffed by UH students. The publishing remit is to
publish the best creative writing by UK university students.
The magazine will launch on October 23 with a streaming performance by UK
performance poet Patience Agbabi.
We are in the final stages of design, and we're looking for users to
provide feedback. Would you be willing to spend a few minutes walking
around our site and giving us some feedback? There are post boxes on the
site, or you can email me at j.m.young - at- herts (dot) ac (dot) uk. The SL address is:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/SMIRKworld/128/128/0
Just to make you aware, the pieces of creative writing that are up are
still in draft mode and are acting as place holders. Before the magazine
launch in October, the authors will record audio and provide visuals to
accompany their work. At the moment it's just text with the student
editors' voiceovers.
Thank you for your assistance
CITASA Mini-Conference in SL
by T. Kennedy
Hi Folks!
The American Sociology Association Conference kick off time is only hours away - and the Communication & Information Technology Section of the ASA (CITASA) Mini-Conference 3.0 is almost here.
This year we are having our Mini-Conference in the virtual world - Second Life - and this years Conference Title is "Web 2.0 and Beyond: The Sociological Significance of Virtual Worlds Supplanting Cyberspace"
We have a great line up of presenters who will share their research and we will discuss what Web 2.0 - 3.0 means to us as Sociologists in the ICT field and the interdisciplinary aspects of this area of study.
Whether you are enroute to NYC and attending the ASA in person or not - please join us in Second Life for the Mini-Conference on Sunday, August 12th 2pm (PDT/SLT) or 5pm (EDT). We will have voice enabled presentations (so bring your headset/mic to NYC), complimented with Powerpoint Slides (these will posted to Slideshare after the conference).
http://www.slideshare.net/citasa
(Program is posted now)
For those of you (and your avatars) who plan to attend the CITASA MC 3.0 in SL - please send me your name and your Second Life avatar's name so we can put you on the Guest List. We have T-Shirts for your avatar and a gift bag of goodies, including a tech-treat from Telus - and of course stimulating conversations!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Tracy Kennedy
Second Life - Professor Tracy
Web 2.0 and Beyond: The Sociological Significance of Virtual Worlds Supplanting Cyberspace Event: CITASA third Mini-Conference to be held in the Metaverse – Second Life
Date of Event: Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm (EDT) 2-5pm (SLT/PDT)
Location Details: The GNWC Virtual Centre for Digital Media in Second Life
University Project (150, 84, 23)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20Project/150/84/23
Timetable & Session Details
2:00 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:00pm (EDT):
Welcome Address
Jim Witte - Clemson University & CITASA Chair
2:15 -2:50 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:15 -5:50 pm (EDT):
Session 1: Social Networking Sites
Dan Trottier
Queen's University - Kingston, Ontario
"Social Networking Sites: A Surveillance Studies Primer"
In recognizing social networking sites as sites of sociological concern, this presentation will offer a surveillance studies perspective to this topic. Using Facebook as a case study, a review of key surveillance material as well as preliminary findings will underscore directions for future research. In particular, the popularized and controversial practice of 'Facebook stalking' will serve to illustrate how lateral (or peer-to-peer) surveillance not only supplements, but may also amplify conventional forms of monitoring.
Questions:
1) Can practices such as deception or dissimulation on social networking sites be regarded as ways of resisting surveillance?
2) What kind of connections does Facebook enable between peer-based forms of surveillance, and practices such as employee screening?
Peter Timusk
University of Ottawa - Ottawa, Ontario
"Exposed Edges and Tighter Nodes: A Suggested Social Networking Hypothesis For Web 2.0 As Seen Through A User Of Facebook A Web 2.0 Social Networking Site".
The author explores previous studies of social networking by pioneers such as Barry Wellman to develop a hypothesis for further empirical studies of the networking properties of websites such as Facebook. It seems to the author, that there is more privacy exposure between persons, and at the same time these same persons are brought closer together by networking on Facebook. Thus edges between nodes in this network structure are exposed revealing these edges to other nodes, while nodes themselves potentially learn more about each other as nodes only not just as edges. It is hoped that this hypothesis and other various hypotheses will help either social network analysts, or those who will be data mining websites such as Facebook, to understand the implications of a network's social structure. Legal and ethical considerations resulting from these hypotheses will also be considered in this presentation.
2:55 – 3:30 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:55 – 6:30 (EDT):
Session 2: Videogames & Gaming
Tracy Kennedy
Communities & Technologies Research Group, Microsoft – Redmond, Washington
"Women's Online Gaming Communities: Don't Hate the Game, Hate the Players"
Pervasive stereotypes such as 'women don't game', 'women don't know how to game' and 'women don't play violent videogames' have long saturated the media as an explanation of why there are not more women gaming. The purpose of this presentation is to address these stereotypes and examine the online gaming experiences of women in Xbox Live that may explain why women appear absent in online gaming spaces. Using data from the GamerchiX Forum, I will discuss issues of harassment that women experience, and how the GamerchiX community (consisting of 2700 female gamers) offers different types of social support to address and overcome these negative gaming experiences, and how GamerchiX creates a safe, secure and encouraging community of female gamers. Moreover, I will explore the role GamerchiX plays in the lives of these women outside of gaming, which often encompass forum discussions that are not related to gaming at all, face-to-face meetings and associations in such spaces as Facebook.
Jeff Preston
The University of Western Ontario - London, Ontario
"Disabilities and Gaming Environments"
Children are encouraged to start playing sports from a young age as competition help build confidence, social skills and physical ability. For a child with a physical disability, there are few opportunities to play
competitive sport, as children are often not strong enough to physically compete or the sport is simply too dangerous, forcing many individuals to begin playing adapted sports with other disabled athletes. Recently, a new solution has emerged that is rarely considered as a source of competitive sporting; video games. For years, computer/console systems have given users the opportunity to take control of computer-generated avatars, the virtual bodies used to interact and manipulate synthetic worlds, and play out excited simulated experiences from the comfort of their own homes. With faster Internet speeds, individuals who play video games are now capable of competing in synthetic worlds with friends across the Internet or on Local Area Networks, leading to the manifestation of competitive leagues like the Cyberathlete Professional League. Online video games, like Counter-Strike, offer youth with disabilities a viable solution to transcend their physical limitations to gain important social skills that most children develop through physically competitive sports, but in a safe and integrated digital environment. This paper considers the possibility of video games as legitimate substitutes for, or complements to, sports currently available to the so-called "disabled" and the benefits of these synthetic experiences.
3:35 – 4:35pm (PDT/SLT) 6:35 – 7:35 (EDT):
Session 3: Virtual Worlds
Michael Reese
Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Maryland
"The Potential for Digital Field Assignments in Second Life"
Digital field assignments are course activities in which students collect and analyze data from the field using digital technologies. However, what happens when the field is a virtual, 3-D environment? This presentation will explore the possibility of using Second Life to conduct course research assignments. Case studies being explored at Johns Hopkins and other institutions will be described.
Questions:
1) What is the value of teaching qualitative research skills in Second Life instead of the Real Life?
2) What are students' perspectives on using Second Life as a situated learning experience?
3) How does identity formation operate in Second Life (and how does it transfer to Real Life)?
Michael Roberts
North Harris College – Houston, Texas
"A Scanner Darkly: the death of authenticity under conditions of media-saturation"
A Scanner Darkly, the movie, is a cartoon created by filming live actors and then drawing over them. This is not a new technique. Snow White was Gene Tierney. Bela Lugosi was the Devil in the Night on Bald Mountain segment of Fantasia. I will use Philip K. Dick's fiction and the popular films based on those fictions as a template for reading the motives behind mass migration into SL in quest of escape from limitations imposed on the identities such migrants can perform with validation in RL. I will focus on the idea of virtual space as rehearsal space for identities which, while initially constructed in virtual spaces and initially only possible to construct based on virtual resources, might, after construction, migrate into RL. This potential for identities to form in virtual worlds and then migrate to RL renders ambiguous the distinction between role-play and identity, between lives and representations of life, to the point of making the value of the distinction itself dubious.
Leslie Jarmon
The University of Texas - Austin, Texas
Co-Presenter: Joe Sanchez
The University of Texas - Austin, Texas
"The Educators Coop Experience in Second Life"
This presentation discusses the pedagogical value of the teaching and research experience in Second Life based on one case: the Educators Coop Experience in Second Life (SL). The goal of the Educators Coop Residential Community is to provide educators and researchers with a unique residential environment from which to begin exploring, collaborating, teaching, and conducting research more easily and seamlessly. The coop in SL is designed to cultivate new cross-disciplinary relationships and collaborations. Residents are also participants in research exploring the emergence of this kind of experimental SL residential community.
Effective communication requires developing skillful mental flexibility and an understanding of diverse communities of practice, their underlying worldviews, and their material artifacts, including technology and virtual space in particular. In SL, residents can quickly access and interact with educators and researchers from multiple disciplines and countries, without traveling. As Latour noted, "[I]f you want to understand what draws things together, then look at what draws things together" (60; original emphasis). The SL sim "draws things together" in powerful new ways, and its convergence of mediated forms of social interaction offers opportunities for enhanced collaboration in the construction of new knowledge. The ways we are trained to think, talk, read, and write about knowledge are behaviors that affect the kinds of knowledge we construct. Ways of thinking about how knowledge emerges enhances students' ways of thinking about their own disciplines. This presentation poses the question around which the Second Life community is centered: "Are you ready to imagine knowledge differently?" (Fox, 136).
Geoffrey Edwards
Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Geomatics - Université Laval
"Embodiment, Identity and Presence in Second Life – New Wine or New Bottles?"
Nick Yee has written "our insistence on embodiment in virtual environments structures social interactions in these worlds in ways that we may not consciously be aware of… this implies that virtual worlds may be useful platforms for studying things even as visceral as the rules of physical interaction". Identity has been defined as the set of strategies, beliefs, values and representations that are organized for the survival of the entity concerned (Dornic and Edwards, 2007). Presence has a variety of meanings, but here I am concerned with the sense of someone being present, even though their actual physical body may be absent. These three concepts are interdependent on each other, and each of them manifests within the world of Second Life.
Within the field of education, a form of learning called "transformative learning" has gained interest. Ashe et al. (2005) have stated that "transformative learning involves a change in personal feelings, beliefs, and values known as meaning perspectives". This concept of meaning perspectives, introduced by Mezirow in 1990, is very close to current definitions of identity – indeed, the transformation of meaning perspectives
seems to involve change in personal identity. It is proposed that the concept of transformative learning provides a framework for understanding how our conceptualizations of the self, our bodies and our interaction with others are changed in Second Life. The process of transformation ensures that what emerges is, indeed, new wine not just "old wine in new bottles". Within Second Life, identity is multiple, body is performative and presence is determined by the quality of our interactions with others. These ideas are illustrated by drawing on work with scientist and artist collaborators within Second Life.
