Just!last!week!it!was!all!I!could!do!to!rub!my!key!fob!across!the!pad! and!hit!the!handicapped!button!to!open!the!school!door!(RL).!I!stood! waiting!with!my!arms!full!of!books,!papers,!my!purse!with!iphone,!my! laptop!and!ipad,!my!lunch,!and!all!the!other!items!that!get!a!free!ride!to!and! from!work!everyday.!!After!all,!how!can!I!live!without!them?!While!I!waited! patiently!for!the!door!to!open,!another!teacher!walked!up!behind!me!and! said,!“hi.”!I!said,!“hi”!back!and!then,!without!thinking,!I!looked!at!her!and! added,!“I’m!waiting!for!the!door!to!rez!”!
Our!worlds!are!colliding!– not!in!a!violent!way,!but!definitely!with!a! forceful!impact!that!has!the!ability!to!ch ange!the!world!
People!who!live!in!virtual!worlds!know!what!I!am!talking!about.! That!crazy!feeling!of!sitting!in!meetings!and!thinking,!is!this!RL!or!Second! Life!(SL)?!Or!being!so!engaged!in!an!activity!in!World!of!Warcraft!(WoW)!or! SL!that!you!lose!track of!time!and!forget!you!are!sitting!in!front!of!a! computer!screen!with!some!of!your!best!friends.
Time!flies!when!you!are!having!FUN!!And,!for!this!issue,!we!have! been!having!a!lot!of!fun!exploring!many!of!the!places!we!have!always! wanted!to!visit!in!RL!b ut!couldn’t!afford,!either!because!of!time,!expenses,! or!both.!Each!time!I!am!late!to!work!or!getting!on!an!airplane!to!go!to!a! conference,!I!so!wish!travel!were!as!easy!in!RL!as!teleporting!is!in!SL.!Like!a! turtle,!in!SL,!no!matter!where!I!go,!I!have!all! the!things!I!can’t!live!without!at! the!click!of!a!mouse!in!my!inventory!!What!a!life!
In!this!issue!we have!some!excellent!articles!and!resources!for! newcomers!as!well!as!virtual!world!veterans.!THANKS!to!everyone!who! contributed!to!this!issue!!Also,!welcome!to!our!newest!columnist,!Trevor! Roe,!who!brings!a!student!perspective!to!virtual!education.!
This!issue!specifically highlights how!virtual!worlds!and!real!life! are!colliding!.!.!.!and!have!the!potential!to!change!and!enrich!our!lives!in! ways!we!can’t!begin!to!imagine!!After!all,!learning!the!culture,!meeting!the! people,!exploring!the!sites,!experiencing!the!beauty,!and!seeing!the!world! through!the!eyes!of!the!creator(s)!is!what!makes!virtual!worlds!so!vital!to! our!existence.!!
Like!us,!we!are!sure!you!will!devour!this!issue!– there!are!so many! great!morsels.!Then,!make!sure!to!pass!VEJ!on!to!colleagues!and!friends,! because!this!issue!is!too!good!not!to!share!!Finally,!as!always,
VEJ!– OUT!OF!THIS!WORLD!
Keep!smiling!!
Rosie!Vojtek,!aka!Roxie!Neiro! (sl)
In#This#Issue • Reflections by Lowly High Grand Poobah BJ Gearbox
• Aero Pines Park & Recreation Area: An Interview With Cindy Bolero
• Minecraft Simple To Complex
• 10 Places – Check Them Off Your Bucket List!
• Games MOOC: Online and Virtual – Synchronous and Asynchronous
• Game To Learn
• Build It & They Will Come
• If You Missed VWBPE 2012 . . .
• Capturing The Magic: An Interview With Kriste Beck
• The Political Machine: Real World and Virtual World Inner Workings
• We Need A Hero
• Educators Connect Virtually
• ISTE SL Tours 2.0 – Sunday September 9, 2012
• Drum Circle Fun
• eXtension Virtual 3D, a New Kind of Experiential Learning
• Lightning Productions: An Interview with Coz Okelly
• Mexican High School Gets Into 3D Virtual Worlds
• G.A.M.E. Gamers Advancing Meaningful Education
• On Walkabout – Chapter 3
• ISTE SIGVE Speaker Series: About Kitely
• Book Review: The Connected Educator
• Don Singleton In His Own Words
• In Loving Memory of Our Dear Friend, Don Singleton
To!Read!VEJ!online!visit:! http://www.virtualeducationjournal.com/ For!more!information!about!ISTE!SIGVE!or! to!join!the!fun,!visit:! http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/ Follow!us!on!Twitter!@VEJournal!or! #VEJournal!
VirtualEducationJournal(ISSN )ispublishedquarterlybyEdovation, 64OldCiderMillRd,Bristol,CT06010.Copyright©2012,byEdovation,allrightsreserved. www.virtualeducationjournal.com.
A!few!days!ago,!I!received!a!report!on!SIGVE!from!ISTE,!the!Annual!SIGs! Activity!Report,!for!September!2011!to!August!2012.!It!shows!clearly! that!under!the!leadership!of!Scott!Merrick!and!Andy!Wheelock,!SIGVE! has!grown.!Membership!increased!by!20.4%,!from!2057 members!in! 2010 2011!to!2476 in!2011 2012.!
As!a!parallel,!The!Virtual!Education!Journal!(VEJ),!has!been!viewed! approximately!the!same!number!of times!for!the!last!three!issues! (between!2400!and!2900).!This!is!all!great!news!!It!means!we!are! certainly!putting!some!solid!numbers!“on!the!board.”
One!of!the!many!questions!I!ask!myself!is,!!“What!do!we!do!with!this! information?”!It!makes!me!wonder,!“Is!this!a!good!size!for!SIFVE?”!
I!think!there!has!always!been!a!feeling!the!SIGVE!doesn’t!want!to! become!a!MegaSIG.!We!tend!to!consider!ourselves!a!small,!friendly,! nimble,!grassroots!group.!So,!if!growing!the!group!isn’t!a!top!priority,! then,!as!Roxie!often!says,!“how!do!we!become!the!best!that!we!can!be?”!
Answering!this!question!is!far!broader!than!this!article.!It!would!require! the!collaborative!power!of!as!many!of!the!SIGVE!membership!as!we! could!muster!for!this!conversation.!One!subset!of!this!overarching! question!is,!"how!do!we!engage!the!membership!of!SIGVE?"!Again,!a! multifaceted!question,!but!in!this!case,!I!will!give!one!possible!answer! backed!by!a!description!of!two!events!that!I!attended!in!the!last!several! weeks.!A!very!fitting!tale!for!this VEJ!issue,!when!Two!Worlds!Collide.!
In!short!I!am!going!to!describe!two!professional!development!sessions,! one!in!real!life!the!other!in!the!virtual!world!of!second!life.!What!they!
have!in!common!is!Chris!Dede,!the!Timothy!E.!Wirth!Professor!in! Learning Technologies!at!Harvard's!Graduate!School!of!Education.!He! was!the!keynote!speaker!in!both!events.!Upfront!I!need!to!say!that!one! of!my!many!personal!biases!is!that!Virtual!Environments!can!be!a!great! way!to!provide!professional!development.!Educators!are busy!with!the! barrage!of!initiatives!and!school!reform!work.!It!is!hard!to!get!people!to! carve!time!out!from!the!competing!commitments!to!attend!any!event,! either!in!RL,!SL,!or!otherwise.!If!there!isn't!a!clear!answer!to,!“what’s!in! it!for!me,"!people!aren’t!going!to!attend,!much!less!become!engaged.!In! this!example!the!issue!and!the!answer!just!may!be!time.!
Some!of!you!may!have!attended!the!SIGVE!Speaker!Series!with!Dr.!Chris! Dede.!It!was!Tuesday,!September!18th!at!5:00!pm!(SLT).!I!live!on!the! east!coast!of!the!United!States,!so!it!was!8:00!pm!for!me.!
That!evening,!I!decide!not!to!go!to!our!home!office,!but!instead!to!fire!up! my!laptop!in!our!kitchen,!sit!at!the!counter,!get!comfortable,!put!on!my! headset,!and!login!to!Second!Life.!I!teleported!to!ISTE!SIGVE!on! EduIsland!9!at!http://tinyurl.com/sigvehome and!picked!up!a!notecard,! as!I!almost!always!do.!I!find!a!seat!and!move!the!camera!position!so!I! don’t!have!any!avatar!heads!in!my!way.!(A!definite!advantage!in!SL).!I! can!see!Chris!and!his!presentation!in!the!background.!My!chat!window! is!open!and!I’m!selecting!URLs!posted!in!chat.!During!the!presentation,!I!
view!some!of!the!video!clips!and!comment!on!the!resources!back!in!chat! with!other!participants.
During!the!session,!I!didn’t!take!any!snapshots!facing!the!attendees,!so! the!picture!below!gives!you!an!idea!of!the!SIGVE!venue!that!was!used! for!this!session,!“Blending!Virtual!and!Augmented!Realities!for! Authentic!Simulations.”
Interesting!that!we!have!more!than!2400!SIGVE!members,!yet!we!had! approximately!40!people!in!attendance!at!this!event.!!We!clearly!have! folks!that!believe!in!the!concept!and!offerings!of!ISTE!SIGVE.!After!all,! they!have!joined!our!SIG.!The!question!now!becomes,!how!do!we! actively!engage!the!membership!in!quality!learning!opportunities!like! these!special!presentations!and!other!SIG!related!activities?
The!second!event!was!a!Leadership!Summit!hosted!by!Texas! Instruments!on!September!27,!2012!in!Dedham,!Massachusetts!titled,! “Transformation!2012:!A!Game Changing!Look!at!Learning!with! Technology!in!the!Era!of!Common!Core.”!!Again,!Dr.!Chris!Dede!was!the! keynote!speaker.!The!Summit!was!held!at!the!MIT!Endicott!House,!in! Dedham.
The!Texas!Instrument! Leadership!Summit!focused!on! using!technology!in!the! classroom.!They!provided! examples!of!using!the!TI Nspire! CX!Family!of!Color!Graphing! Calculators!and!Software!in! math!and!science!courses.!
For!that!event!John,!our!District! Math!Coordinator,!and!I!left!
Avon,!Connecticut!at!6:00!am!for!the two!plus!hour!drive!to!the!event.!
We!braved!the!commuter!traffic!and!Massachusetts!Turnpike!tollbooths! only!to!arrive!five!minutes!late.!
I!must!say!that!this!27 acre!estate!donated!to!MIT!was!a!beautiful!venue,! including!the!detached!conference!and!meeting!facility.!The!large! terraced!lecture!hall!was!nearly!at!capacity!when!we!arrived.!John!and!I! had!to!sit!in!the!back!row!against!the!wall!careening!our!necks!to!see! down!the!rows!of!attendees!to!the!lecture!podium.!I!could!look!on!one! side!of!the!person in!front!of!me!to!see!Dr.!Dede,!or!the!other!side!to!see! the!presentation!slides.!Admittedly,!the!response!from!Educational! Leaders!to!see!this!presentation!was!overwhelming.!And,!we!did,!after! all,!arrive!late.!
At!the!first!break!our!hosts!pointed!out several!seats!closer!to!the!front! that!weren’t!taken!and!John!and!I!moved!quickly!to!gain!a!better!view.
I!have!to!admit,!there!were!several!breaks!to!get!coffee,!juice,!or!a! continental!breakfast…!the!food!was!excellent!!These!photographs!are! from!the!MIT!Endicott!House!Brochure.!For!more!details,!take!a!look!at! http://www.mitendicotthouse.org/pix/brochure.pdf.
After!the!presentation,!lunch!was!provided!on!the!terrace!overlooking! the!garden.!It!was!beautiful!
The!Endicott!House!is!known!for!well appointed!guest!rooms!and!creative!cuisine.! Their!brochure!states,!“We!consistently!prepare! foods!made!from!the!freshest,!finest! ingredients,!and!present!them!in!the!most! elegant!of!settings.”!I!believe!this!to!be!an! understatement!!As!a!matter!of!fact,!I!picked!up! a!flyer!for!an!upcoming!event,!Chef(for a(Day( Weekend( A(Taste(of(Louisiana.(
On!the!drive!back!to!Connecticut,!John!and!I! discussed!the!possibility!of!changing!the! paradigm!in!our!district.!We!require!students!in! eighth!grade!math!to!purchase!a!TI!calculator!now.!The!Nspire! calculators!that!were!demonstrated!(along!with!the!Navigator!software)! cost!about!$10.00!more!than!the!current!calculator!we!specify.!The! teaser!from!the!TI!Education!Technology!team!was!that!there!is!a! current!special!where!you!can!save!the!barcode!from!60!Nspire! calculators!and!you!receive!a!TI!Navigator!software!package!for!free!! We!still!had!plenty!of!time!to!discuss!the!possibilities!even!though!the! drive!home only!took!us!about!two!hours.!The!evening!commute!had! not!yet!started.
This!story!is!not!intended!to!paint!Texas!Instruments!in!a!negative!light;! they!were!the!consummate!host!!Rather,!my!intention!is!to!explain!that! the!experience!with!Dr.!Chris!Dede’s!presentations!were,!in!my!opinion,! equally!powerful!in!SL!as!they!were!in!RL!at!the!Endicott!House.!I!do! have!to!say,!however,!that!the!RL!food!was!far!more!delightful!than!the!
SL!food.!LOL!!I!can’t!begin!to!tell!you!the!number!of!times!I’ve!had!an! incredible!meal!in!RL!versus!the!teaser!script!that!emulates!hoisting!a! beer!or!drinking!a!cup!of!coffee!in!SL.!There!is!something!about!it! I!am! always!left!feeling!under nourished!and!unsatisfied!when!eating!and! drinking!in!SL.!
So,!I!am!left!with!this!stark!contrast!in!the!two!events – having!nothing! to!do!with!the!quality!of!the!presentations!or!the!take!away,!rather!I!see! this!significant!impact!on!my!time.!The!RL!event!cost!me!nearly!five! hours,!multiple!tolls!(the!Mass!Pike!isn’t!free)!and!a!tank!of!gas…!among! other!costs.!This!example!is!one!with!a!fairly!modest!cost!all!in!all.!It!is! nothing!like!a!conference!that!requires!an!overnight!stay!with airfare.!
I!see!two!opportunities!here.!First,!virtual!environments!offer!great! possibilities!for!bringing!groups!together!for!professional!growth,! without!the!cost!of!time,!money,!and!the!hassles!of!travel,!to!name!a!few.! I!believe!we!have!the!capacity!to!offer!quality!professional!learning! events!and,!if!we!so!choose, even!generate!revenue to!help!support!our! SIGVE!sim.!Secondly,!we!can!generate!more!ad!hoc!sessions!where!there! is!no!speaker,!just likeminded!folks!that!want!to!have!a!conversation.! The!networking!and!collaboration!opportunities!are!endless!!SIGVE!has far!fewer!than!2400!showing!up!to!our!events.!We!want!YOU to be!the! catalyst!for!a!new!topic,!a!new!way!to!learn!and!connect!with!each!other.! So,!what!are!you!waiting!for?!Get!involved.!Let’s!do!it!
In!conclusion,!I!would!like!to!encourage!all!of!our!SIGVE!members!to! become!actively!involved!with!our!special!interest!group.!!And,!if!you! are!reading!this!and!you!are!not!a!SIGVE!member,!please!join!us!in!SL! and!on!our!wiki!at!http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/.!
If!you!don’t!see!a!topic!that!you!are!really!interested!in,!let!us!know.! There!are!probably!others!that!would!like!to discuss the!same!topic.!It! will!take!all!of!us!working!together,!in!SL!and!other!virtual!worlds,! wherever!our!work!takes!us,!to!SHOUT!OUT our!messages!about!the! power!of!teaching!and!learning!in!virtual!environments!and!to!leverage! the!potential!of!synchronous!virtual!environments!to!create!dynamic! and!engaging!learning!opportunities!for!ourselves!and!for!every! student. We!look!forward!to!seeing!you!in!SL!and!beyond!!Join us!at! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/88/113/22
A ero%Pines%Park%&%Recreation%A re a An%Interview%With% Cindy%Bolero%(SL),%Cynthia%Stagner%(RL)
By%Roxie%Neiro
Aero!Pines!Park!&!Recreation!Area!is!sponsored!and!developed!by!The! Bolero!Group,!an!SL!Solution!Provider!specializing!in!large scale!mixed! reality!events,!hazardous!occupations!&!first!responder!training! simulations,!and!special!music!and!machinima!projects.!For!more! information,!contact!Cindy!Bolero (sl).
Some!of!the!most!fun!activities!in!second!life!can!be!found!on!the! grounds!of!the!Aero Pines!Park!&!Recreation!Area!– such!as!ice skating and!concerts!on!the!pond!in!the!winter and bike!riding!and!hiking!in!the! summer.!In!fact,!right!now!you!can!join!the!fun!exploring!the!Halloween! Trail!!This!past!year!many!people!watched!the!live!Kentucky!Derby!race! from!the!Aero!Pines!stand,!mint!julep!in!hand!!
