Best of VEJ - The Virtual Education Journal, Volume One

VEJ

Virtual Education Journal

In This Issue

•A Few Words from SIGVE Lowly High Grand Poobah

•Beyond Virtual

•Welcome to VSTE Island

•Expeditions

•ISTE Newcomer Socials

•Virtual History –Virtual Learning

•Neuland Travelbag

•And The Wall Came Tumbling Down

•ISTE SL Tours with Esme Qunhua

•VWBPE – We Were There

•Unlocking Potential at ISTE 2011

Hello Everyone,

We have talked about it for over a year, and now it has finally happened! The first issue of VEJ is going to press. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this first edition. We have a wonderful start, as you will see as you begin to devour this issue.

VEJ is only going to be as good as we, SIGVE Members, make it. We hope that VEJ will be a catalyst for change and a vehicle that pulls others into the vast frontier of virtual worlds. Please share the cutting edge work that you and your students are doing in virtual worlds. Let us know about new instructional tools, best practices, favorite sims, and places to hang with friends.

As Rosie tells her staff, “None of us are as smart as all of us.” Together, we the trailblazers and pioneers of virtual worlds, can build our dreams and create a strong educational community of support. We hope you will join us in this endeavor.

If you are not a SIGVE member, please join our group in-world as well as at http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/Home . If you are at ISTE 2011 in Philadelphia PA please visit the SIGVE Playground. If you can’t make it to ISTE 2011, not to worry. Stop by sl ISTE Headquarters and be a part of the conference virtually http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Isla nd/96/58/501 . There will be a lot happening inworld as well as in Philly, so we hope you will join us for a lot of learning and a lot of fun! We are “Unlocking Potential,” at ISTE 2011 – June 26 – 29. For more information visit http://www.isteconference.org/2011/ .

Hope to see you soon, in one world, or the other - - - or, better yet, BOTH!

Virtual Education Journal (ISSN ) is published quarterly by Edovation, 64 Old Cider Mill Rd, Bristol, CT 06010. Copyright © 2020, by Edovation, all rights reserved. www.virtualeducationjournal.com.

Keep Smiling 

Roxie Neiro aka Rosie Vojtek & BJ Gearbox aka Bob Vojtek Editors

Send all submissions, questions, and comments to rvojtek@edovation.com . 2

A Few Words from SIGVE Lowly High Grand Poobah Scott Merrick

Hi, ya’ll, and welcome to the first ever Virtual Environments Journal. So you can have an understanding of the path that has brought us to this lovely celebration of community, innovation, and collaboration, I beg your indulgence in order to reminisce just a bit…

At NECC 2009 the final iteration of ISTE’s annual conference under that nom de plume in Washington, D.C., the Second Life Playground was a hit despite the amazingly glaring ongoing solar phenomenon enabled by windows overlooking its setting. Off to one corner in the vast and beautiful Walter E Washington Convention Center , it featured dozens of presentations from attendees present both at the conference center and in remote locations. It was the first time the loosely arranged but tightly committed Second Life “tribe” streamed its Playground activities online with Ustream. The successes of that effort were shared in blogs like Kevin Jarrett’s “Welcome to NCS-Tech!”

Things seemed to be going well for the tribe. One concern arose, though, and discussion about it began to simmer: virtual worlds were grouped in with games, lumped in under the content of SIGGS, the Special Interest Group for Games and Simulations. What? Virtual Worlds can contain games, and do, and some platforms can pretty much be considered games, but was Second Life a game? Consensus among the tribe said no.

And the metaverse was growing. The OpenSim Project, an opensourced virtual worlds platform project built from Linden Lab’s sourcecode release in January 2007, had gained momentum and would continue to do so. Quest Atlantis, since its initial funding in 2001 by the John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation, had been building a robust global community of educators. These innovative teachers were guiding their young charges through hundreds of characterbuilding missions and quests all aligned with strong ethical codes and arranged around seven Social Commitments. Active Worlds was still, well, active with AWEDU, with Chris Dede exploring its potential for guiding his students through science and history in his River City Project. These are but a few of the already robust virtual environments projects underway. Clearly something was up.

Conspiracies formed. Potentials were discussed. A plan was planned. A proposal was proposed. We needed a Special Interest Group for Virtual Environments. The fine folks at ISTE agreed in September of 2009 and it was around then that the SIGVE was born. From the cornerstone of the SIG, its wiki, at http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net:

SIGVE will provide a focal point around which the diverse interests of our ISTE Second Life members as well as those interested in OpenSim, Active Worlds, Quest Atlantis, or any of the hundreds of developing VEs--can organize their efforts and learn from one another. Its membership can begin to take on some of the VE-related organizational and promotional duties that ISTE staff now performs, and to see that viable established efforts (best practices) are sustained as tradition and that innovation continues to thrive.

The leadership of SIGVE seemed to settle by default into the hands of its formal proposer, who, as it happened, was moi. I gauged the temperament of our amazing tribe and made a deliberate decision not to formalize the group too very much. The “F” word was key to our organically (and perhaps despotically) devised leadership roles. That word is “Fun,” of course. As far as committees and sub-committees, perhaps not: We would celebrate our unique perspectives and sharing natures by trusting that interested participants would bring value to the party. That loose approach has its plusses and minuses, but I still believe that the former outweigh the latter; hence SIGVE’s arguably odd organizational nomenclature (see below). Organizational structure is a topic of the upcoming SIG Leadership Day this year at ISTE. Can we maintain our “unstructured?” Should we? This will certainly be a hot topic when we meet together at the SIG Birds-of-a-feather session in Philadelphia.

Machinima Fest 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 6-7PM at ISTE 2011

Following in the tradition of Sundance and Cannes, ISTE SIGVE is hosting Machinima Fest 2011 featuring examples of the BEST Machinima in the educational realm. Machinima, video created using 3D virtual worlds or games, is a new form of media showing incredible potential for learning and communicating. Come to this epic event and join the excitement and fun. Learn why there is so much buzz about this new tool. Discover the possibilities of using Machinima in your classroom. EveryoneInvited!

Now with over 1700 members aboard through ISTE membership and who knows how many peripherally attached via other organizations—joined in with the community in Second Life, lurking around the wiki, learning from one another in Reaction Grid or Science Sim, or joining in once a year like they did in Denver, when we unveiled our first “Virtual Environments Playground” who knows where we’re going?

Last year’s Playground hosted 35 back to back mostly half-hour presentations, ustreamed most of it, and had presenters join us in Denver virtually from as far away as Peru. Wow. Really? What’s next?

I’m glad you asked. SIGVE Playground for ISTE 2011 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/9 6/58/501 Be sure to get your FREE t-shirt in box at sl SIGVE playground. 6

This year we’ve scaled down the SIGVE Playground a bit, mostly so the volunteers who facilitate it (as well as significant numbers of SIG members who are drawn to it irresistibly) can partake of some other wonders of the conference. We’ll only be running for two days, Monday and Tuesday of the conference. We will need a few more presenters and many more facilitators onsite (Poobahs), in remote locations and in virtual worlds all over the globe.

I have two links for you here or you can get them at ISTE Headquarters in sl (see picture below):

1.The link to volunteer for your own half-hour presentation in the Playground, and to express your preferences of time slots (not guaranteed but certainly solicited) and

1.The link to volunteer to help facilitate, either onsite or in Second Life or in some other platform (have your own platform? Host your own SIGVE Playground!)

We’ll be in Second Life in a custom-built staging area high above ISTE Island, and we welcome anyone who would like to participate.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/9 6/58/501

Come on down. While you’re at it join our tribe in as many ways as are comfy for you.

And for the SIG itself?

This year we’ll be rolling over leadership to new blood. Follow along closely: At last year’s Birds-of-aFeather, the Playground facilitation leadership change for ISTE 2010 was the first baby step toward refreshing the leadership cadre. Our first “Grand Poobah Emeritus,” Lisa Linn, was installed in that esteemed role after her years of service to the Playground.

Andrew Wheelock took her place as Grand Poobah.

This year I will step down to join Lisa as Emeritus and Andy will take my place as “Lowly High Grand Poobah,” a position which ISTE likes to call “SIG Chair.” Someone will be nominated and installed as our new Grand Poobah, in a position to follow Andrew’s lead for the 2011-12 year and move into the role of benevolent dictator the following year.

These two leaders will co-facilitate the Virtual Environments Playground for ISTE 2012, which of course will be the best ever! Until, of course, the following year, when the process will repeat itself.

What’s next? Stay tuned, ya’ll.

Stay tuned to SIGVE . Life(s) is good. 

Welcome to VSTE Island

By Mandie Mimulus aka, Marie Booz

The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) is a real life organization serving the entire community of technology-using educators. Membership in VSTE is complimentary and you may register at www.vste.org. Current membership includes preservice education students, teachers, principals, specialists, instructional technologists, superintendents, university faculty, parents, businesses, and others who are interested in promoting technology’s role in education.

As VSTE’s executive director, Karen Richardson, proudly states, “This is what VSTE does... professional development!” VSTE's mission is to support its membership through first-class professional development opportunities, including our annual conference. It's also poised to help members advocate for the role technology plays in today's school. With more than 6000 members VSTE is the third largest ISTE affiliate organization in the country. Our Annual Technology in Education Conference is the oldest statewide technology in education conference in Virginia. The 26th annual conference will be held this year in Roanoke, Virginia, December 4-6.

VSTE also offers one-day regional mini-conference events in the spring and summer. The most recent event was a Mobile Learning Share Fair in March with educational consultant and iPad Pilot Coordinator, Chris O’Neal delivering the keynote. For members who prefer learning online, VSTE sponsors a variety of one-day regional mini-conference events in the spring and summer. 10

The VSTE in Second Life group holds meetings every Monday night at 5PM SLT providing its membership another avenue for professional development. VSTE in Second Life facilitators have been hosting weekly meetings since November 2008.

Monday night meetings have featured nationally recognized speakers such as Kathy Schrock, Chris O’Neal, and Matt Monjan, as well as a variety of professional colleagues presenting on emerging technologies and projects. Programs have included tours of educational sims in Second Life, how-to classes, building workshops, make and take projects, and we have held several book discussions. The VSTE Island facilitators also host a mobile technology user group.

Currently VSTE is planning to hold one of its mini-conferences virtually on VSTE Island this summer. Also, coming in Fall 2011, VSTE Island will be the virtual classroom for an undergraduate college course:

EDU C438-50 The 21st Century Instructor: Transforming Education Through Technology (3 undergraduate credit hours)

As technologies emerge and change the world around us, what are the main trends in educational technology today? The Center for Teaching Excellence at UVAWISE is proud to offer this course virtually on VSTE Island in Second Life. Students will explore five key trends for technology’s role in education through interactive presentations from experts in the field, virtual field trips to see these trends in action, and through working and learning collaboratively with peers through Sloodle http://www.sloodle.org/moodle/ . For more information, please visit us online at. www.uvawise.edu/cte .

Understandably, not much stays constant in Second Life and here on VSTE Island, we are consistently adding new builds. In the summer of 2009 we opened the exhibit, First Africans at Jamestown. In December 2010 we opened the virtual recreation of Natural Bridge, a geological formation found in western Virginia.

This year VSTE plans to recreate Virginia’s Luray Caverns beneath the main portion of VSTE Island and which will debut at VSTE’s annual conference this December.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/128/128/24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp3bWD6ktYk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wXSODOGI&feature=related

Expeditions

By Matt Poole aka Cyrus Hush

“Come,

my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset…”

--Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Introduction

About a year ago, I stumbled across an interesting Second Life build. It was an extraordinarily detailed cyberpunk-art deco town with a lot of interactive content and a lush, atmospheric ambiance to it. My mini-map revealed a tight cluster of avatars in one corner of this sim. Approaching to investigate, I found a goodbye party in progress. It seemed that the day of my first visit was the very last day of this sim’s existence; it was being closed down for good.

At that point I decided to make a serious effort to wander about and keep up with the creative efforts of others in Second Life. I began a blog, an in-world group and a museum called Expedition Central, all with the objective of reviewing, advertising and cataloging as many cool and unusual builds in Second Life as possible. Many if not most of the 160+ sims that have been reviewed and cataloged to date are either of an educational nature or are related to Science, Art or Culture in some fashion.

Now, thanks to the SIGVE organizers, I will have the honor and pleasure of sharing some highlights of these explorations with you. As you read about and hopefully investigate some of these builds on your own, you may find out about new tools, new best practices and new ways of using the medium yourselves. Or you may just find some new places to explore!

‘See you on the road…

Cyrus

Okapi Island

The University of California at Berkeley has dedicated this sim to the accurate depiction and investigation of the 7,000-10,000 year old Neolithic archeological excavation of Catalhoyuk, in Turkey. This project obviously has a significant budget and lots of helpers. There are instructional videos, background music and interactive exhibits all through the place.

You can climb in and out of reconstructed houses, examine artifacts and learn about the way of life for people who were just beginning to abandon the nomadic hunter-gatherer existence in favor of more permanent settlements. You can also learn about how an archeological dig is conducted and managed.

On the hillside behind the settlements you may notice a small round ball on the ground. Clicking this ball launches a short, educational and fun scavenger hunt for artifacts on the island. Clicking each item as you locate it brings you one step closer to the prize!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Okapi/30/200/23

Tropical Dry Forest

Among other things, Costa Rica is home to much of the world’s remaining tracts of tropical dry forest (meaning they actually have a hard dry season during the year). This type of ecosystem is quite rare, and remaining tracts are endangered. You can tour a recreation of the Palo Verde biological preserve at Tropical Dry Forest, nestled in the heart of the Costa Rica sims…

Upon landing you will have the opportunity to take a boat tour of the build. The boat tour is narrated, extremely informative and highly recommended. The texture details and sound effects are wonderful! I wouldn’t have thought you could do a convincing and worthwhile nature documentary in Second Life, but I would have been mistaken.

Back at the gift shop you can purchase a monkey, coati or caiman of your very own!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Palo%20Verde/179/48/22

Statue of Zeus

There are many lists of World Wonders, but the original list was the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This was a list of “must-see” Mediterranean attractions that were posted into Greek tour guide books around the First Century BC.

All but the Pyramids are gone now, but several of them have been digitally reincarnated in Second Life and it certainly is fun to wonder what the original designers would have thought…

“The Statue of Zeus was the fourth oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built in Olympia in 433 BCE by the famous sculptor Phidias to adorn the Sanctuary of Zeus, where the Olympic games were held each year. It was 40 feet high…”

–retrieved from http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/wonders/statue.html

Nautilus City is actually part of the Linden continent of Nautilus. Cut through by a deep-walled canal that runs through its length, Nautilus Island sports a number of impressive-looking classical buildings facing the canal, including a reproduction of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Inside is the statue itself, which shows a seated Zeus leafed in gold. A number of other impressive Greek buildings are nearby, including a recreation of the statue of Athena from in front of the Austrian Parliament building in Vienna. This area is definitely worth a visit for any fan of classical history and architecture.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nautilus%20-%20Elissa/132/49/31

ISTE Newcomer Socials

Every Thursday from 5-6 pm slt, ISTE hosts a Newcomer Social for anyone interested in learning more about second life including tips and trips for getting around. It is also a great opportunity to meet new people, network with educators from around the world, and make friends. If you haven’t already, make sure you join the sl ISTE group as well as SIGVE.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/89/ 74/30

You can also learn more about ISTE at www.ISTE.org and join ISTE in rl too.

ISTE Newcomer Social Game Night

May 5, 2011

Newcomer or not, EVERYONE is welcome to join the fun every Thursday at ISTE Headquarters 5-6 pm slt.

after a night of fun and games.

Roxie Neiro, Mandie Minulus, and Scott Merrick enjoying ice cream

Virtual History - Virtual Learning Join

The Virtual Pioneers

By Andy Wheelock aka, Spiff Whitfield

The streets of London 1891 are dark and seemingly cold. Walking along the alleys and cobbled streets there are glimpses of movement. Perhaps rats. Perhaps something more sinister. These times bring desperation, and even murder. You see, Jack the Ripper is on the loose, and safety is an elusive commodity.

Sound intriguing? Well that is a brief description of a virtual tour of the Roleplaying sim in Second Life called Legacies 1891. Our group of history minded educators is spending the evening touring this sim to explore the possibilities of using role playing virtual environments for educational purposes. This sim certainly gives us plenty of food for thought on the fantastic potential for writing, roleplaying, history, and engaging kids in creative play.

The Virtual Pioneers have been exploring the potential for virtual environment education for over 3 years in Second Life. Starting out as a small band educators from Western New York, our group expanded exponentially and has members from all over the world.

We have had tours of cultural sims like Ummah of Noor ( Islamic Culture), history based themes like the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Kristallnacht Exhibit ( An amazing recreation of this tragic event), Virtual Native Lands (a Native American Culture and history 4 Island sim) and even had networking events like our annual Historical Costume Party, as well as, our first ever Virtual Pioneer History Conference.

Our group meets every other Sunday Night at 5pm SL time and is free and open to anyone with a Second Life account. Our membership is also exploring other Open Sim environments too, and may soon start expanding our horizons as only true pioneers do!

This year we were honored at the VWBPE conference by winning an award for our Poster Area! We are humbled by this achievement primarily due to the fact that our group is truly a collaboration of so many people. It is the strength of our membership, our sense of exploration, and the ability to open our hearts and minds to innovative ideas and technologies that makes our group so powerful.

Please join us or follow our progress as we search new frontiers in a virtual world.

Virtual Pioneer Info: http://grou.ps/virtualpioneers The Virtual Pioneers Receive the VWBPE Best Instructional Practices in Education (BIPEE) Award for our Poster Area.

Facebook Fan page: Virtual Pioneers

Photo page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/virtualpioneers

Video Channels: http://vimeo.com/channels/virtualpioneers

VWBPE 2011

This year 2,447 unique avatars attended the VWBPE Conference March 17 – 19, 2011. The average age of an Avatar at the conference was 30 months. The oldest avatar at the conference was 91 months old.

The average minutes spent at the conference per avatar was 178.75 minutes (2.98 hours). Although North America had the most avatars attending the conference, avatars attended from 91 countries and territories. Most avatars attended between 8 am and 4 pm SLT. Attendance was very low between 10 pm and 4 am SLT.