Joanna Robinson
Great Northern Way Campus – Vancouver, BC
Co-Author: Tracy Kennedy
Communities & Technologies Research Group, Microsoft – Redmond, Washington
"Participatory Pedagogy: Challenging 'Real Life' Practices of Educational Institutions in Virtual Worlds"
This presentation discusses virtual spaces as participatory pedagogy in which student learning is formulated through exploration, reflection and collaboration (Hobbs et al 2006) both individually and as a group. Importantly, we argue that virtual environments such as Second Life have shown educators that we need to rethink existing learning strategies and enhance them with innovative tools that encourage creative thinking and promote technical skills that foster communities of knowledge and practice.
Questions:
1) How can virtual worlds effectively challenge the ways we sociologically frame education and educational practices?
2) What are some of the obstacles educators face when converging real life and virtual worlds into their pedagogical style, and in the classroom?
4:40 – 4:55 (PDT/SLT) 7:40 – 7:55 (EDT):
Closing Remarks
Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins
Ball State University - Muncie, IN
5:00pm (PDT/SLT) 8:00pm (EDT):
Participants and Presenters are welcome to stay and discuss their interests further at the conclusion of the presentations.
Hi Folks!
The American Sociology Association Conference kick off time is only hours away - and the Communication & Information Technology Section of the ASA (CITASA) Mini-Conference 3.0 is almost here.
This year we are having our Mini-Conference in the virtual world - Second Life - and this years Conference Title is "Web 2.0 and Beyond: The Sociological Significance of Virtual Worlds Supplanting Cyberspace"
We have a great line up of presenters who will share their research and we will discuss what Web 2.0 - 3.0 means to us as Sociologists in the ICT field and the interdisciplinary aspects of this area of study.
Whether you are enroute to NYC and attending the ASA in person or not - please join us in Second Life for the Mini-Conference on Sunday, August 12th 2pm (PDT/SLT) or 5pm (EDT). We will have voice enabled presentations (so bring your headset/mic to NYC), complimented with Powerpoint Slides (these will posted to Slideshare after the conference).
http://www.slideshare.net/citasa
(Program is posted now)
For those of you (and your avatars) who plan to attend the CITASA MC 3.0 in SL - please send me your name and your Second Life avatar's name so we can put you on the Guest List. We have T-Shirts for your avatar and a gift bag of goodies, including a tech-treat from Telus - and of course stimulating conversations!
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Tracy Kennedy
Second Life - Professor Tracy
Web 2.0 and Beyond: The Sociological Significance of Virtual Worlds Supplanting Cyberspace Event: CITASA third Mini-Conference to be held in the Metaverse – Second Life
Date of Event: Sunday, August 12th, 2007
Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm (EDT) 2-5pm (SLT/PDT)
Location Details: The GNWC Virtual Centre for Digital Media in Second Life
University Project (150, 84, 23)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/University%20Project/150/84/23
Timetable & Session Details
2:00 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:00pm (EDT):
Welcome Address
Jim Witte - Clemson University & CITASA Chair
2:15 -2:50 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:15 -5:50 pm (EDT):
Session 1: Social Networking Sites
Dan Trottier
Queen's University - Kingston, Ontario
"Social Networking Sites: A Surveillance Studies Primer"
In recognizing social networking sites as sites of sociological concern, this presentation will offer a surveillance studies perspective to this topic. Using Facebook as a case study, a review of key surveillance material as well as preliminary findings will underscore directions for future research. In particular, the popularized and controversial practice of 'Facebook stalking' will serve to illustrate how lateral (or peer-to-peer) surveillance not only supplements, but may also amplify conventional forms of monitoring.
Questions:
1) Can practices such as deception or dissimulation on social networking sites be regarded as ways of resisting surveillance?
2) What kind of connections does Facebook enable between peer-based forms of surveillance, and practices such as employee screening?
Peter Timusk
University of Ottawa - Ottawa, Ontario
"Exposed Edges and Tighter Nodes: A Suggested Social Networking Hypothesis For Web 2.0 As Seen Through A User Of Facebook A Web 2.0 Social Networking Site".
The author explores previous studies of social networking by pioneers such as Barry Wellman to develop a hypothesis for further empirical studies of the networking properties of websites such as Facebook. It seems to the author, that there is more privacy exposure between persons, and at the same time these same persons are brought closer together by networking on Facebook. Thus edges between nodes in this network structure are exposed revealing these edges to other nodes, while nodes themselves potentially learn more about each other as nodes only not just as edges. It is hoped that this hypothesis and other various hypotheses will help either social network analysts, or those who will be data mining websites such as Facebook, to understand the implications of a network's social structure. Legal and ethical considerations resulting from these hypotheses will also be considered in this presentation.
2:55 – 3:30 pm (PDT/SLT) 5:55 – 6:30 (EDT):
Session 2: Videogames & Gaming
Tracy Kennedy
Communities & Technologies Research Group, Microsoft – Redmond, Washington
"Women's Online Gaming Communities: Don't Hate the Game, Hate the Players"
Pervasive stereotypes such as 'women don't game', 'women don't know how to game' and 'women don't play violent videogames' have long saturated the media as an explanation of why there are not more women gaming. The purpose of this presentation is to address these stereotypes and examine the online gaming experiences of women in Xbox Live that may explain why women appear absent in online gaming spaces. Using data from the GamerchiX Forum, I will discuss issues of harassment that women experience, and how the GamerchiX community (consisting of 2700 female gamers) offers different types of social support to address and overcome these negative gaming experiences, and how GamerchiX creates a safe, secure and encouraging community of female gamers. Moreover, I will explore the role GamerchiX plays in the lives of these women outside of gaming, which often encompass forum discussions that are not related to gaming at all, face-to-face meetings and associations in such spaces as Facebook.
Jeff Preston
The University of Western Ontario - London, Ontario
"Disabilities and Gaming Environments"
Children are encouraged to start playing sports from a young age as competition help build confidence, social skills and physical ability. For a child with a physical disability, there are few opportunities to play
competitive sport, as children are often not strong enough to physically compete or the sport is simply too dangerous, forcing many individuals to begin playing adapted sports with other disabled athletes. Recently, a new solution has emerged that is rarely considered as a source of competitive sporting; video games. For years, computer/console systems have given users the opportunity to take control of computer-generated avatars, the virtual bodies used to interact and manipulate synthetic worlds, and play out excited simulated experiences from the comfort of their own homes. With faster Internet speeds, individuals who play video games are now capable of competing in synthetic worlds with friends across the Internet or on Local Area Networks, leading to the manifestation of competitive leagues like the Cyberathlete Professional League. Online video games, like Counter-Strike, offer youth with disabilities a viable solution to transcend their physical limitations to gain important social skills that most children develop through physically competitive sports, but in a safe and integrated digital environment. This paper considers the possibility of video games as legitimate substitutes for, or complements to, sports currently available to the so-called "disabled" and the benefits of these synthetic experiences.
3:35 – 4:35pm (PDT/SLT) 6:35 – 7:35 (EDT):
Session 3: Virtual Worlds
Michael Reese
Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, Maryland
"The Potential for Digital Field Assignments in Second Life"
Digital field assignments are course activities in which students collect and analyze data from the field using digital technologies. However, what happens when the field is a virtual, 3-D environment? This presentation will explore the possibility of using Second Life to conduct course research assignments. Case studies being explored at Johns Hopkins and other institutions will be described.
Questions:
1) What is the value of teaching qualitative research skills in Second Life instead of the Real Life?
2) What are students' perspectives on using Second Life as a situated learning experience?
3) How does identity formation operate in Second Life (and how does it transfer to Real Life)?
Michael Roberts
North Harris College – Houston, Texas
"A Scanner Darkly: the death of authenticity under conditions of media-saturation"
A Scanner Darkly, the movie, is a cartoon created by filming live actors and then drawing over them. This is not a new technique. Snow White was Gene Tierney. Bela Lugosi was the Devil in the Night on Bald Mountain segment of Fantasia. I will use Philip K. Dick's fiction and the popular films based on those fictions as a template for reading the motives behind mass migration into SL in quest of escape from limitations imposed on the identities such migrants can perform with validation in RL. I will focus on the idea of virtual space as rehearsal space for identities which, while initially constructed in virtual spaces and initially only possible to construct based on virtual resources, might, after construction, migrate into RL. This potential for identities to form in virtual worlds and then migrate to RL renders ambiguous the distinction between role-play and identity, between lives and representations of life, to the point of making the value of the distinction itself dubious.
Leslie Jarmon
The University of Texas - Austin, Texas
Co-Presenter: Joe Sanchez
The University of Texas - Austin, Texas
"The Educators Coop Experience in Second Life"
This presentation discusses the pedagogical value of the teaching and research experience in Second Life based on one case: the Educators Coop Experience in Second Life (SL). The goal of the Educators Coop Residential Community is to provide educators and researchers with a unique residential environment from which to begin exploring, collaborating, teaching, and conducting research more easily and seamlessly. The coop in SL is designed to cultivate new cross-disciplinary relationships and collaborations. Residents are also participants in research exploring the emergence of this kind of experimental SL residential community.
Effective communication requires developing skillful mental flexibility and an understanding of diverse communities of practice, their underlying worldviews, and their material artifacts, including technology and virtual space in particular. In SL, residents can quickly access and interact with educators and researchers from multiple disciplines and countries, without traveling. As Latour noted, "[I]f you want to understand what draws things together, then look at what draws things together" (60; original emphasis). The SL sim "draws things together" in powerful new ways, and its convergence of mediated forms of social interaction offers opportunities for enhanced collaboration in the construction of new knowledge. The ways we are trained to think, talk, read, and write about knowledge are behaviors that affect the kinds of knowledge we construct. Ways of thinking about how knowledge emerges enhances students' ways of thinking about their own disciplines. This presentation poses the question around which the Second Life community is centered: "Are you ready to imagine knowledge differently?" (Fox, 136).
Geoffrey Edwards
Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Geomatics - Université Laval
"Embodiment, Identity and Presence in Second Life – New Wine or New Bottles?"
Nick Yee has written "our insistence on embodiment in virtual environments structures social interactions in these worlds in ways that we may not consciously be aware of… this implies that virtual worlds may be useful platforms for studying things even as visceral as the rules of physical interaction". Identity has been defined as the set of strategies, beliefs, values and representations that are organized for the survival of the entity concerned (Dornic and Edwards, 2007). Presence has a variety of meanings, but here I am concerned with the sense of someone being present, even though their actual physical body may be absent. These three concepts are interdependent on each other, and each of them manifests within the world of Second Life.