On!September!11,!2012,!I!caught!up!with!Cindy!Bolero!at!the!Annual! Tribute!To!The!Fallen!Firefighters!and!asked!if!we!could!talk about!her! exciting!work!and!special!projects.! The!interview!follows.
Once!you!have read!this!interview!with!Cindy!about Aero!Pines, you!will! want!to visit!it!for!yourself.!Cindy!graciously!welcomes sl!visitors!to!the! park,!offering!fun!and!friendship.!If!you!haven’t!been!to!Aero!Pines,!it!is! comparable!to!any!of!the National!Parks!in!America.!Like!Yellowstone! National!Park!or!Yosemite!National!Park,!there!is!so!much!to!see!and!do.! Each!season!brings!something!new.!So,!stop!by!to!ride!horses,!bike!and! hike!the!mountains!and!trails,!or!just!find!a!quiet!place!to!sit,!relax,!and! enjoy!the!scenic!beauty.!It!is!truly!magnificent!
Roxie: How!did!you!get!started!in!SL?
Cindy: I(got(started(in(SL(with a(recommendation(by(a(friend(who(thought( I(would(be(interested.(Later(they(said(they(were(sorry(they(did!(I(became( obsessed.(On(the(first(day(I(logged(in,(I(knew(it(was(going(to(be(the(next( phase(in(the(evolution(of(my(occupation.(At(the(time,(I(had(just(formed(a( location(video(webcasting(company(after(getting(downsized(and(having( lost(my(full(time(contract(at(NASA.(I(had(been(serving(many(NASA( technology(research(areas(in(education(outreach(doing(video,(multimedia,( events,(and(exhibits(support(for(about(10(years.
Within my(first(week(in(Secondlife,(I(took(the(plunge.(I(rented(a(small( beach(lot(at($15(US(a(month.( I(bought(a(prefab(house,(began(to(furnish(it,( and(then realized(I(was(bored(and(lonely.( I(wanted(more(land(to(create( more(environments.( Within(a(month(I(had(bought(up(lots(around(me(as( they(became(available(and(my(new(SL(friends(rented(them.(Within(three( months(I(had(started(a(land(group(with(more(tenants(who(liked(my( concepts.(Within(6(months(we(had(expanded(to(several(sims(and(open spaces.(I(had(over(30(residents(spread(over(ranch(lands,(tropical(beach( fronts,(with(riding(stables,(a(diving(reef,(airport,(etc.
Being(a(rancher,(equestrian,(and(motorcyclist,(who(grew(up(in(a(family(of( pilots(and(boaters,(these(were(all(elements(of(my(real(life(background(and( lifestyles.(The(declining(economy(took(most(of(those(activities(away.(After( 30(years(of(owning(horses,(I(sold(my(last(horse(to(buy(my(first(sim.( Secondlife(became(my(new(hobby,(while(my(sims,(community(groups,(and( projects(began(giving(me(experience(with(what(I(needed(to(know(about( virtual(worlds(and(serving(clients(in(the(future.
Unexpectedly,(I(got(a(jump(start...
A(group(at(NASA(found(me(in(Secondlife(and(asked(me(to(assist(with(a( "mixed(reality"(event.(A(large(conference(was(coming(up(at(NASA(Ames(in( the(Silicon(Valley.(The(requesters(assumed(I(would(be(familiar(with(the( conference(center(and(all(the(red(tape(involved(in(carrying(out(this(new( and(innovative(concept.(And(yes,(I(do(know(the(building(and(staff(well,(as( well(as(the(bureaucracy that(would(be(in(the(way.
It(was(quite(the(ordeal(as(NASA(divisions((IT,(Video,(&(PAO)(were( blindsided(by(the(virtual(mixed(reality(event.(But(since(orders(came(from( the(center's(Administrator,(a(path(was(cleared(and(we(succeeded(with( bringing(Apollo(Astronaut( Buzz(Aldrin's(keynote( speech,(and(the(next(three( days(of(the(conference,(to( the(NASA(CoLab(Theater in( Secondlife.(
From(then(I(became(a(mixed( reality(specialist.(My(real(life( video(crews(and(Secondlife( teams(went(on(to(support( many(mixed(reality(events( on(the(West(Coast(from(LA( to(Seattle,(and(beyond.(We( did(several(NASA( conferences(as(well(as( events(from(the(Tech( Museum(to(the(Tech(Virtual,(plus(many(other(corporate(and( entertainment(events.( Some(of(the(real(life(people(I(streamed(live(to(the( Web(and(Secondlife(include:( Doug(Engelbart((Inventor(of(computer( mouse),(Steve(Wozniak((Inventor(Apple(Computer),(Philip(Rosedale( (founder(of(Secondlife),(Peter(Norvig((Google's(Chief(Research(Scientist),( Jill(Tarter((Director(SETI(Institute),(Ann(Mulcahy((CEO(Xerox( Corporation),(and(Jeff(Clark((Mavericks(Surfing(Pioneer),(just(to(name(a( few.
The(following(are(some(examples(of(presentations(in(rl(and(sl.
Second(Life(was(prominently(featured(through the(event http://www.nasa.gov/50th/future_forums/sanJoseImage_SecondLife.html
Watch as Keynote Speaker Phillip Rosedale speaks at the Tech Museum of Innovation.
http://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=ZjUWK3PXtPk
How(The(Tech(Museum(uses(Secondlife(for(designing(museum(exhibits( (2010(Linden(Prizewinners)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lbROp18lVw
Presenter!at!Program! for!the!Future! Streamed!to!Second! Life
Mixed!Reality!at! Program!for!the!Future! streamed!to!Second! Life.
AbGradCon!sponsored!by!Nasa”s!Astrobiology!Institute
Cindy: Another(evangelistic(endeavor( I(did,(was(teaching("introduction(to( Virtual(Worlds"(at(several(San( Francisco(Bay(Area(community( colleges.(My(students(included(K212( educators,(students,(musicians,(artists,( and(designers.
Meanwhile,(the(land(group(I(founded( continued(to(grow.(By(late(2008, I( developed(a(16 region(continent(with( over(75(sponsoring(residents.(We(had( many(different(interests(groups(all(using(the(same(land.(Equestrians,(pilots( and(aircraft(builders,(firefighters,(boat(builders,(bikers,(and(even( mermaids(made(up(the(communities.(Believe(me,(it(was(not(easy(at(first( having(each(group(compromise(for(the(others.(Then(one(day,(role2play cops(showed(up(and(started(to(bully(me,(our(residents,(and(our(guests..(The( drama(that(followed(cost(me(the(loss(of(thousands(of(dollars(and(16( months(work.(I(broke(off(the(partnership(with(our(partner(in(the(land( group(that(endorsed(the(cop(RP,(and(we(moved(on(to(build(a(new( continent(called(Aero(Pines Park.
Roxie: What!is!your!vision!for!Aero!Pines!Park!and!Recreation!Area?! How!have!you!accomplished!this!vision?
Cindy:!My(vision(for(Aero(Pines(Park(is(to(have(an(all purpose(facility(for( everything(you(can(do(with(the(Secondlife(and(beyond.(While(there(are( many(others(who(build(classrooms,(conference(centers,(office(buildings,( etc.,(I(feel(those(are(sterile(environments(and(would(lay(empty(most(of(the( time.(With(land(being(so(expensive,(why(not(create(an(environment(with( more(variety(and(activities? Also,(having(such(a(large(land(mass((currently( 10(regions)(allows(me(to(host(large2scale(events(and(gives(me(plenty(of( workshop(space.
Since(1980(I(have(served(the(education,(corporate,(government,( technology,(medical,(sports,(music,(and(entertainment(industries.(That(is( why(there(is(so(much(variety(in(the(events(that(we(do(in(Aero(Pines(Park.( Our(main(events(area(on(our(valley(floor(is(much(like(your(local(city( stadium.(We(change(out(builds(for(a(large(event(once(a(month.(We(host(or( accommodate(expos,(conferences,(exhibitions,(holiday(festivities,(and( more.(You(may(land(and(find(something(different(going(on(than(the(last( time(you(were(there.(When(there(are(no(special(events,(the(valley(floor(is( our(equestrian(center(featuring(interactive(riding(arenas,(rodeo(grounds,( and(a(racetrack.
Roxie: Yes,!you!have!a!wonderful!recreation!area!!I!have!attended!many! activities!at!Aero!Pines!Park!such!as!the!Kentucky!Derby!last!year,!ice! skating,!bike!riding,!a!rodeo,!and!concerts.!What!have!been!some!of!your! favorite!activities?
Cindy: All(our(events(are(a(favorite(or(we(wouldn't(do(them!( Each(event(is( expensive(and(time2consuming.(We(don't(charge(admission(nor(beg(for( tips.(It’s(our(treat(to(offer(the(best(in(what( Second life's(multimedia(technology(can( do(for(mass(crowds.(And(to(be(honest,(my( team(and(I(are(just(honing(our(skills(each( time(we(do(a(mega(event.(But(the(one( thing(that(is(always(integral,(every(event(is( interactive.(I(do(not(build(anything(just(to( look(at it.(It must(make(it(engaging.
Examples(would(be(our(annual(USA(4th(of( July(Party.(It’s(a(high(quality(concert(video(
At(our Super Bowl(Sunday( event(we(offer(free(jerseys( and(cheerleader(outfits,( tailgate(party(interactions,( cheerleader(dance(pad,(and( a(jumbo(TV screen(bigger( than(life(on(the(football( field.
Roxie: That!sounds!like!a! lot!of!fun!
streamed(via(private(server(only( to(our(stage.(Guests(operate(the( fireworks,(balloon(cannons,(flip( burgers,(and(get(beer(from(a(keg.(
Cindy: Our(9/11(Stair Climb( Tribute(to(Firefighters(is( another(totally(interactive( build(where(we(give(visitors( free(fire(gear(to(wear(while( they(climb(110(stories(of(the( ghosted(World(Trade(Center( towers(in(honor(of(The( Fallen.(And(this(month,(our( 5th(Annual(Halloween(Trail( is(underway.(We(have(over(30(interactive(displays(along(the(roads(of(9( regions. After(that? Well, thousands(anticipate(our(Winter(Festival.(Aero( Pines(Park(becomes(a(winter(wonderland(– with(skiing,(sledding,(
snowboarding,(sleighs,(as(well(as(our(famous(huge(outdoor skating(pond!
Roxie: I!can’t!wait!!I!will!be!there!!LOL!
Cindy: We(have(our(annual(events(we've(been(doing(since(2006 07.(Our( busiest(time(of(year(is(fall(and(winter(starting(with(our(9/11( Remembrance,(all(the(way(through(Valentine's(Day.(As(we(head(in(to( 2013,(Aero(Pines(Park(SL(will(decrease(in(size(because(the(current(SL( economy(no(longer(supports(the(funding(it(takes(to(support(so(many( regions.
Roxie: Tell!us!about!your!September!11th!Tribute!– How!it!began,!what! you!do,!and!what!you!hope!people!take!away!from!the!experience.
Cindy: My(associate(builder,(Bethlee(Spad,(and(I have(been(the(nuts(and( bolts(of(Aero(Pines's(exclusive(events.(In(the(summer(of(2010(we(knew(the( 10 year mark(of(9/11(was(coming(up.(We(wanted(to(do(something(special( and(unique.(As(9/11(was(only(a(week(away,(Bethlee(saw(a(news(report(on( TV(of(how(local(firefighters(were(organizing(a(stair climb(tribute(in(an( Atlanta(skyscraper.(Bethlee(said,("That's(what(we(are(going(to(do,(a(stair climb(tribute(on(our(sim".
We(didn't(even(discuss(it.(We(just(went(into(build(mode(like(never(before.( As(I(mentioned(above,(I(must(make(our(builds(interactive(and(engaging.( This(interaction(involved(the(visitor(wearing(full(firefighter(gear,(and(then ascending(the(stairwells.(We(were(still(working(on(the(structures(and( interface(as(people(were(already(starting(to(arrive(days(before.(Other(fire( depts. in(SL(started(donating statues,(displays,(gear,(trucks,(gifts,(etc.
When(Sept(11(arrived,(we(were(hit(with(hundreds(of(visitors(every(hour.( Plus, much media(attention! This(type(of(event(was(not(one(for(us(to(gloat( about(the(success,(nor(be(happy(about(all(the(attention,(but(Beth(and(I( admit(we(did(outdo(ourselves.(It(touched(so(many,(so(deeply.(It(was( difficult(reading(the(entries(in(the(guestbooks because(of(tears(welling(up( in(my(eyes.(It(was(much(more(emotional(for(the(real(life(and(role play( firefighters(who(train(and(practice(in(Secondlife.(They(arrived(as(whole( fire(department(crews,(to(climb(together(in(honor(and(in(tribute(to(fallen( brothers.
You!can!learn!more!about!our!9/11!Tribute!and!Firefighter!Training!in! Aero!Pines!Park:
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2012/09/second life 911 memorial.html
http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds/episodes/firefighters
Roxie: You!do!many!simulations!and!trainings!for!first!responders!in!sl.! Please!share!a!few!of!the!examples!of!what!you!have!done!with!our! readers.
Cindy: I(serve(mainly(as(host(and(administrator for(such(activities.(I( provide(the(land(and(a(few(builds.(The(training(group(subscribes(to(the( land(bringing(their(expertise(and(content.(They(are(good(at(what(they(do,( and(I(am(good(at(what(I(do,(which(is(taking(those(concepts(to(other( levels.( I(embraced(the(firefighter(training(and(hazardous(occupations( training(concepts(using(virtual(worlds.(We(did(demos(here(and(there,( which(led(to(other(projects(such(as(the(Florida(power(company(that(trains( electrical(linesmen(on(substation(controllers in(SL,(and(our(aviation(3D( ground(school(development.
students!in!virtual!environments? Real!Life!Electrical!Linesmen!at!Substation!Simulator
Cindy: Regarding(conducting(classes,(I(try(to(get(rid(of(all(distractions(to( the(students/users.(A(classroom(needs(to(be(in(a(place(where(they(see(only( the(content(that(is(involved(with(the(lessons.(Even(if(that(means(a(bland( skybox.(After(the(class,(then(turn(them(loose(on(the(other(content.
Regarding(using(virtual(world( tools(as(part(of(the(lessons(or( coursework,(students(or( participants(will(have( different(levels(of(skill.(I( always(assign(the(tutorials(at( the(Ivory(Tower(of(Prims( before(the(first(class(or( session.(It(really(speeds(things( along.
Regarding(training( simulations(and(teambuilding( exercises – Leadership(is(the( most(important(component of
Hazardous!Work!Area!With!heavy!Equipment!Demo! For!OSHA
teaming(up(online.(Without( good(leadership(and( respect(from(the(other( users,(you'll(have(too(many( chiefs.(Positions(need(to(be( established(prior.(If( everyone(is(well(qualified to(be(a(chief,(then(some(will( have(to(humble(themselves( and(take(on(more( subservient roles.(In( general,(professionalism(is( required(for(success(in( simulations(and(especially( those(that(involve(role play.
Roxie: What!has!been!most rewarding!to!you!about!your!work!at!Aero! Pines?
Cindy: The(most(rewarding(thing(is(the(flow(of(messages(from(visitors( such(as(these(just(in(the(last(week:
"This(place(is(awesome"
"This(is(my(favorite(place(in(SL"
"This(is(the(best(event(I've(ever(been(to(in(SL"
"I(love(Aero(Pines(Park!(Keep(up(the(good(work!"
"Can(I bring(my(group(here(for(activities?"
"Are(you(going(to(do(Halloween(Trail(again?(Its(so(much(fun!"
"Are(you(going(to(do(WinterFest(again?(Its(the(best(in(SL"
"How(can(I(be(a(part(of(Aero(Pines?(What(can(I(do(to(support?"
"Our(friends(told(us(about(Aero(Pines,(it’s(our(first(time(here.(OMG(we're( having(a(blast..."
Roxie: What!are!your!plans!for!the!future?
Cindy: We're(not(revealing(too(much(right(now,(but(Aero(Pines(Park(2.0(is(
in(development.(I(will(say,(that(it(is(a(web based(viewer,(and(the(platform( will(have(more(realistic(environments,(more(flexibility,(and(can(host( thousands(of(users(at(one(event.( We(will(be(changing(from(very(expensive( land(with(lots(of(cheap(content(in(Second life,(to(infinite(land(with(very( expensive(content.(Its(a($30k(US(startup(cost,(and(will(probably(take(about( $150k(to(get(where(we(want(to(be.(It(will(be(primarily(serving(first( responder(training(with(a(supporting(virtual(community(like(we(have( been(doing.(You(are(probably(thinking,("Wow,(that's(expensive",(but(the( reality(is,(to(build(Aero(Pines(Park(from(scratch(right(now,(it(would(easily( cost($30K.
Roxie: You’re!right! Not!to!mention!all!your!time.