The top ten sessions with the most attendance at the conference were:

1. Opening Keynote: BotGirl Questi: Who Are You? Where is Here? : 324 Unique Avatars attend

2. AJ Brooks: VWER - Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: 305 Unique Avatars attend

3. Peggy Sheehy: Keynote As the Worldz Turn…: 211 Unique Avatars attend

4. Randy Hinrichs: 208 Unique Avatars

5. Dean Groom: Keynote: Games and Simulations: 175 Unique Avatars attend

6. Keynote: Veteran Dialogues: 172 Unique Avatars

7.Chris Gibson: Learning Systems for Virtual Learning Spaces: 171 Unique Avatars attend

8.Closing Ceremonies: 157 Unique Avatars attend

9.From Here to Where? Panel: 152 Unique Avatars attend

10.Barry Joseph: A Funeral for Teen SL: 139 Unique Avatars attend 26

VWBPE Awards for Machinima and Posters

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WINNERS!

Posters

Best Example of Educational Practices in a Virtual World

1st Place NASA eEducation in Second Life, Stephanie Smith

2nd Place Dream Realizations Ute Frenburg, Cooper Macbeth, Maike Tierbal, Alexsis Kamala

3rd Place Senior Project® at P4DL, Inc., Kathleen Norris

Best Interactive Display

1st Place Virtual Pioneers, Spiff Whitfield

2nd Place NASA eEducation in Second Life, Stephanie Smith

3rd Place Rockcliffe University Library, Mel Krupinski

Best Use of Design Theme (The design theme for VWBPE 2011 was Steampunk)

1st Place UnSymposium Rurik Bellingshausen, Kavon Zenovka

2nd Place Virtual Pioneers, Spiff Whitfield, Serena Offcourse

3rd Place Working Relationships, Deb Quintessa, Van Hoffnung, Trill Lomu, Gypsy Paz

VWBPE Awards

for Machinima and Posters

(Poster awards continue)

People’s Choice

1st Place Fragility of Spaces: Architectural and Design based Education and Practice Moira Hunter (SL: Busy Link) Lesley Scopes (SL: Light Sequent)

2nd Place Virtual Pioneers Spiff Whitfield, Serena Offcourse

3rd Place NASA eEducation in Second Life Stephanie Smith Machinima

To view entries go to http://tinyurl.com/4botfpg For more information and to get the Slurls for award winners visit http://www.vwbpe.org/awards

Best Educational Machinima

1st Place SWIFT Virtual Genetics Lab Paul Rudman, Suzanne Lavelle

2nd Place Kansas to Cairo Project I Bernhard Drax

3rd Place Muinji’j Becomes a Man Marlene Brooks

Best Production

1st Place Muinji’j Becomes a Man Marlene Brooks

2nd Place Click: Immersive & Interactive Virtual Art. Lori Landay

3rd Place Kansas to Cairo Project I Bernhard Drax

for Machinima and Posters

(Machinima awards continue)

Best Story Line / Narrative

1st Place Time Travelers – Episode 1 – The Time Machine, PookyMedia

2nd Place Muinji’j Becomes a Man Machinima, Marlene Brooks

3rd Place WB Yeats – An Irish Airman Foresees His Death, Russell Boyd

People’s Choice

1st Place SWIFT Virtual Genetics Lab, Paul Rudman, Suzanne Lavelle

2nd Place Mars Rover1, Ines Ogura

3rd Place Ask the Expert Water Cycle Ines Ogura

For more information and to get the Slurls visit http://www.vwbpe.org/awards

Hello!

Thereisnothing moreexcitingthan meetingyourvirtualworldavatarfriendsinreallifeorbeingableto connectwithourvirtualcolleagueswhocouldn’tattendtheISTE conferenceinreal-time! Evenifwedidn’thavethemostidealspot fortheSIGVEPlaygroundatISTE2011,throughtheplaygroundand theFirstAnnualMachinimaFest,asyoucanseefromtheSIGVE AnnualReportandScottMerrick’sOpenLetter,wewereableto connectPhiladelphiatoISTEHeadquartersviaSL.Howwonderful tobeabletoshareourworkandlearningwitheachothernomatter whereintheworldwewere!Thetraditionalconferencewallsare crumblingandhopefullyyouwerethere,inrlorsl,tocapturethe joyoflearning!Ifnot,plantoattendISTE2012.Visit http://www.isteconference.org/ISTE/2012/tolearnmore.

Whatdofearandthe Wizard of Oz haveincommon?Check outthearticlebyourLowlyGrandPoobah,AndrewWheelock.

Asyoucanseefromthepictureabove,Ihadalotoffun “On Walkabout”rezzingmyownlocomotiveandtouringtheregionof TuliptreeinHeterocera.CheckouttheExpeditionCentralClubhouse mentionedbyCyrusHushin“Expeditions.”

ForanexcellentPDmodelthatintegrates21st century learningandtechnologytoolstoenhancelearning,besuretovisit SLEECIsland.Also,Any1Gynoidsharesvaluableinsightsand resourcesin“In-WorldEducationThrivesinSecondLife.”

I was especially excited to visit the China International Schools Inworld (CISI) campusin slandlearnmorefrom DeedDavidsabouttheir workinSecondLifeand ReactionGrid. Makesurewhenyouvisittosigntheguestbookand grabafreet-shirtfromthebunny. 

YoucanseeadditionalpicturesfromISTE2011andSIGVE, andbetteryet,addyourowntothepoolat http://www.flickr.com//groups/iste2011sigve/pool/

Aspecialthankstoeveryonewhocontributedtothesecond issueofVEJ.Ifyouhavequestions,comments,suggestionsand/or wouldliketosubmitanarticleforpublication,pleasecontactusat rvojtek@edovation.com.

VEJ – OUT as you savor the flavors of this issue!

Keepsmiling 

RosieVojtek,akaRoxieNeiro

In This Issue:

 SIGVE Annual Report

 Open Letter from Scott Merrick/Scottmerrick OH

 Virtual Worlds Graduate UnSymposium

 ISTE Social Update

 Tour of Maya Island

 Creating a Virtual Learning Environment

 Bardo Thodol –Experience the Liminal State in Teaching and Learning

 Comments From The Pit –Poobah-In-Training

 Come Join Us @ SLEEC Island

 Expeditions: On Walkabout

 CAIS China: International Baccalaureate World Schools To Teach Collaborative Second Life Class

 VSTE Book Study

 Virtual Texas: An Exhibit Sponsored By The Texas Library Association

 In-World Education Thrives in Second Life

To Read VEJ online visit: http://www.virtualeducationjo urnal.com/

For more information about ISTE SIGVE or to join the fun, visit: http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/

SIGVE Annual Report 2010-2011

SubmittedbyAndrewWheelock

The Year in Review

SinceSIGVE’sfoundingin2009wehavebeenagroupthatlikesto practicewhatwepreach.Inthatlight,wehavecontinuedthistraditionby havingmostofourdiscussionsandpresentationsinaVirtualEnvironment (i.e.SecondLife,ReactionGrid,etc.).Thisgivesourgrouptheabilitytomeet fromthecomfortofourhomes,andmakesourannualBirdsofaFeather SessionsatISTEaverywarmandfriendlyreunionoflike-mindededucators thathavebondedbothdigitallyandinperson.

SomeofthekeyhighlightsofourSIG:

The SIGVE Speaker series

TheSIGVESpeakercontinuedtobeaconsistentsuccesswithourgroup hostingadifferentspeakerfor11MonthsofourEducationalCalendar,

September-July.Whileourformatusuallyfollowsaninterviewmodelwe havehadalsohadpaneldiscussions,demonstrationsofsoftware,andgrid jumpingsessions.Wemostoftenofferpre-sessionopportunitiestosubmit questions,anefforttoexpandparticipationtothosewhomaynotbeableto attendsynchronously.Wealsoexperimentedthisyearwithmirroringthe sessionsinElluminate,nowBlackboardCollaborate,throughtheHost-YourOwn-WebinargroupatLearnCentralorgwhichpresentsasolidarchival optionaswell.

SIGVE Playground at ISTE 2011-Philadelphia

Thisyear’sSIGVEplaygroundpresentedafewchallengesduetoour location,butwasafantasticsuccessasfarashighqualitypresentationsand greataudienceparticipationbothinSecondLifeandattheconference. Whatwasparticularlypowerfulisthatwewereabletohighlightsomany cuttingedgevirtualenvironments.ThisgavetheparticipantsbothinSecond LifeandinPhiladelphiaaprettywell-roundedviewoftheenvironmentsthat wereavailableatthetimeoftheconference.Thisfieldissoexcitingbecause newoptionsaredevelopingallthetime.TheannualVirtualEnvironments Playgroundisaperfectvehicletohighlighttheseeverexpandingtechnologies.

The2011scheduleisarchivedonlineat: http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/ISTE2011+SIGVE+Playground+Schedule

Thescheduleincluded32back-to-backhalfhourpresentationsfrom presentersoverhalfofwhomwereoriginatingfromremotelocations.

GrandPoobahEmeritus,ScottMerrick,summarizedtheplaygroundat hisblog:http://scottmerrick.blogspot.com/2011/07/thanks-to-one-and-allfor-iste11-in.html

OneofourfavoriteaccomplishmentswaswhenChrisHartofReaction GridsharedherUnity3DdesktopinSecondLifeandinPhiladelphiavia join.mehttps://join.me/ whilespeakingtobothsynchronousaudiences throughSecondLifevoice,ustreamedintoSecondLifefromPhiladelphia. ChriswasinBoston,wewereinPhiladelphia,andinworldparticipantsin SecondLifewereallovertheglobe,fromAustraliatoJapantoGreatBritainto manystatesinAmerica.

Finally,perhapsthemoststrikingimpactofourPlaygroundwasto extendthelearningtodozensofISTEmemberswhowereunabletoattendthe conferenceinPhiladelphia.Thankstothesuperborganizationandfollow-

throughbroughttotheprojectbyJaneWilde,manyofourmemberswereable toparticipatewhowouldotherwisenothavebeenabletoshareinthe learning.

Leadership

TransitionstonewleadershipsawAndrewWheelocktakingoveras LowlyHighGrandPoobahasScottMerricktransitionedtojoinLisaLynnas GrandPoobahEmeritus.BobVojtekrolledinasGrandPoobah,apositionthat placeshiminlineforLHGPnextyear.Thiswillbeaninterestingyearaswe continuetogrow.

NEW Projects

Virtual Education Journal.BobandRosieVojtekhavelenttheir considerableenergytowardsavirtualenvironmentjournalthathighlights allofthegreateducationalusesofvirtualenvironments.Thefirstonline journalissuecameoutjustbeforeISTE2011andwasawonderfuladdition toallthatSIGVEhadtooffer.Thenextissueshouldbereadyinearlyfall.

Machinima Night at ISTE

MarianneMalstrom,KaeNovak,andRurikNakerudprovideduswith anightofmoviemakingmagicatISTE2011.Wehadafullconferenceroom ofpeoplethatwatchedsomehighqualityvirtualenvironmentcreated moviesmadebystudentsfromaroundthecountry.Thiseveninggaveriseto thenotionthatpowerfullearningcanbebroughttostudentsbyallowing themtocreatescriptsandstoryboardsthatenhancetheircurriculum.So successfulwasthiseveningthatweareintheprocessofdevelopinga MachinimaNightinSecondLifeasamonthlySIGVEsponsoredoffering.

Marrianne,Kae,andRurikhaveofferedtobehostsforthiseventto spotlightmachinimainallVirtualEnvironments.Theextensionoffocusinto otherenvironmentsbesidesSecondLifeisstillaprimaryfocus.

The Year in Summary

SIGVEisauniquegrouptosaytheleast.Wearealittlelessformalthan manySIG’s. Ourcharteriscenteredaroundeducatingpeopleaboutthe powerofvirtualenvironments.Wenotonlydiscussvirtualenvironments, butwemeetinthem.Thisallowsforalotofflexibilityinbeingabletomeet inthecomfortofourownhome,butmoreimportantlyitallowsustoexplore, create,andcollaborateinaseamlessandeverchangingway.

Wereallyhaveseveralvenuesformembership,perhapsmorethanany otherSIG.Currently,wehave6615membersintheISTESecondLifeGroup, andtheSIGVESECONDLIFEGROUPhas156members.Thereare101 membersinthegroupontheISTECommunityning,andISTEhasthecurrent figuresforISTESIGVEmembershipproper.ThereisalsoaFacebookPagefor ISTESIGVEandaMachinimaFestivalpage,bothofwhichenjoygrowing memberships.Thoughthereisobviouslyagreatdealofredundancyinthese memberships,therearedoubtlesssomeindividualmembersinoneorthe otherorseveral,butnotall.Welikethis.

Ourleadershiphassetafoundationforsupportandorganizationthat allowsustomeetmonthlyandgetimportantuptodateinformationfromour well-definedWikispaceandNingenvironment.

ISTEcontinuestobeavaluedhosttoourSIG,andwemustgivespecial gratitudetoTerraSeibermanforallofherhelpandguidance.Shehasbeena truechampionandever-smilinghelper.ColleenKimballhasbeenastrong advocateandresourceaswell.JenniferRagen-Foreisofcoursethegoddessof allthingsvirtualenvironmentsandhistorywillshowherafoundingadvocate ofthisincrediblypowerfularenaforeducation.

TheSIGVEspeakerseriescontinuestodrawsolidcrowdsof “backchanneling”avatarswhose“off-taskdistraction”throughbackchatleads tovaluablediscussionsandstimulatingeducationaldialogue.Withournew additionofaMachinimaroundtablewewillcontinuetoeducateandexpand ourhorizons.WearealsolookingaheadtoISTE2012asaplacetocontinue ouroutreachattheSIGVEPlaygroundandsolidifyourmembershipatthe BirdsofaFeatherSession.SIGVEismovingforwardandpushingthe boundariesofinnovationandeducation.Life(s)isgood!

ISTE 2012

Destination San Diego: The sun, the sea, the learning! June 24 – 27, 2012

ISTE'sthirty-thirdannualconferenceandexpositionwillbeheldinbeautifulSanDiego, California.JoinusatISTE2012aswediscoverhoweducatorsfromaroundtheworldareusing innovativetechnologiestohelpstudentsexpandtheirhorizons. You'llexperiencemorethan:

• 300modellessons,BYOD(bringyourowndevice)sessions,lectures,andpanels

• 135hands-onandseminar-demoworkshops(additionalfee)

• 500exhibitingcompanies,agencies,andorganizations

• 400informalandinteractivelearningactivities

CallforparticipationopensSeptember7andclosesOctober5,2011;registrationopens October3,2011.

The Wizard of Oz at SIGVE Playground

By Andrew Wheelock, aka Spiff Whitfield, Grand Poobah

Ihaveahorribleconfessiontomake. Ihaveneverlikedthetimeless movieclassic, The Wizard of Oz. Howcouldthisbe? Well,tomethemovie gavemeanuneasyfeelingthatIfoundhardtoenjoyorthinkdeeplyabout. Morespecifically,themovietappedintobothrealandsurrealfearsthatgave mejarringnightmaresinmyyouthwhichledmetoavoidwatchingitsince. Andyet,anexperienceatISTE2011mademethinkthatIwasreallymissing somethingofvalueinOzthatIthinkisquiteimportantforeducatorsin particular.

Sowhatexactlyweremyfearsofthischildren’sclassic? Somefearsmay beobvious,butsomemayalsosurpriseyou. Myfirstfearwasofthe approaching,ominousblacktornado. Tornadosareaforceofnaturethat recenteventshaveshownstillgivesusalltheuneasyfeelingsthatweare powerlesstonature'sunpredictabilityandpower. Ofcourse,theWicked WitchoftheWestisperhapsthemostfearedcharacterofallmoviedom. CraftilyplayedbyMargaretHamilton,herportrayalwassowellarticulated thatshebecameimmortallytypecastasaHollywoodlegend. Alongwiththe WickedWitchcamethewingedmonkeysthatswarmedthelandtoseekout Dorothy.Theirgargoyle-likegrinsgavethemmalevolencequiteunliketheir real-lifechimpanzeecounterparts. Embarrassingthoughitmightbe,Iwas evenafraidoftheMunchkins,especiallytheLollipopGuild. Theirpointy shoes,chipmunkvoices,andpinchedfacesalwaysmademecringeandhide behindtwoclosedhands(withanoccasionalpeakbetweentwofingers).

SowhatcouldthesechildishfearshavetodowiththeISTE2011 Conference?

AttheSIG-VEBirdsofaFeatherSession,Ihadtherare

opportunitytohave3peopleinthesameroomthathavemadeahugeimpact onmycareerandthinking.Ifeltitwasanopportunitytopersonallyand publiclythankthem.

MyfirstthankswastoourselfdescribedBenevolentDictatorandthis year’s Making a Difference ISTEawardwinner,ScottMerrick. Howfittingthat heshouldwinthisawardintheCityofBrotherlyLove! Toallofusthatknow Scott,wehaveanallythatapproachesallofhisendeavorswithasenseof benevolencetobesure,andalwayswithahappyheart.

ThesecondpersonIthankedwasPeggySheehy. Asalways,Peggygave aninspiringspeechattheopeningconferencekickoffsession. Without Peggy’shelp,support,andneverendingstrength,Icouldhaveeasilywalked awayfrommyvirtualenvironmentworkandhappilyspentmydaysinthe shadowsoftechnologyintegrationdrudgery. Peggy’sundauntedcourage alwaysshinesthroughandawakensthefortitudeinustoengageininnovative solutionstoeducatingourchildren.

Last,butcertainlynotleast,isAnneCollier. Annehasbeeninstrumental inchangingtheparadigmofinternetsafetydogmafromafearbasedculture of“scareanddare”toalogicbasedclimateofeducatingourselvesand studentsinrealitybasednotionsusingproactive,pro-child,andpositive strategiesthatwillempowereducatorsandstudentsalikeinthenewageof technology. Anne’sclearmindedmusingsaremyfirststopinunderstanding theissuesofthedayinthefastpacedworldoftechnology. Sheisstalwart.