Within the field of education, a form of learning called "transformative learning" has gained interest. Ashe et al. (2005) have stated that "transformative learning involves a change in personal feelings, beliefs, and values known as meaning perspectives". This concept of meaning perspectives, introduced by Mezirow in 1990, is very close to current definitions of identity – indeed, the transformation of meaning perspectives
seems to involve change in personal identity. It is proposed that the concept of transformative learning provides a framework for understanding how our conceptualizations of the self, our bodies and our interaction with others are changed in Second Life. The process of transformation ensures that what emerges is, indeed, new wine not just "old wine in new bottles". Within Second Life, identity is multiple, body is performative and presence is determined by the quality of our interactions with others. These ideas are illustrated by drawing on work with scientist and artist collaborators within Second Life.
Joanna Robinson
Great Northern Way Campus – Vancouver, BC
Co-Author: Tracy Kennedy
Communities & Technologies Research Group, Microsoft – Redmond, Washington
"Participatory Pedagogy: Challenging 'Real Life' Practices of Educational Institutions in Virtual Worlds"
This presentation discusses virtual spaces as participatory pedagogy in which student learning is formulated through exploration, reflection and collaboration (Hobbs et al 2006) both individually and as a group. Importantly, we argue that virtual environments such as Second Life have shown educators that we need to rethink existing learning strategies and enhance them with innovative tools that encourage creative thinking and promote technical skills that foster communities of knowledge and practice.
Questions:
1) How can virtual worlds effectively challenge the ways we sociologically frame education and educational practices?
2) What are some of the obstacles educators face when converging real life and virtual worlds into their pedagogical style, and in the classroom?
4:40 – 4:55 (PDT/SLT) 7:40 – 7:55 (EDT):
Closing Remarks
Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins
Ball State University - Muncie, IN
5:00pm (PDT/SLT) 8:00pm (EDT):
Participants and Presenters are welcome to stay and discuss their interests further at the conclusion of the presentations.
TakingITGlobal.org seeks volunteer SL coordinator
by Dan Winckler
Just passing this on...
Second Life Coordinator (Volunteer Positions)
Description
About TakingITGlobal
TakingITGlobal is an international organization led by youth, empowered by technology that connects youth from around the world to find inspiration, information and get involved in improving their local, regional and global communities.
About TIG in Second Life
TIG is in the process of developing two spaces within Second Life: an island recently donated by Starwood Hotel and Resorts (SURL) and an office in the Non-Profit Commons (SURL). Once they are up and running, both spaces will provide our members with new and innovative ways to interact with each other, will showcase youth projects and youth-created artwork and will help us draw new audiences to TakingITGlobal's work.
Roles and Responsibilities
• Help TakingITGlobal staff design and implement their presence in on both the Aloft Island and in the Non-Profit Commons office.
• Coordinate live events include open discussions and featured speakers on the Aloft Island.
• Maintain regular office hours within the TIG office in Second Life.
Experience Sought
Qualifications
• Advanced knowledge of the Second Life platform
• Basic design skills
• Interest in global issues and youth engagement
• Detail oriented and well organized
• Good communications skills (both written and oral)
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently, including within virtual teams
• Significant interest in youth-related issues and experience working with young people from a wide variety of cultures
• Fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian or Italian an asset
Additional Information
This is a virtual volunteer position(s), and as such is not tied to a specific geographic location.
Why work at TIG? Working at TIG is an opportunity to improve professional skills, and gain work experience in a positive environment with dedicated young people who want to make a difference. Alumni have gone on to work for leading global NGOs and community organizations, as well as to pursue advanced degrees at top universities around the world.
Contact
Human Resources - jobs -at- takingitglobal (dot) org
The application period for this position will be closing on Aug 17, 2007.
Archeology in virtual environments
by Rolig Loon
UC Berkeley. Info from their campus web site …………….
UC Berkeley. Info from their campus web site …………….
Two UC Berkeley undergraduate research apprentices are recreating an archaeological excavation site in Second Life as part of the Remixing Catalhoyuk project. Come visit Okapi Island in Second Life. I'm pleased to announce [3/6/2007] the purchase of Okapi Island in Second Life (coordinates forthcoming). We will use our 65,000 square feet of virtual property to
- Advance OKAPI's overall mission to pioneer new tools and practices for learning and sharing information,
- Capitalize on several months of exploratory work last semester,
- Apply the research of UC Berkeley Anthropology professor Ruth Tringham in remediating places
- Contribute an innovative remix of archeological data as part of the Remixing Çatalhöyük project, and
- Provide a venue for future research, learning and public outreach.
Program Manager for Open Knowledge and the Public Interest, Noah Wittman is an award-winning interactive media producer with ten years of experience developing multimedia websites, exhibits and curricula. Noah is currently managing the FIPSE Scholar's Box project, developing a new Center for Digital Scholarship, and other projects relating to public scholarship, outreach, and K-12 education.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Second Life metrics for the masses
by Eric Hackathorn
Hopefully this doesn't come across sounding too much like a sales pitch, but for those willing to splurge a whole Linden consider picking up a proximity sensor. It keeps track of the number of unique avatars visiting a land parcel, total time spent on a land parcel, and average time spent by an avatar over the last hour, day, week, and month. More information can be found here:
http://hackshaven.com/2007/08/05/second-life-metrics-for-the-masses/
Hopefully this doesn't come across sounding too much like a sales pitch, but for those willing to splurge a whole Linden consider picking up a proximity sensor. It keeps track of the number of unique avatars visiting a land parcel, total time spent on a land parcel, and average time spent by an avatar over the last hour, day, week, and month. More information can be found here:
http://hackshaven.com/2007/08/05/second-life-metrics-for-the-masses/
Upcoming SLED events
by Bruce Sommerville
1) Open House: Marlboro College Graduate Center, August 10.
2) Educators Coop Open House, August 8.
3) NMC Symposium on Creativity in Second Life, August 12-18, updated.
The above events have been added to the "SLEDevents in SL" public Google calendar, which may be viewed in your web browser at:
This site shows the event times in SL time.
Google subscribers who add the SLEDevents in SL calendar to their calendar list will see the event times converted automatically to their own local time zone.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
NRHM Call for Papers
Fwd from Ed Lamoureux
Call for PapersNew Review of Hypermedia and MultimediaEditor: Doug TudhopeAssociate Editor: Daniel CunliffeFaculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan, UKSubmission deadline: January 16, 2008Acceptance notification: February 27, 2008Final manuscripts due: April 9, 2008NRHM covers hypermedia, hypertext, interactive multimedia and relatedtechnologies.We invite papers on the following topics and related issues:- Conceptual basis of hypertext systemscognitive aspectsdesign strategies- Intelligent and adaptive hypermediaknowledge representationknowledge organisation systems and servicesthe semantic web- Multimedia issuestime and synchronisation; link dynamicsaudio/image/video processing and compressioncontent-based retrieval- Interactionnavigation and browsing; search systems;studies of information seeking and navigation behaviour; testing andevaluationuser interfaces; multi-modal interaction- Tools for hypermedia(automatic) authoring systems- Applications in business, commerce, digital libraries, e-learning,information management, the professions, publishing, and publicadministration, etc.The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia (NRHM) is published byTaylor & Francis and appears in both print and digital formats. For moredetails and indicative topics, see the journal website:Submissions may take the form of research papers or shorter technicalnotes and should be sent by email to the editors, preferably in pdfformat. Questions and enquiries are welcome.
Call for Expressions of Interest - International Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning Research Inst
by Ole Brudvik
Title: Call for Expressions of Interest to contribute to a proposed International Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning Research Institute
This is a general call for academics and practitioners involved or interested in the field of Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning (using environments such as Second Life) to express their interest in contributing to or being associated with an International Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning Research Institute. The range of research and development that the proposed Institute would support is intentionally left open, but could include projects such as investigating the efficacy of various virtual reality learning designs, researching the sociological and psychological aspects of learning in virtual reality environments, and the success with which tools and scripts can be applied across different curricula.
Interested parties can nominate roles that they would like to perform, which may include
* advice on the policies of the Institute and the services it provides
* research and development in conjunction with the Institute (utilising support services that would be provided by the Institute)
* evaluation of Institute performance.
If you are interested in becoming involved with the proposed Institute, please provide an Expression of Interest (of no longer than one page) outlining your experience with VREs or related technology based learning applications, any research experience, the reasons for your interest in becoming associated, and the ways in which you would like to be involved. Please return all Expressions of Interest no later than 9th August 2007.
Prospective contributors would form part of a Carrick Grant Application to establish the Institute. This initiative is being lead by Professor John Hedberg, Macquarie University Australia.
This is a general call for academics and practitioners involved or interested in the field of Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning (using environments such as Second Life) to express their interest in contributing to or being associated with an International Virtual Reality Teaching and Learning Research Institute. The range of research and development that the proposed Institute would support is intentionally left open, but could include projects such as investigating the efficacy of various virtual reality learning designs, researching the sociological and psychological aspects of learning in virtual reality environments, and the success with which tools and scripts can be applied across different curricula.
Interested parties can nominate roles that they would like to perform, which may include
* advice on the policies of the Institute and the services it provides
* research and development in conjunction with the Institute (utilising support services that would be provided by the Institute)
* evaluation of Institute performance.
If you are interested in becoming involved with the proposed Institute, please provide an Expression of Interest (of no longer than one page) outlining your experience with VREs or related technology based learning applications, any research experience, the reasons for your interest in becoming associated, and the ways in which you would like to be involved. Please return all Expressions of Interest no later than 9th August 2007.
Prospective contributors would form part of a Carrick Grant Application to establish the Institute. This initiative is being lead by Professor John Hedberg, Macquarie University Australia.
Fwd: [Slrl] Social capital in Second Life
by Kim Holmberg
We are researching social capital in Second life and we want to invite
you to take part of our survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather
information on the users of Second Life and their perceptions on the
social dimensions of the service. We are grateful for your commitment
and appreciate highly the time you spend answering this survey. The
survey is accessible at https://survey.istohuvila.fi/index.php?sid=5
We are researching social capital in Second life and we want to invite
you to take part of our survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather
information on the users of Second Life and their perceptions on the
social dimensions of the service. We are grateful for your commitment
and appreciate highly the time you spend answering this survey. The
survey is accessible at https://survey.istohuvila.fi/index.php?sid=5
Introduction—Music Academy Online (In-world)
by Dave Schwartz
Dear Fellow SL Educators,
Music Academy Online, http://www.musicacademyonline.com/, is a real world entity. Our goal is to stimulate interest in Western art music. Accordingly, Music Academy Online will bring together musicians, scholars, educators, orchestras and ensembles, academic and other institutions, and vendors in order to provide music lovers with a completely unique online environment in which to foster and cultivate their appreciation and passion for music.
We are very excited about the possibilities Second Life provides for merging commerce and education. Our facilities in Second Life will include classrooms with audio/video capabilities, screening rooms, museum displays, interactive exhibits, a lecture and recital hall, open air concert space, holodecks and an in-world staff. Our desire is to also make our facilities available to third party educators.
While our specialty is music, we would also look forward to working with diverse disciplines in order to explore the cultural and social contexts for Western art music.