Cindy: We(will(still(carryout(our(annual(events(in(Secondlife,(but(we'll( have(less(regions(making(up(the(park.(Visitors(probably(won't(notice(much( of(a(difference.(We(have(increased(and decreased(the(size(of(our(landmass( several(times(over(the(years.(But(as(far(as(large scale(events,(I(can't(just( stop(throwing(parties(and(conducting(events(that(attract(more(than(1000( guests(at(a(time.(It’s(so(fulfilling(to(entertain(and(engage(so(many.(I(could( never(do(that(in(real(life.(The(cost(would(be(millions(of(dollars.
Roxie: I!had!no!idea!you!attracted!that!many!guests!at!a time!!
Cindy: The(more(we(do(this,(the(better(we(get(at(it.(The(world(is(going(to( need(this(experience(and(expertise(when(virtual(worlds(do(become(more( mainstream.(I(have(a(100%(success(rate(with(my(professional(mixed( reality(events,(where(so(many(others have(failed(due(to(the(technical( complexity(and(lack(of(experience.(I(couldn't(brag(about(it(unless(I(had( done(a(lot(of(it.(Aero(Pines(Park's(events(give me(a(lot(of(practice(in( between(jobs.
Many(enthusiastic(educators(quit(SL(because(of(cost(and(other(challenges.( Those(that(stayed gained(online(social(skills(in(the(areas(of(community( and(virtual(facility(management.(That(is(big!(It’s(one(thing(to(build( something,(it’s(another to(maintain(it(and(keep(a(user(base.(No(matter( what(grid,(server,(or(platform(you're(using,(the(community(management( and(event(and(activity(hosting(skills(go(with(you(wherever(you(log(in.( Understanding(of(how(people(work,(learn,(and(behave(online,(and(keeping( them(engaged,(are(the(most(important(skills(for(success(at(any(level(of(
using(virtual(worlds.(Anyone(can(make(virtual(chairs,(getting(and(keeping( those(chairs(occupied(is(the(mission.
Roxie:!I!LOVE!IT,!Cindy!! You!are!so!right.!I!think!that!this!should!be!our! mantra,!in!virtual!world!education!as!in!real!world.!I!think!I!am!going!to! make!a!poster!and!hang!it!in!my!office!. .!.! “Anyone&can&make&virtual& chairs,&getting&and&keeping&those&chairs&occupied&is&the&mission!”
Than!You for!sharing!all!of!this!with!our!readers,!Cindy,!and!especially! for giving!so!much!of!yourself!and your!talent!through!Aero!Pines!Park! to!all!of!the!residents!in!second!life.!Good!luck!on!you!next!ventures.!We! all!look!forward!to!attending!future! events!at!Aero!Pines!Park!!Thanks!for! making!them!so!much!fun!
Be sure to watch Cindy Bolero on October 1, 2012 “Firefighters” segment of Designing World's show with hosts Saffia Widdershins & Elrik Merlin at http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds
By%Trevor%Roe
Now,!I!know!many of!us!here!at!the!VEJ!are!familiar!with!Second!Life,! and!specialize!in!many!other!virtual!realities,!including!Minecraft,!but! did!you!know!that!the!modding!community for!Minecraft!has!increased! faster than!any!other!game!and!is!larger!than!any!other!at!the!time?! Google!has!been!the!only!record!keeper!for!the!searching!of!“Minecraft,” and!the!term!has!gone!through!the!roof!!In!classrooms,!this!simple!game! can!be!a!valuable!resource!for!connecting!with!students!in!ways!that!are! effective!and!that!they!can!easily!understand.!Being!a!student!myself! and!being!surrounded!by!gamers,!I!not!only!see!the!ideals!of!young! people!in!school,!but!wish!to!help!open!up!a!world!of!possibilities!to!a! young!mind!like!my!own.!
Of!course,!interaction!and!gameplay!are!very!simple!and!easy!on!the! surface,!but!for!this!entry,!I’d!like!to!focus!on!coding!with!Javascript.! Minecraft!in!Computer!Science!was!and!is!a!very!simple!rendering!of! certain!objects,!which!are!blocks,!entities,!and!items!that!interact!with! each!other.!For!a!specific!example,!I!would!like!to!introduce!to!you!a! very!popular,!very!recent!controversy,!over!potion!effects.!
Currently!in!the!game,!9!potion!effects!are!usable!through!“crafting,”! which!uses!a!brewing!stand.!Similar!to!a!furnace,!a!brewing!stand! supplies!potions!that!induce!certain!effects.!Certain!food!items,!namely! enchanted!golden!apples!and!rotten!flesh,!add!2!otherwise!non]vanilla! effects!to!the!game!that!can!be!used!on!the!player.!Without!the!newest! snapshots,!there!are!7!potion!effects!that!are!unusable!in!the!game,!but! like!the!mob!giant, are!coded!in.!An!effective!programming!project!that! can!be!integrated!into!the!classroom!is!to!create!a!“mod”!that!adds!an!
item!that!is!considered!food,!which!is!specifically!interacted!with!by! using!it!to!consume!the!object.!
This!food!item!must!be!referred!to,!after!potion!use,!to!become!a!glass! bottle,!and!the!potion!can!be!given!a!crafting!recipe!using!the!brewing! stand,!and!can!be!given!a!potion!effect!on!consumption.!This!effect! should!be!a!non vanilla!effect.!Here’s how,!please!select!“create!new! item”!and!also!read!“create!new!crafting!recipe”.!This!can!be!an!effective! project!for!intermediate!coding!in!the!classroom!that!has!a!result!that! can!be!understood!by!students,!rather!than!stuffing!lines!of!code!down! their!throats.!
Overall,!Minecraft!is!a!valuable!resource,!and!in!many!aspects,!setting! aside!direct!gameplay,!is!a!comprehensive system!of!communicating! ideas!when!used!correctly.!This!journal!helps!educators!better! understand!the!ideas!of!not!only!other!educators,!but!the!very!students! they!teach.!The!underlying!point!I’m!trying!to!get!at!is!that!Minecraft!is! very!simple,!and!can!be!changed!for!so!many!purposes,!from!artistic! aspects!to!inventive!ones.!The!simplicity!of!vanilla!allows!for!easy! understanding,!and!this!betters!your!communication!with!students.!
Trevor(is(a(high(school(student(and(we(welcome(him as(a(VEJ(Featured(Columnist.
Can’t!get!there!in!RL?!No!Problem!!See!them!in!SL!!
There!are!many!reasons!that!we!can’t!or!haven’t!visited!all!of!the!places! in!RL!that!are!on!our!bucket!list!of!must!see!things!to!do.!Likewise,!there! are!places!in!SL!that!could!or!should!be!on!your!bucket!list!of!“Must!See! Places”!in!SL.! So,!instead!of!“shoulda,!woulda,!coulda”!. .!.!be!sure!to!take! time!this!month!to!“Fill!YOUR!BUCKET”!by!visiting!these!MUST!SEE! SIMS.!Like!us,!you!will!be!amazed!at!how!true!to!life!these!(and!many! more!like!them)!places!truly!are.!The!following!are!10 of!our!Favorite Places where!“Our(Two(World’s(Collide!” ENJOY!!!!!
Love(to(eat?(Come(play(with(your(fo od!((Meet(rebellious(robots(and( maestro(bakers!(Design,(eat(and(trade(your(own(custom(pasties!((A( rich,(whimsical(bakery(theme(park(…(there's(lots(to(do. An(old,(but( well(executed(build,(to(entertain(children(of(all(ages! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/7Days!Magic!Bakery/247/18/25
Always(wanted(to(take(a(cruise?(You(will(not(find(a(more(luxury( liner.(This(is(the(largest(single(build(in(SL.(You(can(rent(anything(
Terrace(Restaurant,(and dance(the(night(away(in(the(Starlight Lounge!(So,(what(are(you(waiting(for?(
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Galaxy%20AFT/68/48/21
WEDCOT(to(life(– including(his(partnership with(some(of(the(biggest( names(in(SL(food(to(his(venue!((Loaded(with(fun,(be(sure(to(check(out( the(concerts(and(especially(this(month,( the(“Not(So(Scary(Halloween(Party!( Animals(Park.(To(the(left(is(a(picture(of( Trevor(Sleydon(describes(his(work(as( some(memories(at(both(the(WEDCOT(Center(and(Kingdom(of( enjoy(some(of(the(park(food(venues.((
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fabulous%20Land/99/6/33
4. Ars%Simulacra:%NMC’s%SL%Artist%Showcase%Island%
Interactive(Art,(Installation,(Immersive,(StormEye,(Ripple,(Art,(Sculpture,( Education,(Kinetic,(Culture,(Beauty.(Check(it(out(– Real(Art(in(a(Virtual( World.(An(Artist’s(Paradise!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ars%20Simulacra/17/174/46
5. Inspire%Space Park% To(enjoy(the(beauty(of(this( park,(make(sure(to(set(your( world(to(midnight.(Then,( you(can(meditate(in(a( cosmic(sci fi(ambient( natural(space(galaxy,(relax( to(psychedelic(inspiring(chill( tunes(while(you(fly(through( stars(and(hug(the(universe( at(INSPIRE(SPACE(Park.(( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shinda/85/196/1560
This(is(a realization of(Robert(A.(Heinlein's('Crooked(House'(by( Seifert(Surface.(You(will(be(amazed(as(you(explore(the(multiply( interconnected(rooms(of(this(house(modeled(on(the(4(dimensional( hypercube! It(is(truly(a(wonder(to(be(seen!(
To(Crooked(House http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Galaxy%20Quest/128/68/7 72
While(you(are(at(the(Crooked( House be(sure(to(grab(the(Terra( E2chute((a(simple(parachute),( put(it(on,(and(jump(off(the( platform.(When(you(start(to(see( land(below,(type(“pull”(and(then( land(safely(in(the(water!(This(is( a(reusable(parachute,(so(type( “close”(and(jump(again!(Happy( Landing!
7. Steelhead%City There%is%nothing%like%the%great%Northwest!%Steelhead%is%made%up%of% seven%Sims built%with%a%Steampunk/turn of the century%Pacific% Northwest%Theme.%You%will%love%climbing%to%the%top%of%MT.%Hood%– or% if%you%are%short%on%time,%click%on%the%slurl%below%to%get%to%the%summit.% The%view%is%worth%it!%Check%out%the%blog%http://mattpoole.net/EC/ by% our%own%Expedition%Reporter%Cyrus%Hush (SL)%and%Matt%Poole%(RL)%for% more%details.%Happy%hiking!
On%the%Summit%of%Mt.%Hood% http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Steelhead% 20Boomtown/22 3/20/89
The(Vista(House( with(Mt.(St.( Helen’s(and(Mt.( Hood(in(the( distance. http://maps.second life.com/secondlife /Steelhead! Boomtown/165/13 9/28
8. The%Chelsea%Hotel You(can(no(longer(visit(the(Chelsea(Hotel(in(RL(as(it(has(been(closed( indefinitely.(http://www.hotelchelsea.com/
But,(if(this(historical(hotel(has(been(on(your(bucket(list(you(can(still( learn(how(this(hotel(has(always(been(at(the(center(of(artistic(and( bohemian(activity.(Many(famous(artists(have(stayed(in(the(hotel( including(Sir(Arthur(C.(Clark(who(wrote(the(“2001:(A(Space(Odyssey”( while(living(here (rl).(Other artists who(have(stayed(at(the(hotel( include(poets(like(Allen(Ginsberg(and(Dylan(Thomas.( Be(sure(to( check(out(Hotel(Chelsea’s((sl) 4th Annual(Halloween(Parade(With(DJ( Perky(on( October(31st 628( pm!(1000L$( prizes(for(best( male(and( female( costumes!( http://maps.sec ondlife.com/sec ondlife/Lanestr is/79/182/104
9. Molaskey’s%Pub
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Wichi/140/199/31
There(are(many(venues(in(sl,(but(one(of(the(most(authentic(is( Molaskey's(Pub.( Molaskey’s(is(an(Irish(pub(built(by(Apple( MacKay(and(owned(&(operated(by(Apple(&(Katydid(Something.( With(Darts,(a(beach,(a(winter(ice(skating(rink(and(constant( music,(it's(a(great(place(to(meet friends.(Live(Music(on(Sundays( and(Mondays.(This(is(a(great(place(to(relax(at(the(end(of(the(day( by(the(fire(in(the(winter(or(on(the(beach(in(the(summer.(
To(hear(Bright(Oh((Soar)(a(concert at(Molaskey’s(Pub,(recorded( 32822012(check(out( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jJEvDwcBDY
10. 1920’s%Berlin%Project If(traveling(back(in(time(is(on(your(bucket(list,(you(will(not(want(to( miss(the 1920’s(Berlin(Project(in(sl!(Details(about(this(project(can(be( found(at(http://1920sberlin.com/ .((The(exhibit/(role play is(a( collaborative(project(between(the(Berlin(sim(community(and(the( TLA(SL(Library(group.(( Background(can(be(accessed(in(these(videos:( http://youtu.be/0DbXmQxIEtI and http://youtu.be/hLZJ1ESWiwY
There is(so(much(history(related(to(this(period(of(time(to(experience( (e.g.,(Treaty(of(Versailles,(The(Great(Depression(in(Central(Europe).( So,(what(are(you(waiting(for?(The(only(thing(required(is(that(you( dress(in(1920’s(attire.(If(you(do(not(have(any(clothes(from(this( vintage,(no(problem,(there(are(free(outfits(to(be(had(at( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/1920s%20Berlin/236/233/ 751
According(to(the(notecard(when(you(arrive,(“authenticity(and( realism(are(very(important.”(They(explain,(“ We(try(to(recreate(a( feeling,(almost(a(journey(back(in(time.(That’s(why(we(ask(you(to( dress(in(style(and(to(act(the(part.(We(want(EVERYONE(who(visits(to( feel(as(if(they(are(really(back(in(time,(really(visiting(the(1920s,(so,( please(don't(ruin(this(experience(for(others(by(ignoring(the(rules. You(can(learn(more(about(Berlin(at( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1920s_Berlin
To(begin(my(adventure,(I(found(an(outfit(and(boarded(the(train(to( Berlin.(The(first(place(I(found(was(a(cute(little(diner(where(I(had( lunch.
Then(I(was(off(to(find(my(favorite(spot(from(our(rl(summer(vacation( to(Berlin(2012,(and(that(was(the(Brandenburg(Gate!(I(couldn’t( believe(my(eyes(when(I(saw(it!(What(a(thrill(to(stand(in(the(same( place(next(to(the(Brandenburg(Gate(in(sl(that(we(stood(in(rl(just(a( few(short(weeks(ago!(
Games!MOOC Online!and!Virtual!– Synchronous!and! Asynchronous By!Karen!Novak,!aka!Kavon!Zenovka
The!inaugural!running!or!playing!of!the!six!week!long!Games!Based! Learning!MOOC!or!Games!MOOC!ended!on!September!17,!2012.!This! was!part!of!an!initiative!from!Colorado!Community!College!System’s! Immersive!and!Games!Based!Learning!Faculty!Challenge!project.!There! were!a!total!of!301!registered!participants.!
The!Games!MOOC!was!not!on!a!closed!learning!management!system! (LMS),!so anyone!could!visit!and!read!without!logging!in.!Rather!than!a! traditional!LMS,!the!gaming!portal!site!shivtr!at!www.shivtr.com was! chosen.!This!allowed!the!Games!MOOC!to!have!to!have!an!asynchronous! site!that!looked!like!it!could!belong!to!any!gaming!community.!
The!Games!MOOC!livestreamed!gameplay!in!World!Warcraft!and!took! tours!of!the!Massively!Minecraft!community! http://massivelyminecraft.org/in!the!game!Minecraft.!The Games! MOOC!site!ended!up!with!48,683!visitors,!86,862!page!views!and!283! threaded!discussions.!http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/
The!Games!MOOC!was!accepted!and!is!now!listed!in!the!US!Department! of!Education’s!Connected!Educators!Project’s!Community!Directory.! Feel!free!to!visit,!explore!and!“like”!the!communities!that!appeal!to!you.! The!Games!MOOC!is!listed!at!
http://connectededucators.org/community/games based learning mooc/
The!Games!MOOC!had!over!30!videos!of!live!educational!presentations! and!discussions!that!were!made!over!the!course!of!the!Games!MOOC.! This!comes!out!to!19!hours!of!recording.!The!30!videos!have!collectively! had!3,003!views.!There!are!currently!92!people!subscribed!to!the!
YouTube!channel.!!All!videos!are!creative!commons!with!attribution! licensed.!http://www.youtube.com/user/gamesmooc
The!Games!MOOC!livestreamed!a!quick!overview!each!Monday!morning! on!Google!Hangout!on!Air.!The!Games!MOOC!also!had!a!tweetchat!each! Wednesday!evening.!On!each!Thursday,!there!was!a!livestreamed! discussion!or!panel!of!guests!through!Google!Hangout!on!Air!and!also! through!Second!Life!in!the!ISTE!SIGVE!Diner!on!EduIsland.!If!there!was! an!opportunity!to!livestream!a!games!based!learning!activity!being!done! by!another!educational!group!during!the!Games!MOOC!– that! opportunity!was pursued.!