So,asIwounddownanotherfantasticdayattheISTEconference,made itbacktomyhotelroom,andlaymyheaddowntodrifttosleep,surprisingly the Wizard of Oz cameintomythoughts. TheanalogywassostrongthatI immediatelyshookoffmysleepinessandletmymindexplore. Thethree peoplethathavebeensuchgreatmentorstomeembodiedthetraitsof Dorothy’sthreecompanionstoEmeraldCity. ScottMerrick’shappyheart, Peggy’sundauntedcourage,andAnne’slogicalbrainhaveguidedmealongmy ownYellowBrickRoadoftechnologyintegrationandwisdom.

Soperhaps...tomysurpriseandenlightenmentthistimelesstalehas

somethingveryimportanttoofferusall.Today’seducationaltechnology offersgreatpossibilitiesandchallenges.Tomeetthesechallenges,wemust surroundourselvesfromwithinandwithout,withheart,courage,andlogicto makeourinnovativesolutionstoeducationcometolifeforthebettermentof ourstudentsandsociety.

“Some....where......OOOOOver.....therainbow.....”

Post Script: After writing this I realized that so many great people were in that room that as I have gotten to know them, they also embody the traits from above. Please know that I am grateful to all of you for letting me into this merry tribe of SIGVE. I will do my best to carry on the traditions that Scott Merrick and Lisa Linn have set forth to make SIGVE a powerful, yet fun-loving force in educational technology. (The Wizard of Oz (1939) Warner Bros.)

Virtual Texas An Exhibit Sponsored By The Texas Library Association

By Valerie Hill aka Valibrarian Gregg

LIVE tour of the Alamo

Inthespringof2011,theTLASecondLifeCommunityGroupbuiltan exhibitonInfoIslandattheCommunityVirtualLibraryExhibitionArea. LibrariansinTexaswerelookingforawaytoshareinformationand educationalresourcesinthevirtualworldanddecidedthatanhistorical immersivelearningenvironmentwouldbeagreatexample. Whatbettericon forTexasthantheAlamo!

TheincrediblytalentedbuilderofAntiquity,Texas(aTexassimwhich featuresnumeroushistoricalbuildings)graciouslyagreedtohosttwolive events. JaconCortesgavetheparticipantsatourofthesims,theTexasState Capitolbuilding,theAlamo,andalivedanceattheTexasGovernor'sMansion. Theliveeventsculminatedwithfireworksandadanceontopofthecapitol building.

Inside the Texas state capitol

Tobegintheproject,thelibrarianscreatedvirtualresourcestodisplay attheexhibit,suchasvirtualbooks,notecards,landmarks.pictures,and historicalattiretobewornattheliveevents. AntiquityIslandsaresetinthe timeperiodofthemid-1800'sandhistoricalattireisrecommendedto enhancetheexperience. JaconCortesallowedthegrouptouseafacadeofhis virtualAlamoasabackdropfortheexhibit. Ascontentwascreated,suchas booksonTexashistory,thelibrariansresearchedthetimeperiodand experiencedwhatstudentswillbedoinginthenearfuture! Weusedbooks fromourlibraries,aswellaswebsitesanddatabases. TheBobBullock Museum,inAustin,granteduspermissiontousepicturesfromthe"Storyof Texas"Museum.

Bob Bullock Museum in Austin, Texas

AreporterfromRezLibrismagazineaskedforaninterviewwiththe TLAgroupleader,ValerieHill(ValibrarianGregg,sl),andJaconCortes. The interviewwaspublishedintheSpring2011issueofRezLibris http://rezlibris.com/magazine/spring-2011andhostedonYoutubeat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvfwmMuk4Xo& .

Producingmachinimaisavaluablemethodofarchivingeducation contentcreatedandexperiencedinavirtualworld. Valibrarianrecorded someshotsofthelivetoursonAntiquityattheAlamo,whichcanbeviewedat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ6uxSaS3io.

Overall,theexperienceofbuildingavirtualexhibitandprovidinglive toursinSecondLifewentextremelywell. Librariansarecontinuingtobuild anddisplaycontentattheCommunityVirtualLibrary,aswellascollect resourcestosharewithotherswhocometotheCVLreferencedesk. The virtualworldlibraryandthephysicalworldlibraryareverysimilar. A physicallibrarianandanavatarlibrarianarebothhumanbeingstrainedto helpwithinformationneeds.

TheCVLExhibitionAreaislocatedathttp://slurl.com/secondlife/Info Island/61/94/24/

IN-WORLD EDUCATION THRIVES IN SECOND LIFE

By Any1 Gynoid (any1gynoid@gmail.com)

This article by Any1 Gynoid, who has taught hundreds of classes at New Citizens Inc in Second Life, surveys major in-world learning opportunities available to the general public, and concludes with some thoughts about the future of in-world education. The classes in this article are free unless otherwise indicated.

With courses open to the public, in-world education is one of Second Life‟s (SL) most popular activities. Hundreds of free courses are offered each week, and language is no barrier. For example, you can obtain a powerful text translator for free, outside the classroom at Caledon Oxbridge University. Click SL URL to Teleport:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge/76/140/29/

Caledon Oxbridge University offers free classes in text chat, that introduce new users to SL, with topics such as inventory, scripting, building, textures, and virtual world economies. As the hub of steampunk culture in Second Life, Caledon contains a blend of Victorian styles with absurdly advanced technologies. Caledon's steampunk community events are listed on-the-web at: http://tiny.cc/3egds

With all events in text chat, New Citizens Inc (NCI), is a vibrant learning community, teaching 50 classes per week about all things Second Life, including scripting, fashion design, building, virtual commerce, and more. NCI hosts fun parties, social events, and terrific show-and-tells. SL group "New Citizens Inc" provides free round-the-clock help on group instant message. See NCI class schedules in-world at:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kuula/70/166/35

Classes in text chat have the advantages of faster performance, automatic translation, and creating a written record. Teaching in voice chat is growing in SL, but has limitations, especially reliability. Some students will have difficulty connecting to the voice system, and re-logging is the only current remedy.

Help People Island (HPI) is a small, friendly, community-gateway, a place to start life in SL. HPI teaches in mixed voice and text classes, such as SL basics and how to be a Disc Jockey. Touch the national flags for translated introductions to HPI. Visit HPI in-world at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Help%20People%20Island/128/128/12

SOMA School of Design specializes in image editing skills, including Photoshop, CorelDraw, and the free editor Gimp. See Web Resources below. These tools are used by SL photographers, artists, builders, and fashion designers. SOMA distributes a free Heads Up Display (HUD) with courseware. Visit SOMA School of Design in-world at:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Boudoir%20Isle/222/195/42

Happy Hippo Builder‟s School (HHBS) is a fun SL school for basic to advancedlevel building, scripting, graphics, and photography. Classes are a mixture of text and voice. Visit Happy Hippo in-world at:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kinetix/168/149/22

Builder‟sBrewery is an advanced school for SL building techniques, such as scripting, animations, and sculpties, which are 3D objects shaped by 2D patterns. A very jovial, fun-loving community, SL group Builder's Brewery conducts ongoing help, impromptu classes, and chit-chat 24 hours a day. Classes are conducted in text, with some adding voice. Visit Builder‟sBrewery in-world at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Builders%20Brewery/110/146/23/

Rockcliffe University is a graduate-level school in Second Life including an RL Doctorate of Philosophy in Virtual Collaborative Worlds. One of their focus areas is training RL teachers about virtual worlds and topics such as project

management, law, and virtual business. Rockcliffe delivers World of Warcraft classes and events such as the annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (http://www.vwbpe.org/) conference. Rockcliffe‟s eventscalendar is on-the-web at:

http://www.urockcliffe.com/events/calendar-of-events/

With SL's worldwide reach, voice chat, and SL search, it is easy to find foreign language communities. CyprisChat.org is a non-profit SL community dedicated to English learning on the Cypris Village III region. Language training is abundant in Second Life, for modest tuition, at schools such as 3D Avatars School, LanguageLab.com, and Drive-Through English as a Second Language (ESL). At 3D Avatars School, you can learn Mandarin Chinese in groups with problemsolving games. LanguageLab puts students in real-life (RL) scenarios, for example, during a fire emergency involving RL nurses and doctors. See Web Resources at story‟s end.

Finally, I would like to share a comment about the future of SL in-world education. With the exception of language training, not much has changed in my 3 years of teaching in-world. The overwhelming majority of public in-world classes cover the basics of user-generated content: SL building, LSL scripting, and clothing construction. SL and the independent worlds of the hypergrid should evolve beyond these fundamentals.

Imagine two complementary visions of the virtual world's future: information-rich collaboration and active-scenario immersion. In the former, virtual spaces are extended with elaborate data displays, groupware for joint creativity, and beyond-the-keyboard interaction. In the latter, densely populated, dynamic realizations of real-world scenes support immersive interaction with human and automated characters. Skills to realize these capabilities are needed in future generations of in-world education; transforming SL and the hypergrid from vast depopulated regions to rich immersive experiences.

Web and Virtual World Resources

Join the SL groups "ISTE: Educational Technology Association" and "Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable" for announcements of events specifically for educators.

Download the Gimp free image editor at http://www.gimp.org and free Photoscape at: http://www.photoscape.org Check the Internet for online tutorials. Even better,

many web-based image editors are freely available. Some of the best include: http://www.pixlr.com , http://www.fotoflexer.com , and http://www.tuxpi.com

The Dreams is an SL learning community started by former stroke victims… which has many learning resources such as free scripts and textures. Visit them in SL at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dreams/112/251/26

3D Avatars School for Mandarin Chinese http://www.3davatarschool.com/

Cypris Chat is a non-profit community dedicated to ESL Instruction http://cyprischat.org/about/ Visit Cypris Chat at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cypris%20Village%20III/128/131/26

Drive-Through ESL http://www.drive-through-esl.info/

Language Labs ESL Instruction http://www.languagelab.com/

Credits: This article is adapted from the original in Italian by Any1 Gynoid published in http://VirtualWorldsMagazine.wordpress.com , an online magazine; used with permission. Photographs of SL classrooms are by Imnotgoing Sideways (SL).

Virtual Education Journal

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January 2012

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Happy%New%Year%Everyone!

In!This!Issue

• Observations from the Lowly High Grand Pooh Bah, p. 3

• Pooky Amsterdam Answers The 1st Question . . . & More! p. 6

2012!!Can!you!believe!it!?!Twelve!years!after!Y2K!and!we!are!still!here!! Do!you!think?!Who!would!have!predicted!back!in!2000!that!not!only!would!we! have!a!second!life,!but!also!one!foot!planted!in!many!other!virtual!worlds?!I!am! relatively!new!to!sl!and!virtual!worlds!(3!years!on!January!24th),!yet!since!I!still! can’t!build,!I!see!myself!as!the!ultimate!consumer!–!which!keeps!me!amazed!and! in!awe!as!I!watch!what!so!many!of!you!do!so!well!!!I!am!what!Phil!Schlechty!in!his! Early&Adaptor&Model would!call!“a!pioneer.”!Needless!to!say,!there!aren’t!words! to!describe!how!much!it!meant!to!see!my!picture!added!on!the!ISTE!Headquarter! Docent!Wall!with!all!of!the!“Trailblazers”!who!I!greatly!admire!that came!before! me.!As!Andy!(aka!Spiff)!says!in!his!Lowly!High!Grand!Pooh!Bah!Observations! (p.!3)!“I!feel!particularly!blessed!to!have!come!into!contact!with!such!great! people!that!over!time!I!have!had!the!pleasure!of!meeting!in!person,!mostly!at! ISTE!Conferences.”!!Most!of!us!couldn’t!agree!more!

Recently!as!I!stood!in!front!of!the!wall!looking!at!all!of!the!Docents,!I! realized!that!it!is!time!to!share!the!wonderful!work!that!so!many!educators,! especially!you,!are!doing!in!Virtual!Worlds!to!engage!your!students!in!learning,! as!well!as!to!build!your!own!capacity,!create community,!and!increase!your professional!knowledge!and!growth.!It!is!time!to!tell!your!inspiring!stories!and! advocate!for!making!virtual!environments/worlds!an!educational!opportunity! and!reality!for!all!of!our!students!in!the!21st Century!instead!of,!as!Andy!laments,! “some!sort!of!“Star!Trek!Cult.”!After!all,!many!of!my!K 5!students!are!already! members!of!Club!Penguin!–!they!“get!it”!! !

It!is!time!for!us!to!bring!in!“the!settlers”!by!showing them!what!we!are! doing,!why!it!is!important,!and! how!it!makes!a!difference!for! teaching!and!learning.!That!is! why!the!VEJ!Editorial!Board!will! select!10!Virtual!World! Trailblazer!and!Pioneer!educators! to!spotlight!in!our!March!Issue!of! VEJ.!We!hope!you!will!be!willing!to! share!your!passion!and!joy!for! working!in!Virtual!Worlds!with!others!by!answering!our!call!–!Tell!us!in!250! words!or!less,%WHY%ARE%WE%HERE/WHY%ARE%YOU%HERE? This!is!our!chance!to! advocate!and!share!the!importance!of!education!in!a!virtual!environment!(p.!59). As!always,!a!special!thanks!to!everyone!who!contributed!to!this!issue!of! VEJ.!If!you!have!questions,!comments,!suggestions,!and/or!would!like!to!submit! an!article!for!publication,!contact!us!at!rvojtek@edovation.com and!put!VEJ!in! the!subject.

VEJ!–!OUT!OF!THIS!WORLD!

• An Open Letter From Scott Merrick, p. 13

• Virtual Worlds Impact on Various Aspects of Student Learning, p. 24

• Crowd Sourcing a Games Competition, p. 28

• Happy Birthday! VSTE Island Turns Three! P. 32

• On Walkabout – Chapter 1: A Journey Across the Continent of Sansara, p. 36

• Virtual Pioneer’s History Conference 2012, p. 46

• The Virtual Pioneer’s History Conference 2012 Schedule, p. 48

• VWBPE Conference – Be EPIC! P. 52

• ISTE 2011, Installation 2: Open Letter from Scott Merrick - Scottmerrick OH, p. 53

• It’s Not Too Late – VWBPE Wants You! P. 57

http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/ Virtual!Pioneers!Conference!

Keep!smiling!!

Rosie!Vojtek,!aka!Roxie!Neiro!

• Virtual Worlds: Why Are We Here? P. 59

To!Read!VEJ!online!visit: http://www.virtualeducationjournal.com/ For!more!information!about!ISTE!SIGVE!or! to!join!the!fun,!visit:!

Observations,from,the,Lowly,High,Grand,Pooh,Bah, or,It,was,the,best,of,times,, it,was,the,worst,of,times”

By,Andy,Wheelock,,aka,,Spiff,Whitfield

It is with great excitement and optimism that I can share some of the highlights of SIGVE for this “calendar” year. One interesting observation that I want to share is that it seems as though all of us have gotten exponentially busy and have spread our talents and interests in a variety of directions.

I would be guessing as to explanations, yet if I use my own experience as a guide, I will hazard to throw some thoughts about the causes for our explosion of reverse time warp. My first guess is that Second Life, and ISTE Island gave us a great professional learning community that enhanced all of our talents and professional opportunities. I feel particularly blessed to have come into contact with such great people that over time I have had the pleasure of meeting in person, mostly at ISTE conferences.

I know many of us get that “look” from colleagues when we tell them about our meetings in Second Life. They think we are some sort of “Star Trek” Cult or something. And if they have been lucky enough to hear about Second Life’s bohemian side, they think we are truly up to no good. Yet, the joke is on them, isn’t it? Because we know that Second Life gave us our start as a group of educators that can talk education, see a great speaker series, connect with others, and yes, even hazard to play end explore in a whimsical fun way that sparks our curiosity and creativity. (Heaven forbid! Educators Play? How Dare They!)

And look at the results of this play and interaction. Our members are part of every sector of the educational realm, from superintendents, principals, teachers, directors, technology integrators, etc. Yet all of us are working on state of the art, innovative projects. We have taken our knowledge of Second Life and expanded it to new frontiers, such as World of Warcraft, Open Sim, Reaction Grid, Unity/Jibe, Quest Atlantis, Kitely, Minecraft, Machinima – the new educational vocabulary of our collaborations. And yet, we still come back to Second Life despite its aloofness to connect and continue to explore the possibilities.

However, there are other, perhaps not so seemly, reasons for our stretched schedules; tight budgets; new mandates; new curriculum; more responsibility; and the never ending accountability of new assessments. These bring about the worst of times for many of us. Trying to navigate these rapids of educational spaghetti with increased demands and little explanation as to the long term value for students.

But we are armed, aren’t we? I believe that the connections and collaborations we have made with SIGVE have given us a coat of mail that can help us deal with the slings and arrows that have come with the new hazardous landscape of educational reform. I truly feel it is the bonhomie that was created with SIGVE that has helped guide and shield us as we make our way through our productive and innovative careers.

Our SIGVE community is strong, vibrant, and ready to help despite challenging times.

Special Note: ISTE has approached SIGVE about the future of ISTE Island in Second Life. This is certainly a big concern for all of us. With Second Life’s revoking of the Educational Discount, the cost /benefit ratio of ISTE Island needs to be addressed. We formed a Task Force

to bring together a list of ideas to ISTE of ways we can keep our community in Virtual Environments healthy and progressive, yet cost effective. This is not meant to be secretive in nature or exclusive of all our vast membership’s ideas and thoughts. We will be happy to share all the task force information and certainly will not make a final decision until as many people as possible have heard the recommended course of action.

The Task force Proposal can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cBr266x0K4388cQvxy5FAVcVQu9nk6WVDqv43Yp65A/edit

WHEN:!!Tuesday!January!17

TIME:!!5pm!SL!time

PLACE: Iste!Island!Auditorium

Please!join!us!as!we!interview!John!Moody. John!(Jhnmdy!in!SL)!teaches!basic! business!concepts!and!computer!skills!and!application!courses!to!middle!school! students!in!Asheville!North!Carolina.!!!He!teaches!computer!programming!an d! html!coding!and!enrichment!courses!as!part!of!an!after!school!program.!John!will! discuss!how!he!uses!Alice!with!his!students. See!our!Speaker!Series!site!for!more! information.!http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/SIGVE+Speaker+Sessions+11 12

Pooky!Amsterdam!

Usually it is Pooky Amsterdam who is asking “The 1st Question.” But today it is our turn to ask the person behind PookyMedia Films, not only the 1st question but several others as well so that we can discover the amazing and talented woman behind one of the BIGGEST celebrity names in Second Life.