We are located at Nowee (108, 127, 3). We welcome your visit and any feedback you may have. If interested, we would love to give you an in-world tour. Feel free to contact me at your convenience for any reason.
Sincerely,
David Thomas Schwartz, Ph.D. (SL: Benton Wunderlich)
CEO, Music Academy Online, Inc.
Music Academy Online, Inc.
Santa Barbara, CA
ANNOUNCING: SLCC '07 Education Workshop schedule
by Jeremy Kemp
We are very pleased to formally announce the schedule
for this year's Second Life Education Workshop at the
Chicago Hilton, Friday August 24th through Sunday
August 26th, 2007.
http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=SLCC_2007_Schedule
Lead Sponsor: NMC Virtual Worlds
Over 30 academics from four countries will speak. We
are estimating attendance for the education track to
be 200+, up from 80 in 2006. See:
http://tinyurl.com/2b9nqj
We are still finalizing the in-world event locations.
The entire program is being streamed into SL, and we
should have several hosting locations set up. There
will also be a few events happening in-world only.
For information on the Second Life Community
Convention itself, see: http://slcc2007.wordpress.com/
See you in Chicago!
We are very pleased to formally announce the schedule
for this year's Second Life Education Workshop at the
Chicago Hilton, Friday August 24th through Sunday
August 26th, 2007.
http://simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=SLCC_2007_Schedule
Lead Sponsor: NMC Virtual Worlds
Over 30 academics from four countries will speak. We
are estimating attendance for the education track to
be 200+, up from 80 in 2006. See:
http://tinyurl.com/2b9nqj
We are still finalizing the in-world event locations.
The entire program is being streamed into SL, and we
should have several hosting locations set up. There
will also be a few events happening in-world only.
For information on the Second Life Community
Convention itself, see: http://slcc2007.wordpress.com/
See you in Chicago!
SLCC Fellowship Awardees announced by NMC
by Alan Levine
We've just announced the winners of NMC's sponsorship for 3 educators to attend the Second Life Community Convention later this month. Congrats go to:
** AJ Brooks -- Montclair State University
** Johnmac Maverick -- Monroe College
** GrandMasterFoo Woodget -- Minneapolis Public Schools
These fellowships are part of the NMC's planned presence at SLCC in Chicago later this month, where the New Media Consortium and its Second Life unit NMC Virtual Worlds have agreed to serve as the lead sponsor for the Education Track at the conference.
More details
Design on eLearning - 2nd International Conference, London...
by Anna Robinson
Designs on eLearning
2nd International Conference
Teaching and Learning with Technology in Art, Design and Communication.
hosted by the University of the Arts, London on the 12th - 14th September 2007.
Charles Saumarez Smith , the Director of the National Gallery will open the conference and Gráinne ConoleProfessor of e-Learning at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University will deliver the Keynote address.
Designs on eLearning
2nd International Conference
Teaching and Learning with Technology in Art, Design and Communication.
hosted by the University of the Arts, London on the 12th - 14th September 2007.
Charles Saumarez Smith , the Director of the National Gallery will open the conference and Gráinne ConoleProfessor of e-Learning at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University will deliver the Keynote address.
The conference aims to cast light on established practice in the field, on innovations in teaching and learning with technology, on the challenges and successes presented by the visual nature of our discipline, and on the benefits of online and blended learning.
It aims to build on the success of Designs on eLearning 2005 and on the subsequent Online Conference and Symposium in disseminating and promoting good practice, primarily but not exclusively, in art, design and communication.
3695 SLED list subscribers
by Jeff Hiles
FYI:
There are currently 3695 members of this email list, according to Claudia Linden. I find such numbers useful when talking with faculty and administrators about education in Second Life.
FYI:
There are currently 3695 members of this email list, according to Claudia Linden. I find such numbers useful when talking with faculty and administrators about education in Second Life.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Universities use of SL
by Karine Joly
I wrote a piece for University Business including some examples in June:
http://www.universitybusiness.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=797
Hope this helps.
I wrote a piece for University Business including some examples in June:
http://www.universitybusiness.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=797
Hope this helps.
SL + Wii remote
by Jeremy Kemp
See a Wired write-up today about an MIT prof talking
about connecting the Wiimote with SL for low-cost
training sims:
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/07/wiimote
---
Wii + Second Life = New Training Simulator
Steve Mollman Email 07.27.07 2:00 AM
Nintendo games have made the Wii controller a
satisfyingly realistic controller for pretend tennis,
golf and baseball. But how about using it to practice
doing surgery, applying pesticides or operating a
nuclear power plant?
Real-world simulations like these are perfectly suited
to Nintendo's Wiimote, says MIT research fellow David
E. Stone. In fact, he claims the motion-sensitive
controller is "one of the most significant technology
breakthroughs in the history of computer science." Say
what?
For Stone, the Wiimote is the key to building
realistic training simulators within the virtual world
of Second Life. He is helping companies and
universities do that through his WorldWired
consultancy. Clients include a company interested in
training workers for its power plants, a manufacturer
of medical devices and pest-control firm Orkin.
See a Wired write-up today about an MIT prof talking
about connecting the Wiimote with SL for low-cost
training sims:
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/07/wiimote
---
Wii + Second Life = New Training Simulator
Steve Mollman Email 07.27.07 2:00 AM
Nintendo games have made the Wii controller a
satisfyingly realistic controller for pretend tennis,
golf and baseball. But how about using it to practice
doing surgery, applying pesticides or operating a
nuclear power plant?
Real-world simulations like these are perfectly suited
to Nintendo's Wiimote, says MIT research fellow David
E. Stone. In fact, he claims the motion-sensitive
controller is "one of the most significant technology
breakthroughs in the history of computer science." Say
what?
For Stone, the Wiimote is the key to building
realistic training simulators within the virtual world
of Second Life. He is helping companies and
universities do that through his WorldWired
consultancy. Clients include a company interested in
training workers for its power plants, a manufacturer
of medical devices and pest-control firm Orkin.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Videos/Slide Shows about SL and Education
by Alan and Phil
In response to a request for videos about SL...
There have been a number of presentations explaining Second Life posted to various places on the web. However, the specifics of what is going to make a compelling case for Charles Darwin University to enter this community are at least in part dependent on the local issues that address the goals and initiatives that your institution has already set forth in its strategic planning agenda.
Second Life for Education - Slides used in a short presentation for University of Alaska Fairbanks IT Day highlighting how 3D virtual worlds and SL specifically are being used in education
http://www.slideshare.net/iconolith/second-life-for-education
Second Life in 3600 Seconds - An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of Second Life, with particular reference to its use in education.
http://www.slideshare.net/eduservfoundation/second-life-in-3600-seconds
and of course, your Australian colleagues at Wollongong
An Introduction to Second Life - An Introduction to Second Life, it's basic characteristics and the educational possibilities it presents
http://www.slideshare.net/jokay/introduction-to-second-life/
These are just a few of those on the Slideshare.net site (search term = Second life) I'm sure others on the list have some suggestions for you but this might get you started, or get you through as source from which you can modify things to suit your local needs.
ALSO...
http://www.slideshare.net/nmc/second-life-at-mit/
and others from NMC 2007:
A View From Second Life Trenches: Are You A Pioneer or Settler (Cynthia Calongne)
http://www.slideshare.net/nmc/a-view-from-second-lifes-trenches-are-you-a-pioneer-or-a-settler
Building OneCleveland in Second Life
http://www.slideshare.net/shick06/building-onecleveland-in-second-life/
I'm not so sure a presenter-less presentation always gets the message- videos get the message across better - we've recently lobbed about 70 Sl related education videos into a YouTube playlist and others we track at:
http://sl.nmc.org/wiki/Intro_videos
In response to a request for videos about SL...
There have been a number of presentations explaining Second Life posted to various places on the web. However, the specifics of what is going to make a compelling case for Charles Darwin University to enter this community are at least in part dependent on the local issues that address the goals and initiatives that your institution has already set forth in its strategic planning agenda.
Second Life for Education - Slides used in a short presentation for University of Alaska Fairbanks IT Day highlighting how 3D virtual worlds and SL specifically are being used in education
http://www.slideshare.net/iconolith/second-life-for-education
Second Life in 3600 Seconds - An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of Second Life, with particular reference to its use in education.
http://www.slideshare.net/eduservfoundation/second-life-in-3600-seconds
and of course, your Australian colleagues at Wollongong
An Introduction to Second Life - An Introduction to Second Life, it's basic characteristics and the educational possibilities it presents
http://www.slideshare.net/jokay/introduction-to-second-life/
These are just a few of those on the Slideshare.net site (search term = Second life) I'm sure others on the list have some suggestions for you but this might get you started, or get you through as source from which you can modify things to suit your local needs.
ALSO...
http://www.slideshare.net/nmc/second-life-at-mit/
and others from NMC 2007:
A View From Second Life Trenches: Are You A Pioneer or Settler (Cynthia Calongne)
http://www.slideshare.net/nmc/a-view-from-second-lifes-trenches-are-you-a-pioneer-or-a-settler
Building OneCleveland in Second Life
http://www.slideshare.net/shick06/building-onecleveland-in-second-life/
I'm not so sure a presenter-less presentation always gets the message- videos get the message across better - we've recently lobbed about 70 Sl related education videos into a YouTube playlist and others we track at:
http://sl.nmc.org/wiki/Intro_videos
NMC Sponsors SLCC edu track, registrations for 3 teachers
by Alan Levine
http://virtualworlds.nmc.org/2007/07/25/slcc07/
The NMC is sponsoring the Education track at the Second Life Community Convention conference next month in Chicago. As part of our sponsorship, we plan to support three registrations from educators active in Second Life who would like to attend the conference by covering their registration fee with an NMC Fellowship.
To take advantage of this — $185 value — send Larry Pixel a notecard in world explaining how attending SLCC will help you further your professional goals in the coming year, along with your institutional affiliation. Any practicing educator is eligible.
We will select the entries August 1 and announce the fellowships here. Come to SLCC in Chicago!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Instituto Cervantes in Second Life
by Giulio Prisco
The virtual headquarters of Instituto Cervantes in Second Life
recreate the representative building of calle Alcalá in Madrid. With
this initiative, Instituto Cervantes places itself at the forefront of
Spanish cultural institutions with own presence in Second Life, in
line with other prestigious international institutions and
organizations. The Cervantes Island has been designed and produced by
Metafuturing, S.L., a company based in Madrid and specialized in
Second Life, Virtual Reality and Internet services.
http://tendencias21.net/metaverso/index.php?action=article&numero=11
Instituto Cervantes is a worldwide non-profit organization created by
the Spanish government in 1991. It is the largest organization in the
world concerned with the teaching of Spanish, and it maintains a
presence in over twenty different countries throughout 54 centers
devoted to the Spanish and Hispanic American culture and Spanish
Language. The mission of Instituto Cervantes is to promote the
teaching, study, and use of Spanish as a second language and to
contribute to the advancement of the Spanish and Hispanic American
cultures throughout non-Spanish speaking countries. The Institute is
named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), the most important figure
in the history of Spanish literature.