The!Games!MOOC!participated!in!SIGVE!Connected!Educator!and!has! been!livestreaming!and!recording!the monthly!!“It!Takes!A!Guild!– A! Guild!of!Educators”!webinar.!Along!with!G.A.M.E.,!Gamers!Advancing! Meaningful!Education,!the!games!based!learning!tweetchat!has!been! established!at!9!pm!ET/!6!pm!SLT!every!Wednesday.!(A!tweetchat!is! when!people!go!on!twitter!at!a!specific!time!for!a!specific!topic!and! everyone!uses!the!same!hashtag.)!The!hashtag!#gamemooc!is!used.! Every!Wednesday!as!part!of!the!synchronous!learning!the!#gamemooc!! tweetchat!has!a!discussion!around!4 5!games!based!learning!questions.! The!#gamemooc!tweetchat!lasts!for!one!hour.
For!this!MOOC,!as!suggested!by!Scott!Merrick,!perhaps!M!stands!for! modest!compared!to!some!of!the!large!Stanford!and!MIT!MOOCs.! Currently!a!professor!out!of!Wharton!School!of!Business!at!the! University!of!Pennsylvania!is!teaching!an 80,000!person!Gamification! MOOC!through!Coursera.!
But!this!perhaps!says!it!best.!Below is!a!tweet!from!Rivenhomewood, who!took!the!Games!MOOC!and!is!also!taking!the!Gamification!MOOC. Rivenhomewood!tweets,
“Coursera(gamification12(is(totally(LMS.(OTOH(#gamemooc(has(morphed( into(a(wonderfully(supportive(guild(of(educators.”(
The!second!iteration!of!the!Games!MOOC!or!Games!MOOC!II!begins!on! October!8,!2012.!The!content!is!being!revised!for!Games!MOOC!II!and! will!not!be!identical.!!There!will!be!a!"brave!beginner"!track!and! questlines!for!people!coming!back!or!who!would!like!to!be!more!
seriously!involved.!These!questlines!are!for!two!major!badges!that!we! will!be!issuing.
The!first!badge,!"Game!Based!Learning" is!a!task oriented! demonstration!of!mastery!of!material.
The!second!badge!is!"Networked!Educator" which!will!be!based!off!the! demonstration!of!creation!and!leadership!in!social!network!knowledge! construction!and!the!Connectivist!theory!of!learning.
If!you!are!interested,!please!register!at http://bit.ly/gamesmooc.!For! more!information!please!contact!Kae!Novak!at! kae.novak@frontrange.edu
“Marianne Malmstrom is a technology teacher at The Elisabeth Morrow School, where she has worked with colleagues to develop a s chool- wide multimedia program that has received international recognition.” Click on the link above to read the article.
Build It & They Will Come By Andrew Wheelock (RL), Spiff Whitfield (SL)
An!old!saying!of!mine!is... in times!of!trouble!and!strife, “seek!comfort!in! the!arts.”
The!state!of!education!in!New!York!State!where!I!teach!has!brought! trouble!and!strife.! Without!going!through!the!grim!details!let!me!just! suffice!to!say...!we!have!been!enduring!a!period!of!rapid!change!that!is! uninspired!and!seemingly!built!not!on!proven!educational!values!but!on! the!thirst!of!Federal!Race(to(the(Top(Dollars.! These!rapid!fire!“reforms”! and!standardized!testing!initiatives!have!created!a!sense!of!unease!and! stress!that!has!teachers!seeking!a!comfort!zone!in!low!level!tech!tools! and!paper/pencil!scribbles!and!bubble!form!learning.!
And!so!I!turn!to!the!arts,!and!my!friends!and!colleagues,!for!inspiration! and!for!hope!that!these!dark!days!of!acronyms!will!one!day!pass!and!we! will again!get!back!to!the!empowering!value!of!public!education.!
My!hope!is!lined!with!the!notion!that!we!live!in!an!incredible!climate!for! educators!! We!have!access!to!an!amazing!array!of!technology!tools!that! can!bring!our!students!instant!access!to!people!and!ideas!from!all!over! the!world.! When!I!began!my!teaching!career!in!1994!the!best!hope!a! student!could!have!of!publishing!their!work!was!outside!the!hallway!for! Open!House.! Now!their!work,!from!music,!to!writing,!to!art,!can!be! shared!around!the!world,!without!a!publishing!company.!
Recent!new!pedagogies!such!as,!“The!Flipped!Classroom”,!and! “Gamification!of!Learning” are!offering!new!promise!and!intrigue if,
that!is, teachers!dare!to!try!them.
Which!brings!me!back!to!the!arts.! The!quintessential!movie,!Field(of( Dreams with!Kevin!Costner!was!a!simple!tale!about!a!hardscrabble! farmer!who!is!coaxed!into!building!a!baseball!field!in!the!middle!of!his! Iowa!cornfield!by!a!ghostly!voice!that!says,!“Build!it, and!they!will! come”.! He!builds!it!and!the!ghosts!of!baseball’s!glorious!past!come! through!the!cornfields!to!play.! The!film!is!corny,!but!highlights!our! traditions,!values,!and!anchors!to!the!past.
Which!brings!me!to!MOOCs, (Massive!Open!Online!Courses).! At!first! blush,!I!thought...!here!we!go!again,!ANOTHER!Acronym!in! education.! Can!we!please!stop!with!the!acronyms?! Yet,!once!I!was! introduced!to!the!concept!through!Kae!Novak!and!Tanya!Martin,!I!was! intrigued.! A!light!was!starting!to!dawn!on!me.! All!these!powerful!social! networking!tools!I!have!come to!rely!on!combined!with!the!virtual! environment!possibilities!I!have!always!dreamed!of!could!come! together!in!a!learning!system!that!was!open!and!empowering!
So!using!the!Virtual!Environment!grid!that!I!was!able!to!create!through! the!support!of!my work,!The(Western(New(York(Regional(Information( Center((WNYRIC)!along!with!their!hosted!Moodle(Online(Learning( System,!I!had!all!the!components!of!a!great!MOOC!experience!for! teachers!based!around!the!powerful!book,!Diary(of(a(Young(Girl,(Anne( Frank.!
So the!format!goes!something!like!this:
1.! Teachers!are!given!access!to!our!Moodle!Course!and!access!to!the! Secret(Annex virtual!recreation!via!Adobe!Connect.!
2.! Through!the!Moodle!there!are!various!directions!on!how!to!connect! with!the!other!participants!using!Flickr,!Diigo,!and!Twitter.! This!gives! us!various!communication!modes!to!work!from.!
3.! In!the!virtual!environment,!there!are!10!common!core based! assignments!to!work!with,!based on Anne’s!Diary!and!World!War!II! Holocaust.!
4.! We!have!weekly!office!hours!scheduled!for!participants!to!stop!by,! ask!questions,!share!resources,!or!just!explore!the!Annex!to!learn!and! relate.!
5.! We!have!a!final!date!where!we!will!have!a!share!time!and!provide!
teachers!with!Badges!for!their!website!for!completing!the!assignments! and!postings.
While!our!first!group!has!been!small,!less!than!10!members,!the!concept! of!the!MOOC!format!has!been!really!amazing!and!inspiring!for!me!as!an! educator!that!has!been!battered!by!a!year!of!heavy!handed!reform! initiatives.! The!notion!of!bringing!people!from!all!over!the!world!to! learn!at!their!own!pace!with!guidance!and!support!not!from!a!top!down! structure!but!a!circular!one!where!everyone’s!voice!is!respected!and! honored is!exciting!and!refreshing.! It!provides!such!a!unique! opportunity!to!gather!minds!and produce!a!result!that!works!along!a! whole!variety!of!learners!and!their!unique!talents!and!needs.
So!I!encourage!you...!as!an!innovative!educator,!build!a!MOOC....!and!they! will!come! The!learning!will!come,!it!will!blossom,!and!in!that!you!will! be!inspired!and!have!your!class!of!teachers!or!students!build!an!ark!of! learning!to!weather!the!storms!of!reform!in!the!fast!paced!21st! Century.
If%You%Missed
Or,%If%You%Want%To%Experience%It%Again%.%.%.%
Both!the!VWBPE!Journal!and!Video from the VWBPE 2012 Sessions are now available at Treet. TV. Now you can watch all your favorites again. Be sure to share them with your colleagues and friends. Sessions for viewing you wonʼt want to miss, include:
# Representing Latino Cultural Heritage in the Age of Social Web
# Pedagogical Learning Technology Products and Content
# Using Virtual Worlds As A Tool for Project-Based Learning
# An Interview with Pathfinder Lester
# 3D Virtual Worlds in K -12 (International) Schools
# WoW in Schools: The Heroʼs Journey
# Keynote, Epic Win, Epic Fail
# And many, many more
Check#them#out#at:
VWBPE#2012#Video: http://business.treet.tv/shows/bpeducation/episodes
VWBPE!2012!Journal:!
Journal page: http://ejournal.urockcliffe.com/index.php/JOVS Journal PDF: http://goo.gl/uAKIm
Capturing!The!Magic:!An! By!Roxie!Neiro
If(you(haven’t(been(to(Magicland(Park,(you(are(in(for(a(treat.(Like( Disneyland(in(rl,(Magicland(is(by(far(one(of(the happiest(places in(sl!(It( brings(out(the(child(in(all(of(us!(From(the(attractions(to(the(parades(to(the( artistic(builds,(this(is(truly(an(example(of(the(power(of(virtual(world( experiences that(replicate(the(fun(of(real(life. Certainly,(Magicland has( been(one(of(my(favorite(spots(since(I(arrived(in(sl.( It(has(been(an( inspiration(to(watch(the park(take(on(a(life(of(its(own with(each new( attraction.(
I(am(excited(to(have(been(able(to(talk(with(Kriste(Beck(about(this(huge( undertaking,(which is(truly(a(“labor(of(love.”(Enjoy the(article(.(.(.(then(grab( your(inner child (and(any(other(children)(and let(your(imagination(run( wild(as(you(experience(the(fantasy(and(adventure(of(Magicland!( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bracket/253/123/27
Roxie: Kriste,!how!did!you!get!involved!with!virtual!environments,! second!life!in!particular?
Kriste: In(2007,(my(supervisor(at(work(asked(me(to(explore(Second(Life(as( a(possible(marketing(opportunity. I(had(never(been(into(a(multiplayer(32D( environment(before,(so(I(was(a(bit(unsure(of(what(to(expect. My(first(day( in(Second(Life(was(spent(just(learning(the(basics. Once(I(began(to(feel( comfortable(with(the(environment,(I(explored(quite(a(bit,(documenting( how(businesses(were(using(Second(Life(at(the(time(as(a(marketing(tool.
Although(my(supervisor(at(the(time(did(not(end(up(using(Second(Life(as(a( marketing(tool,(I(liked(the(environment(so(much(that(I(decided(to(stay.
Roxie: How!did!you!get!started!building!Magicland!Park?!
Kriste: My(friend,(Pixie(and(I,(are(huge(Disney(fans.! We(previously(had( worked(together(on(building(a(fan(tribute(area(to(“The Little(Mermaid. “ The(area(included(rides,(a(dance(floor,(a(playground,(and(an(ongoing(mini( treasure(hunt. People(loved(it(because(it(was(unique(and(different.
Although(we(had(loads(of(fun(swimming(as(mermaids,(we(really(wanted(to( do(something(that(would(appeal(to(an(even(wider(audience. In(August(of( 2008,(we(purchased(a(larger(plot(of(land(in(Bracket(where(we(began( construction(on(Magicland(Park.
Roxie: How!do!you!support!the!theme!park?!
Kriste:!Magicland(is(supported(through(the(efforts(of(volunteers(and( through(kind(donations(given(freely(by(guests. There(is(no(admission( charge(to(enter(Magicland(and(all(of(the(attractions(are(free.
Roxie: Do!you!have!help!with!your!building?
Kriste: From(the(very(beginning,(Magicland(has(always(been(a(team( effort. We(have(a(core(team(of(people(who(work(regularly(on(projects(in(a( wide(variety(of(roles.
Castle with snow during winter
Roxie: Why!Magicland?! It!is!amazing!– such a!“labor!of!love”?
Kriste: Pixie(and(I(absolutely(love(the(Disney(Parks(and(have(visited(both( Disneyland(and(Walt(Disney(World(multiple(times. Being(that(we(live(in( California,(however,(we(have(more(of(a(connection(to(Disneyland(than(any( other(Disney(park. Since(we(intimately(know(Disneyland(inside(and(out,( we(decided(to(create(Magicland(as(a(fan(tribute(that(reflects(an(idealized( version(of(Walt(Disney’s(original(Magic(Kingdom.
Roxie: For!our!readers, who!may!not!have!visited!Magicland,!please! describe!the!work!you!have!done.!
Kriste: Magicland(is(a(3D(tribute(to(Disneyland(in(Second(Life,(located(at(
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bracket/254/125/27 Magicland features(a( variety(of(beloved(attractions(and(adventures(that(you(can(actually(ride(in( Second(Life. Magicland(also(offers(various(events(and(parades(that(occur( throughout(the(year. There(is(so(much(to(see(and(do,(if(you(have(not( visited(yet,(we(definitely(invite(you(to(stop(by!
Roxie: What!obstacles!have!you!had!to!deal!with!as!you!build!this! “magic!kingdom?”!
Kriste: Most(of(the(obstacles(we(have(faced(have(been(related(to(the( technical(limitations(of(Second(Life. Every(time(we(start(a(new(project(in( the(park,(we(always(ask(the(question(“How(are(we(going(to(do(this?” That( may(seem(like(a(simple(question,(but(in(truth,(it(is(a(very(complicated( one. Every(project(typically(involves(the(creation(or(use(of(custom(scripts,( sculpts,(and(textures(and(takes(a(lot(of(time,(work,(and(research.
Roxie: Have!you!had!issues!with!copyright,!especially!with!Disney,!as! many!of!the!attractions!at!your!sl!park!are!very!Disney like?
Kriste: At(the(Main(Entrance(of(the(park(and(in(City(Hall,(there(is(a( lengthy(disclaimer(that(says(in(so(many(words(that(we(are(not(connected( to(Disney(in(any(way(and(do(not(make(any(money. Magicland(Park(is(a(3D(
fan(site(and(can(be(considered(a(“transformative(work”,(as(we(have(taken( a(real(life(location(and(created(a(3D(environment(based(upon(that( location. Magicland,(itself(is(an(expression(of(our(personal(experiences( and(an(expression(of love(for(the(amazing(creativity(that(goes(into(the( Disney(Parks(in(real(life.
Roxie: What!has!been!your!greatest!accomplishment?
Kriste: Our(greatest(accomplishment(at(Magicland(is(the(ability(to( continue(moving(forward(with(new(areas,(attractions,(shows,(and(parades( with(a(wonderful(core(team(of(dedicated(people. Walt(Disney(once(said, “You(can(dream,(create,(design,(and(build(the(most(wonderful(place(in(the( world,(but(it(requires(people(to(make(the(dream(a(reality.” Magicland( truly(exists(because(of(the(efforts(of(those(who(have(made(it(a(reality.
Roxie: What!advice!do!you!have!for!educators!who!are!working!in!sl!–things!you!know!now!that!you!wish!you!would!have!known!when!you! first!got!started,!tips!and!tricks,!etc?
Kriste: We(have(learned(a lot(as(a(result(of(building(and(operating( Magicland(within(the(last(four(years.
I(would(consider(the(most(important(thing(that(we(have(learned(would(be( to(know(how(to(administer(access(to(land(that(you(own(in(Second( Life. Within(the(first(year(of(operation(of(Magicland,(we(had(some(issues( with(unruly(guests. After(having(those(issues,(we(decided(to(put(a(security( system(into(place.
Another(thing(we(learned(very(early(on(is(the(importance(of(working(with( an(expert(and/or(mentor(in(Second(Life. During(the(construction(of( Magicland,(I(realized(that(I(had(no(idea(how(to(make(objects(move. For( most(people(in(Second(Life,(that(would(be(no(big(deal,(but(when(you(want( to(create(moving(attraction(vehicles,(that(becomes(a(big(deal(very( quickly. So,(I(hired(an(expert. Not(only(did(he(make(our(attraction( vehicles(move,(but(also(he(showed(me(how(to(use(his(mover(to(make( virtually(anything(move(in(the(park. The(information(he(shared(with(me(
allowed(us(to(create(multiple(attractions(and(parades(within(our(first( year.
If(you(are(an(educator(who(would(like(to(get(into(Second(Life,(it(is(a(good( idea(to(have(an(expert(assisting(you;(someone(who(has(been(in(Second(Life( for(a(while(and(understands(3D(content(creation(as(well(as(programming.