I had the great fortune of getting to work with Pooky last year when she was the hostess of the VWBPE Awards Ceremony. She was completely caught by surprise when her company won the VWBPE Machinima Award for Best Story Line / Narrative, “Time Travelers Episode 1 – The Time Machine.” http://www.vwbpe.org/blog/poster-and-machinima-winners .

PookyMedia has since produced several other Time Traveler Episodes along with other business, education and entertainment Machinima films. She is most known in second life, however, for her quick wit, great sense of humor, and intelligent

personality as she and co-host, Hydra Shaftoe, welcome guest panelists who take a stab at answering their fun, fast-paced and often quite difficult fact -based science, innovation, and achievement questions. It is truly one of the most cutting edge productions coming out of Second Life and a not-to-be-missed favorite show for Avatars of all ages! Pooky Amsterdam is the producer and writer for PookyMedia and host for “The 1st Question” and “The Dating Casino.” Her original concept for PookyMedia has been to make digital animation, which is becoming more affordable and able to work on multiplatforms, a viable, high quality competitor in the realm of film-making. Pooky works with an award winning team of highly skilled experts from around the wo rld. They “work to custom create any location, any person or creature, and any product virtually by using real-time animation for films, series, shorts, commercials, training films, and live game shows.” PookyMedia utilizes “high quality game engine graphics found on the virtual platform of Second Life to deliver animated content.”

Roxie: So, Pooky, it is with great pleasure that I get to ask you “The 1st Question!” When and how did you get started in second life?

Pooky: I had heard about Second Life in 2003 at the original State of Play conference sponsored by NYU. I met Phillip Rosedale, Robin Harper and others at that time, including Richard Bartle. I was there when Rosedale announced IP rights to residents and was even given a CD Rom - but as I had a Mac, was unable to get into SL at that time. I was involved in the virtual world of Habbo Hotel and doing performances on a weekly, monthly and seasonal basis. In 2006 I made my avatar from a Tekserve on 23rd street in Manhattan on a cold November day. I returned in March of 2008, met very important and significant people to me, and was able to use my production skills on this platform to great success.

Roxie: What projects have you been working on and what makes them significant?

Pooky: Time Travelers is significant as a fully sponsored web series that is supported by a

company outside of Second Life. Dr. James Canton, the future guru and head of the Institute for Global Futures, recognizes the incredible wealth of virtual graphics here and is supporting PookyMedia in making the most stunning use of Machinima and the real time graphics engine. Russell Boyd, who is Resident Director, is in charge of the filming and the results are stunning!

Also of note I am working with Draxtor Despres on the Fluffe on a Meshion series that showcases mesh and even more the great and more polished animation we can achieve inworld with film, expertly produced.

Roxie: I can’t wait to see the work you are doing with Draxtor Despres as I am a fan of The Time Travelers Series. You have been involved in so many great projects in Second Life. What work in virtual worlds are you most proud of?

Pooky: I am most proud of the film work of course – and the way we have fought, coaxed, urged and swore at this engine to get what we want and need out of it. I am also most proud of the TV series I do – The 1st Question, for celebrating the smart and scientific – it is a thrill to do this show, and know that real time audience participation, which is the future of entertainment as we move into the 21st Century – and with ConnectedTV having the potential to be what it is as well. The Dating Casino is also the wave of the future – and with this game, and others, I wish to develop and produce. I am so very proud of being able to manifest this kind of entertainment for people all over the world.

Roxie: And you seem to have so much fun while you are doing it! I think that is what makes it so much fun for the rest of us to watch! So, how did you decide that second life was the most appropriate platform for the work you do? What makes it that way?

Pooky: I had come to Second Life after 5 years on Habbo Hotel. Habbo is a text based only, no content creation of assets or scripting, 2.5D world. Given those

limitations I was still able to produce theatre, poetry slams, improve, talk shows and more. Coming to SL was an incredibly eye opening experience and truly a step up in what was possible. For me there was no comparison and no turning back. Second life, with all of its major attributes, of assets, of wealth from the many and multi - talented residents, plus voice, PLUS the very intelligent and motivated population, makes SL the premier choice for what I do.

Roxie: You co-host The 1st Question. How did this show start? What is it like to do this every week? What is the most stressful par t of doing the show? What makes it worth your while? What are some of your best moments or favorite memories?

Pooky: The 1st Question - Lots of things you want to know there. The show started when Paradox Olbers said to me shortly after we met that fateful week in March 2008, that he wanted more people in his SpinDome. I said, ‘I could put on a show.’ He said, "What do you need?" I asked for the SpinDome once a week for a few hours in the evenings. He agreed, and taking a chance on this noob at the time –enabled me to launch. Robwag Soothsayer who became my friend also that week, has helped me, enlightened me, and inspired me since the moment I met him. And, he is instrumental in everything I do. He helped build the first set and has been with me ever since. There aren't words to describe what a great person he is. I met the amazing and much loved Hydra Shaftoe through another early mentor, Bevan Whitfield, and he agreed to co-host. I knew I wanted a show that made rock stars out of scientists and celebrated the smarts. The most difficult thing is the booking, which can be arduous, and so the show is now at once a month and we are going through the Championship Seriesmeaning that past winners and there are about 135 of them or so will "play off" against one another this year for the title of "S martest and Most Charming in the Land." I love writing the show every week - and feel it’s a responsibility and also a joy to break the news from all fronts of science and tech and also with humor and context to our world today. Heck, I told everyone to buy gold three years ago! Best moments are when everyone is sound checked and in their seats and its one minute to show time and we are going to go live - Love that moment of the calm before

the storm! I love the discovery of things to put in the show, also. And I do love dressing for the show, too!

Roxie: And, I have to say that you haven’t lived until you have been clothes shopping with Pooky! I can’t remember when I have had soooo much fun. You really do know the best places to shop in second life! Changing the subject, as we mentioned earlier, you won a Machinima award for Time Travelers, Episode One from VWBPE. What was involved in doing your project? What was the most fun/challenging? What knowledge/skills should educators have to effectively produce Machinima with their students?

Pooky: Time Travelers is sponsored by ihelp Student Loans / SLFC. We work to create a really interesting and relevant series that makes people think and be wowed whether they are part of Second Life or not. It is very important to me to have the standards that this could be seen anywhere and enjoyed. To be effective in Machinima:

-You must play to the strengths of the platform, and hide the weaknesses - for example - hair cuts through shoulders looking strange to an outworlder - okay use short hair or pony tails - things like this.

-Highly recommend storyboarding your idea and using the picture taking function to get your shot selection set up.

-Work with animations you think look good, sometimes it’s easier to write to the animation, etc., than to try to look for something that doesn't exist (turning a door handle comes to mind).

-Set yourself time to make adjustments. If you feel overwhelmed step away and return to it. Buy only stuff you can mod! (hahah!)

-Know that patience and fortitude is what makes the difference in excellence.

Roxie: These are wonderful suggestions. You have told me on a number of occasions how much you admire and appreciate all the work that educators do to help students learn. What knowledge and skills do educators need to know and do, to help promote education in sl and to make learning meaningful for students?

Pooky: Great question - People love to be involved in what they are doing in Second Life - the beauty and freedom are truly something that we should never take for granted. I think wowing the students with some great visuals and locations is wonderful to set them up for what can be accomplished here. Showing the Dresden Art gallery / Kalepa - DaVinci Gardens / International Spaceflight Museum / NOAA and more helps students to understand the high level of thought going on here. Take them to Virtually Science or to any of the MICA lectures on StellaNova. It is important to show students what can be done here. This creates interest and from this an educator can build what they want the students to knowwhether its to research a topic in order to recreate it / build it , or to do a research paper - showing broad brush strokes of what is possible. This piques their interest, and then giving them an assignment can help them keep it.

I also heavily recommend The 1st Question because it’s such a fun way of learning and involves the audience.

Roxie: What are your future plans and goals for your work in sl or other virtual worlds?

Pooky: I will continue to prototype shows I would like to develop on a variety of platforms as this is a perfect place for me to do this. And , to continue to explore crafting the best quality film imaginable here in SL and also to branch out onto other girds as we are needed there. I will always be a member of the SL community, though. This is the most unique platform on Earth! I feel so lucky to be here!

Roxie: I agree. Second Life has something for everyone. I always tell people that you can do anything in second life that you can do in first life, and a whole lot more. Which brings us to a personal question – the ones inquiring minds want to know (LOL). In your free time what do you enjoy doing for fun in second life?

Pooky: I love to shop for outfits and find a great satisfaction in putting together a wonderful outfit. I have always loved clothes. (My mother was a model and had an amazing closet full of couture and designer creations.) I love being able to get exactly the right belt, shoes, earrings etc. I look at an outfit as something to create that has balance and style. I love listening to Janine Scarborough and will generally drop anything to go hear her sing "Lily Marlene." I do love the live music and have

other favorites – Watch Whisper Sadowsky is another. There are a few - the live music is “chill your bones” good!

Roxie: Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Pooky: You can take chances in Second life with anything and everything from décor to style to passing interests. It is this freedom to find out who you are and what you want from the safety of your home that is so great. We find our true strengths here and we find one another. Stay strong and connected, we are truly all in this as one.

Roxie: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer not only The 1st Question with us, but to share your passion and joy of integrating what you do best in second life – which makes all of our first lives that much more enjoyable. You are an amazing, creative, talented artist, who, as an early adaptor and gamer, is using Machinima to change the landscape of animation. You are certainly a role-model for everyone (students and adults) who have stories to tell and want to share them through this different lens, and art form called Machinima. Thank you for blazing the trail and showing the rest of us the possibilities that can be found in our second life and beyond. And, next time you want to go shopping, give me a call! LOL Lady, you have amazing style!

You can learn more about Pooky and her work at: http://www.pookymedia.com/

And the following URLS: http://www.pookymediafilms.com/ http://www.thedatingcasino.com/ http://www.pookyamsterdam.com/

TIME TRAVELERS 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVSrbms2mjo

VSTE Island Turns Three!

By Marie Booz aka Mandie Mimulus

The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) has had a presence in Second Life opening the first VSTE World Headquarters on EduIsland 3 in 2006. Three years later, VSTE Island came online and will celebrate its third birthday in January 2012 – Yay!

With the help of passionate volunteers who recognized the potential of using a virtual environment as another avenue for professional development, VSTE in Second Life has been providing its membership with program content every Monday night (5-6PM SLT) since November 2008. Each week one of four main programs strands is presented: Guest speakers, tours of educational sims in Second Life, make-and-take building workshops, and networking events. Recently, we hosted Leko Littlebird’s session on Creating Textures using Photoshop.

The VSTE Island facilitators also host open mic nights, mobile technology user group meetings, and book discussions. This past summer/early fall VSTE Island hosted Julie Ramsay, author of Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing? as we held conversations about the importance of student collaboration.

This fall VSTE Island was the virtual classroom for a Center for Teaching Excellence at UVA-WISE undergraduate course – The 21st Century Instructor: Transforming Education through Technology. Course participants explored five key trends for technology’s role in education through interactive presentations from experts in the field, virtual field trips to see these trends in action, and through working and learning collaboratively with peers in Second Life.

As you can imagine, we were buzzing here at VSTE Island as we put the final touches on this year's Second Life playground events at the annual Technology in Education Conference, December 4 -6, 2011, in Roanoke, Virginia. We had several inworld guests joining us:

Thunder Road: Walk with Thunder Insippo into VSTE's Second Life space. She demonstrated what happens on the road to VSTE Island and how it helps with real life teaching and learning.

Electric Avenue: Mandie Mimulus lead a tour of some educational simulations in Second Life that makes this virtual environment shine for educators.

SIGVE: Virtual Environments Special Interest Group – Participants met Scott MerrickOh and Spiff Whitfield, "In World" as they introduce us to ISTE's SIGVE.

Senior Project: Emilia Cornwall, Technology Manager, Senior Project at P4DL, Inc. presented the Senior Project program for high school students.

Blood on the River – A Collaboration Project: Jewels Shilova and Alfredo Bedrosian discussed how Henrico County and Virginia Beach 4 th grade students held a collaborative novel study using the book, Blood on the River, Jamestown 1607 and VSTE Island’s Jamestown recreation.

Expedition Central: Cyrus Hush took participants on a tour of art, science and history-related exhibits built in Second Life.

Understandably, not much stays constant in Second Life and here on VSTE Island, we are consistently adding new builds. VSTE Island’s Jamestown and the Powhatan Indian village debuted when VSTE Island opened in January 2009. During the summer of 2009 we opened the exhibit, First Africans at Jamestown, and in December 2010 we opened the virtual recreation of Natural Bridge, a geological formation found in western Virginia.

At this year’s VSTE Educational Technology Conference we opened a recreation of Virginia’s Luray Caverns beneath the VSTE Island Community Center. Discussion has already begun on recreating Chincoteague Island, home of the wild ponies who provided inspiration for the novel, Misty of Chincoteague.

You can visit VSTE Island and tour the builds at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/125/137/24

Day 2 of the ISTE 2011 SIGVE Virtual Environments Playground!

In the last issue of VEJ, I set out to summarize the SIGVE Virtual Environments Playground for readers who may or may not have been in attendance, lo these many months ago, at our vast little cozy corner at the edge of the Philadelphia Convention Center at ISTE 2011. It was such a rich experience that I ran out of words before I could get to Day 2. This time, I’ll likely keep it shorter for a couple of reasons: 1) I’d like to keep it shorter so I can move on to write another little article about another virtual environments project that I’ve undertaken since; 2) Time and distance has begun to blur some of the details; 3) I was “off-campus” for some of Day 2 since I was presenting with Kevin Honeycutt and John Ross in a two hour distance learning workshop, “Learning in the Cloud”; and 4) I’d just like to keep it shorter.

This all should be easier (and more detailed) next year, in part becaus e ISTE 2012 Virtual Environments Playground will be held only one day in San Diego. That change instituted by ISTE conference organizers partly as a response to overwhelming request from other groups for Playground time has its blessings and its curses, of course. I won’t elucidate here, but I will say that the ISTE 2012 Virtual Environments Playground stands to be the most exciting yet. Are you pioneering the use of virtual worlds for learning and teaching? We want to learn from you. Apply NOW to present at ISTE 2012 in San Diego, California and in the Metaverse, by submitting your application at our wiki, http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/VEPlayground+Signup+2012

To help with the memory part of this piece, I will quote from the presenters’ own session descriptions in the signup form results page we set up early on at the end of 2010 when we called for presenters in the first place. That document is tucked away in my digital memory, and I’m opening it as I write. Here we go.

9:00 a.m. Betsy Norris stepped up to the plate – our first turn to the bat with “A Tour of the Eduisland in Second Life. This was modestly described as “a look at

the Eduislands and what is available through these sims for educators and professional development. “What it was, though, was a precious chance to sit with the human behind the pioneering avatar, Ima Netizen, a chance to learn what she finds valuable about the educational opportunities and vibrant learning community that continues to thrive in virtual worlds. Betsy, a fellow Tennessean whose volunteer spirit does our Volunteer state proud, took us on the cook’s tour of resources, assisted by her husband Ted, and she wowed those present with her knowledge and her passion for learning and teaching.

9:30 Kae Novak’s description must be quoted in its entirety: “ PechaKucha 4 MMORPGs--On-site and remote PechaKucha style presentation of 6 commercial MMORPGs used for education. 6 educators will present MMORPGs that they know, love, and can use for learning. Co-presenters on site in Philly: Chris Luchs/Abacus Capalini and Rurik Nackerud/Rurik Bellingshausen. Additional discussants will be inworld in Second Life. Skype VOIP will be used.” How could that proposal not be accepted, invoking as it does 20 PowerPoint slides in 20 seconds with a theme of learning and teaching in virtual worlds. The group did not disappoint, and it was a pleasure to “remeet” Rurik and Kae.

10:00 Rob Collett came to the table with his intriguing work in NirvanaGrid, an OpenSimulator project he described as “…a dream come true for people seeking a quality virtual world. This virtual world stretches across the entire globe, bringing talent from Europe, Australia, Asia, United States and Canada. Nirvana is able to bring you the best of the best because we are owned and managed by a small group of “residents.” Grid Nirvana is a not-for-profit entity, which was created out of a love for virtual worlds rather than a lust for profit. The creators work tirelessly to provide a high quality virtual experience.” Many of us left the conference with a resolve to check out the project in more detail, as we ate up Rob’s 30 minutes, skimming over educational Sims too fast to really digest how creative they were. I recall the Japanese builds, put together by a real-life master octogenarian. My suggestion is to Google NirvanaGrid and go explore it with your OpenSim client of choice. I have to do that and I’m putting it on my calendar for this week before I type another word…

There, where are we? Ah, just beginning. 10:30 Another Tennessee pioneer, Debi Crabtree, stepped up and after what I recall as a rough transition between our

Grid Nirvana presence in OpenSim and her presentation resources, we heard about her amazing work with Dr. James Voorhees and how that might be extrapolated into learning and teaching with young students. Dr. Voorhees, has worked with military clients to “demonstrate the use of avatar bots that can answer questions, direct users to services, provide information, query databases, and other functions in multiple languages.” In industry, he has developed “3D training for diesel mechanics and the use of artificially intelligent bots as tutors” and Debi unveiled “a peek at the future of career tech and K -12 education for the virtually human.” Fabulous. Wait, I need to make another calendar entry to call Debi to see what she’s up to…

Okay, now, at 11:00 we moved across the room to the other Promethean Board demonstration display, where we had set up for John Lester to show us Unity Jibe, a customizable platform for web-based virtual worlds based on Unity3d and created by ReactionGrid, Inc. John Lester is the Director of Community Development at Reaction Grid, and he [gave us] a live tour of his Jibe world.”

John shared “how you can create interactive and educational experiences using the Jibe platform and how it all works with Unity3d.” This foreshadows the other article I help to write, because this presentation, which I facilitated at the site, convinced me to invest some of my own funds into a 3 month trial to see if I can justify its value enough to convince my large, sometimes conventionalityentrenched school district, to continue supporting its funding. More later on that.