The virtual headquarters of Instituto Cervantes in Second Life
recreate the representative building of calle Alcalá in Madrid. With
this initiative, Instituto Cervantes places itself at the forefront of
Spanish cultural institutions with own presence in Second Life, in
line with other prestigious international institutions and
organizations. The Cervantes Island has been designed and produced by
Metafuturing, S.L., a company based in Madrid and specialized in
Second Life, Virtual Reality and Internet services.
http://tendencias21.net/metaverso/index.php?action=article&numero=11
Instituto Cervantes is a worldwide non-profit organization created by
the Spanish government in 1991. It is the largest organization in the
world concerned with the teaching of Spanish, and it maintains a
presence in over twenty different countries throughout 54 centers
devoted to the Spanish and Hispanic American culture and Spanish
Language. The mission of Instituto Cervantes is to promote the
teaching, study, and use of Spanish as a second language and to
contribute to the advancement of the Spanish and Hispanic American
cultures throughout non-Spanish speaking countries. The Institute is
named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), the most important figure
in the history of Spanish literature.
Fwd: [SLED] NMC Conference Posters - On the Screen At the Gonick
by Alan Levine
The poster presentations from the NMC 2007 Summer Conference will continue to be available this week on the Green at the Gonick Amphitheater on NMC Campus (NMC Campus 113,100,26 or http://tinyurl.com/nraap )
For a recap, see: http://sl.nmc.org/2007/07/20/2007-posters/ and listen to an audio interview we did using the voice client:
Also, we are trying to rotate the content on the Gonick Amphitheater. Playing now is:
* Center Screen -University of British Columbia's Center of Excellence Video from the conference
* Audio channel and right screen- audio and slides from Anya Ixchel's presentation at the conference on "Please, Play, Participation, Promise"
A New and Improved SL Video Jukebox
by Alan Levine
I've tossed my YouTube playlist in lieu of a new web video collection of education oriented clips (now at 84) at:
Vodpod provides a browser tool that allows you to add new clips from almost any flash format web video site. It provides a slick embedded player:
But what I really like is others can "join" this pod and help add to the collection. Add yours today!
NMC Buzz Article
by Zak Carter
Hot off the press!
http://www.slnn.com/index.php/article/about/teachers-say/page/1.html
Hot off the press!
http://www.slnn.com/index.php/article/about/teachers-say/page/1.html
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Virtual campus could aid in emergency
by Pathfinder Linden
The University of New Orleans has a plan for keeping instruction going and holding onto its students in the event of another Hurricane Katrina-like disaster, and it involves holding classes in the online virtual world "Second Life."
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7171
The University of New Orleans has a plan for keeping instruction going and holding onto its students in the event of another Hurricane Katrina-like disaster, and it involves holding classes in the online virtual world "Second Life."
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=7171
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Diversity Role Play
by Alan Levine
I did a little activity with colleagues at Johns Hopkins as a demo for a university diversity committee-- I played the part of a candidate for a position, and the rather conservative hiring committee has an adverse reaction to me being "furry" ;-)
The voice feature in the FirstLook client helped a lot to play this out-- audio issues prevented a recording, but we have pictures and the script:
Avatar as Communication
by Orion Pozo
The Avatar as Communication by Dr. Angela Thomas (Anya Ixchel) is a slide set
http://www.slideshare.net/anya/the-avatar-as-communication
I found quite interesting on the topic of avatar creation. The quote that caught me up is in slide 12: "The avatar is a direct telephone line to the soul."
The Avatar as Communication by Dr. Angela Thomas (Anya Ixchel) is a slide set
http://www.slideshare.net/anya/the-avatar-as-communication
I found quite interesting on the topic of avatar creation. The quote that caught me up is in slide 12: "The avatar is a direct telephone line to the soul."
Phila Inquirer
by Beth Ritter-Guth
Literature Alive! and inworld librarians had a nice write up in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070715_Second_Life_literati_create_book_world.html
Literature Alive! and inworld librarians had a nice write up in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070715_Second_Life_literati_create_book_world.html
German language introduction to learning in virtual worlds
by Willy Hegel
one of my (german language) presentations about learning in virtual
worlds has been recorded by the friendly techies from Technical
University of Munich using Lecturnity. It's available at:
http://www.lrr.in.tum.de/~electum/videos/elf_secondlife_060629/
...thought it might be useful for some of the german speaking members
of this list.
P.S.: Realplayer required
one of my (german language) presentations about learning in virtual
worlds has been recorded by the friendly techies from Technical
University of Munich using Lecturnity. It's available at:
http://www.lrr.in.tum.de/~electum/videos/elf_secondlife_060629/
...thought it might be useful for some of the german speaking members
of this list.
P.S.: Realplayer required
Invite (event on 19 July, 12 pm SLT)
by Mark Mullis
Join other educators and friends for a gathering on MCLC 1 and 2 on Thursday
19th July:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/MCLC2/127/167/28
We hope the evening to pan out as follows:
(But we dont like structure so be warned:)
12pm pst (8pm UK time) gathering at MCLC2 for networking and sharing - take a look at the bits and pieces the Middlesbrough city learning centre have been putting together for teacher courses.
12.45pm pst (8.45pm) Discussion at 'The pit' follow the yellow brick road.(Our project focus is on Learning and not education - looking at re-imagining education in light of what we now know about learning and using the new emerging tools and technologies. This will steer our discussion)
1.30 pst (9.30pm) Party on MCLC1 - you need to be there!
(IM Marc Nomura)
Join other educators and friends for a gathering on MCLC 1 and 2 on Thursday
19th July:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/MCLC2/127/167/28
We hope the evening to pan out as follows:
(But we dont like structure so be warned:)
12pm pst (8pm UK time) gathering at MCLC2 for networking and sharing - take a look at the bits and pieces the Middlesbrough city learning centre have been putting together for teacher courses.
12.45pm pst (8.45pm) Discussion at 'The pit' follow the yellow brick road.(Our project focus is on Learning and not education - looking at re-imagining education in light of what we now know about learning and using the new emerging tools and technologies. This will steer our discussion)
1.30 pst (9.30pm) Party on MCLC1 - you need to be there!
(IM Marc Nomura)
Sl Problem-basedlearning (24 July at 2 pm UK time)
by Maggi Savin-Baden
Some of us in the UK are interested in developing innovative learning in
Second Life, particularly Problem-based learning
If any of you want to join us we are meeting on Coventry University at
2pm (UK time) Tuesday 24th July on Coventry University Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Coventry%20University/147/34/37/
Some of us in the UK are interested in developing innovative learning in
Second Life, particularly Problem-based learning
If any of you want to join us we are meeting on Coventry University at
2pm (UK time) Tuesday 24th July on Coventry University Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Coventry%20University/147/34/37/
Library developments in Second Life (survey)
by John Kirriemuir
My name is John Kirriemuir -www.silversprite.com - or in SL, I'm Silversprite Helsinki.
I'm doing a survey on real-world libraries (public, academic, specalist, private) that have been recreated, or branched out, into Second Life. Some of the results will get presented at the 2007 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium next week (come to Chicago!), others will be summarised into an open publication that will link from this list.
Are you involved in developing or running such a library in SL? If so, I'd appreciate the answers to a few questions. Please be aware that answers may end up in a presentation or open summary, so please don't put in anything you don't want made public:
- What was the reason for making a library in SL? Why was it set up? Who is, or was, the target audience?
- What functionality is in the library i.e. what kind of interactive "stuff" have you put into it?
- What resources (person hours) were needed to develop it, and was this official work time or self/hobby time?
- Do you have a funding source, or official sanction?
- How "busy" has the structure or facility been, e.g. for a meeting space, how many meetings have taken place and how many people have attended?
- Have there been real-world impacts, e.g. a person started using a library in the real world because they encountered it in SL?
Any response would be much appreciated.
Please send responses to [john -at- silversprite (dot) com] - I'll collate and link to a summary from here in a while.
My name is John Kirriemuir -www.silversprite.com - or in SL, I'm Silversprite Helsinki.
I'm doing a survey on real-world libraries (public, academic, specalist, private) that have been recreated, or branched out, into Second Life. Some of the results will get presented at the 2007 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium next week (come to Chicago!), others will be summarised into an open publication that will link from this list.
Are you involved in developing or running such a library in SL? If so, I'd appreciate the answers to a few questions. Please be aware that answers may end up in a presentation or open summary, so please don't put in anything you don't want made public:
- What was the reason for making a library in SL? Why was it set up? Who is, or was, the target audience?
- What functionality is in the library i.e. what kind of interactive "stuff" have you put into it?
- What resources (person hours) were needed to develop it, and was this official work time or self/hobby time?
- Do you have a funding source, or official sanction?
- How "busy" has the structure or facility been, e.g. for a meeting space, how many meetings have taken place and how many people have attended?
- Have there been real-world impacts, e.g. a person started using a library in the real world because they encountered it in SL?
Any response would be much appreciated.
Please send responses to [john -at- silversprite (dot) com] - I'll collate and link to a summary from here in a while.
NMC Conference Posters on the Green July 20-27
by Alan Levine
For the second year we are bringing to Second Life the poster presentations from the 2007 NMC Summer Conference, held this year in Indianapolis.
We hope to have all 23 posters represented, including "Blueprint For an Integrated Learning and Portfolio System", "Can You Hear Me Now? Pilot Study of Classroom Recording Technologies", "Digital Asset Management: Beyond the Repository", "OpenCourseWare: It's Not Just MIT Anymore", "Using VRML and Flash to Teach Three Dimensional Coordinate Space", "You Don't Know Meningitis: Injecting Interactivity Into Health Education", and much more. Each poster will have information available on notecards, as well as links to relevant web sites
The posters will be on display July 20-27 on the main NMC Campus sim, on the grassy areas surrounding the Gonick Amphitheater (NMC Campus 113,100,26, http://tinyurl.com/nraap), If you have not joined one of the NMC Campus groups, you must do so ahead of time at http://sl.nmc.org/join/ (necessary for teleporting to many of our sims).
We invite you to join us this Friday July 20, for the opening, 1:00-3:00 PM SLT/PDT (check local time http://timeanddate.com/s/f79) to meet the presenters in world. Strap on your headsets and the FirstLook client, and you can talk via in world audio- NMC Campus is audio enabled.
During the week, we will also provide audio, video, and slideshows form the conference on the screens at the Gonick. Full info at http://sl.nmc.org/2007/07/12/posters-2/
The word is there will be a version of the People's Choice award winner "Seeing Sideways" poster which in Indy was displayed as an actual, RL refrigerator (psss http://flickr.com/photos/nmc-campus/831829353/)
Any questions about this event IM myself or Ninmah Ash. We hope you can join us Friday or any time next week "on the green".