Roxie: I!agree!– sl!mentors!are!very!important.!That!is!why!ISTE!SIGVE! has!had!newcomer!orientations!as!well!as!social!events!– just!to!help! people!get!acclimated!in!sl.!What!plans!do!you!have!for!the!future!–either!for!yourself!as!a!builder/designer!in!sl!or!for!Magicland?
Kriste: My(friend(Pixie(and(I(work(on(Magicland(as(much(as(possible. Not( only(is(it(near(and(dear(to(our(hearts,(but(it(is(something(that(we( genuinely(enjoy(doing. We(hope(to(be(able(to(continue(going(forward(with( the(park,(making(it(entertaining,(fun,(and enjoyable(for(our(guests.
Roxie:!Thank!you!so!much!Kriste!for!taking!time!to!share!your!work! with!our!readers!and!me.!!We!eagerly!anticipate!your!future!attractions!!!
This author does not endorse nor discredit any presidential candidate; this is an educational article discussing political methodology and its uses online and in the classroom.
If!you!haven’t!heard!by!now,!politics!are!in!full!swing!this!election!year.! Television,!radio!and!even!Youtube!are!seeing!their!fair!share!of! political!ads!and!mudslinging.!But!have!you!ever!wondered!what!a!game! would!be!like!with!political!objectives?!Look!no!further,!for!as!of!last! May,!the!massive!multiplayer!online!role!playing!game!(MMORPG),! TERA,!is!making!waves.!Previously!from!the!Far!East!(South!Korea),! TERA!has!been!rebranded!and!redubbed!for!an!American!audience!just! in!time!for!the!real!world!elections.!In!this!game,!you!can!truly!affect!the! world!and!the!progression!of!the!game!it!takes!when!you!take!political! action.
As!any!Government!teacher!will!tell!you,!United!States!(US)!politics!is! simply!the!elections!of!an!individual!whom!the!people!vote!on!and!the! winner!proceeds!to!act!for the!best!interest!of!the!people.!Like!US! politics,!TERA,!too!allows!for!the!player!community!to!decide!and!vote! for!province!Vanarchs. Similar!to!Presidents,!Vanarchs!have!the!ability! to!enact!certain!powers!that!affect!the!game!for!the!rest!of!the!player base.!These!powers!range!from!setting!up!trade!routes,!activating! special!dungeons!and!administering!taxes!on!shops.
Even!to!be!President,!you!have!to!meet!a!certain!criteria;!at!least!thirty five!years!old,!natural]born!citizen,!and!have!lived!in!the!United!States! for!fourteen!years.!Being!a!Vanarch!is!no!different,!as!a!player!must!be! at!least!level!50,!be!the!leader!of!a!level!three!guild!with!at!least!twenty! members!and!be!able!to!pay!the!candidacy!fee.!But!meeting!the!criteria! hardly!makes!you!Vanarch,!least!not!yet,!anyway.!Now,!the!Election! Process!comes!down!to!making!your!platforms!heard!and!gaining! supporters;!because!as!you!know,!the!individual!with!the!most!votes! ultimately!wins.
As!you!will!see!this!campaign!year,!there!will!be!plenty!of!noise!and! ruckus!following!the!campaign!trails of!the!two!major!political!parties;! this!is!the!same!in world!as!well.!With!big!groups!and!supporters!per! candidate,!the!virtual!world!adds!its!own!twist!to!the!political!stylings! we!have!come!to!learn!about.!From!campaign!posters!to!machinima! (video!recordings!in game),!candidates!attract!voters!to!their!causes, as! the!virtual!world!of!politics!doesn’t!stray!too!far!from!the!real!thing.! Promises,!blasts!and!reminders!are!sent!out!over!“ALL!Chat”!to!vote!for! them.!Sometimes,!popular!candidates!hold!parties!or!dungeon!raids!to! gain!more!supporters!that!are!open!to!the!public,!waving!the!entry!fee! and!making!them!free!for!anyone!to!join.!If you!aren’t!apart!of!a!Guild!in world,!it’s!often!hard!and!almost!impossible to!do!dungeons!by!yourself.! By!attending!these!events,!candidates!hope!to!gain!supporters!and! donations!from!the!undecided!players,!bringing!more!votes!their!way.
But!what’s!the!catch?!Becoming!a!Vanarch!takes!a!lot!of!work!and!hassle! to!just!reign!for!about!a!month!and!then!your!office!is!up!for!grabs!again.! Well,!being!a!Vanarch!has!a!lot!of!perks,!as!I’m!sure!being!the!President! of!the!United!States!must!have.!Vanarchs!and!selected!members!in!their! Guild!(usually!Guild!leaders!or!important!members!to!their!successful!
campaign)!gain!an!exclusive!title!and!mount!(the!game’s!fastest!mount!I! might!add)!to!let!the!world!of!TERA know!just!how!important!they!are.!
Being!able!to!adjust!PVP,!vendors, and!trainers!in!a!particular!area!is! decent!enough!– who!wouldn’t!want!to!have!access!to!exclusive!vendors! that!sell!things!you!can’t!get? But I’m!sure, as!you!know,!as!with!any!rite! to!office,!there!comes!a!time!for!money!and!economy.!Being!a!Vanarch! has!the!potential!to!give!you!more!gold!than!you!could!ever!get!from! doing!a!dungeon!or!selling!rare!equipment.!Being!able!to!set!and!adjust! the!taxes!on!shopkeepers,!not!only!has!an affect on their!stock,!but!it! also affects!the!flow!of!the!game.!Taxes!also!affect!the!pricing!of!certain! services!like!flying!and!trade!(i.e.,!auction!house).!Setting!your!tax!too! high!will!lead!to!stagnation!and!general!unpleasantness!with!your!peers.! Do!this!well,!and!you!have!a!chance!at!being!re]elected!!Failing!to! uphold!your!position!will!probably!lead!to!area wide!depression!among! your!shops!(meaning!very!little!to!sell)!and!your!supporters!(even!your! guild!members)!will!be!displeased!with!your!service;!leaving!many! unhappy!with!you.
You!are!probably!wondering,!how!can!I!take!this!into!my!classroom?! And!quite!frankly!I!don’t!blame!you.!It’s!not!the!easiest!thing!to!get! approval!for,!but!hear!me!out!for!a!second.!I!have!heard!of!teachers! simulating!their!own!elections!in!class,!(for!higher!educational!political! science!classes,!running!an!experiment!in!the!virtual!world!of!TERA should!suffice)!for!Middle!and!High!school!classes!bringing!TERA in!as! an!example!for!addressing!politics!and!a!wordy!explanations!is!a!start.! Students!at!such!a!younger!age!(heck!you!have!to!be!18!to!vote)!don’t! readily!understand!the!need!or!the!mechanics!of!politics.!So!while! holding!your!own!class!campaign!there!are!three!things!you!need!to! address.!
One,!what!issues!will!they!stand!for?!Give!them!the!ability!to!affect!the! day to day!events!in!your!classroom.!Do!you!have!designated!times!for! recess!or!reading time?!Perhaps!they!can!strive!to!adjust!the!set!times! for!them?!Maybe!even!for!just!a!particular!day?!Why!fight!your!students! to!learn!or!quiz!them!on!Friday!when!they!would!rather!be!doing! something!else?!Have!your!class!President!or!Vanarch!make!an! executive!decision!to!push!a!Quiz!to!Monday?!Imagine!how!many!of! your!students!will!want!to!run!and!make!that!their!platform?!
TERA is!a!tool!for!your!disposal!because!we!aren’t!all!designers!and! powerpoints!aren’t!always!going!to!make!the!cut!or!engage!your student! in!the!content.!TERA is!visually!appealing!and!has!lots!of!resources!for! you!to!have!your!students!explore!the!world!of!politics!without!all!the! graphs!and!charts.!Why!force!your!kids!to!learn!about!Presidents!if!they! don’t!find!it!relevant?
Two, how!will!they!let!the!other!students!know!where!they!stand?! Being!an!informed!candidate!is!just!as!important!as!being!an!informed! voter.!So!show!them!examples!of!political!ads,!videos,!posters,!slogans! and!the!whole!of!campaigning.!Where!is!identity!displayed?!What!makes! certain!images!stand!out?!What!does!this!mean?!Get!them!asking!and! analyzing!the!big!questions.!
Creating!political!posters!has!always!been!a!fun!activity!to!do.!Please! address!the!immoral!behavior!of!“mudslinging”!or!using!scare!tactics! against!your!opponents.!We!don’t!want!anyone!getting!hurt,!physically! or!emotionally.!The!information!age!has!certainly!changed!tactics!for! campaign!trails!and!a!lot!of!voters!are!trying!to!be!reached!online! through!many!different!mediums,!a!discussion!like!this!will!certainly!get! your!students!saying!a!lot.
Three,!when!do!the!elections!and!the!powers!of!the!winner!start!and! end?!Holding!elections!can!be!a!double edged!sword!when!not!careful.! Avoid!passing!out!ballots!and!having!them!vote!at!a!single!time. True!to! life,!a!voter!has!the!option!to!vote!throughout!the!voting!day.!Either! have!ballots!next!to!your!desk,!have!them!accessible!online/digital! ballots!or!you!can!go!so!far!as!to!have!your!own!voting!booth.!
Depending!upon!the!size!of!the!class,!you!can!enlist!one!or!two!students! to!help!with!the!voting!process,!whether!to!collect!or!count!the!votes.! The!winner!should!understand!his!or!her!powers!and!abilities!when! they!take!the!office!of!class!President.!Going!so!far!as!having!a!Judicial!or! Legislative!branch!always!seem!to!complicate!things!further,!but!you!are! welcome!to!try.!Assigning!point!values!to!various!activities!is! encouraged!and!will!help!the!grading!process.!Teaching!about!the! election!during!a politics!unit!can!span!from!a!week!to!a!month! depending!upon!your!curriculum.!Be!sure!to!set!the!dates!and!deadlines!
for!certain!activities!so!the!points!are!awarded!for!both!candidates!and! voters.!
It’s!not!always!fun!and!games!in!TERA,!and!being!a!Vanarch!isn’t!for! everyone,!but!certainly!everyone!is!welcome!to!participate!in!any!way! they!wish.!From!voting!or!running!for!a!virtual!office,!TERA adds!a!new! layer!of!play!to!its!phenomenal!gameplay!and!graphics.
To!find!out!more!about!Tera!and!the!Political!System!please!visit:! http://tera.enmasse.com/game]guide/political]system
K 12!political!educational!resource,!please!visit:!http://kids.usa.gov/
Site!targeting!young!adults,!and!informing!them!on!their!voting!rights:! http://www.voteourfuture.com/
TERA Campaign!Poster!citation:!Amira.!(2012,!24!5).!TERA!fans!online! forums!retrieved!from!http://www.terafans.com/topic/38174]official] tera political poster contest/
Pandars!Guild:!Vanarch!Campaign:!PandasTera.!(2012,!1!10).!Youtube! video!database.!Retrieved!from! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9evvxLHwnNc
The%Introductory%video%to%the%Alternate%Reality%Game, “We%Need%a%Hero.”
The introductory video for the Alternate Reality Game, "We Need a Hero," part of the HUMN0300/SOCSCI0300 course on Social Media at Pitt-Greensburg, Fall 2012.
Check it out at: http://youtu.be/iDTXH-G1TuU
Stephen!A.!Schrum,!PhD Associate!Professor!of!Theatre!Arts University!of!Pittsburgh!at!Greensburg
Educators#Connect#Virtually
Submitted#by#T.#Martin#and#C.#Luchs
ISTE’s!special!Interest!Group!for!Virtual!Environments!(SIGVE)! continues!to!expand!communication!and!collaboration!among!and! between!members,!as!well!as!with!those!who!have!not!yet!been!bitten! by!the!Virtual!Environment!bug.!!SIGVE!embarked!on!the!2012]2013! school!year!by!joining!the!Connected!Educator!movement.!!
SIGVE!hosted!a!multi dimensional!“Connected!Educator!Hour”!in!August!
to!provide!information!regarding!ongoing!activities!to!educators! interested!in!using!virtual!environments!for!teaching!and!learning.!! Educators!from!around!the!country!gathered!in!the!virtual! environments!of World!of!Warcraft!and!Second!Life!in!a!collaborative! effort!to!share!and!deliver!an!experience!to!fellow!educators.!!
This!is!not!the!only!connected!educator!hour!SIGVE!has!planned;!in!fact,! A!Scary!Sim!Crawl!is!planned!for!October!23,!culminating!in!a!60 second! Scary!Machinima!Fest.!!All!SIGVE!events,!as!well!as!those!planned!by! fellow!Virtual!Digizens!are!posted!on!the!Massive!Open!Online!Calendar.
The!August!tour!began!at! SIGVE!headquarters!on!Second!Life and! presented!viewers!with!five!additional!destinations;! Virtual!Pioneers,! Second!Life!Educators!of!Escambia!County,! Virginia!Society!for! Technology!in!Education,!World!of!Warcraft! G.A.M.E., and! Games!MOOC! at! Front!Range!in!Second!Life.! Participants!had!several!options!for! attending.!!They!could!visit!each!of!the!worlds!with!their!Avatar,!keep! the!Avatar!in!one!location!and!watch!the!streamed!Google!Hangout! session!live!on! YouTube (http://bit.ly/sigveconnected),!or!watch!the! recorded!session!at!a!later!time.!
The!August!Connected!Hour!was!a!varied!representation!of!what! educators!are!doing!around!the!country!with!virtual!environments!and! education.!Peggy!Sheehy!describing!her!experiences!using World!of! Warcraft! with!her!students!as!well!as!showing!some!key!locations! within!the!game.!The!teachers!of!the!Cognitive!Dissonance!Guild showed! up!and!hammed!it!up!a!bit!for!the!camera;!however,!the!discussion!was! a!serious!account!of!the!positive!impact!the!use!of!the!game!has!had!on! students.!
The!second!stop!of!the!tour!was! Front!Range,!Colorado's!Front!Range! Community!College's!sim!in!Second!Life.! Kae!Novak!(Que!Jinn!in!SL)!and! Vasili!Giannoutsos!(Bluebarker!in!SL) provided!a!tour!of!the!evolving! sim!along!with!information!regarding!the!educational!games!related! activities!planned!for!the!year.! Front!Range!is!the!“headquarters”!for!in world!activity!related!to!the!ongoing Games!MOOC.!
Marie!Booz,!(Mandie!Mimulus!in!SL)!of! Virginia!Society!for!Technology!
In!Education!(VSTE)! provided! a!look!at!the!historical!and!geographic! features! of!the!virtual!location!along!with!descriptions!of!how!these! areas!are!used!for!professional!development.!!
After!VSTE,!the!Second!Life!Educators!of!Escambia!County!(SLEEC)!from! Escambia!County!in!the!Florida!Panhandle!delivered!an!entirely! different! landscape taking!the!tour!through!swampland!and!palm! beaches.!!Lori!Weedo!(Lori!Galli!in!SL)!and!Lauren!Thurman!(Laural! McCallen!in!SL)!explained!how!SLEEC!uses!their!island!for!professional! development!as!well!as!for!science!instruction!for!middle!and!high! school!students.!
Mary!O’Brien!(Serena!Offcourse!in!SL) dressed! in! historic!attire,!invited! guests!to!the! Virtual!Pioneers headquarters!in!Second!Life.! Located! adjacent!to!the!SIGVE! Island in!Second!Life,!Virtual!Pioneers!holds!bi weekly!virtual!field!trips!related!to!history,!geography!and!culture!with! alternate!weeks!for!Meet!and!Greet!with!Spiff!Whitfield.
The!tour!culminated!at!the!new!ISTE/SIGVE!location!on!Second! Life.! Andrew!Wheelock!(Spiff!Whitfield!in!SL)!provided!a!tour!of!the! new!location!including!the!blogger!hut,!50’s!Diner,!fire]pit!area,! auditorium!and!conference!room.!!He!described!the!regularly!scheduled! events!that!take!place!including!Office!hours,!Show!and!Tell,!SIGVE! Speaker!Series,!social!events,!machinima!nights!and!more.!
Adjacent!properties!are!owned!and!operated!by!educators!who! contribute!time!and!use!of!property!to!enhance!this!innovative!and! growing!interest!in!immersive!environments.!!
Come!join!us!as!we!collaborate!and!try!new!ways!of!teaching!and! learning.
Everyone#Is#Invited!
Please!join!ISTE!SIGVE!wiki!at!http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/ Check!the!SIGVE!Calendar!at!http://sigve.weebly.com/calendar.html
Please!join!us!at!SIGVE!Headquarters!in!SL!at! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland!9/25/81/22
Hope!To!See!You!There!
ISTE#SL#Tours#2.0## Sunday#Sept 9,#2012
By!Cyrus!Hush!(SL),!Matt!Poole!(RL)
The!Palo!Verde!Biological!Station,!located!in!the!scenic!Costa!Rican!sims! group!is!a!extremely!educational!build!that!demonstrates!the!beauty,! fragility!and!biological!diversity!of!wetlands,!and!will!leave!you aching! to!visit!Costa!Rica!!!The!thing!to!do!here!is!to!take!the!guided!boat!tour,! which!accommodates!four!avatars!at!a!time!and!several!tours!can!be! running!at!once.