After John, the Sheehy: At 11:30 our own dear Peggy Sheehy took the stand to testify about the State of the World of Warcraft in School project. This was, not surprisingly, the most well attended session of the hole 2 day Playground. Working with Lucas Gillespie, Peggy wowed us with her work. I mean, really? She convinced her school to support taking mostly at risk middle-schoolers into World of Warcraft for learning? And it works? My most valuable takeaway (which I’ve quoted frequently since) was, to paraphrase, “What good does it do to tell a child who makes 50% on an exam or a project that they’ve failed? Why not tell them they are 50% along the path to mastery and encourage them to travel the rest of the way?” It still gives me chills.

Hey, guess what? I’m out of words! I didn’t keep it shorter! I failed! I’m pretty sure that Rosie said 1000 words and my trusty wordcounter says that the next one will be 1,184!

Okay, that does it: You’ll just have to wait until the fourth issue of VEJ for the final wrap-up. I’m going to search for some pictures, spell -check this puppy, and send it on to Rosie and Bob. I must do justice to the stellar work of the remaining Tuesday presenters, who were, in order, our much-loved, Bernajean Porter and Diane Lewis, Chris Heart, Rob Williams, Kathleen Norris, Minerva Ladores and Susan Escobar, Don Bickley, and our favorite Aussie Bronwyn Stuckey. Until next time! (Where’s the closure? Where’s the closure? Arggggggggh!)

I’ve already previously noted the amazing contributions of our volunteers at the Playground and of those in Second Life, especially the goddess Jane Wilde/Esme Qunhua, but I want to tip my virtual hat to them here as well. Andy Wheelock will be calling for volunteers for ISTE2012 soon!

Shameless SIG promotion: Apply NOW to present at ISTE 2012 in San Diego, California and in the Metaverse, by submitting your application at our wiki, http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/VEPlayground+Signup+2012 .

Hello%Everyone,

Like%many%trailblazers%and%pioneers%before%us,%there%comes%a%time%when%you%now%it% is%time%to%move%on.%%We,%ISTE%SIGVE,%have%reached%that%juncture.%It’s%time%to%go.%As%I%write% these%words,%I%am%sitting%alone%at%the%campfire%where%we%spent%happy%hours%listening,% learning,%and%dreaming%of%what%we%could%do%to%improve,%enhance,%and%engage%our%students%in% authentic%learning.%For%so%many of%us,%ISTE%Island%was%our%first%home%in%sl%–%our%home%away% from%home!%Each%newbie%was%welcomed%with%open%arms,%given%the%tools%needed%to%survive,% and%taught%the%skills%needed%to%build%a%new%life%in%this%strange%land.%Like%a%family%we%grew%up% together,%sharing%our%joys%and%sorrows,%creating%digital%pictures,%stories%and%memories%we% will%cherish%forever.%We%played,%we%danced,%we%worked,%we%had%fun,%and%with%each%step% forward%we%celebrated%our%accomplishments.%Together,%we%have%left%infinite%digital%footprints% for%others,%who%may%someday%follow%our%trail.%

Today,%as%I%strolled%around%ISTE%Island,%it%is%quiet.%Eerie%quiet!%There%is%no%one% here.%The%Bloogers%Hut%stands%empty.%The%treehouse%that%Lori%Galli%describes%still%stands%tall,% yet%lonely.%ISTE%Headquarters%is%an%abandoned%ghost%town,%filled%with%artifacts%from%bits%and% bytes,%etched%within%the%walls%and%reluctantly%left%behind.%But%our%past%has%caught%up%with% our%future,%the%wagons%are%loaded%and%ready%to%roll.%“WESTWARD,%HO!”%as%we%journey%to% Eduisland!% http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%9/20/75/22 Here%we%will rebuild%the%community%we%left%behind%and%establish%a%gateway%to%new%adventures%into%other% virtual%worlds.%Get%rid%of%your horse%and%buggy.%Trade%your%cowboy%hat%for%your%space% helmet,%and%then%HOLD%ON,%because%ISTE%SIGVE%is%launching%–%ready%for%takeoff,%to%learn,% explore,%and%claim%a%place%in%other%virtual%worlds%as%we%did%in%second%life.%Hold%On.%.%.% its Light% Speed%ahead!%We%hope%you%will%join%us%and%become%an%active%member%of%our%SIGVE%powerful% exploration%team.%You%won’t%want%to%miss%the%next%chapter%of%ISTE!

A"Place"Called"Home!"Help" ISTE"SIGVE"rebuild."Check" out contest"details," pictures,"stories,"and more,!at:!

http://sigve.iste.wikispa ces.net/

In%this%special%issue%of%VEJ,%we%pay%tribute%to%what%ISTE%SIGVE%was%and%look% forward%to%what%ISTE%SIGVE%will%become.%We%celebrate%the%stories%of%nine educators%who% share%with%us%“Why%They%Are%Here.”%%And,%best%of%all,%as%we%go%to%press%on%the%eve%of%VWBPE% 2012,%we%preview%the%highlights%and%look%forward%to%the%excitement%and%joy%of%learning%and having%fun%with%each%other%as%we%share%and%network%with%people%around%the%world%and% metaverse%at%the%Virtual%Worlds%Best%Practices%In%Education%2012%Conference.%To%register%for% the%free%conference,%visit%www.vwbpe.org.%Be%sure%to%check%out%the%posters%(VEJ%poster% included),%have%fun%at%the%socials,%attend%the%Machinima%Fest,%attend%several%sessions,%and% take%a%tour%of%at%least%one%virtual%world%you%have%never%explored!%Pooky%Amsterdam%is% hosting%the%VWBPE%Awards%show%on%Saturday,%4:00%–%6:00%pm%slt.%You%won’t%want%to%miss%it!% Sit%back,%relax%and%get%ready%to%indulge%in%this%special%issue%of%VEJ!%It%will%take%you%out%of%this% world!% Bon%Appetite!

Roxie%Neiro%(sl)%Rosie%Vojtek%(rl)

In#This#Issue

• Reflections on Six Years of ISTE in Second Life by Jennifer Ragen-Fore (rl)

• Too Much House by Scott Merrick (rl)

• ISTE Island Memories by Spiff Whitfield (sl)/Andrew Wheelock (rl)

• Reflections on Iste Island by Lori Galli (sl) Lori Weedo (rl)

• Got MOOC by Kavon Zenovka (sl)/Kae Novak (rl)

• Food At CAS: An Interview With Owner and Creator, Casandra Jackson by Roxie Neiro (sl)/Rosie Vojtek (rl)

• Café Dining Set by Food At CAS by Roxie Neiro (sl)/Rosie Vojtek (rl)

• The Library Art Gallery at Info Island by Samantha Chester (sl)

• A Virtual Kickoff to a F@F Conference by Kavon Zenovka (sl).Kae Novak (rl)

• 9 Educators Share “Why They Are Here”

• BE EPIC – It’s Time for VWBPE 2012

• Epilicious is VWBPE 2012 by Izzylaunder.Kara (sl)

• VWBPE 2012: Where to Go, To Stay In The Know,

To!Read!VEJ!online!visit:! http://www.virtualeducationjournal.com/ For!more!information!about!ISTE!SIGVE!or! to!join!the!fun,!visit:! http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/

By#Jennifer#Ragen Fore

I!can!recall!the!exact!moment!when!I!first!heard!of!Second!Life it!was! early!2005,!I!was!still!living!and!working!in!Seattle,!and!a!co worker!of!mine! was!describing!how she!and!her!boyfriend!had!created!accounts!in!Second! Life!and!were!setting!up!house.!When!I!found!out!they!paid!a!monthly!fee!for! the!privilege!of!leading!this!double!life,!I!admit!I!was!a!little!incredulous,!and! at!the!time,!couldn’t!quite!wrap!my!head!around!the!concept.!Little!did!I!know! that!a!year!later!I!would!begin!using!the!tool!in!a!professional!context.! My!first!few!visits!in!Second!Life!were!somewhat!unremarkable.!My!main! motivation!for!exploring!Second!Life!was!finding!a!good!platform!for!building! ISTE’s!sense!of!community!amongst!members.!In!mid!2006,!there!were!a!few! educational!spaces!starting!to!set!up!shop,!but!only!a!small!handful!of! educators!in!world!at!any!given!time.!Seeing!what!could!be!built!intrigued!me! and!appealed!to!my!interest!in!design!and!programming.!Still,!it!was!a!lonely! affair!in!those!early!days!and!I!considered!looking!for!other!tools!and!letting! the!whole!Second!Life!idea!go!by!the!wayside.!That!is,!until!I!ran!into!my!first! ISTE!member,!quite!by!accident,!on!EduNation’s!island.!We!chatted!for!about!

20!minutes,!and!it!was!a!deeply!rewarding!experience really!the!first!time! I’d!been!able!to!have!that!type!of!real time!interaction!with!a!member!outside! of!a!f2f!conference.!!

ISTE"Breaks"Ground

After!a!few!more!of!these interactions,!I!started!putting!the!word!out! through!the!grapevine!that!ISTE!would!be!interested!in!renting!some!land!and! connecting!with!educators!in!world.!We!weren’t!sure!what!would!come!of!it,! but!we!were!open!to!experimenting.!We!were!lucky!enough!to be!introduced! to!Lori!Bell!who!had!set!up!an!island!for!librarians!and!was!about!to!launch!a! new!space!called!EduIsland.!We!quickly!jumped!at!the!chance!to!become!a! tenant,!and!started!building!our!virtual!presence.

In!those!early!days,!we!really!felt!like!pioneers there!was!a!strong! sense!of!community!on!EduIsland!and!the!tenants!all!helped!each!other!learn! how!to!navigate!in!this!new!environment,!marveled!at!each!other’s!projects,! and!sometimes!grumbled!at!conflicting!events!that!created!full!sims!and! locked!out!participants!(just!a!sign!of!the!growing!popularity!).!As!ISTE! started!hosting!a!weekly!social!event!in!January!of!2007!and!soon!after!a! weekly!speaker!series!session,!the!sense!of!community!grew Peggy!Sheehy,!

Lisa!Perez,!Marianne!Malmstrom,!Kevin!Jarrett,!Scott!Merrick,!Lisa!Linn,! Christie!Thomas,!Lindy!McKeown,!Caren!Levine,!Scott!Swanson,!and!many! others!became!regulars!and!helped!form!the!backbone!of!our!little!PLN.! We!soon!outgrew!the!space!on!EduIsland!(even!with!our!lovely!skypark!that! was perfect!for!hosting!our!events,!we!found!that!most!events!bumped!up! against!our!60 person!cap!and!we!ended!up!turning!members!away!each! week).!It!was!time!for!a!private!island!and!we!needed!reinforcements!

The"Docent"Program"is"Born

Before!we!made!the transition!over!to!our!new!island,!we!recognized! that!we!needed!a!way!to!handle!all!the!newly!generated!interest!from! members!and!educators!coming!in!to!Second!Life!in!droves.!Staff!could!only!be! at!the!building!certain!hours!(usually!in!the!evenings)!and there!were!many! hours!throughout!the!day!when!the!building!would!be!empty.!I!remembered! my!first!few!forays!into!Second!Life!and!how!lonely!it!was!on!most!islands!and! how!thrilling!it!was!to!talk!to!real!person—not!just!a!person,!but!a!peer—and!I! knew!that!was!the!key!to!making!our!space!a!vibrant!one.!After!putting!out!a! query!to!our!group,!I!was!happily!surprised!at!the!overwhelming!response.! About!30!people!were!interested!in!signing!up!for!regular!“docent”!shifts!to! greet!visitors!and!help!them!get!started!in!Second!Life.!This!was!before!the! days!of!voice!in!Second!Life,!of!course,!so!those!early!training!sessions!with!

docents!were!carefully!constructed!copy!and!paste!jobs!from!notecard!to!chat.! By!the!end!of!a!two hour!session,!my!fingers!were!tired!and!I!was! embarrassed!at!my!sometimes!poor!spelling/typing!skills,!but!I!was!recharged! by!the!relationships!being!built!and!the!exciting!work!being!done.

Life"on"the"Island

With!the!docent!program!up!and!running,!regular!programming!and! socials!happening!each!week,!and!a!look!ahead!to!the!upcoming!NECC!in! Atlanta,!we!set!about!creating!the!island landscaping,!terraforming,!and! envisioning!spaces!that!would!best!support!connecting!and!learning!together.! Why!set!up!traditional!meeting!rooms!when!yoga!treehouses,!perched!high! upon!pine!trees!and!looking!out!over!the!crashing!surf,!could!serve!the!same! purpose?!Why!have!formal!conference!tables!when!crackling!campfire!circles! work!so!much!better?!

More!and!more!volunteers!stepped!forward!to!share!best!practices,! serve!as!tour!guides,!welcome!visitors,!and!host!events.!The!community!grew! exponentially!and!everyone!looked!ahead!to!our!first!opportunity!to!meet! each!other!face!to!face!at!NECC!Atlanta.!!We!made!plans!to!host!an!activity!for! SLers!during!the!conference!opening!reception!which!was!held!at!the!Georgia! Aquarium!that!year,!and!featured!our!first!mixed!reality!event:!an!inworld! reception!in!a!replica!of!the!Georgia!Aquarium!complete!with!the!sea!life,! exhibits,!and!learning!resources!found!in!the!real!aquarium.!

That!event!was!such!a!touching,!fun!experience members!greeted!each! other!as!long lost!family,!most!meeting!face!to!face!for!the!very!first!time,!as! hugs,!shrieks,!and!laughter!were!exchanged.!Scott!Swanson!acted!as!the! ringleader!(or!maybe!the!barker),!welcoming!people!in!and!inviting!them!to! learn!more,!create!an!account,!and!join!us!back!on!ISTE!Island!after!the! conference.!Later!in!the!conference,!the!group!held!its!first!playground!and! lounge!and!this!was!the!moment!when!the!community!really!took!hold.

Building"a"World

That!first!year!was!such!a!springboard!for!the!years!ahead,!as!we!added! three!islands,!hosted!several!mixed!reality!events,!started!an!island!rental! program!for!ISTE!affiliates!and!other!educational!groups,!and!undertook! numerous!professional!development!projects.!

One!of!my!all time!favorite!projects!was!building!the!Alamo!to!coincide! with!ISTE’s!conference!in!San!Antonio!in!2008.!Working!with!the!talented! Malinda!McCormick!of!the!local!San!Antonio!PBS,!a!generous!builder!who! created!the!major!structures,!and!scores!of!ISTE!volunteers,!we!replicated!the! grounds!of!the!Alamo!down!to!the!smallest!detail,!right!down!to!artifacts!and! additional!learning!resources!in!each!of!the!buildings.!During!the!opening! reception!of!the!2008!conference,!we!hosted!a!mixed!reality!event!in!which!we! recreated!the!live!band!playing!in!San!Antonio,!streamed!the!live!band!into! Second!Life,!and!displayed!the!in!world!reception!on!large!monitors!next!to! the!physical!world!band.!We!were!pushing!on!the!technology!so!hard!during! that!event!that!I!ended!up!with!a!fried!motherboard!before!the!end!of!the! evening,!but!a!volunteer!generously!stepped!forward!with!a!quick! replacement!to!get!through!the!rest!of!the!event,!which!was!a!success.!

Other!favorite!projects!include!hosting!the!in!world!proceedings!of!the! 2008!SLEDCC!event,!working!with!Linden!Labs!on!the!Experience!Pathway! project!for!educators,!and!launching!ISTE’s!in!world!television!talk!show,!ISTE% Eduverse%Talks all!possible!because!of!the!tremendous!support!and!work!of! our!ISTE!member!network!and!volunteers.!

The"Network"Evolves

In!November!of!2008,!ISTE’s!new!SIG!for!virtual!environments!was! officially!launched!under!the!leadership!of!Scott!Merrick,!who’d!been!with!the! group!since!the!very!beginning!and!was!the!perfect!person!to!unite!the! various!volunteer!efforts!on!ISTE!Island.!A!monthly!speaker!series,!a!build!on! the!Reaction!Grid,!a!new!machinima!fest,!and!the!digital!journal!were!all! launched.!New!faces!(and!new!talents)!stepped!forward!to help!plan!socials,! provide!programming,!and!take!the!lead!on!creating!the!conference!build!and! mixed!reality!event,!this!time!an!amazing!replica!of!the!Denver!Convention! Center!and!highlights!from!Colorado!history.!

As!the!volunteer!structure!took!on!more!and!more!of!the!leadership!of! the!island,!my!role!in!Second!Life!scaled!back,!but!I!have!no!less!appreciation! for!the!work!and!creativity!that!happened!there!during!this!most!recent!stage! of!ISTE!Island’s!history.!No!doubt!the!network!has!countless!memories!to! share!from!this!period!of!time!in!addition!to!the!highlights!I!offer!here.

A"Look"Ahead

With!this!look!back!at!ISTE!in!Second!Life,!I!find!myself!excited!and! curious!to!see!what!the!next!chapter!will!hold!for!the!group!and!its! exploration of!virtual!worlds.!As!I!write!this,!SIGVE!volunteers!are!leading!the! effort!to!set!up!a!new!space!back!on!EduIsland.!While!it’s!bittersweet!to!retire! ISTE’s!private!island,!I!know!it!also!offers!new!frontiers!for!exploration both! of!the!neighbors!in!ISTE’s!new!backyard,!and!of!other!virtual!worlds!and! spaces.!It’s!been!such!a!journey!in!Second!Life!to!this!point!and!this!PLN!has! been!the!genesis!of!so!many!wonderful!opportunities—from!meeting!some!of! my!very!favorite!ISTE!members!and!volunteers,!to!learning!about!and!being! involved!in!so!many!projects!and!activities!that!pushed!the!field!forward.!I’m! grateful!to!each!and!every!pioneer!who!took!the!chance!to!be!bold!and! innovative,!and!to!step!forward!and!contribute!expertise,!creativity,!and! passion!to!this community!over!the!years.!And!I!look!forward!to!seeing!where! the!community!goes!next!