Avastar.com Article
by Douglas Danforth
The July 6 issue (Issue 29) of The Avastar (www.the-avastar.com) has a nice piece on Princeton's SL University initiative as well as a brief blurb on other Universities in SL.
A must watch new machinima from Robbie Dingo
by Nick Noakes
Watch the Worlds - you have to watch this!
http://tinyurl.com/2n7rr4
Download from Robbie's blog in high, medium and low quality version, and
also on YouTube
Watch the Worlds - you have to watch this!
http://tinyurl.com/2n7rr4
Download from Robbie's blog in high, medium and low quality version, and
also on YouTube
Rent a lecture hall
by Jeremy Hunsinger
i'm not sure why anyone would need a lecture hall unless you have an
outside speaker and expect a huge audience... but even then most
'lecture halls' will only sit 40 or less. some lecture halls will
sit up to 140-160 if they are built correctly and the corresponding
sims are managed well.
however, if you are thinking of lecturing to your students or having
your students sit in a lecture hall..... you are pretty much missing
the point of sl.
in sl... you have instant messenger to groups
in sl, your students can put a video on a prim anywhere they have
permissions
these two things negate any need the professor might have to have
them copresent.
other than that, you can check out the lecture halls in kula, there
are 2 of those, then there is the rubyist meeting location which is
one of the best 'unclassrooms' around, i think. everything in kula
is free to use, just let us know that you are using it and when, so
we can avoid scheduling conflicts.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%201/249/8/28/ is the slurl of the main ampitheater seats 160 or so, needs to be scheduled through me
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%204/199/53/21/ is the slurl of the creative commons small ampitheater should be scheduled
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/86/125/21/ the rccosmos mini hall, great for panel discussions
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/212/204/27/ the rubyists 'unclassroom'
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/224/60/68/ where i meet with my students
if you want to know more about what we do in kula....
http://movies.tmttlt.com/kula_video.mov
i'm not sure why anyone would need a lecture hall unless you have an
outside speaker and expect a huge audience... but even then most
'lecture halls' will only sit 40 or less. some lecture halls will
sit up to 140-160 if they are built correctly and the corresponding
sims are managed well.
however, if you are thinking of lecturing to your students or having
your students sit in a lecture hall..... you are pretty much missing
the point of sl.
in sl... you have instant messenger to groups
in sl, your students can put a video on a prim anywhere they have
permissions
these two things negate any need the professor might have to have
them copresent.
other than that, you can check out the lecture halls in kula, there
are 2 of those, then there is the rubyist meeting location which is
one of the best 'unclassrooms' around, i think. everything in kula
is free to use, just let us know that you are using it and when, so
we can avoid scheduling conflicts.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%201/249/8/28/ is the slurl of the main ampitheater seats 160 or so, needs to be scheduled through me
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%204/199/53/21/ is the slurl of the creative commons small ampitheater should be scheduled
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/86/125/21/ the rccosmos mini hall, great for panel discussions
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/212/204/27/ the rubyists 'unclassroom'
http://slurl.com/secondlife/kula%203/224/60/68/ where i meet with my students
if you want to know more about what we do in kula....
http://movies.tmttlt.com/kula_video.mov
Holodecks
by Nick Noakes
Concerning a question about Holodecks in SL..
I've been using the Drifting Thoughts (DT) rezzer since last December on
Boracay for group access, so students and teachers can have the learning
arrangements (seating and tools) they need, when they need them. The DT
rezzer works really well (although I think it cost a lot less than 2000
back then). I've used Rex-Faux for backing up and packing up permanent
builds on the island. The DT rezzer uses absolute coordinates on the
sim, whereas Res-Faux uses coordinates relative to the position of the
rezzer. I've found both to be easy to use.
The main Holodeck 'scene' rezzers, most of which have been mentioned,
are the Paradise Blanket, Stephane's Virtual Reality Room (although that
is a little different but I think is great), Production Holodeck (you
can pick up a demo but the menu system is a bit complicated),
Hyperstring.net (simple to use), Horizons (good customer support). I
noticed that the Horizon's demo holodeck also had a different VRR inside
it as one of the modules, which is neat. Search for Holodeck on SLX and
you will no doubt get more.
The main advantage I see of the scene ones is that they give you a menu
system. The disadvantages though are that they are relative and you
don't see what it is in advance, but only get a menu button with a max
of 11 or so characters. I've found both Rez-Faux and DT Rezzer also to
be very easy to use and have each rezzible item separately with a pic of
each, so people can decide what to rez (but then these aren't scenes).
I've just created a couple of rezzible 'exhibition' tours for teachers
(e.g. an educational spaces tour and, thanks to Farley Scarborough, a
large corporations in SL tour). The next exhibition I will work on is a
student project exhibition.
I'll hopefully be showcasing some of this at the upcoming NMC Building &
Creativity conference next month in SL.
Concerning a question about Holodecks in SL..
I've been using the Drifting Thoughts (DT) rezzer since last December on
Boracay for group access, so students and teachers can have the learning
arrangements (seating and tools) they need, when they need them. The DT
rezzer works really well (although I think it cost a lot less than 2000
back then). I've used Rex-Faux for backing up and packing up permanent
builds on the island. The DT rezzer uses absolute coordinates on the
sim, whereas Res-Faux uses coordinates relative to the position of the
rezzer. I've found both to be easy to use.
The main Holodeck 'scene' rezzers, most of which have been mentioned,
are the Paradise Blanket, Stephane's Virtual Reality Room (although that
is a little different but I think is great), Production Holodeck (you
can pick up a demo but the menu system is a bit complicated),
Hyperstring.net (simple to use), Horizons (good customer support). I
noticed that the Horizon's demo holodeck also had a different VRR inside
it as one of the modules, which is neat. Search for Holodeck on SLX and
you will no doubt get more.
The main advantage I see of the scene ones is that they give you a menu
system. The disadvantages though are that they are relative and you
don't see what it is in advance, but only get a menu button with a max
of 11 or so characters. I've found both Rez-Faux and DT Rezzer also to
be very easy to use and have each rezzible item separately with a pic of
each, so people can decide what to rez (but then these aren't scenes).
I've just created a couple of rezzible 'exhibition' tours for teachers
(e.g. an educational spaces tour and, thanks to Farley Scarborough, a
large corporations in SL tour). The next exhibition I will work on is a
student project exhibition.
I'll hopefully be showcasing some of this at the upcoming NMC Building &
Creativity conference next month in SL.
Friday, July 13, 2007
AT LAST! 15 Videos up from James Paul Gee in Secnd Life
by Barry Joseph
In May of 2007, an avatar contest was held on Global Kids island in Teen Second Life. James Paul Gee, the noted professor, came to Global Kids to try on the various avatars -- such as a chicken, a cyberninja and a dragon -- while reflecting on a variety of issues related to games, learning, avatars and online identity.
The following sixteen videos show brief excerpts from his visit:
1. Introduction
2. On Games and Learning
3. On Having a Body in a Virtual world
4. On Modding and Thinking Like a Designer
5. On Being a 59-year Old Balding White Man
6. On Choosing Identity as a Strategy
7. On Video Games as Art
8. On Avatars as a Surrogate Body
9. On Politicians, Second Life, and the Freedom to Offend
10. On Second Life and Youth Entrepreneurship
11. On the Flattening World
12. On Doing versus Knowing
13. On Game Addiction
14. On the Value of Fantasy
15. Farewells
15. Farewells
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Dante's Inferno
by Beth Ritter-Guth
Literature Alive! is happy to announce the launch of Dante's Inferno and Gloria Naylor's Linden Hills at http://slurl.com/secondlife/NMC%20Campus%205/224/14/55
Many thanks to Larry Pixel at NMC for donating the temporary space, and to Eloise Pasteur for volunteering her time and efforts in building.and scripting.
Literature Alive! is happy to announce the launch of Dante's Inferno and Gloria Naylor's Linden Hills at http://slurl.com/secondlife/NMC%20Campus%205/224/14/55
Many thanks to Larry Pixel at NMC for donating the temporary space, and to Eloise Pasteur for volunteering her time and efforts in building.and scripting.
Globe Theatre Grand Opening
Globe Theatre Grand Opening
Renaissance Island (204, 45, 27).
Sunday, July 22, 2007
1 PM-6PM
.
The original Globe Theatre opened a few years back in the Autumn of 1599 in Southwark on the River Thames. Join our scholar and builder as they discuss the history of this remarkable Elizabethan theatre.
. There will be two discussions/Q & A sessions, fireworks, and a dance, too! Not to worry--William Prynne will not be reading from his loathsome Histriomastix against theatre and dancing. Do feel free to wear your favorite Renaissance/Tudor period attire! (Visitors will find free attire in the welcome center located at 69, 183, 150).
.
Here is the schedule:
.
1-2PM Discussion by Dolgoruky Umarov (in RL Dolgo has a PhD in English and Theatre Arts and has performed in 4 major Shakespearean roles; he has also researched the Globe Theatre extensively). Dolgo will be joined by Globe builder extraordinaire Charlene Trudeau. A Q & A Session will follow.
.
2-5PM Globe(al) Dance Party with Fireworks around 3.
.
5-6PM Dolgoruky and Charlene will repeat their earlier program
.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Summer Of Love Music Festival
by Chris Hambly
I'm putting this early email out to inform you of the Summer Of love Music Festival, taking place on the sim of AUDIO August 3&4.
The wiki has only just gone up but I want to share this with you guys very early so you can book a space/slot for yourself, either performing, or reading or some such activity. As well as the main events I can see potential for you to place posters with info about your services etc.
Do get in touch off list.
The wiki is here:
http://audiocourses.pbwiki.com/summer-love
I'm putting this early email out to inform you of the Summer Of love Music Festival, taking place on the sim of AUDIO August 3&4.
The wiki has only just gone up but I want to share this with you guys very early so you can book a space/slot for yourself, either performing, or reading or some such activity. As well as the main events I can see potential for you to place posters with info about your services etc.
Do get in touch off list.
The wiki is here:
http://audiocourses.pbwiki.com/summer-love
Exhibition in SL
by Julia Gaimster
I always enjoy reading this list and thought I would reciprocate by inviting you all to our Graduate Showcase. http://slurl.com/secondlife/London%20College%20of%20Fashion/137/194/25
This is a selection of images from the showcase we recently held in the London College of Fashion. I have tried to incorporate some innovative ways of displaying images but would be really grateful for any ideas on how to improve this. It is my first build so there are some glitches if you look too closely. It has been a very educational experience and I have to thank Ripple Savard for help with the scripting. The rest of the island is yet to be developed and we are going to involve staff and students in decisions about what we create and how we use it. We are not aiming to replicate the college but to create areas that enable creative thinking and activities and we are keen to develop collaborative projects using the space.