The!automated!and!narrated!jungle!boat!tour!takes!about!ten!minutes,! and!will!deposit!you!at!the!gift!shop!when!concluded.!!If!you!have!any! interest!in!purchasing!a!scripted!jaguar!for!your!living!room,!now’s!your! chance.!!
The!real!life!Palo!Verde!Biological!Research!Station,!located!in!Palo! Verde!National!Park,!in!the!Guanacaste!Province of!Costa!Rica,!is!a! research!station!operated!by!the!OTS!in!Costa!Rica.!!
It!is!one!of the!foremost!sites!for!ecological research!on!tropical!dry! forests,!which!are!some!of!the!most!endangered!types!of!tropical! ecosystems!in!the!world.!!Although!they!may!get!a!lot!of!rain,!tropical! dry!forests!have!a!hard!dry!season!during!the!year,!which!makes!them! very!different!biomes!than!tropical!rain!forests.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Verde_Biological_Station! cite_note Janzen 0
The!Organization!for!Tropical!Studies!is!a!consortium!of!63!institutions! from!around!the!world!that!studies!tropical!ecosystems!and!the!effects! of!industrialization,!deforestation!and!habitat!destruction.!!
Matt!Poole
DRUM#CIRCLE#FUN Occupy%Poetic%Drum%Circle%
9am%SLT%Sunday,%October%14,%2012
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Etopia!Island/152/184/22
Make!Live!Music!@!Drum!Circle!!
FREE!Occupy!BOOK!!http://tiny.cc/1cswlw
MEET!THE!AUTHOR!! JL!Morin!(RL)!gave!away!copy!of!her!free!book!“Trading! Dreams”!for!Kindle!at!this!event.!!After!the!event!you!can!purchase!“Trading!Dreams”! at!Amazon http://www.amazon.com
Host:!Carl!Solutionary!(RL)!Carlicann!Resident!(SL)!
A!calendar!of!future!Occupy!Virtual!Worlds!events:!http://tiny.cc/pab6lw
Drum!Circle!Magazine:!!http://drumcirclemagazine.com/poetry?start=11
Carl(Solutionary(reports(“FYI…(our(viral(marketing(campaign(for(JL(Morin’s(“Trading(Dreams”(was(very( successful…(We(got(5994(book(downloads(in(5(days… with(ony(3(SL(events…(and(the(event(advertising….( Second(Life(is(a(very(fertile(platform(for(Viral(Marketing.(As(you(know,(the(book(“Trading(Dreams”(is(#1(in( Political(Fiction(on(http://www.amazon.com
Listening&to&poetry,&playing&drums,&and&enjoying&the&moment! Drumming&Circle
eXtension!Virtual!3D,!a!New!Kind!of!
Experiential!Learning By!LuAnne!Phillips,!aka!Thynka!Little!(sl)
Before!the!existence!of!computers,!at!a!time!when!30%!of!Americans! worked!in!farming,!the!agricultural!fair!was!a!hub!of!social!activity,!and! annual!gathering!of!neighbors,!friends,!and!competitors,!where!livestock! judging,!farm!equipment,!and!quilting!displays!mingled!with!cotton! candy,!thrill!rides,!and!stage!shows.!Today,!when!less!than!2%!of!people! work!on!farms,!county!and!state!agricultural!fairs!serve!to!connect! people!with!the! source!of!their! food!and!the! roots!of!their! heritage.! Among!the!fried! dough,!flashing! lights,!and! funky!smells!of!
county!and!state!fairs,!visitors!find!grass!roots learning!opportunities!in! exhibits,!displays,!and!demonstrations.!
Cooperative!Extension,!a!nationwide!research based learning!network! of!farmers!and!scientists,!was!always!the!backbone!of!the!fairs,! promoting!a!"best!of!the!best"!ethic!driving!fair!competitions!in! livestock,!growing,!and!domestic!arts.
Learning!by!doing,!formally!known!as!"experiential!learning,"!has been! a!core!methodology!for!teaching!practical!skills!in!the!agricultural!era,! and!it!remains!an!effective!technique!today.!Now!virtual!worlds!offer!an! opportunity!for!a!new!kind!of!experiential!learning,!where!distance! disappears!and!reach!expands!to!a!global!audience!through!avatars! moving!about!in!a!3D!space.
Cooperative!Extension!entered!the!virtual!world!in!2007!with!a!single! region!in!Second!Life,!named!"Morrill."!The!eXtensionVirtual3D!project is!administered!by!Cooperative!Extension's!national!web!presence! known!as!"eXtension"!and!has!grown!to!five!Second!Life!regions! anchored!by!the!Virtual!State!Fair.
The!Virtual!State!Fair has!several!purposes:!to!recreate!this!iconic! American!tradition!for!a!global!audience,!to!expose!visitors!to! Cooperative!Extension's!wide!range!of!learning!opportunities,!to!offer!a! place!for!Extension!professionals!to!learn!how!to!use!virtual!worlds!for! teaching!and!outreach,!and!to!provide!immersive!learning! environments!and!meeting!spaces!that!any!educator!is!free!to!use.!
For!further!information!contact!project!coordinator!LuAnn!Phillips! (Thynka!Little!in!SL)!at!luann.phillips@extension.org.
Lightning#Productions: An#Interview#With#Coz#Okelly By#Roxie#Neiro
Roxie: How!did!you!get!involved!with!virtual!environments?!What! brought!you!to!second!life?!!!!!!
COZ: I(started(in(Second(Life(after(reading(about(SL(in(the(newspaper.( Having been(a(computer(enthusiast(and(involved(in(gaming,(SL(sounded( like(an(interesting(environment.(Of(course,(once(I(touched(it,(I(couldn't(let( go,(much(like(touching(a(high(voltage(live(wire.
Roxie: [laughing]!How!did!you!get! started!with!Lightning!Productions! and!doing!tribute!concerts!in!sl?!!!!!!
COZ: Getting(started(with(tribute( bands(was(just(good(luck. I(had(a( friend(who(pulled(me(into(Lightning( Productions((LP).(The(friend(had(a(friend(in(another(Tribute(Band(group( and(there(was(ego(conflict(in(that(group.(I(helped(develop(the(name(for(LP,( then(LP(needed(some(stages(built(and(it(grew(from(there.
Roxie: What!goes!into!a!typical!production?!(i.e.,!How!many!people!are! working!with!you!behind!the!scenes?!What!is!the!setup!time?)!!!!!
COZ: Tribute(bands(in(SL(are(a(fairly(common(occurrence,(although(DJ's( are(even(more(frequently(seen(and(heard.(Tribute(bands(are(of(course(very( different(from(DJ's(in(as(much(as(the(presentation(concert(brings(the( drama(of(live(action(to(the(music.(LP(consists(of(about(twenty(citizens(and( some(alts.(Building(a(stage(for(a(particular(band(may(involve(30(to(40( hours(of(build(time(including(special(texture(for(objects(and(backgrounds.( I(handle(the(Posters,(Tee(Shirts,(Notices,(Stages(and(Music(myself(with( band(members(contributing(any(ideas(to(me(to(help(develop(the(show.
Be#Sure#To#Catch#Lightning# Productions
Pearl&Jam Saturday, October(27, 6pm SLT
The$Gallery
EDD IE#VEDDER#– vocals' Plato
BOOM$GASPAR$] Keys%] MT
JEFF$AMENT$– bass$guitar$] Zonker
STONE&GOSSARD&– rhythm&guitar&] Shiva
MIKE%McCREADY%– lead%guitar% Kat
MATT$CAMERON$– drums&] Thor
NEIL%YOUNG% Vocals/Guitar- Mic
PEARL&JAM&DANCER& Rhonda
PEARL&JAM&DANCER%] Luce
PEARL&JAM&HOST&– Penny
Roxie: How!do!you!decide!on! the!groups!and!the!songs?!!!!!!
COZ: The(band(group(is(picked( and(agreed(to(by(the(owner(or( event(manager(of(the(SIM.( Usually(the(selected(band(will( fit(the(lifestyle(of(the(SIM(and(will(celebrate(a(special(event(or(scheduled( event(at(the(SIM.(Selection(of(the(songs(is(generally(made(by(me,(but( certainly(any(request(for(particular(songs(or(periods(can(be(suggested(by( the(SIM(or(one(of(our(band(members.
Roxie: How!are!band!members!picked!and!are!there!new!band! members!for!each!tribute!band?!!!!!
COZ: Our(bands(members(are(usually(referred(to(LP(by(staff(members(but( in(some(cases(loyal(fans(of(the(group(have(been(asked(to(join(the(staff.(In( some(cases(someone(has(seen(a(show,(found(it(interesting(and(approaches( us(about(joining(the(staff.(We(have(original(members( from 5(years(ago( that(are(still(active(and(that include(citizens(from(Finland,(the(UK(and(the( US(2 Eastern,(central,(mountain(and(Pacific(time zones.(Members(can(be( used(in(any(band(and(their(availability(at(a(particular(time(is(taken(into( account(as(well(as(the type(of(instruments(they(have(available.( Instruments(that(are(rezzed(are(provided(with(the(stage,(like(drums(and( keyboards.(The(band(member(provides(worn(items like(guitars(and(horns.(( Roxie: How!do!you!coordinate!and!choreograph!the!shows?!!!!!
COZ: Since(most(of(our(band(members(are(experien ced(the(choreography( is(simple.(LP(provides the(band(citizen(with(a(concert(play(list, the(name(of( their(role,(instrument, and(location(on(the(stage.(The(member(then( changes(their(Avatar(to(look(as( closely(as(possible(to(the(assigned( band(member.(In(some(cases(a( complex(production(like(Xanadu( and(The(Rocky(Horror(Midnight( Picture(Show(took(several rehearsals(to(make(sure(our(
interaction(with(avi's(and(music(was(good.
Roxie: What!skills!did!you!need!to!learn!to!produce!these!shows?!
COZ: Several(things(are(important(but(building(and(texture(skills(are(most( important(because(without(those(I'd(be(using(someone’s stage(without(the( customization(for(a(particular(band.(Of(course, knowing(how(to(use( lightning,(particles,(animations,(scripts(and(other(stage(effects(becomes( important.(
Roxie: What!is!your!favorite!concert(s)!and!why?!!!!!!!
COZ: We(have(about(100(tribute(bands(from(ABBA(to(ZZ(Top(so(picking(a( favorite(is(tough(but(because(it(was(my(first(major(production(and(still(one( of(the(most(fun, I(would(have(to(say(Pink(Floyd(– The(Wall.(The(Wall(itself( consists(of(about(60(prims(covered(with(my(brick(texture(made(from(a( picture(of(the(back(of(my(brick(BBQ(then(tinted(white(in(paint(shop(that( makes(for(a(unique(wall.(During(the(concert(taking(some(of(the(wall(pieces( and(dropping(them(on(fans(and(the(band(during(the(concert(is(great(fun.( We(do(hand out(hard(hats(so(no(serious(damage(is(done(to(any(attending( fan.(Dropping(the(rest(of(the(wall(at(the(end(with(fans(shouting(“tear(down( the(wall”(is(always(a(tense(moment(for(me(since(lag(can(play(havoc(with( timing.
Roxie: [Laughing]!I!can!only!imagine!!!What!fun!!Where!are!your! favorite!venues!in!sl!for!performing!and!why?!!!!!
COZ: We(have(the(best(clients(in(SL,(no(doubt(about(it.(We(are(asked(back( month(after(month,(year(after(year.(W e(just(had(the(5th year(anniversary( show(at(Dark(Side(Clubhouse. We(do(a(show(at(Mango(Theater(every( month,(have(ABBA(every(month(at(Eden(Celebration,(a(show(at(Rinkland( every(month(and(our(annual(show(for(the(VWBPE.(We(have(many(one( time(shows(as(well(as(the(occasional(birthdays,(grand(openings, and( anniversary’s.
Roxie: Yes,!Like!the!BIG!VEJ!1st Anniversary!a!couple!of!months!ago!with! Jimmy!Buffet.!That!was!lots!of!fun!!What!obstacles!have!you!had!to!deal! with!as!you!produce!these!shows?!!!!!!
COZ: The(biggest(obstacles(are(time,(prim(and(space(availability(at(the( venue(for(stages.(But, the(availability(of(players(is(key(to(putting(on(a( great(concert.(
Roxie: What!has!been!your!greatest!obstacle!in!producing!the!concerts?!!!!!!!!!
COZ: Just(being(available(for(6(to(12(shows(a(month(on(weekends(is(my( biggest(obstacle.(The(only(show(we(were(ever(asked(to(do(but(could(not( was(The(Pipettes(because(we(could(not(find(quality(live(recordings.
Roxie: What!has!been!your!greatest!accomplishment?!!!!!!
COZ: The(greatest(accomplishment(is(the(dedicated(staff(group.(They are( what(make the(concerts(fun(and(easy(to(do.(“What(makes(a(rocker(whine( is(having(to(do(a(Hannah(Montana(concert,(smiling(all(the(way(to(the(end( and(actually(thanking(people.”((
Roxie: What!advise!do!you! have!for!educators!who!are! working!in!sl!– things!you! know!now!that!you!wish!you! would!have!known!when!you! first!got!started,!tips!and! tricks,!etc?!!!!!!
COZ: WOW,!that's!a!tough!question!but!I!would!say,!create!two!avi's,! with!the!second!one!as!a!back!up!because!within!3!months!you!will!have! probably!screwed!up!so!badly!you'll!want!a!new!start.! I!know!I!did! My! original!avi!sleeps!with!fishes!but!his!account!is!active!just!in!case!the! world!changes!again.!
Roxie: You!are!right!– I!think!many!of!us!have!several!alts!!!!What!can! we!look!forward!to!seeing!in!the!future!from!Lightning!Productions,! such!as!new,!upcoming!concerts?!!!!!!!!
COZ: We(have(new(tributes(almost(every(month(but(one(band(I(know(that( is(coming(up(is(Chicago,(including(some(of(the(music(from(the(movie( “Electra(Glide(in(Blue” which(has(one(of(the(best(endings(of(any(movie(ever( made!
Roxie: Anything!else!you!would!like!to!share!about!your!work?! Websites,!url’s.,!links!for!readers.!!!!!
COZ: We(have(some(friends(postings(of(our(concerts. We(do(not(have(an( active(website(for(fans,(just(staff.(It(would(be(nice(to(have(one(for(fans,( however(no(one(has(volunteered(and(I'm(already(busy.
Here's(latest(picture(of(me,(Coz, asking,(does(anyone(know(what(time(it( really(is?(And(yes,(I(made(that(clock.(
Roxie: Thanks!again!for!doing!this!interview,!Coz. Like!me,!I!am!sure! our!readers!will!be!amazed!at!how!much!goes!on!behind!the!scenes!for! one!of!Lightning!Productions’ concerts.!We!look!forward!to!seeing!the! Pearl!Jam!Concert!on!October!27th and!all!of!the!future!tribute!concerts! produced!by!Lightning!Productions!as!well! They!are!always!a!GREAT! time.!Thanks!again!
Mexican%High%School%Gets%Into%3D%Virtual%Worlds By!David!W.!Deeds (RL),!Deed!Davids!(SL)
As!of!August!2012,!I!began!my!stint!as!Technology!Integration! Coordinator!for!Colegios!Peterson!(Peterson!Schools,! http://peterson.edu.mx).!The!private!K]12!institution!has!over!2,000! students!at!four!different!campuses!(Cuajimalpa,!Lomas,!Pedregal!and! Tlalpan)!spread!across!Mexico!City.!I’m!also!the!Diploma!Program!(the! International!Baccalaureate!Organization!– IBO,!http://www.ibo.org –term!for!high!school) and!the Information!Technology!in!a!Global! Society!(ITGS)!course!teacher!at!the!Cuajimalpa!campus.!In!addition,!I’m! running!a!10th grade!Computer!Workshop.!Yes,!I’m!rather!busy.!;)
We!have!two!overarching!goals.!Traditionally,!Peterson!Schools!have! juggled!several!sets!of!curriculum!standards,!e.g.,!the!Universidad! Nacional!Autonoma!de!Mexico’s!(UNAM,!http://www.unam.mx)!in! addition!to!the!IBO’s.!One!long]term!objective!is!to!transform!the! institution!into!a!100%!IBO!school.!Our!short]term!priority!is!to! implement!“21st century!learning,”!which!involves,!among!many!other! things,!integrating!technology!into!education!and!making!learning!more! student]centric.!
We’ve!had!a!1:1!program!in!effect!for!over!a!year.!All!9th 12th grade! students!and!teachers!at!the!Cuajimalpa!campus,!e.g.,!have!MacBooks.! Our!biggest!experiments!with!putting!students!in!charge!of!their!
learning!process!to!date!are!our!ITGS!and!Computer!Workshop!classes.! You!guessed!it…via!3D!virtual!worlds!!