Too!Much!House!

by!Scott!Merrick

Back!in!the!first!half!of!the!first!decade!of!the!twentieth!century!(can!you! tell!this!is!going!to!be!a!historically themed!piece?),!just before!the!housing! boom!exploded!into!a!nightmare!field!of!shattered!dreams!and!foreclosed! mortgages,!my!lovely!wife,!Lee!Ann,!and!I!decided!that!we!were!living!rather! ridiculously!beyond!our!means.!Don’t!ever!doubt!that!we!loved!our!house, a! 1930’s built!Cape!Cod!Cottage!home!in!a!historic!neighborhood!bordering!the! "uppest scale"!one!(Belle!Meade)!in!the!fair!city!of!Nashville,!Tennessee.!!In!an! odd!set!of!circumstances,!partly!related!to!parental!pressure,!partly!self delusion,!we!had!expanded!it!out!the!back,!doubling!its!square!footage!to! 5,000+!while!preserving!its!original!“street!face.”!Now,!with!our!daughter!just! a!year!or!so!away!from!moving!out!to!attend!college,!leaving!just!the!three!of! us!to!ramble!around!all!those!square!feet,!it!was!looking!like!too!much!house.!

There!were!many!things!we!loved!about!that!house.!For!me,!the! detached!garage!turned!study,!where!I!first!encountered!Active!Worlds!and! Second!Life!on!my!desktop!computer;!the!brick!patio!I!had!fallen!off!one! Saturday!morning,!crushing!two!metatarsals!in!my!hand;!!the!lovingly!hand crafted!wooden!jungle gym!and!slide!play!structure;!the!spacious!upstairs! master!bedroom!(which!we!had!to!restage!on!the!1st floor!to!help!with!the! sale);!and!the!Vignamaggio themed!painted!window!that!I!had!crafted!in!the! master!bath!to!accommodate!the!backyard!expansion!where!a!real!window! had!been those!things!I!will!always!miss.!The!Green!Hills!home!was! conveniently!located!in!that!first!iteration!of!suburban!Nashville,!minutes! away!from!everything!of!importance!in!the!city.

Still,!it!was!too!much!house.

Very!long!story!short:!We!managed!to!sell!and!purchased!a!nice,! reasonable,!70’s!ranch!style!home!in!West!Meade,!further!out!away!into! suburbia,!just!a!mile!or!two!from!the!ranch!style!home!in!West!Meade!where!I! grew!up,!if!one!can!really!say!I!ever!did!that.!Now!we!love!our!new!home.!It’s! comfortable,!stylish!(thanks!to!my!style conscious!honey),!and!excellent!for! entertaining.!We!are!surrounded!by!great!neighbors!and!we’re!more!or!less!

living!within!our!means.!We!plan!to!remain!settled!here!for!the!foreseeable! future,!to!sustain!our!family!in!our!cozy!home.

Do!you!see!where!I’m!going!here?!Cut!to!Second!Life.

Back!in!the!first!half!of!the!first!decade!of!the!twentieth!century,!the! International!Society!for!Technology!in!Education!forayed!into!virtual!worlds! in!the!form!of!a!leased!property!on!Eduisland.!That’s!where!I!discovered!them.! I!had!been!in!the!environment!for!a!couple!of!years,!having!used!it!really!as!a! kind!of!second!life,!playing!some!games,!roleOplaying,!hanging!out!with!a! completely!disconnected!community!at!the!Elbow!RoomOOa!legendary!tiny!bar! that!would!more!often!than!not!be!packed!with!avatars!from!every!corner!of! the!globe,!just!dancing!elbow!to!elbow!as!the!name!implied!and!trading!clever! repartee!about!every!subject!imaginable.!Once!I!discovered!ISTE!in!SL,!my! second!life!merged!with!my!first!life!in!ways!that!I!will!forever!cherish.!I!even! killed!my!first!avatar!and!became!Scottmerrick!Oh.

One!of!the!first!avatars!I met!there,!as!I!began!to!make!the!little!ISTE! building!on!Eduisland!a!frequent!stop,!was!a!pony tailed!fellow!in!business! attire.!His!avatar’s!name!was!Kyle!Thorn.!When!I!met!him!IRL!(in!real!life),!of! course,!I!called!him!Scott,!since!his!real!name!was!Scott!Swanson.!I!referred!to! him!more!often!than!once!as!“the!other!Second!Life!Scott.”!He!was!the!first.!We! lost!him!in!2010!when!he!finally!succumbed!to!long standing!illnesses,!but!he! I!will!always!remember!him!as!the!other!Scott.

I!met!many!other!fine!educators,!soon,!and!about!that!time!ISTE!noticed! something!happening,!a!growing!online!community!whose!dynamism!drove!

them!to!upsize!their!Second!Life!home.!In!a!unique!set!of!circumstances!that! was!fueled!by!visionary!optimism!over!the!potentials!of!this!life changing! virtual!world,!ISTE!purchased!their!own!island!and!named!it!“ISTE!Island.”!It! would!boom,!of!course,!into!a!four!island!property,!but!it!would!retain!its! “street!face”!with!its!real world!replicating!Headquarters!while!adding,!over! time,!a!television!studio,!many!rental!properties,!and!at!various!conference! times!a!beautiful!and!accurate!replication!of!the!Alamo!in!San!Antonio,!Texas! and!the!Denver!Conference!Center!with!Red!Rocks!Amphitheatre!behind!it.! Those!were!good!times,!and!the!many evenings!Scottmerrick!Oh,!my!avatar,! stood!on!the!front!porch!of!ISTE!Headquarters!and!“wircled”!(my!coinage!for! the!frequent!event!of!stepping!back!to!widen!the!circle)!to!accommodate!the! arrival!of!new!friends!and!colleagues!into!vibrant!discussions!of!educational! issues!or!teaching!strategies,!or!cooking,!or!music,!or!art,!or!child raising…oh,! my,!god—those!were!good!times.!

We!met!there!in!2010!to!pay!our!respects!to!Scott/Kyle!and!to!share! memories.!It!was!a!poignant!meeting!of!dear!friends.!I!looked around!the!front! porch.!Knowclue!Kidd,!Maggie!Marat,!Kittygloom!Cassady,!KJ!Hax,!Roxie!Neiro,! BJ!Gearbox,!Padlurowncanoe!Dibou,!Clare!Lane,!Komputer!Merlin,!Corinne! Fleury,!Lori!Galli,!Maggie!Larimore,!Mandie!Mimulus,!Louise!Borgnine,!Esme! Qunhua,!Henny!Zimer,!Joie!Despres,!Julie!Sugarplum,!ScubaChris!Wollongong,! Victoria!Gloucester,!Zsuza!Tomsen,!Mo!Hax,!Spiff!Whitfield more!Second!Life! friends,!more!cherished!colleagues!than!I!can!name.!Most!of!them!were! Second!Life!Docents,!a!group!of!ISTE!educators!who regularly!dedicated!time! to!helping!newcomers!see!what!this!“sense!of!place!at!a!distance”!can!mean.

I!would!quote!the!entire!list!of!them!at! http://secondlife.iste.wikispaces.net/docents here!but!for!space.!Most!of!them! I!know.!Most!are!friends!not!just!in!Second!Life!but!friends!I!see!and!share! time!with!every!summer!at!ISTE!Conferences!and!talk!to!several!times!a!year! via!Second!Life!or!Skype!or!Facebook!or!Twitter.!This!is!important:!I!would! likely!know!none of!these!fine!educators!had!we!not!met!in!Second!Life.!!There! is!certainly!no!way!I!would!have!ever!met!or!grown!to!know!and!love!the! quirky,!brilliant,!sometimes!problematic!Scott!Swanson.

ISTE%front%porch%meetup%for%Kyle%Thorn

Cut!to!the!present.!Toward!the!end!of!the!first!year!of!the!second!decade! of!the!21st century,!our!nation’s!economy!was,!well,!a!nightmare!field!of! shattered!dreams!and!foreclosed!mortgages.!ISTE!itself!had!suffered!major! layoffs!and!restructuring.!They!looked!at!their!investment!of!thousands!of! dollars!a!year!into!virtual!property!in!Second!Life.!They!decided!they!had!too! much!house.

Turning!to!SIGVE,!the!Special!Interest!Group!for!Virtual!Environments,!a! group!born!from!the!metamorphosis!of!annual!conference!Second!Life! Playgrounds!into!Virtual!Environments!Playgrounds,!ISTE!asked!for!a!plan!to! downsize.!The!discussions!went!on!for!months!and!considered!all!angles!that! might!be!supported!by!the!generous!though!greatly!reduced!continuing! support!from!ISTE,!and!those!discussions!are!chronicled!in!the!task!force! notes!at!http://tinyurl.com/isteislandtf for!your!reading!enjoyment,!and,!

indeed,!for!your!ongoing!contribution.!We!have!moved!into!the!virtual! equivalent!of!a!cozy!ranch!style!home!in!suburbia. It’s!comfortable!and! excellent!for!entertaining.!

We!are!surrounded!by!great!neighbors!and!we!are!more!or!less!living! within!our!means. There,!on!Eduisland!9!at! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduIsland%209/1/102/23 we!plan! to!continue!sharing!and!sustaining!and!nurturing!our!virtual!family!in!our! cozy!home!for!the!foreseeable!future.!Come!share!with!us.!Anytime.

One!closing!note:!Our new!Headquarters!on!that!property!is!being! designed!via!a!competition!that!runs!through!March!31 and!it!shall!be! comfortable,!stylish,!and!perfect!for!entertaining.!There!is!one!implicit! requirement!not,!stated!in!the!rules,!but!one!that!perceptive!competition! entrants!will!have!no!doubt!already!incorporated!into!their!design:!It!must! have!a!front!porch.!For!wircling.

ISTE Island Memories

By Spiff Whitfield

Image from Jokaydiagrid.com. http://jokaydia.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/06/alamo2.jpg

I remember..... The Alamo!

No, this isn’t in reference to the classic line from the movie, “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, although there were many big adventures on ISTE

Island. The Alamo build at ISTE Island was a stepping stone for me in so many ways, but also a powerful symbol of the work and meaning that many of us do with virtual world education.

As a “newbie” when the Alamo exhibit was created in 2008, I was captivated by the thought of being able to re -create such a powerful piece of American history through a virtual world. I remember touring the space with my avatar, clicking on the links and notecard givers, and interviewing some of the tour guides. Here, the realization came to me that I was hooked on Virtual Environment Education. If this simple structure could be captured, think what else could be done? And this was the beginning of the group I would later found, The Virtual Pioneers. As a matter of fact our group’s name came from the pioneering spirit of the western settlers. Our group remains strong and vibrant, with new members showing up at our meetings and tours. As of this writing my work continues beyond Virtual Pioneers with my student-centered work on the Islands of Enlightenment. This space is dedicated to bringing students into historical builds, like the Secret Annex detailed in “The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank”. To watch students faces as they interact and create powerful narrative content using avatars is an amazing way to bring history to life.

The kernel of that idea all began with the Alamo Exhibit. Perhaps, had I not seen that, I would have harbored my first impressions that virtual worlds were nonsense and had no role in education. Yet, the pioneering analogy carries on in various ways with virtual environment educators, doesn’t it? When our SIGVE Task Force meetings were going on, we often discussed the pioneer notion of the work we are doing. And that analogy is so powerful for those of us that use an d believe that virtual environments offer great avenues for learning for students AND adults. We are doing the pioneering work in so many ways. We are often dismissed and ridiculed like all pioneers are but we know better, don’t we? Why? Because we have looked over the mountain and seen the other side, that other educators have only guessed at. So, carry on, we must.

Perhaps, The Alamo, represents our current state doesn’t it? As we leave behind ISTE Island, we could easily be daunted and depressed over its loss as that of the Alamo’s tragic history. Yet, our pioneer spirit remains intact, just as America’s pioneer spirit.

So yes, I remember the Alamo, and I will always remember ISTE Island and its inspiration to my ideas and the awesome collaborations I have made since then.

But what remains is so much more meaningful, for I have great friendships, innovative ideas, and the renaissance of new undertakings to pursue! Full speed ahead.

Citations:

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure: The Alamo http://quietube2.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cHLoHou8u Y&feature=youtu.be http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089791/fullcredits

The Virtual Pioneers: http://virtualpioneers.weebly.com

The Islands of Enlightenment http://bit.ly/theilsands

Cherished Memories

ISTE Island was one of the first supporters of the work of Literature Alive! in Second Life, and, truly, was one of the best places an educator could go within the virtual world. I am sorry to hear of its closing down, but do understand that the education community has dwindled down since the grids merges and educator discounts were discontinued.

I will always remember the friendly faces of the (so so so) many people that made up ISTE...especially Komputer Merlin and the Docent Gang! My favorite memories include campfire chats and hanging out at the Docent station.

Best of luck to all in their future endeavors!!!!

Desideria Stockton (SL)/Beth Ritter-Guth (RL)

Reflections On ISTE Island

By Lori Weedo (RL), Lori Galli (Sl)

Thanks!for!the!memories!ISTE!Island!

Memories!for!me!at!ISTE!Island!first!consisted!of!"living"!literally!in!one! of!the!treehouses.!!My!colleague!(Laural!McCallen)!and!I!made!this!treehouse! our!"home."!!We!logged!on!and!logged!off!in!this!spot!for!two!years,!while!we! learned!to!change!clothes,!went!shopping!and!came!back!to!open!packages,! etc.!

I!will!never!forget!one!time!when!a!docent!flew!up!to!see!if!I!needed! help!and!I!was!dressing.!!It!was!such!an!odd!feeling!to!be!embarrassed,!as!if!it! was!my!real!self,!standing!there!half!naked!and!not!"just"!an!avatar.!!This! treehouse!will!always!hold!special!memories!and!I!have!tried!to!replicate!it!to! the!best!of!my!ability!at!SLEEC!Island!as!a!tribute!to!ISTE!Island.!Here!is!the! location:!!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEEC!Island/234/184/37

People!are!welcome!to!come!visit!anytime!(they!have!to!be!a!member!of! the!group!SL!Educators!of!Escambia!County)!and!reminisce!about!fun!times!at! the!ISTE!Island!treehouse.!!

I!am!missing!one!very!vital!component!O!the!Nirvana!Snowy!Owl,!in! which!I!have!tried!desperately!to!track!down!but!with!no!luck!so!far.!!I!will!

continue!trying.!!The!owner!is!Carrie!Grant!and the!owl!is!Nirvana!Snowy!Owl! (medium)!if!anyone!has!one!they!can!sell!me!!!The!creator!is!hardly!ever!in!SL! anymore,!but!I!have!sent!messages,!notecards,!and!left!a!notecard!at!her! customer!support!area.!!Thanks!for!any!help!with!this!!

I!am!giving!you two!pictures!as!a comparison!that I!took!of!the replica:! ISTE!Island!Treehouse!and ISTE!Island!Treehouse!@!SLEEC! http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEEC!Island/234/184/37

The!other!wonderful!memories!I!have!of!ISTE!Island!besides!all!the! great!professional!development!meetings!I!attended,!are the!incredible! amount!of!collaboration!and!friends!I!made!while I!was!docenting!every! Monday!evening.!!Good!times!were!to!be!had!almost!every!time!I!volunteered! and!I!was!always!learning!something!new!and!loved!helping!others.!!!I!am!so! happy!to!have!been!a!part!of!this!great!community!!!It!will!be!exciting!to! continue!being!a!part!of!it!at!the!new!location!and!I!look!forward!to!more! learning!experiences,!fun!times,!and!great!friends!

Tree!house!pictures!taken!March!1,!2012

We!asked!our!readers,!“Why!Are!You!Here?”!!We!had!many!interesting! responses.!On!the!next!few!pages!you!will!meet!9!individuals!who!share!their! passion!for!working!and!playing!in!virtual!worlds.!

Name: William Burns

Why!Are!You!Here?

I'm a virtual environment SME with about 15 years in the industry. I am here because from the first day I saw a virtual environment (Blaxxun) I knew that the Internet was destined to be in three dimensions and our perception of communication and experiential reality would be altered for the betterment of mankind. As a result of this vision for our future, I have devoted my academic and professional career to the advancement of this technology in all forms.

Asking what I like to do in Second Life and narrowing it down to two pictures is hard. I love to build, write, hang out with my partner, go dancing, listen to music, visit art galleries, attend shows, and so much more. More importantly, two pictures may be what I don't like doing in Second Life. However, I've tried to narrow it down to four.

Email!Address:!darianknight@gmail.com

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you! work!or!play!in?

Worlds - 1994

ActiveWorlds - 1996/97

SecondLife - 2007

Quite a lot of others, if you would like to delve into the past as well as beta testing purposes.

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

Aeonix Aeon in SL

What!year!did!you!enter!that! virtual!environment?!1994

Aeonix at Home: Building/Design is one of my passions, and also video games. Hanging out at home and playing a TRON arcade cabinet that I made as a collector item.

Aeonix at IEEE: As the Object Interoperability Lead for IEEE Virtual World Standard Group (P1828), I enjoy working with the group to handle complex tasks such as our Stargate Project. Pictured here is Tom Starai, Kevin Simkins and myself.

Name: Tom Layton Why!Are!You!Here?

My goal is to discover the best virtual world teaching and learning configuration for individual educators and their students. My current experiment is “Teach From The Beach” http://maps.secondlife.com/sec ondlife/Cheshire Island/70/132/22and consists of four beautiful, completely furnished, homes on a homestead island in SL. Educators coordinate with each other to make sure that no more than 20 avatars are on the island at any given time. This provides attractive comfortable affordable intimate settings in which to engage with students.

If successful, these “Teach From The Beach” islands will completely surround Alice Academy http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alice%20Academy/137/129/31 , a Full Region dedicated to teaching SL skills and culture to educators and their students.

Alice Academy also provides shared facilities that can accommodate larger groups for short term events.

Educators in the first trial include Joel T. Keener (Cheyney University of Pennsylvania), Pam Wicks (Aurora University) and Sumitra Srinivasan (University of Toledo). There is currently one TFTB house remaining. Anyone interested?

Alice Academy = http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alice Academy/153/128/31

Cheshire Island (TFTB) = http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cheshire Island/67/129/21

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?

Second Life

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

ArthurConan Doyle

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment?

August 10, 2006

Email!Address:!Thomas.G.Layton@gmail.com

Name: Peter Leong

Why!Are!You!Here?

I teach and conduct research in Second Life. My passion for exploring virtual worlds for teaching and learning stems from my desire to create truly immersive learning experiences for my online distance students. I have been teaching online since the early 2000s. One of the challenges of online distance education is the geographic separation between the instructor and students. I have used different communication technologies through the years to teach at a distance and the virtual world environment has, by far, the most potential to provide students with an engaging and immersive learning environment. I quote from one of my student’s course reflection, “It felt as if we were meeting face-to-face which made me pay attention a little more than in other (online) synchronous classes.”