On another topic I am conducting some research about emotions and interactions in virtual environments and would love to hear from anyone who would like to share their experiences with me.
I always enjoy reading this list and thought I would reciprocate by inviting you all to our Graduate Showcase. http://slurl.com/secondlife/London%20College%20of%20Fashion/137/194/25
This is a selection of images from the showcase we recently held in the London College of Fashion. I have tried to incorporate some innovative ways of displaying images but would be really grateful for any ideas on how to improve this. It is my first build so there are some glitches if you look too closely. It has been a very educational experience and I have to thank Ripple Savard for help with the scripting. The rest of the island is yet to be developed and we are going to involve staff and students in decisions about what we create and how we use it. We are not aiming to replicate the college but to create areas that enable creative thinking and activities and we are keen to develop collaborative projects using the space.
On another topic I am conducting some research about emotions and interactions in virtual environments and would love to hear from anyone who would like to share their experiences with me.
Monroe College grand opening
by Barbara E. McMullen
MONROE COLLEGE OFFICE OF ONLINE LEARNING INTERNSHIPS
MONROE COLLEGE OFFICE OF ONLINE LEARNING INTERNSHIPS
INVITATION
A WESTERN HOE DOWN!
SPREAD THE WORD, ALL ARE INVITED!
The Monroe College Second Life campus is hosting its grand opening and open house on Sunday, July 22, 2007 from noon to 8 pm. We invite you to celebrate with us the ongoing work of the Monroe Office of Online Learning Internships.
• Enjoy an old fashioned hayride.
The Monroe College hay wagon and horse will start around NMC's Teaching Island starting at Monroe College every hour on the hour, starting at noon with the last ride beginning at 7 pm. It will make stops at the following locations on the island where you can disembark or embark before returning to the Monroe SL campus.
Start: Monroe College
Stop 1: New York University
Stop 2: Harper College
Stop 3: Sloan Consortium
Stop 4: Darton College
Stop 5: Williams College
Stop 6: Wright State University
Stop 7: Clemson University
Stop 8: UW Bothell
Stop 9: Cochise College
Stop 10: Global Kids
Stop 11: Monroe College Hoe Down
Stop 12: University of Wisconsin – Madison
Last stop: Monroe College Office of Online Learning Internships
• Dance all day.
Grab your partner and dosado! Square dance to the music and calls of the Monroe College Country Band.
Come dressed for a hoe down. Ladies and gents, we will have dance dresses and other western outfits for you to use if you don't know what to wear.
• Eat until you burst.
A Texas barbeque will be cookin up all the ribs, dogs, and burgers you can eat. The barbecue is next to the tent that is covering the dance floor. When you can't eat any more, join the dancers on the floor and burn off all those calories.
• Ride our merry-go-round and lots more!
• Hang out with Monroe College interns, faculty, and staff
Go into the Monroe College Online Learning Internship office and be greeted by our interns, who will give you lots of information about Monroe and the Online Learning Internship program.
Sit around in the Student Union or the Interns' Lounge (upstairs) and chat all day.
Visit the Office of the Internship Director and leave your calling card.
- Read welcome notes from:
- Internship Director, Ms. Jennifer Friary (Jennyfer Flanagan, SL)
- Dean of the Monroe College School of IT, Janice Girardi (Janeanne Capalini, SL)
- Dean of the Monroe College School of Business, Tiloki Depoo
- Professor of IS at Monroe College, John McMullen (Johnmac Maverick, SL)
- Dean of Online Learning at Monroe, Barbara McMullen (Bobbee Allen, SL).
Bring your friends! There will be fun for all.
PLEASE GIVE THIS INVITATION TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. ALL ARE WELCOME!
RSVP
Bobbee Allen
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching/149/186/21
Search Places or Groups for Monroe College and teleport.
We are at 149, 186, 21
Barbara E. McMullen
Dean of Online Learning
Monroe College
Global Kids' CRC Machinima Summer Camp - Now open!
by Tabitha Tsai
The CRC Machinima Camp will last for 5 weeks, beginning July 23 to August 23, 2007.
Participants will be expected to attend the program Monday to Friday during the 5 weeks, from 11am to 1pm Second Life Time. Each session will last for 2 hours, with an extra optional hour to stay for additional help and troubleshooting.
This program is expected to have 20 participants from all walks of life, if you are interested in making machinima videos and have a desire to learn more about children's rights, this is something you would not want to miss out on.
So what is CRC Machinima Camp?
CRC Machinima Camp is a summer program for teens in SL who want to make socially-conscious machinima videos on issues that deals with children's rights, specifically raised in the Convention on the Rights of a Child.
This is the first ever machinima camp hosted by Global kids, in collaboration with UNICEF. The final machinima videos will be showcased at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA on August 25, 2007, and later this fall by UNICEF. Participants will be learning the how-tos and fundamental techniques of making a machinima, taught by none other but Machinima Guru herself, otherwise known as Moo Money on the main grid, and be able to understand the significant role that the CRC plays in the life of a child all around the world.
A little background on what CRC is:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as "CRC", is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. It is monitored by the United Nations' Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is composed of members from countries around the world. Governments of countries that have ratified the "CRC" are required to report to, and appear before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the "CRC" and the status of child rights in their country. ( http://www.wikipedia.com/)
What will you be doing?
Through fun activities and workshops, this program will be a chance to learn about how the CRC works, and what role teens can play by making social-conscious machinima videos in TSL. Teens who take part in the CRC Machinima Camp will identify rights declared in the CRC, create a storyboard as a film maker, and collaborate with other campers to create a 1-minute machinima that will be showcased in the teen grid, and also at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA.
Who should apply to CRC Machinma Camp?
There is no age requirement, so as long as you can roam around in TSL, you are eligible to apply! CRC Machinima Camp will be a lot of fun, but it will also include a lot of serious discussion about important issues related to children's rights around the world. Participants should be motivated and enthusiastic, enjoy watching films and have a desire to make their own films in TSL. You should be interested in raising awareness and making a difference in the world by using digital media technology available in TSL.
At the CRC Machinima Camp you will be encouraged to think freely and openly about all kinds of global issues and form your own opinions about these issues. You should apply if you are interested in taking part in lively discussion with a diverse group of individuals who offer a variety of perspectives. You must be able to work well with others, showing respect for people who come from different backgrounds and people who have opinions that differ from yours.
What kind of commitment does Global Kids expect from the participants?
Participants will be expected to give their full attention to CRC Machinima Camp activities while camp is in session. Part of being a participant will include contributing your point of view and taking an active part in the camp's activities.
Participants will also be expected to support an atmosphere of respect. This includes treating each other with respect and also showing respect for other people's opinions.
Global Kids will not tolerate disruptive behavior like PVPing, excessive gesturing, or the use of unacceptable language. All participants are expected to respect the Global Kids guidelines and offer each other support through the 5 weeks session.
What can you expect from Global Kids?
In exchange for your participation, here is what you can expect to find:
o We will offer participants a safe space where individuals treat one another with respect.
o We will provide a chance to learn a lot, and have fun at the same time.
o You will have the opportunity to learn about important issues, formulate your own opinion and learn how you can make a difference in the world.
o You will get the chance to take on a leadership role in Teen Second Life, as the participants of Camp GK spearhead a project in the teen grid.
o We will provide a place where each person's voice is heard.
o A $50.00 USD stipend for all participants who complete the program.
How can you apply?
To apply to the CRC Machinima Camp, you will need to fill out the online application form at:
http://globalkids.org/?id=64
Any questions?
Please IM Tabitha Gkid in-world, or email her at Tabitha - at - globalkids.org for questions or more details.
Watch an example?
=====GK'S CRC MACHINIMA CAMP, SUMMER 2007=====
Global Kids will be hosting a Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Machinima Camp within Teen Second Life in the summer of 2007. The CRC Machinima Camp will involve exciting leadership-development activities and fun workshops that will deal with important children's rights issues related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document produced by the United Nations.
The CRC Machinima Camp will last for 5 weeks, beginning July 23 to August 23, 2007.
Participants will be expected to attend the program Monday to Friday during the 5 weeks, from 11am to 1pm Second Life Time. Each session will last for 2 hours, with an extra optional hour to stay for additional help and troubleshooting.
This program is expected to have 20 participants from all walks of life, if you are interested in making machinima videos and have a desire to learn more about children's rights, this is something you would not want to miss out on.
So what is CRC Machinima Camp?
CRC Machinima Camp is a summer program for teens in SL who want to make socially-conscious machinima videos on issues that deals with children's rights, specifically raised in the Convention on the Rights of a Child.
This is the first ever machinima camp hosted by Global kids, in collaboration with UNICEF. The final machinima videos will be showcased at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA on August 25, 2007, and later this fall by UNICEF. Participants will be learning the how-tos and fundamental techniques of making a machinima, taught by none other but Machinima Guru herself, otherwise known as Moo Money on the main grid, and be able to understand the significant role that the CRC plays in the life of a child all around the world.
A little background on what CRC is:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as "CRC", is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. It is monitored by the United Nations' Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is composed of members from countries around the world. Governments of countries that have ratified the "CRC" are required to report to, and appear before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the "CRC" and the status of child rights in their country. ( http://www.wikipedia.com/)
What will you be doing?
Through fun activities and workshops, this program will be a chance to learn about how the CRC works, and what role teens can play by making social-conscious machinima videos in TSL. Teens who take part in the CRC Machinima Camp will identify rights declared in the CRC, create a storyboard as a film maker, and collaborate with other campers to create a 1-minute machinima that will be showcased in the teen grid, and also at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA.
Who should apply to CRC Machinma Camp?
There is no age requirement, so as long as you can roam around in TSL, you are eligible to apply! CRC Machinima Camp will be a lot of fun, but it will also include a lot of serious discussion about important issues related to children's rights around the world. Participants should be motivated and enthusiastic, enjoy watching films and have a desire to make their own films in TSL. You should be interested in raising awareness and making a difference in the world by using digital media technology available in TSL.
At the CRC Machinima Camp you will be encouraged to think freely and openly about all kinds of global issues and form your own opinions about these issues. You should apply if you are interested in taking part in lively discussion with a diverse group of individuals who offer a variety of perspectives. You must be able to work well with others, showing respect for people who come from different backgrounds and people who have opinions that differ from yours.
What kind of commitment does Global Kids expect from the participants?
Participants will be expected to give their full attention to CRC Machinima Camp activities while camp is in session. Part of being a participant will include contributing your point of view and taking an active part in the camp's activities.
Participants will also be expected to support an atmosphere of respect. This includes treating each other with respect and also showing respect for other people's opinions.
Global Kids will not tolerate disruptive behavior like PVPing, excessive gesturing, or the use of unacceptable language. All participants are expected to respect the Global Kids guidelines and offer each other support through the 5 weeks session.
What can you expect from Global Kids?