ITGS!is!a!two year!course,!in!the!IBO’s!Group!3,!aka!the!Individuals!and! Societies!category,!so!it’s!not!a!technology!class!per!se.!Instead,!it! focuses!on!the!social,!ethical,!etc.,!issues!involved!with!computer!usage.!
I!like!to!say!that!it’s!more!about!the!meat!ware than!about!the! hardware/software,!although!it’s!certainly!geeky!enough,!since!the! study!of!IT!Systems!represents!one!of!the!three!“strands,”!or! components.!The!other!two?!Social!and!Ethical!Significance!and! Practical!Applications.!
Students!are!expected!to!examine!how!technology!is!being!used! in…yes…our!global!society.!They!also!must!create!a!product!or!service,! one!that!ideally!helps!others.!
What!makes!my!approach!so!revolutionary…well,!unusual,!at!least?!The! fact!that!our!classes!are!held!on!our!Second!Life!cybercampus!!
Why!have!students!sitting!in!a!classroom!reading!about!being!members! of!a!global!society!when!they!can!actually!BE!members!of!a!global! society?!My!ITGS!students!will!be!operating!via!our!Peterson!Schools! cybercampus!on!Teaching!6!(SLURL:! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching!6/180/132/23/ ).!They’ll! eventually!be!hosting!students!and!teachers!from!around!the!(real)!
world,!as!well!as!making!virtual!field!trips!to!meet!others.!If!you’d!like!to! participate,!as!visitors!or!hosts!or!both,!please!contact!me!via!e mail!in! Real!Life!(ddeeds@peterson.edu.mx)!or!IM!me in!Second!Life!(there!I’m! Deed!Davids).
We’re!up!for!just!about!anything.!Some!of!the!ideas!we’ve!come!up!with! so!far!include!language!exchanges!(our!students!can!teach!you!Spanish,! you!can!teach!them!another!lingo),!visits!to!the!virtual!versions!of! universities!our!kids!want!to!attend!when!they!graduate,!etc.!It!doesn’t! have!to!be!anything!specific,!however…our!students!could!get!together! just!for!the!fun!of!it!!
The!product/service creation!requirement!typically! involves…again…merely!studying…in!this!case!how!businesses!are!run.!
My!students!will!be!really!managing!their!own!company,!with!both!a! virtual and!real]life!component.!For!example,!in!the!past!I’ve!had! learners!selling!virtual!t]shirts!in!Second!Life,!while!simultaneously! offering!real life!versions!via!websites!like!CafePress!or!Zazzle.!The!big! concept…a!stroke!of!genius,!I!know…!is!to!make!the!product/service! purpose!to!train!other!students!as!well!as!teachers!how!to!use!Second! Life!in!education.!We’ll!start!with!our!Cuajimalpa!campus…then!we’ll! expand!to!the!other!Peterson!locations…!and!ultimately!take!on!the! entire!(real,!or!is!it!virtual?)!world!!
Their!first!project!entailed!creating!houses.!No!detailed! specifications…the!main!goal!was!to!simply!get!them!using!Second!Life’s! Computer]Aided!Design!tools.!Well,!it!was!also!their!first!attempt!at! project!management!using!the!IBO’s!Design!Cycle!(Investigate,!Design,! Plan,!Create!and!Evaluate)!as!a!guide.!Results!were!mixed…students!this! age!typically!don’t!like!to!stop!and!design!or!plan…they!prefer!to!simply! start!banging!on!keyboards…they’ll!get over!it…practice!makes!perfect!
Their!current!project!is!to!put!on!an!art/photo!exhibit.!Some!students! are!also!working!on!digital!music!productions!so!we’ll!also!be!streaming! audio!into!Second!Life!via!a!ShoutCast!server.!What!makes!this! endeavor!particularly!valuable!(not!to!mention!interesting!)!is!that!it’s! cross curricular,(i.e.,!subjects!in!addition!to!Technology!are!involved…as! well!as!other!students!and!teachers, too).!The!students!are!in!charge!of! everything,!from!creating!and!choosing!the!art/photos!to!designing!and! building!the!galleries.
BTW,!if!you’d!like!a!Second!Life!cybercampus!for!your!school!but!you’re! afraid!it’ll!be!too!expensive,!lease!your!property!from!the!New!Media! Consortium!(NMC,!http://www.nmc.org)!like!we!do.!The!NMC!has!been! doing!a!great!job!of!keeping!Second!Life!affordable!for!educators!!And! you!can’t!beat!the!customer!service!!Contact!Carol!Pfeifer! (carol@nmc.org)!if!you’re!interested.
Second!Life!is!only!for!students!of!age!16!and!up,!so!for!our!10th grade! workshop!we!use!an!OpenSimulator!virtual!learning!environment!(we! don’t!use!the!word!“game”!)!instead.!We!lease!our!private!sim!from! Dreamland!Metaverse!(http://www.dreamlandmetaverse.com).!Again,! affordable!prices!and!great!customer!service!!
What!I!like!most!is!my!ability!to!manage!my!region!via!a!user]friendly! web!interface.!Contact!Snoopy!Pfeffer!(snoopy.pfeffer@yahoo.com)!if! you’re!interested.!
The!Computer!Workshop!only!lasts!a!semester.!It’s!one!of!our! “traditional!UNAM!courses,”!although!we’ve!modified!the!usual!topics!to! include…yes…virtual worlds.!
The!story!goes!that!once!the!learners!saw!what!the!11th graders!were! doing,!there!was!no!way!they!were!going!to!be!left!out!of!the!3D!fun.!My! official!version!is!that!I!had!planned!it!all!along.! ;)
The!class!so!far!is!paralleling!(is that!a!word?)!with!the!ITGS!class,!but! later!the!two!courses!will!diverge!so!that!the!Computer!Workshop!
students!can!do!more!programming!via!Alice!( http://www.alice.org )! versus!Linden!Scripting!Language.!
The!students!completed!a!house building!project!and!now!they’re!doing! an!art/photo!show!as!well.!Seems!like!half!these!kids!are!talented! musicians/singers!so!sound!is!likely!to!be!more!of!a!focus!for!this! course’s!efforts.
That’s!all!for!now.!I’ll!write!more!about what!we’re!doing!re:!virtual! education!later.! Adios!!!
No!Problem.!!!!Here!is!everything!you!wanted!to!know!.!.!.!
And!a!whole!lot!more!
Click on the website below to see the table of contents for the Hobo Kit. All the contents are on the web. The web page below is updated as new content is posted.
Hobo Kit NEW table of contents, Summary, 2 012 http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2012/08/kit-hobo -kit -new-table- ofcontents.html
The Hobo!Kit!i s!a!collection!of!articles!with!answers!to!questions!frequently! asked!by!new!people!in!Second!Life!and!by!posts!in!the!forums.!Most!of!the! posts!in!the!Hobo!Kit!are!updated!frequently!and!will!often!have!content!later! than!the!date!of!the!post.!
For!all!the!answers!to!your!questions,!be!sure!to!check out!the!Hobo!Kit!!A! special!thanks!to!Selby!Evans!(rl)!aka,!Thinkerer!Melville!(sl).
By!Kae!Novak!(RL)!and!Kavon!Zenovka!(SL)
A!community!of!educators!that!is!meeting!up!online!and!in!real!life!is! G.A.M.E.!!(Gamers!Advancing!Meaningful!Education).!!G.A.M.E!is!an! online!community!of!educators!who!game.!At!its!core!is!an!online! synchronous!gaming!community!but!the!discussion!to!start!organizing! for!educational!advocacy!happened!at!a!real!life!ISTE!conference
This!intellectually!curious!network!of!educators!develop!curriculum,! offer!online!open!courses,!webinars!and!F2F!presentations!on!the! opportunities!and!deeper!learning!that!takes!place!in!games. The! Cognitive(Dissonance(Educator Guild in!World!of!Warcraft!is!the!"home! base"!where!this!group!regularly!plays!online.!Inevitable(Betrayal is!the! touring!and!event!guild!on!the!Horde!side.!This!community!is!involved! in!WoW!in!School, EduMachinima!Fest,!Virtual!Worlds!and!Games! UnSymposium,!the!Games!MOOC!and!open!courses!on!P2PU.!
G.A.M.E.!is!for!educators!who!game,!want!to!learn!how!to!game,!and! want!to!incorporate!gaming!strategies!into!teaching!and!learning.!To!see! more!about!the!guild!and!its!members! please!watch “It!Takes!A!Guild!–A!Guild!of!Educators”!http://bit.ly/vejvideo
“It!Takes!A!Guild”!is!one!of!the!new!G.A.M.E.!programs!that!does! livestream!interviews!over!Google!Hangout!and!holds!a!back!channel! chat!in!Second!Life!at!the!ISTE!SIGVE!Diner.!“It!Takes!a!Guild”!is!an! educator!centric!webinar!series!of!interviews!and!panel!discussions! featuring!practitioners!who!have!successfully!implemented!commercial! off!the!shelf!games!into!their!classrooms!and!learning!environments.!As! a!G.A.M.E.!(Gamers!Advancing!Meaningful!Education) program,!its! mission!is!to!help!all!stakeholders!see!and!understand!the!deeper! learning,!community,!creativity, and!entrepreneurship!that!is!possible!in! online!games.
G.A.M.E.!welcomes!all!educators! novice,!dabbler,!and!hardcore!gamer.! Come!game!to!level!up!on!teaching!and!learning!!It’s!more!than!an! affinity!space!for!educators!who!game!– it’s!a!guild. http://g.a.m.e.shivtr.com/
Feel!free!to!take!a!look!at!the!gaming!group!flickr!sites
Cog!Dis
http://www.flickr.com/groups/cogdis/pool/show/
Inevitable!Betrayal!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/inevitable/pool/show/
It!Takes!A!Guild!– A!Guild!of!Educators It!Takes!A!Guild!is!an!educator!centric!webinar!series!of!interviews!and! panel!discussions!featuring!practitioners!who!have!successfully! implemented!commercial!off!the!shelf!games!into!their!classrooms!and! learning!environments.!As!a!G.A.M.E.!(Gamers!Advancing!Meaningful! Education) program,!its!mission!is!to!help!all!stakeholders!see!and! understand!the!deeper!learning,!community,!creativity, and! entrepreneurship!that!is!possible!in!online!games.
#gamemooc!Tweetchat
Along!with!the!Games!Based!Learning!MOOC,!G.A.M.E.!holds!a!weekly! game!based!learning!chat!on!twitter!every!Wednesday!at!9!pm!ET.!To! join!us,!use!the!hashtag!#gamemooc!and!feel!free! to www.tweetchat.com to!follow!along!with!the!discussion.
G.A.M.E.!Badges G.A.M.E.!is!currently!developing!demonstrated!mastery!badges!to!be! issued!through!the!Mozilla!Foundation’s!Open!Badge!Initiative.!These! badges!not!only!show!mastery!of!a!particular!area!but!also!recognize!the! contribution!of!the!recipient!to!the!community!of!gamers!advancing! meaningful!education.!These!badges!assess!deeper!learning!in!an!open peer based!learning!community!(e.g.,!Deeper!learning,!Assessment!by! members!of!the!community).! Groups!of!abilities are!reviewed!under!5! broad!categories:!analytic!skills,!interpersonal!skills,!ability!to!execute,! information!processing,!and!capacity!for!change/learning. Currently!a Machinima!Level!1 and!2!Badge!is!being!developed.
On Walkabout By!Matt!Poole!aka!Cyrus!Hush
(With!thanks!to!Yevad!Doobie)
Chapter%3:%%Jeogeot…%the%Korean%Continent
‘Ready!for!another!cross country!bushwack!across!Second!Life?!!
This!time!we!will!be!tackling!Jeogeot!–the!third!mainland!continent!to! be!built!in!SL.!!This!is!often!called!the!Korean!continent!because!most!of! the!sims!have!Korean!names,!and!because!nobody!really!knows!how!to! pronounce!“Jeogeot.”!!!In!my!very!unscientific!survey!I!did!not!really!see! an!unusual!number!of!actual!Asian!residents!in!evidence.
Shaped!roughly!like!a!right!triangle,!Jeogeot!has!become!a!particularly! fertile!playground!for!the!Linden!Department!of!Public!Works!(aka!the! Moles).!!
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Department_of_Public_Works
Briefly,!this!is!a!program!wherein!Linden!Labs!has!recruited!resident! builders!to!do!building!projects!for!public!use!on!the!Second!Life! mainlands.!!Typically!these!resident!builders!adopt!the!last!name!“Mole”! for!their!avatars,!and!you!can!find!Mole created!content!all!over!public! areas!of!the!mainland!continents.!!It!is,!however,!particularly!heavy!in! Jeogeot.
Entry!1:!!Pyri!Funfair
We!can!begin!our!journey!by!dropping!in on!one!of!these!Mole!creations! at!the!very!top!of!the!continent…!Pyri!Funfair.!!This!is!actually!an!island! off!the!western!coast!of!the!northern!tip!of!Jeogeot!but!connected!to!the! main!body!of!the!continent!by!water!Sims.!!You!will!materialize!in!the! middle!of!a!rather!creepy!circus…!!not!actually!scary!but!definitely! spooky.!!You!will!see!a!ticket!counter!and!you!are!supposed!to!obtain! and!wear!a!ticket.!!Once!you!have!your!ticket!you!can!venture!in!to!the! Tunnel!of!Love!for!a!big!surprise!!!It’s!not!love.!!Let’s!just!say!you!will! not!reach!the!end!of!the!tunnel!before!you!go!somewhere!unexpected!
You!can!get!killed!here!so!be!careful!!!Watch!out!for!bunnies,! mushrooms, and!skulls.!!Along!the!shore!above!you!can!find!free!boats! and!other!transportation!to Jeogeot!proper. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pyri%20Peaks/130/109/116
Entry!2:!!Space!Base
Jeogeot!has!basically!two!roads…!Routes!9!and!10…!that!with!some! tributaries!form!kind!of!a!net!around!the!continent.!!
We!will!have!to!head!cross country!to!pick!up!the!Northern!Spur!Road! on!the!eastern!shore.!!Jeogeot!is!less!well]organized!than!the!other! continents!we!have!seen,!with!a!cluttered!landscape!of!constructs!in various!stages!of!completion.!!Looking!out!across!the!water!you!will!be! able!to!see!another!Mole!creation!here.!!Partly!buried!in!an!impact! crater,!Space!Base!is!a!large!multi]level!habitat!that!is!well!worth! exploring.!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mos%20Ainsley/146/91/48
Entry!3:!!The!Great!Tunnel
Heading!South!on!Route!9!we!pass!by!a!giant!bunny,!then!come!to!a! place!in!Dongyeongju!where!the!road!dives!under!a!lake!via!a!long! tunnel.!And, by!long!I!mean!three!Sims’!worth.!!The!Moles!have!been!at! it!again.!!The!tunnel!is!shallow!and!has!transparent!walls!to!allow!you!to! see!the!aquatic!attractions!placed!outside.!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dongyeongju/210/95/26
Entry!4:!!Mystery!Lake
A!bit!further!down!Route!9!is!a!smaller!round!lake!called!Mystery!Lake! with!an!adjoining!large!and!very!nice!art!exhibit!called!the!Center! Ground!Academy!of!Art.!!
The!gallery!has!multiple!floors!and!some!very!nice!impressionist! paintings!to!check!out.!!Mystery!Lake!itself!is!deep!and!has!caves!and!big! freaky looking!catfish!in!it.!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Han%20Loso/179/74/64
Center!Ground!Academy!of!Art
Entry!5:!!Steampunk
Another!side!trip…!sorry…!but!a!very!cool!one.!!Off!the!eastern!shore!of! Jeogeot!from!Mystery!Lake!are!three!connected!Islands!called! Steampunk,!Idle!Rogue!and!Hypatia.!!
These!are!pretty!and!very!well!done!builds!that!celebrate!the!role!of! steampunk!in!SL.!!
These!are!private!islands!–not!the!work!of!the!Moles but!open!to!the! public.!!Steampunk!is!gorgeous.!!Idle!Rogue!is!a!mess!right!now,!but!they! have!a!sign!up!saying!they!are!building!something!cool!for!Halloween.!! Be!sure!to!check!it!out!!!Hypatia!is!Old!European!and!contains!a!rather! bare!Renaissance!art!museum!and!a!theater!that!advertises classic! Hollywood!movies.!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Steampunk/100/105/27
Entry!6:!!Barneys!Bay
Popping!straight!back!to!the!mainland!the!first!thing!we!run!into!is!a! New!England!seaside!town. The!air!is!thick!with!the!sound!of!crashing! waves!and!Seagulls.!!This!is!Mole!Central,!complete!with!The!Hogshead! Tavern!and!Mole&!Mole!Travel!Agency.!!This!latter!is!a!great!spot!to!pick! up!landmarks!to!other!Mole!creations!around!the!grid,!including!the! Blake!Sea,!Ice!Bay,!Ahab’s!haunt,!Nautilus!and!of!course!Bay!City.!!There! is!also!a!great!New!England!lighthouse,!a!rez!zone!and!free!sailboats.!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kinchugga/120/31/24
Entry!7:!!Chilbo
Heading!due!north!we!strike!Route!9!again,!and!taking!that!west!brings! us!to!a!couple!of!Sims lodged!between!Routes!9!and!10!that!are! collectively!called!Chilbo.!!I’m!sure!you!all!know!Chilbo!!!To!quote!from! the!Chilbo!Road!Press:!