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or! play!in?

Second Life

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

Ikaika Miles

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual! environment?

2007

Email!Address:!peterleo@hawaii.edu

Here is the slurl of our College of Education's SL island: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UHawaii!COE/112/193/26

Touring the Polynesian Voyaging educational simulation created by my students

Name: David Dixon

Why!Are!You!Here?

I teach graphic design, illustration, and related computer art courses at East Tennessee State University. I began using Second Life to stay informed of emerging graphics technologies, and found it to be a fascinating platform for testing and sharing creative ideas. I maintain a virtual gallery on the ETSU site that includes a variety of student work: graphic designs, illustrations, paintings, drawings, and photographs.

I use the Second Life gallery as a resource for demonstration purposes and as a virtual studio for student projects. Students gain practice in using conventional graphics software for creating de signs in RL, and use the virtual gallery as a venue for presentation. Students have tested their logo designs on t-shirts created in my Graphic Design I class. They have also used the building tools to make 3d models that would be cost-prohibitive and wasteful to produce in RL, such as human-scaled, point-of-purchase displays for my Display and Package Design class. My illustration class has used SL for creating illustrated narratives, too, taking snapshots to use in scenes that would be impossible in RL.

I have found that some students love it and some students hate it for a variety of different reasons. But either way, they are discovering the new and important role graphic design and illustration skills play in emerging technologies for visual communication.

Here is a blog that has a few pictures that show how I'm using SL: http://etsuvirtualart.blogspot.com/ Here is a personal website that provides some biographical information about me, and also recent examples of my work, some of which is directly connected to Second Life: http://daviddixon.artistwebsites.com/

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in? Second Life

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?! Professor Bimbogami

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? 2007

Email!Address:!dixon@etsu.edu

Name: Dr. Jim McDermott

Why!Are!You!Here?

Since my doctoral research in 1995 on virtual reality simulation I have focused on the power of science simulation. In a nation of collapsing school budgets the virtual world offers both a low cost and effective solution for engaging the digital generation. Inside Second life I build science labs and holodecks in support of any school which is serious about conducting a course in world. The good news is many schools are serious and I am providing support for their success in science. We need more models of success in conducting actual classes inside Second life. This will provide the tipping point for broad use across the academic spectrum. My 5 years in Second life suggest the only limitation is your imagination and the cost of a region is dirt cheap if it is actually used for real courses. The faculty champions need to step forward and embrace what is possible in serious pilot projects leading to formal courses. ProfJ Merlin

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?

Second Life

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

ProfJ Merlin

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment?

1990 (2006 for Second Life specifically)

Email!Address:! drjim75142@yahoo.com

Inside a science holodeck Profj Merlin activates an acid-base chemistry titration lab using the NaOH titrant and the HCL titrate to demonstrate how it can be done in the virtual world. Profj Merlin will send you a lab cube containing a chemistry, physics, and biology lab upon request through the Second life IM system.

Name: Don Singleton

Why!Are!You!Here?

To learn, and then to teach, building and scripting, and to explore the use of Virtual World for communicating with others. I am disabled and homebound, yet through the use of Virtual Worlds I can teach people not just in the US but Europe, Australia, etc.

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?

Second Life

Inworldz

Avination

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

Second Life, DJ Earnshaw, 11/8/2007

Second Life, Professor Viper, 5/15/2009

Inworldz, DJ Earnshaw, 9/17/2010

Avination, DJ Earnshaw, 3/2/2011

Avination, Professor Viper, 10/9/2011

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? Noted above

Email!Address:!donsingleton@cox.net

Name: Ray Hart

Why!Are!You!Here?

While the number of visitors to the SL shop is less than to the website however more information is gleaned about the visitor and so better online communication and market research.

Online is cheaper than fuel for car/train/plane and greater range is achieved than walking/cycling.

Following a documentary on BBC TV about social networks I was very surprised at how popular virtual goods are and people around the world are prepared to buy them.

I'm pictured standing with some book stands at the book shop h2rh Trading at Emmelia(160,228)

The shop has changed in its look slightly since. This is where I sell RL new and used books. The prims link to web pages and you can buy the RL books via PayPal. Payment for these with Lindens may be coming soon.

We now also have an arrangement to sell books through Epiphany Island and are looking for any other suitable outlets. Web site www.knowlebooks.com which includes other things as well. (e.g,. Trumpet lessons within a 10 mile radius of Bristol UK.)

We also sell virtual Solar Panels. These can be bought with Lindens. They are also used on the roof of h2rh Trading. An example of our real DIY solar installation can be seen at www.sunshineenergy.co.uk

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in? SecondLife Avination tried OSgrid, Worlds, Active Worlds

What!is!your!avatar’s!name? Ray2009 Hazelnut

What!year!did!you!enter!that!virtual!environment? 2009

Email!Address:!rh@h2rh.com

What!is!your!website? http://www.h2rh.com

Name: Dudley Turner Why!Are!You!Here?

I’m busy with 2 things in SL:

(1)I bring students in for a less threatening approach to “being different” and continuing with discussions of diversity, perceptions, judgments and dealing with others.

(2)I am developing a quest-based game for first year students at our institution to give them an opportunity to learn about services and opportunities on our campus in ways other than lecture, speaker, or “go find it yourself” - a pilot this semester to see if this approach that is more interactive, flexible, and different is somehow “better” in helping them learn or want to learn.

What!Virtual!Worlds! do!you!work!or!play! in?

I am in Second Life (only) What!is!your!avatar’s! name?

Dudley Dreamscape (and Zoeken) What!year!did!you! enter!that!virtual! environment?

I started in 2008 (under another name)

Name: Aggeliki Nikolaou

Why!Are!You!Here?

As knowledge management has been gaining more importance among organizations and the luck of professional development opportunities are taken into consideration, 3D virtual environments are seen as a promising solution of transmitting both types of knowledge explicit and tacit knowledge (tacit is hard to take a shape and to be transmitted to other people).

Interacting!in!Two!Fish!Art!Landscape:!Unconventional!aspect!of!Art!by!Rose Borchovski.!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cariacou/100/113/21

Moreover 3D virtual environments allowing users to communicate interactively, asynchronously and synchronously:

• contribute to the diffusion of the most valuable body of knowledge (the tacit knowledge)

• provide opportunities for self–paced learning in both formal and informal context,

• facilitate communication among like-minded-people globally,

• encourage and facilitate users to create and develop their one learning networks.

But mainly 3D virtual environments, as Second Life, provide conductive venues for informal learning.

SL provides me a way:

• to access the collective knowledge by exchanging resources and learning tools among educators,

• to improve my teaching and learning practices,

• to engage me in consistent dialogue,

• to deepen feelings of trust and connectedness with the participants of my learning network in world.

This learning network is different from other social networks, because it focuses on learning and on specific professional interests.

Collaborative!activity:!Open!workshop!by!the!Library!and!Information!Center!of!University!of! Patras. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/University%20of%20Washington/61/96/501

Concluding, I would like to add that the nature of informal learning in SL is self-directed, highly social and participatory. These are very important affordances for life-long learning and consistent evidences of future adoption of 3D environments as tools of knowledge diffusion.

What!Virtual!Worlds!do!you!work!or!play!in?

What!is!your!avatar’s!name?

Ageliki Mekanic (sl)

Email!Address:!anikola@freemail.gr email

WOW!$One$Year$Old!$Can$you$believe$it?$And$VEJ$threw$a$ party$like$no other$–$especially$if$you$are$a$Jimmy$Buffett$ Parrothead!$The$concert,$thanks$to$Lightning$Productions,$was$ awesome!$The$birthday$cake$and$margarita$fountain,$thanks$to$ Foods By CAS,$was$virtually$DELICIOUS!$A$special$THANKS$to$all$our$ contributors$and$readers!$Keep$Vej jing Out and$sharing$what$you$ learn!$We$just$turned$one,$but$may$we$have$many,$many$more!$We$ have$so$much$to$learn!

CONGRATULATIONS$to$the$winners$of$the$1 st VEJ$Reader’s$ Choice$Awards!$Winners$were$selected$from$the$nominations$sent$ into$us$by$our$readers.$Several$of$the$voting$categories$were$ extremely$close.$That$is$because$there$are$many$talented$people,$ amazing$learning$opportunities,$fun$explorations,$and$excellent$ educational$resources$in$the$virtual$worlds.$VEJ$is$committed$to$ finding$them$and$sharing$them$with$you.$$A$BIG$thanks$to$everyone$ who$participated$by$nominating$and$voting$in$this$year’s$awards.$$ CONGRATULATIONS$again$to$ALL$of$our$nominees$and$winners!

This$issue$highlights$both$the$VWBPE$ 2010$Conference$$(see$the$interview with$ Phelan$and$other$highlights)$and$the$upcoming$ ISTE$2012$Conference.$SIGVE$will$be$streaming$ their$presentations$live$during$the$SIGVE$ Playground$June$25th both$inworld$and$at$the$ real world$conference.$$The$same$with$the$ EDuMachinima$Fest$on$May$26 th.$For$a$ schedule$and$times$be$sure$to$visit$ Gridjumper’s$Blog$(one$of$our$Reader’s$Choice$ Winners)$at$http://gridjumper.net/ .$$

The$interview$with$architect$Jon$Brouchoud$–$his$work$in$ amazing!$This$issue$is$filled$wi th$excellent$tips,$tricks,$and$virtual$ experiences.$Be$sure$to$use$the$url’s$and$slurls$–$you$will$want$to$ devour$every$morsel.$So$get$started,$and$

VEJ"–"OUT"OF"THIS"WORLD! Keep"smiling"! Rosie"Vojtek,"aka"Roxie"Neiro" (sl)

In#This#Issue

• Happy Birthday VEJ

• SIGVE Playground 2012 – Come Play

• Teaching Artificial Intelligence in Virtual Worlds

• Reflections on Introducing a Group of Educators to WoW

• Why Are You Here – Barbara Johnson Answers Our Question

• Designing Virtual Learning Environments for Beginners

• A Fresh Approach to Design and Visualization: An Interview with Jon Bouchoud (Keystone Bouchard, sl)

• VSTE Book Study! Join The Fun!

• VWBPE 2012 was EPIC! An Interview with Kevin Feenan (Phelan Corrimal, sl)

• An EPIC Overview of the VWBPE 2012 Conference

• VWBPE 2012 Socials ROCK!

• Games MOOC

• Group Notice From: VWBPE, Kavon Zenovka

• 2012 VEJ Reader’s Choice Award Winners Announced

• On Walkabout with Matt Poole aka Cyrus Hush

• Two Worlds Collide: Kentucky Derby - RL and SL

• Art in the Park at Alice Academy

• Fires of Genocide – SIGVE ISTE Tour

• Gridjumper Blogs ISTE 2012

• ARG Academy

• Prometheus Bound Machinima 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"

VWBPE 2012 was"EPIC!

An"Interview"with"Kevin""Feenan"(Phelan"Corrimal,"sl)

Kevin&Feenan,&aka&Phelan&Corrimal (sl),&is&the&President&of&Rockcliffe&University& Consortium&and&VWBPE&Conference&Director.&After&the&2012&VWBPE&Conference,& I&caught&up&with&Kevin&and&asked&him&a&few&questions&about&the&history&of& VWBPE&and&what&we&can&look& forward&to&in&the&future.&The& following&is&what&we&discussed."

Roxie$Neiro:$ Let’s$start$by$ having$you$tell$us$how$VWBPE$ got$started,$and$how$has$ conference$has$evolved?

Phelan: VWBPE&started&as&a& community&event&in&2007.&At&the& time&it&was&called&SLBPE&(Second& Life&Best&Practices&in&Education).& The&conference&attracted&some& 1000+&educators&and&was&a&24& hour&event&across&a&number&of&community&sims.&In&2008&there&wasn’t&a& conference&so&in&2009,&Rockcliffe&picked&up&the&mantle&renaming&the&conference& Virtual&Worlds&Best&Practices&in&Education.&Since&2009&the&organizing& committee&has&experimented&with&different&ideas&and&formats&as&suggested&by& the&community.&We&have&tried&to&evolve&as&the&technology&has&gotten&better&and& as&new&ideas&in&teaching,&such&as&MOOCs,&have&been&introduced&into&the& educational&field.

Roxie:$Yes,$the$MOOC$was$a$lot$of$fun$this$year,$and$the$members$of$that$ group$are$still$continuing$to$meet$and$learn$from$each$other.$What$ statistics$do$you$have$about$the$conference$this$year?$What$are$some$of$ the$demographics?$

Phelan: Attendance&has&been&very&good&compared&to&live&conferences. Since&the& reintroduction&of&the&conference&in&2009,&attendance&figures&have&been&in&and&

around&the&2000&unique&individuals&each&year.&It&is&harder&to&provide&an&exact& number&this&year&as&Linden&Lab&has&not&provided&us&with&statistics&this&year&as& they&have&in&past&years.&What&statistics&we&do&have&for&this&year&seems&to& reinforce&the&consistency&of&the&audience&and&the&breadth&of&reach&to&over&60& countries&around&the&world.&In&previous&conferences&numbers&have&reached&as& many&as&3500&and&over&90&countries&during&the&high&point&of&SL&in&early&2009& before&Linden&Lab&changed&their&policy&towards&education&and&non]profits.

Phelan: The&purpose&of&the&conference&is&to&provide&a&forum&in&which&educators& can&freely&exchange&ideas,&both&academic&and&practical,&in&an&open&source& forum.&We&do&not&charge&for&attendance&at&the&conference&and&the&conference&is& open&to&anyone&who&has&an&interest&in&teaching&and&education&whether&it&be&as&a& community&mentor&/&volunteer,&university&academic,&or&business&training& professional.&What&we&hope&to&accomplish&with&this&conference&is&to&develop&a& collection&of&resources&that&educators&can&refer&to&which will&help&them&in& developing&content&using&virtual&worlds,&and&hopefully&allow&the&introduction&to& administrations&and&colleagues&who&are&not&familiar&with&such&technologies&or& the&benefits&they&can&bring&to&a&classroom.&Virtual&world&are&a&valuable&tool&that& educators&need&to&have&in&their&toolkit&and&like&any&tool&we&hope&to&provide&best& practice&examples&of&how&to&use&that&tool&effectively.

Roxie:$This$past$year$the$conference$theme$was$“BE$EPIC.”$As$you$know,$ if$you$ask$me,$EPIC$was$when$social$crashed$the$sim!$LOL$

Roxie:$From$your$perspective$what$made$this$year’s$conference$EPIC$for$ you?$What$were$some$of$the$highlights?

Phelan: Each&year&we&try&something&slightly&different&and&while&some&of&those& changes&don’t&pan&out&the&way&we&hope,&some&work&spectacularly.&This&year&two& such&changes&were&focusing&on&a&slightly&smaller&set&of&programs&but&then& increasing&the&number&of&invited&speakers&with&content&on&current&trends&and&

analysis&in&the&industry.&While&the&Programs&Chair&will&typically&do&this&as&part& of&each&year’s&conference,&there&was&a&specific&emphasis&on&attracting&an& increased&number&of&cutting&edge&presentations&for&2012.&Reducing&the&number& of&presentations&also&helped&alleviate&a&common&complaint&from&past& conferences&that&there&was&too&much&that&people&wanted&to&see&in&terms&of& discussions,&presentations,&panels,&demonstrations&and&so&on.&When&you&are& running&so&many&exceptional&presentations&concurrently,&people&tend&to&get& frustrated&if&they&can’t&see&them&all.&So&in&many&ways&what&I think&really&made& this&conference&EPIC&this&year&is&how&we&managed&to&present&a&better&balanced& program.&The&program&this&year&managed&a&solid&mix&of&submitted&papers&and& invited&speakers&and&in&doing&so&gave&participants&a&better&opportunity&to& connect&with&the&speakers&and&topics&they&really&wanted&to&see.&&After&all,&there&is& no&point&in&being&EPIC&if&there&is&no&one&else&there&to&experience&the&moment.

Roxie:$I$agree!$I$loved$the$Machinima$Festival$and$because$the$main$ socials$were$scheduled$when$presentations$were$not$happening,$people$ were$able$to$have$some$fun$and$network$with$other$participants.$I$know$ that$this$must$take$a$lot$of$work.$So,$how$long$does$it$take$you$to$plan$ each$conference?$How$do$you$pull$this$all$together,$and$for$FREE?

Phelan: The&2009&conference&was&pulled&together&in&about&3&months.&Since&then& we’ve&learned&that&it&really&takes&the&better&part&of&a&year&to&do&something&like& this&reasonably&well.&Working&with&all&volunteers&means&that&not&everything& goes&without&a&hitch&but&in general&we’ve&started&to&fall&into&a&rhythm&where&the& planning&cycle&for&the& conference&starts&in&July&and& then&ends&with&the&publication& of&the&conference&proceedings&in& the&May]June&time&frame.& Rockcliffe&University& Consortium&manages&the& logistics&of&the&conference& involving&anything&to&do&with& finances,&infrastructure,&legal,& and&contracts.&Once&the&call& goes&out&for&VWBPE&committee& chairs&in&August,&everything& from&that&point&on&is&run& completely&by&community&

volunteers.&It&is&these&dedicated&volunteers&that&determine&where&the&conference& goes&and&what&new&opportunities&will&be&available&for&the&coming&conference.

Roxie:$You$must$be$really$proud$of$the$large$number$of$people$who$have$ attended$VWBPE$in$the$past$couple$of$years,$especially$since$attendance$ at$many$realIworld$conferences$is$down.$How$are$you$able$to$put$on$the$ VWBPE$conference$for$FREE?$That$is$right,$I$said,$FREE!$

Phelan: It&hasn’t&been&easy&trying&to&put&on&a&completely&free&conference&for& 2000+&participants,&150]200&presenters,&and&120&volunteers.&We&are&completely& dependent&on&the&generosity&of&sponsors&to&donate&the&$8,000]10,000&it&takes&to& run&each&conference.&We&have&had&some&people&suggest&charging&for&a& conference&of&this&caliber&but&that&would&defeat&one&of&the&core&goals&of&the& conference&which&is&to&make&this&information&freely&available&to&educators& without&encumbrances.&We&want&to&encourage&open&dialogue.&To&that&end&we&do& what&we&have&to&in&order&to&make&sure&the&conference&goes&on.&The&closer&we&get& to&the&financial&goals,&the&more&programs&we&can&develop&for&the&community.& Every&dime&of&sponsorship&money&goes&directly&into&program&for&the&conference& that&benefits&all&participants.