In exchange for your participation, here is what you can expect to find:
o We will offer participants a safe space where individuals treat one another with respect.
o We will provide a chance to learn a lot, and have fun at the same time.
o You will have the opportunity to learn about important issues, formulate your own opinion and learn how you can make a difference in the world.
o You will get the chance to take on a leadership role in Teen Second Life, as the participants of Camp GK spearhead a project in the teen grid.
o We will provide a place where each person's voice is heard.
o A $50.00 USD stipend for all participants who complete the program.
How can you apply?
To apply to the CRC Machinima Camp, you will need to fill out the online application form at:
http://globalkids.org/?id=64
Any questions?
Please IM Tabitha Gkid in-world, or email her at Tabitha - at - globalkids.org for questions or more details.
Watch an example?
If you want to see an example of a teen-made machinima produced by past GK youth leaders, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/3x2l8o
cfp: Learning and Research in Second Life
by Jeremy Hunsinger
Call for Papers/Participation
Please join us in a workshop on learning and research in Second Life on October 17, 2007 in Vancouver at Internet Research 8.0 (http://wiki.aoir.org/index.php?title=About_IR8.0 )
Paper Deadline August 15th.
Second Life(R) is a 3d virtual environment created by Linden Lab which has captured the attentions of researchers and teachers from around the world from a variety of disciplines.
This workshop aims to improve the understanding of Second Life as a Learning and Research environment. It will bring 35 researchers together to collaborate, discuss and workshop diverse topics related to research and learning in Second Life. We will pursue a full-day schedule in which participants will discuss their work and interests on four different topics: learning in Second Life, integrated learning, the contributions of research to the community and ethical
research methods. How can we better enable learning in this sphere? How can we better enable research?
As a highlight, Robin Linden will give a talk to the group, and members of Linden Lab will participate throughout the day.
We encourage researchers to submit papers and short biography to slworkshop@tmttlt.com which will be selected and distributed amongst participants before the workshop. First invitations will be offered to those who provide full papers for consideration.
These papers have two purposes: first is to provide a common platform for understanding our research and teaching and second submitted papers may be considered for publication in an edited volume being produced in relation to the workshop, or possibly in peer reviewed
publication derived from the workshop (these are currently under discussion).
Subsequent invitation will be made based upon research/teaching statement and biography. If you are interested in participating, please send an email containing your information to
slworkshop - at - tmttlt.com.
Decisions will be made by September 1st, barring incident. There is a limit of 35 participants at the physical meeting; the event will be simulcast into Second Life.
We welcome professionals, faculty and graduate students to participate.
This workshop is sponsored by Linden Lab creators of Second Life and is organized by Jeremy Hunsinger and Aleks Krotoski. Free lunch, coffee breaks and the room is included in participation.
Call for Papers/Participation
Please join us in a workshop on learning and research in Second Life on October 17, 2007 in Vancouver at Internet Research 8.0 (http://wiki.aoir.org/index.php?title=About_IR8.0 )
Paper Deadline August 15th.
Second Life(R) is a 3d virtual environment created by Linden Lab which has captured the attentions of researchers and teachers from around the world from a variety of disciplines.
This workshop aims to improve the understanding of Second Life as a Learning and Research environment. It will bring 35 researchers together to collaborate, discuss and workshop diverse topics related to research and learning in Second Life. We will pursue a full-day schedule in which participants will discuss their work and interests on four different topics: learning in Second Life, integrated learning, the contributions of research to the community and ethical
research methods. How can we better enable learning in this sphere? How can we better enable research?
As a highlight, Robin Linden will give a talk to the group, and members of Linden Lab will participate throughout the day.
We encourage researchers to submit papers and short biography to slworkshop@tmttlt.com which will be selected and distributed amongst participants before the workshop. First invitations will be offered to those who provide full papers for consideration.
These papers have two purposes: first is to provide a common platform for understanding our research and teaching and second submitted papers may be considered for publication in an edited volume being produced in relation to the workshop, or possibly in peer reviewed
publication derived from the workshop (these are currently under discussion).
Subsequent invitation will be made based upon research/teaching statement and biography. If you are interested in participating, please send an email containing your information to
slworkshop - at - tmttlt.com.
Decisions will be made by September 1st, barring incident. There is a limit of 35 participants at the physical meeting; the event will be simulcast into Second Life.
We welcome professionals, faculty and graduate students to participate.
This workshop is sponsored by Linden Lab creators of Second Life and is organized by Jeremy Hunsinger and Aleks Krotoski. Free lunch, coffee breaks and the room is included in participation.
Short article on the open metaverse
by Giulio Prisco
http://transumanar.com/index.php/site/the_open_distributed_metaverse/
It has been a pleasant surprise seeing the progress made by libsecondlife, opensim etc. Opensim may become a serious contender if they manage to achieve the critical mass that an open source software development project needs.
http://transumanar.com/index.php/site/the_open_distributed_metaverse/
It has been a pleasant surprise seeing the progress made by libsecondlife, opensim etc. Opensim may become a serious contender if they manage to achieve the critical mass that an open source software development project needs.
Interview with AjaxLife creator Katharine Berry
FWD by Ed Lamoureux
Interview with AjaxLife creator Katharine Berry
Mon Jul 9, 2007 12:07pm PDT
The Second Life blogosphere was aflutter on Monday with news that a talented young Teen Grid resident named Katharine Berry had created a prototype Second Life viewer that works within a Web browser.
http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/07/09/interview-with-ajaxlife-creator-katharine-berry/Access SecondLife Via Firefox!
by Lindy McKeown
From this comment that has some screen shots...
that led to the maker's site
From THE BLOG of Katharine Berry
...an AJAX based SL client.
It's still under heavy development, but the result so far is an application/page/site called AjaxLife.
Features
- Basic map
- Teleports
- Accepting/declining teleport offers
- Local chat, instant messages (partially - you can't start them except with online friends)
- Inventory received notifications
- Friend on/offline notifications
- Balance change notifications, etc.
It also correctly logs you in and out, and notifies you if you were disconnected for any reason.
Known issues
- It will not work correctly on the MG (well, the map won't anyway) - in the unlikely event anyone cares, sorry.
- IE7 refuses to register double clicks on the map, making it impossible to teleport using it. IE6 works fine here.
- There's no interface to start IMs implemented, although you can respond to those sent to you.
- Sometimes SL sends the teleport messages in the wrong order, resulting in the modal teleport wait dialog never leaving.
- Teleports sometimes complete without notification that they ever started.
- IE tends to screw up with dragging the map
Global Kids and the Macarthur announce a non-profit thread at this year's SLCC
FWD by Joyce Bettencourt
For Immediate Release:
For Immediate Release:
Jonah Kokodyniak, Global Kids
Global Kids and Partners to Launch Non-Profit Focus at Top Convention on Virtual Worlds
Global Kids and the MacArthur Foundation have partnered to announce a new nonprofit and philanthropic theme for the third annual Second Life Community Convention (SLCC), to be held August 24-26 in Chicago. In conjunction with the event, a series of research and how-to papers will be published this fall.
"With inhabitants skyrocketing into the millions, it is only natural that some of the million-odd nonprofits in the US might ask questions about their new role" noted organizer Barry Joseph of Global Kids. SLCC is currently the largest gathering of people interested in one the most rapidly growing online worlds – Second Life. The funder behind the effort is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which views the new SLCC work as one of the next steps in the Foundation's year-long exploration of the role of philanthropy in virtual worlds. The new focus for SLCC builds on Global Kids' path-breaking educational programming in that environment.
For the conference portion, a new event thread will weave between all four tracks: business, education, social and machinima (digital animation created in gaming environments). For each track, a panel will be developed that focuses on how non-profit organizations are utilizing virtual worlds to extend their mission and reach. The panels will feature:
- Education keynote Connie Yowell, Director of Education at the MacArthur Foundation, will address the importance of virtual worlds for informal learning and its nonprofits.
- Philanthropy funders, including foundation, corporate and government organizations who are supporting work in virtual worlds, such as the MacArthur Foundation and Learn and Serve America, will discuss the role of philanthropy in virtual worlds.
- A panel on Best Practices in Bringing Non-profits into Second Life including such organizations as the University of Southern California, UNICEF, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Idealist.org and TechSoup.
- A teen-led mini-machinima festival, in which teens from two non-profit programs will showcase their work using Second Life to make animated movies about social and global issues.
- An Educational Non-profit's History of the Teen Grid: Global Kids' Adventure in Best Practices .
Following SLCC, two papers will be developed by Global Kids. The first will analyze the education track and be titled The Virtual Worlds for Learning Roadmap , while the second will analyze the non-profit thread.
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant making institution dedicated to helping groups and individuals foster lasting improvement in the human condition. MacArthur's $50 million digital media and learning initiative aims to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. More information is available at http://www.macfound.org/ or http://www.digitallearning.macfound.org/.
Global Kids (globalkids.org) is a world leader in using virtual worlds for education. Over the past year and a half, with the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Global Kids has received national recognition for its innovative use of virtual worlds for education about global issues and civic engagement. In February 2006, Global Kids launched GK Island, becoming the first non-profit to build land within the Teen Second Life grid. Since then, Global Kids has used Teen Second Life to solicit essays on young people's relationship with digital media; conducted an intensive summer camp in which youth learned about and took action on critical global issues; organized a collaborative program with UNICEF to educate youth about an international agreement, A World Fit for Children; brought in guest speakers, such as Mia Farrow discussing the genocide in Darfur; and involved youth in ongoing leadership development programming. This work is detailed on the blog HolyMeatballs.org .
Global Kids work in Second Life builds upon its more than 15 years of experience in youth leadership development and international affairs education, as well as its role as a national leader in using serious online games for educational purposes.
"Global Kids' Second Life programs offer young people a world in which their characters can take part in myriad workshops and games that educate them about major world issues and events, from the International Criminal Court to global warming and child labor," says Carole Artigiani, Global Kids Executive Director. "Players learn how to communicate, collaborate, negotiate, and mobilize their peers for social change. We are excited to organize this component of the conference and bring greater attention to the potential that virtual worlds hold for the nonprofit community as a whole."
About Global Kids, Inc.
Founded in 1989, Global Kids' mission is to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods and international issues into urban classrooms. Over ninety percent of the high school seniors who participate in Global Kids' leadership program graduate from high school.
About Global Kids' Online Leadership Program (OLP)
Global Kids' Online Leadership Program, now in its sixth year, integrates the use of the Internet into GK's leadership development and international affairs programming. The OLP equips youth with the skills necessary to use the Internet as a tool for research and social change and develops online resources for educators and young people to promote civic engagement and global literacy. Currently, the OLP is accomplishing these goals through initiatives within two broad areas: youth-led online dialogues and the development of socially-conscious games. The OLP has built strong collaborative relationships with Microsoft, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and the game design company gameLab, among others.
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