“Chilbo!is!a!community!of!artists,!architects,!educators,!musicians,! parents,!hobbyists,!students,!and!people!from!around!the!world!who! share!a!common!vision!that!our!interactions!and!experiences!in!virtual! worlds!can!have!a!positive!impact!on!our!real!world!and!our!real!lives.! The!Chilbo!sim!in!Second!Life!is!the!cultural!center!of!our!community,! but!neither!physical!nor!virtual!location!limits!our!ability!to!collaborate! and!share!resources!with!one!another.”!!
(Retrieved from!(http://www.chilbo.org/blog/about/ on!Sept!22,! 2012).
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chilbo/111/230/121
Entry!8:!Lordshore!Bridge:!!
From!Chilbo!we!head!northwest,!passing!an!interesting!looking!Asian! temple!that!appears!to!be!dedicated!to!furries!and!promptly!crashes!us.!!
Upon!recovering,!we!cross!Wellington!road!and!see!a!large!gulf! stretching!out!before!us.!!Cutting!across!the!tip!of!this!gulf!is!another! monument!to!those!industrious!Moles,!the!Lordshore!Bridge.!!
This!massive!suspension!bridge!stretches!across!three!sims!and!is!quite! impressive.!!To!really!appreciate!it!you!should!try!out!one!of!the!mistier! Windlight!settings.!!Occasional!tanker!trucks!belching!smoke!cross!over! it.!!Remarkably,!there!is!not!much!lag.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lordshore/200/165/42
Entry!9:!The!Volcano
Think!Hawaii!here.!!In!the!middle!of!the!large!gulf!of!water!that!divides! Jeogeot!is!a!round!island!sporting!a!big!volcano!that!rivals!the!ones!in! the!Costa!Rican!Sims.!!It!lies!adjacent!to!a!welcome!center!and!serves!as! a!scenic!attraction!for!new!residents.!!Interestingly,!it!is!set!to!erupt! every!hour,!streaming!lava!down!the!side!and!popping!out!glowing! cinders!of!ash!to!rain!down!on!the!thatched!huts!nearby.!!On!a!comic! note,!a!diving!board!is!provided!at!the!lip!of!the!crater!in!case!you!are! having!one!of!“those”!days.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ichelus/106/211/22 .!!
So!once!again!we!have!completed!a!high level!tour!of!a!Second!Life! mainland!continent.!!“Completed”!is!hardly!the!correct!term,!however;! this!journey!has!barely!scratched!the!surface!of!what!you!can!stumble! upon!in!Jeogeot.!!There!are!many!more!Sims and!attractions!to!see,!but!if! you!want!to!see!them!you!will!have!to!go!explore!for!yourself.!!Thanks! for!coming!along!!!Until!next!time,!be!well…
Your!friend,!
Cyrus
ISTE%SIGVE%SPEAKER%SERIES:%About%Kitely OCTOBER%16,%2012
Co Founder!IIan!Tochner!presents!Kitely.!Spiff!and!Scott!Host!the! presentation.
About%Kitely
Kitely(enables(you(to(get(your(own(virtual(world space for(training,( education,(collaboration(or(fun.(Log(in(with(Facebook,(Twitter(or(your( email(to(create(your(free(account(and(start(using(your(own(virtual(world( within(minutes.(((
Work(on(Kitely(began(in(2008,(with(the(vision(of(enabling(people(to(use( virtual(worlds(as(an(on demand(utility.(It(took(the(company(more(than( two(years(of(intensive(development(until(it(was(ready(to(start(its(public( beta(in(March(2011.(Kitely(is(now(the(leading(provider(of(affordable(high performance(OpenSim(hosting(solutions.(((
The(venture(was(named(IVC2online's(Company(of(the(Month(for(February( 2009,(while(it(was(still(in(its(infancy.(It(has(been(in(bootstrap(mode(ever( since(and(is(now(in(public(beta.(((
Kitely(is(the(biggest(commercial(provider(of(OpenSim(regions,(hosting( more(than(2,500(regions((as(of(October(2012).(Kitely(is(considered(to(have( the(most(user2friendly(administration(tools(in(the(entire(OpenSim(hosting( industry.((
Kitely(virtual(worlds(have(been(used(for(training,(education,(collaboration,( simulations,(art(exhibitions,(machinima(creation,(theatrical(performances,( role playing,(information(centers,(book(promotions,(3D(design,(and( entertainment(activities.(
(Taken!From!http://www.linkedin.com/company/kitely/virtual]worlds]on] demand 183188/product ,!October!16,!2012)
For(questions(contact:(ilan@kitely.com
Website!http://www.kitely.com http://www.kitely.com/!] !startviewers
Machinima’s!filmed!in!Kitely!at!!! http://www.kitely.com/! !search/q=karima+hoisan
Roxie!Neiro! Visits!Scott! Merrick’s! Place!in! Kitely
Book%review: The%Connected% Educator In!the!book,!The(Connected( Educator, authors!Sheryl! Nussbaum Beach!and!Lani!Ritter! Hall!(The!Solution!Tree,!2012)! introduce!educators!to!the!term! “connected!learning!communities”! as!a!vehicle!for!professional! learning.!They!suggest!that! connected!learning!communities! have!three!integral!environments:! the!local!professional!learning!community;!the!contextual!personal! learning!network;!and!the!global!community!of!practice.!The!authors! suggest!that!this!new!model!for!professional!development!can!engage! educators!in!building!their!knowledge!and!capacity!with!other! educators!no!matter!where!they!are!in!the!world.!
Of!course,!this!is!no!secret!to!ISTE!SIGVE!members!who!have!worked! and!played!in!virtual!environments,!explored!Google!Hangouts,!tweeted! from!second!life!during!Tweetchats,!and!teleported!their!way!through! virtual!worlds,!etc.!We!understand!the!power!of!being!connected!to!each! other!24/7.!Ask!anyone,!and!they!can!give!you!a!number!of!reasons!why! “they!are!here!”![For!more!information!about!“Why!Virtual! Environments,” see!the!March!2012!issue!of!VEJ!at! www.virtualeducationjournal.com ].!But,!for!our!colleagues!who!have! not!ventured!into!a!connected!global!universe,!this!is!a!MUST!read!for! helping!them!to!take!those!first!steps.!
During!September!and!October!2012,!the!authors!lead!a!book!study! online!for!educators!reading!the!book.!The!activities!and!comments! from!the!book!study!group!are!achieved!at! http://theconnectededucator.ning.com/ .!!You!can!also!get!a!Connected
Educator!Starter!Kit!at!https://dl.dropbox.com/u/38904447/starter kit final.pdf to!help!facilitate!a!book!study!of!your!own.!!
For!other!activities!related!to The!Connected!Educator activities see! http://connectededucators.org/cem/ .! There!is!a!wealth!of!information! at!the!Connected!Educator!website,!including!top!50!educators!worth! following!on!Twitter!http://edudemic.com/2012/10/worldwide] education]twitter/ ,!a!resource!I!found!very!informative.!!Some!I!was! already!following!– others!I!started!to!follow.
But,!back!to!The(Connected(Educator book.(This!is!one!of!the!most!user] friendly!books!I!have!seen!recently!for!newcomers!to!social!media!and! other!online!global!learning!tools!to help!us harness!the!power!of! professional!learning!online.!Each!chapter!topic!is!easy!to!read!and! provides real life!relevant!examples!of!how!educators!are!using!the! tools.!It!also!provides!easy!to!follow,!scaffolded!directions!for!how!to! use!the!technology!tools.!Most!of!all!it!provides!twitter!hashtags!and! links!that!are!easy!to!follow!to!help!educators!get!started!and!connected! to!other!educators.!!At!the!end!of!the!book!is a!huge!reference!and! resources!section!along!with!a!glossary!and!other!references!including! research!to!support!the!model.!My!own!personal!favorites!in!the!book! are the!activities!found!at!the!end!of!the!chapters!that!provide!readers! with!the!opportunity!to!explore!different!online!learning!tools.!!
The(Connected(Educator is!a!wonderful!resource!for!technology!leaders! to!use!with!other!educators!in!your!school!or!district,!especially!those! educators!who!maybe!timid!about!using!the!computer!for!anything! other!than!email,!entering!grades,!word!processing!and/or!watching! YouTube!videos.!The(Connected(Educator(will!also!be!an invaluable! resource!for!school!leaders!who!are!interested!in!learning!how!to!create! a!professional!learning!community!both!locally!and!globally.!!Most!of!all! this!book!will provide!school!leaders!with!tools!to!help!build!a! connected!learning!community!that!actively!engages!administrators,! faculty!and!staff!in!continuing!their!own!professional!learning!as!well!as! the!potential!for!building!the!capacity!and!complexity!of!all! school/district!educators.!Check!it!out!– it!is!a!MUST!READ!
Book(Review(by(Roxie(Neiro((sl)(Rosie(O’Brien(Vojtek((rl)
The(following(is(from(a(notecard(in(my((Roxie(Neiro’s)(inventory(from(a( presentation(that(DJ(Earnshaw((Don(Singleton(in(RL)(gave(on(Friday(July( 17,(2009(to(NPC.((I(am(reprinting(it(here(because(I(thought(it(would(be(of( interest(to(all(of(his(many(friends.
I!am!DJ!Earnshaw!(Don!Singleton!in!RL). In!RL!I!am!a!Director!of! APCUG,!the!Association!of! Personal!Computer!User! Groups!(http://apcug.net),! and!in!SL!I!am!in!the! process!of!opening!an! office!for!APCUG!in!Plush! #9.!!
It!is!a!work in process,!but! I!have!set!up!a!couple!of! communication!areas!in! two!of!the!corners,!for! Avatars!to!sit!and!talk! about!the!Computer!User! Groups!their!humans!are! members!of.!
UGs!we!know!of!that!have! had!avatars!visit!our!office!have!their!group's!logo!displayed!on!the!wall,! and!if!you!click!on!a!group's!logo!it!will!take!you!to!that!group's! website. I!am!in!the!process!of!gathering!LMs!of!interesting!places!in!SL! and!will!be!making!notecards!of!them!available!in!the!APCUG!office,! with!hopes!that!User!Group!members!will!demonstrate!SL!to!their!User! Group.
They!will!first!visit!the!APCUG!Office,!and!pick!up!notecards!of!places!to! show!their!member.!If!you!have!any!suggestions!of!places!they!should! go,!please!let!me!know.
In!RL!I!am!also!President!of!HelpingTulsa,!and!we!are!on!the!waiting!list! for!space!for!an!office!for!HT!in!SL!also.! HelpingTulsa! http://www.helpingtulsa.org/ takes!donated!computers!and! refurbishes!them!and!donates!them!to!schools,!churches,!and!non profit! agencies!in!Real!Life.
Here!in!SL!I!am!working!on!a!Wiki!Page! http://npsl.wiki.techsoup.org/RL >+SL+and+SL >RL+Communications which!is!the!start!of!a!Cookbook!I!will be!developing. The! Communication!Cookbook!will!help!Non!Profit!Groups!implement! different!forms!of!"Real!Life!to!Second!Life"!and!"Second!Life!to!Real! Life"!communications,!up!to,!and!including!dual!RL/SL!Events.!!
I!have!hopes!of!getting!it!working!by!the!end!of!August,!in!which!case!I! will!do!a!mini!dual!RL/SL!event!between!the!APCUG!Office!at!Plush!#9! and!APCUG's!Annual!Meeting!at!the!Ohio!Midwest!Regional.
Here!in!SL!I!teach!at!Happy!Hippo!Education!Centre!where!I!(or!rather! my!teaching!alt!Professor!Viper)!has!been!invited!to!teach!a!"Teach!the! Tools"!series!at!Happy!Hippo.!This!series!is!a!bit!different!from!most!of! your!classes!in!Second!Life.!
I!certainly!don't!mean!to!imply!the!other!teachers!are!doing!anything! wrong;!I!have!nothing!but!praise!for!all!of!the!instructors!that!have! taught!me!what!I!know!now.!But!in!Second!Life,!there!are!several!ways! to!do!the!same!thing.! For!example!you!can!bring!up!Build!menu!by:!(1)! "Clicking!Build",!or!(2)!"right!click!the!ground!and!select!Create!from! Pie",!or!(3)!"Tools,!Select!Tool,!Create",!or!(4)!"Ctrl!4",!and!probably! others.
One!teacher!may!teach!one!way,!and!it!can!confuse!the!student!when!the! next!teacher!uses!a!different!way!to!do!the!same!thing.!My!"Teach!the! Tools"!series!will!take!one!tool,!and!try!to!cover!all!it!can!do:!beginner,! intermediate,!or!advanced.!
The!higher level!stuff!the!student!will!not!use!every!day,!but!hopefully! when!a!student!is!confronted!with!one!of!the!other!ways!of!doing! something,!he!will!not!be!confused.!
Right now!I!am!teaching!a!new!class!each!week,!at!7pm!Tuesday,!and! then!at!noon!Wednesday.!This!week!I!covered!Camera!Controls.!Next! week!we!will!cover!parts!of!the!General!and!Object!tabs!of!the!Edit! menu. The!following!week!we!will!finish!the!Object!Tab,!then!in! subsequent!weeks!we!will!cover!the!Texture!Tab,!then!Features!Tab,! then!Content!tab,!starting!a!multi!week!series!on!Scripting.
Penguin!asked!me!to!ask!you!for!subjects!you!would!like!to!see!NPC! offer.!IM!either!Penguin!Kuhn!or!DJ!Earnshaw.!I!have!just!rezzed!a!gift! box.!! Inside!is a!LM!for!the!APCUG!Office,!and!an!APCUG!T]Shirt.!Stop!by! the!office,!and!you!can!get!other!color!shirts.!I!am!also!including!an!LM! for!Happy!Hippo!Education!Centre,!and!a!notecard!with!everything!I! have!said!today.!
But!the!real!prize!is!a!Help!Cylinder.!I!use!them!in!classes!where! students!may!need!help.!They!click!on!it!and!it!does!three!things: (1)!it! shouts!they!need!help,!(2)!it!emits!red!particle!balls!so!someone!can!find! them,!and!(3)!it!provides!an!SLURL!to!the!location!of!their!cylinder,!so!a! helper!can!TP!right!to!them.
I!am!working!on!something!even!better.!Consider!a!Master!Board!on! which!you!can!put!a!texture!with!a!schedule!of!upcoming!classes,!events,! etc. Now!consider!another!board!that!you!can!put!copies!of!in!many! places!(like!each!classroom)!in!the!SAME!SIM,!and!when!you!change!the! texture!on!the!Master!Board,!all!of!these!Classroom!Boards!change!to! the!same!schedule!texture!within!5!seconds. Sound!useful?!
Now!consider!a!Remote!Board,!that!you!can!put!anywhere!in!Second! Life!(any!sim).!It!will!take!more!than!5!seconds!(maybe!30)!but!each!of! them!will!change!texture!too.
One!question:!do!you!see!a!need!for!one!of!this!Remote!Board!to!be!a! Sub!Master!Board,!that!slaves!off!of!the!first!Master Board,!and!allow!the! Class!Boards!in!their!region!to!get!the!schedule!texture!from!them?! The! three!Viper!Boards!should!be!ready!in!one!to!two!weeks,!and!will!be! made!available!here.
And(of(course,(the(rest(is(history!(Thank(You,(DJ(Earnshaw(aka(Don( Singleton, for(all(you(taught(us(in(SL!(
In!Loving!Memory!of! Our!Dear!Friend, Don!Singleton The!following!is!from!the!March!2012!VEJ!article,!“Why!Are!You!Here?” Why%Are%You%Here?
“To learn, and then to teach, building and scripting, and to explore the use of Virtual World for communicating with others. I am disabled and homebound, yet through the use of Virtual Worlds I can teach people not just in the US but Europe, Australia, etc., ” Don told VEJ in March 2012.
What%Virtual%Worlds%do%you%work%or%play%in?
Second Life
Inworldz
Avination
What%is%your%avatar’s%name?
Second Life, DJ Earnshaw, 11/8/2007
Second Life, Professor Viper, 5/15/2009
Inworldz, DJ Earnshaw, 9/17/2010
Avination, DJ Earnshaw, 3/2/2011
Avination, Professor Viper, 10/9/2011
Watch Interview%with%Don%
Singleton%at%%%%%http://goo.gl/IPH6w