Roxie:$Who$are$your$sponsors$and$how$do$they$help$keep$the$cost$down?$

Phelan: Every&year&the&sponsors&are&different.&They&range&in&size&from&large& contributions&in kind,&to&promoted&sponsorships,&to&small&independent& donations.&Throughout&the&lead]up&to&the&conference&we&are&constantly& balancing&the&availability&of&value added&program&elements,&such&as&live&video& feeds&and&archived&recordings,&to&the&number&of&sponsors&/&donations.&The& conference&has&to&live&within&its&means.&That&means&sometimes&being&very& creative&in&the&selection&of&locations,&builds,&and&program&activities&that&still& achieve&the&conference’s&aims&but&fit&within&the&availability&of&funds.

Roxie:$During$the$conference$there$are$many$activities$happening$ simultaneously.$How$do$you$coordinate$everything?$

Phelan: Each&member&of&the&Organizing&Committee&is&responsible&for&a&specific& aspect&of&the&program.&The&most&challenging&aspect&is&handling&the& interrelationships&as&almost&every&portfolio&overlaps&each&other&at&some&point&in& the&schedule.&Sometimes&we&nail&it&in&terms&of&getting&everything&to&come& together&smoothly&and&other times&it’s&a&bit&rocky.&Like&any&type&of&musical&

performance&or&stage&production&however&you&have&to&roll&with&what&comes& along.&Having&a&good&organizing&committee&that&communicates&effectively&with& each&other,&however,&is&the&most&important&thing.

Roxie:$You$plan$to$the$best$of$your$ability,$but$some$of$the$best$and$most$ memorable$moments$are$unplanned.$Do$you$have$examples$of$any$of$ those?$

Phelan: In&terms&of&pure&shock&value&–&it&has&to&be&the&main&stage&set up&that& Paramparamm&and&Fiery&Broome&did for&the&2010&conference.&That&build&just& simply&blew&everyone&away&and&I&think&brought&people&together&in&a&way&that& just&putting&presentations&on&a&simple&stage&could&not&have.&When&we&talk&about& the&immersive&experience&one&of&the&things&we&sometimes&forget&is&the&aesthetics& of&our&surroundings.&Having&a&central&stage&that&was&truly&a&work&of&art&I&think& encouraged&people&to&want&to&be&part&of&the&experience.&We&had&so&many&write ups&that&year&that&focused&on&the&build&structure&itself&that&a&number&of&p eople& came&simply&to&be&a&part&of&that&environment.&Any&conference&should&be&so&lucky& as&to&be&able&to&attract&builders&of&this&caliber&and&vision.

Beyond&the&immersive&component,&however,&I&think&that&if&you&can&plan& something&that&touches&someone&in&a&way&that&they&suddenly&have&that&“ah ha”& moment,&those&are&probably&going&to&be&some&of&the&most&memorable&unplanned& events&you&can&hope&for.&It&may&not&be&as&part&of&a&presentation&but&as&part&of&a& discussion&afterwards&or&a&connection&made&by&visiting&a&poster&exhibit.&

For&example&it&was& during&one&of&the&central& auditorium&presentations& that&I&was&talking&with& someone&about&the& mechanics&around&the& stage&set]up.&They& mentioned&the&idea&that& this&isn’t&about&simply& putting&on&a&presentation& but&rather&it was&theatre.& That&for&me&was&an&‘ah ha’&moment&as&up&to&that& point&I&was&struggling&

with&a&number&of&concepts&about&where&we&were&and&where&this&whole&virtual& worlds&environment&was&going.&As&academics&we&talk&about&the&social& construction&of&reality&but&sometimes&you&just&have&to&live&it&before&it&really&sinks& in&exactly&how&far&that&concept&goes&not&just&in&developing&our&own&reality&but& the&reality&we&want&others&to&experience&as&part&of&the&learning&process.

Roxie:$What$is$your$favorite$VWBPE$memory$–$either$from$this$past$ conference$or$a$previous$conference?"

Phelan: One&of&my&favorite&memories&was&from&after&having&finished&up&VWBPE& 2009&and&thinking&“omg,&we&did&it&–&let’s&do&it&again”.&There&were&so&many& reasons&why&this&conference&shouldn’t&have&worked&but&the&educational& community&is&one&of&those&unique&animals&that&when&they&decide&to&all&pull&in&the& same&direction&they&can&achieve&miracles.&The&community&has&never&ceased&to& amaze&me&just&exactly&how&hard working,&generous,&and&committed&they&are&to& their&profession.

Roxie:$What$plans$do$you$have$for$future$VWBPE$conferences?$Do$you$ have$the$theme$for$next$year?$

Phelan: VWBPE&2013&is&scheduled&for March&14 16.

We&have&a&few&surprises&in&the&bag&already&for&next&year&if&all&goes&well.& Definitely&we&would&like&to&encourage&additional&alternative&programs,&ideas,& and&events&such&as&the&VWMOOC&http://vwmooc.wordpress.com put&on&by& FrontRange&Community&College&that&started&at&VWBPE&and&extended&over&the& subsequent&4&weeks.&We’d&also&like&to&encourage&more&academic&paper& submissions.&

But,&there&is&nothing&written&in&stone&yet&until&the&committee&meets&again&in& August&however&so&anything&is&possible.

The&tentative&dates&for&VWBPE&2013,&and&of&course,&&these&may&be&subject&to& change&–&check&the&website&after&August&6th for&the&most&up to date&information:

September&3rd,&2012&–&Call&for&Committee&Members&for&any&unfilled& positions

October&1st,&2012&]&Call&for&Proposals&/&Papers

October&1st,&2012&]&Call&for&Peer&Reviewers

December&2nd,&2012&–&Proposals&Due January&7th,&2013&–&Call&for&Volunteers

Roxie:$Is$there$anything$else$you$would$like$to$share$with$us$about$ VWBPE?

Phelan: It&takes&many&man]hours&to&put&on&any&type&of&a&conference&and,&as& much&as&this&is&a&community&event,&quite&often&the&organizers,&go&without& substantive&recognition&of&the&countless&sleepless&nights&they&put&in&trying&to&get& everything&as&perfect&as&possible.&For&2012&those&individuals&included&Chris& Luchs,&Alysyn&Middleton,&Rory&Nackerud,&Kae&Novak,&Elizabeth&Stenger,&and& Roseanne&O’Brien&Vojtek&without&whose&dedication&the&conference&just&simply& would&not&have&been&possible.

Every&year&we&learn&a&little&bit&more,&we&get&a&little&bit&better,&we&climb&a&little& bit&higher,&and&become&a&little&bit&wiser.&VWBPE&isn’t&about&getting&it&right,&it’s& about&sharing&the&journey,&and&hopefully&one&that&people&will&join&us&on&as&we& embark&on&the&6th Annual&Virtual&Worlds&Best&Practices&in&Education&in&2013.

Roxie:$Well,$I$know$I$am$looking$forward to$VWBPE$2013!$I$can’t$wait$to$ see$how$you$top$EPIC!!!!$Thanks$Kevin$for$taking$time$to$talk$with$us$and$ for$all$you$do$to$make$VWBPE$the$BEST$Educational$Conference!$To$you$ and$the$rest$of$your$Chairs$and$Volunteers,$Keep$Up$The$GREAT$Work!!!!

For(anyone(wanting(to(see(highlights(from(VWBPE(or(to(learn(more(about( the(conference,(be(sure(to(visit:

VWBPE(2012(Nomination(Awards:( http://vwbpe12.vwbpe.org/v12_poster_video_awards.html

VWBPE(2012(Exemplary(Volunteers(Awards:( http://vwbpe12.vwbpe.org/v12_exemplary_volunteer_award.html

VWBPE$ Official$Website: http://www.vwbpe.org/

Early$Morning$Thai$Chi$at$the$VWBPE$2012$Tea$House$

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @VEJournal or #VEJournal. Be sure to explore Edovation Island. Please join the Edovation Island and VEJ –Virtual Education Journal Groups in Second Life. VEJ welcomes articles and pictures from our readers. VEJ is only as good as our readers help us become. For submission information please visit www.virtualeducationj ournal.com .

Reflections on Introducing a Group of Educators to World of Warcraft

By Chris Luchs (Abacus Capalini, sl)

For four weeks in March and April, educators from around the world participated in the Virtual Worlds, Games and Education Tour MOOC. This massive online open course introduced the 80 participants to Second Life, JokaydiaGrid, Inworldz, Machinima, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, and Eve Online. The group met synchronously four times a week to hear from guest speakers. They also met asynchronously online in P2PU to discuss topics and experiences.

During the third week of this MOOC, the group was introduced to World of Warcraft http://us.battle.net/wow/en/ using either the free trial account or paid subscription. Once in world, these adventurous educators were trained on the basic mechanics of game play, stormed a castle, and were given tours of the major cities for the two dominant player factions in WoW, the Horde and Alliance. Participants were also introduced to in-game banking, auction house, professions, transportation, and discussions on leveling, class and player roles.

As a group leader, I had the benefit of experience in WoW to allow me to focus on observing our participants and answering questions. One of the first things, the educators had to master was the interface itself. WoW offers players a lot of customizing that allows players to adjust the layout to the way they want through in-game interface options as well as addons, software programs that allows a player to download and then modify their WoW interface to provide additional screens, counters, and other useful analytic tools. There are also numerous menus, icons, and communication channels that a player must learn. One of the biggest challenges for our group was selecting the correct chat channel to communicate to the group. To simplify, we choose to use the general chat, which worked great in the isolated start up zones, but was much more challenging once we entered the city and players experienced the deluge of chats from the seven other chat channels that are available.

Another interesting observation concerning the interface, was that in many cases, initiating an avatar action on screen was a better way to communicate than chat. A common occurrence during the week of World of Warcraft was the statement, "Follow the jumping [insert race here]," or "Jump if you are ready." These avatar actions where a quick means of communicating to the group and offered non-chat

related cues to and from the participants that they understood and were ready to participate in the action.

The group also reinforced that the Horde characters and World of Warcraft are an acquired taste. Of the participants that went into WoW, only three continued to play their horde characters once the group created Alliance characters and only four continue to regularly play and participate. This reinforces the importance of context when using / introducing a group to a non-epistemic game. Many of the questions asked about Wow centered on how an educator uses World of Warcraft in their class, which relates to the context of the game within the curriculum. While WoW strongly applies to many disciplines such as Business, Sociology, Math, and English, it does not apply to all subjects equally. Based on the discussions, the take away points are that educators must evaluate each game to determine fit for their class and they must also provide the context and epistemic frame for the student to ensure a clear understanding of assignments and those competencies being assessed.

The last observation is the importance of groups or cohorts when using World of Warcraft. Many of our educators initially started out playing and completing quests by themselves. We had one educator level their character to 85 within six and a half weeks; however this educator has mentioned that he would not advise anyone to follow his example. He stated that leveling alone was OK initially, however, by level 60 he was ready to abandon the game he was gaining minimal new experiences from the game. After consulting with the other group leaders, he decided to queue for random dungeons and play with a random group of players. This offered him great insight into the dynamics of social interaction and felt it made leveling the last 20 levels less tedious. At level 80, he started to group with group leaders and other members of the Cognitive Dissonance educators’ guild and found he really enjoyed collaborating on dungeons with fellow educators and stated that he would only level another character with a group of guildies!

Our participant’s experiences really drove home the need for cohorts. The main reason for this is the social aspect of groups. While players can solo their way up to 85, it is not recommended. The main reason is that WoW quests have been designed to allow players to treadmill or grind their way to the highest level. However, by soloing, the player invariably focuses on optimizing their play still to a self-sustaining model, which requires a more general play style and minimized the player’s ability to specialize in one aspect of their class. This style of play is great, however, upon reaching end game play, the player finds that they are unable to fit with the specialized roles required to master end game content. This issue is

negated if the player is comfortable playing in a group where they focus on optimizing one aspect of their class (tanking, healing, or damage) instead of trying to master all three roles as a soloist. In addition, cohorts allow players to play to their strengths and focus on roles within the group that they enjoy.

Our participant’s experiences really drove home the need for cohorts. The main reason for this is the social aspect of groups. While players can solo their way up to 85, it is not recommended. The main reason is that WoW quests have been designed to allow players to treadmill or grind their way to the highest level. However, by soloing, the player invariably focuses on optimizing their play still to a self-sustaining model, which requires a more general play style and minimized the player’s ability to specialize in one aspect of their class. This style of play is great, however, upon reaching end game play, the player f inds that they are unable to fit with the specialized roles required to master end game content. This issue is negated if the player is comfortable playing in a group where they focus on optimizing one aspect of their class (tanking, healing, or damage) in stead of trying to master all three roles as a soloist. In addition, cohorts allow players to play to their strengths and focus on roles within the group that they enjoy.

Overall, I found that introducing educators to World of Warcraft was very similar to the challenges we face introducing students to a learning management system. The main concerns were comfort with the interface, ability to access content and

complete content, and communicating with the rest of the group. Another key component was the ability to develop a social presence in an online environment. Our educators and students both love to be able to interact and engage with others online. However, unlike most LMS, World of Warcraft allows the player to choose their level of social interaction through solo questing or group dungeoning. So main lesson learned from my reflection is: Educators Don’t Let Educators Play Alone especially not in World of Warcraft or Learning Management Systems!

To which, we will be running another group of educators through World of Warcraft during the Games MOOC - if you are interested please let me know at abacus.capalini@gmail. Remember - educators don’t let educators go to World of Warcraft alone!

3rd Annual Virtual Worlds & Games UnSymposium

http://vw.unsymposium.org/

Art in The Park at Alice Academy

Arthur"Conan"Doyle"

Alice Academy is a whimsical place to learn the basics in Second life. According to Arthur Conan Doyle, “We focus on training students and educators and strive to offer more than read a sign, walk to the next sign, read a sign, walk to the next sign, etc.” Contact Arthur Conan Doyle for more information.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alice%20Academy/154/102/31

For a limited time Alice Academy is exhibiting 49 of the most popular paintings from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The NGA Images are digital images of works for art that the Gallery believes to be in the public domain. You can pick up FREE copies of these amazing paintings at the Art in the Park Exhibit at Alice Academy (154,102,31).

It is fun to see pictures such as “The Emperor Napoleon In His Study” from “The Collection: National Gallery of Art” http://www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?acc=1961.9.15 next to Paul Gauguin’s “Self Portrait” prompted in part by Vincent van Gogh’s 1888 portrait series (including La Mousmé) which Gauguin knew from his correspondence with Van Gogh and his brother Theo. This Self–Portrait, painted on a cupboard door from the dining room of an inn in the Breton hamlet Le Pouldu, is one of Gauguin's most important and radical paintings. Check it out –there is a lot to learn and see at Alice Academy!

One"of"the"most"moving"exhibits"I"have"seen"in"second"life"is,"Fires(of( Genocide. The"SIGVE"Tour"Group"visited"the"exhibit"in"May"2012.&What" everyone saw,"touched"us"all!

The"tour"began"with"a"card"that"read,"“This"is"an"invitation"to"a"one offafkind" immersive"experience"in"Second"Life.""The"Fires"of"Genocide"is"a"storyworld" created"by"Seminole"County"Public"Schools"in"Florida.”

This"is"an"excellent" example"of"digital" storytelling"in"a" virtual"world!"""

The"card"continued," Experience&history& repeating&as&you& travel&from&a& historical&example&of& genocide&–&a&Native&

American&village&–&to&modern&day&Darfur.&&Interact&with&objects&and&people&as& you&become&part&of&the&story&–&but&will&you&become&part&of&the&solution?&

That&decision will&be&yours.&&Start&your&adventure&by&using&the&landmark.&Even& though&the&exhibit&is&no&longer&open,&we&wanted&to&share&with&you&some&of&the& pictures&that&helped&to&make&the&story&come&alive.&

To"get"a"sense"of"the"experience,"you"can"view"the"Youtube"URL for"Living" Darfur"music"video"by"

Mattafix""http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwCCmfHfsU ."

This"youtube"video"paints"a"picture"of"what"avatars"experienced"and"saw" during"the"tour."

Sitting"at"the"Heros"of"Hope"Wall

One"of"the"many"quotes"during"the"experience"that"stood"out"is,"“I"cannot"do" all"the"good"the"world"needs."But"the"world"needs"all"the"good"I"can"do.”""Jana" Stanfield.

You"can"learn"more"about"Darfur"from"the"voices"of"Darfur."

URL"for"Darfurian"Voices"""

http://www.darfurianvoices.org/video.php?videoID=uPUw6yjpOoI&videoTitl e=Please%20Do%20More

This"website"was"streamed"into"sl"for"people"to"view.""It"was"a"very"moving" experience."It"is"hard"to"listen"to"these"people"without"realizing"how" important"it"is"for"everyone to"get"involved.

Even"though"the"exhibit"is"no"longer"available,"please"visit"the"URL’s" mentioned"in"this"article,"and more"importantly,

Do"Something,"Say"Something," You"Can"Make"A"Difference!

Gridjumper$ Blogs

http://gridjumper.net/

Even"if"you"can’t"make"it"to"San"Diego,"you"can"still"participate"in"the"ISTE" 2012"Conference."You"can"see"how"to"be"connected"by"reading"Gridjumper’s" Blog"from"June"22,"2012"at"http://gridjumper.net/

Gridjumper"lists"the"schedule."You"will"want"to"watch"the"live"presentations" on"Monday,"June"25,"2012"from"8:30"–"4:00"slt."On"Tuesday,"June"26,"2012,"you" will"not"want"to"miss"the"EDuMachinima"Fest"from"5:30"–"7:30"pm"slt."

Grijumper"has"her"potential"car"for"the"drive"in"movie"theater."The"Machinima" entries"are"from"students"as"well"as"from"teahers"and"voting"is"open"from" Saturday"June"23rd –"Tuesday"June"26th at" http://sigve.iste.wikispaces.net/View+and+Voteff EduMachinima+Festival+2012 This"is"one"event"you"will"not"want"to"miss! Join"the"fun"at:"

http://maps.secondlife.com/ secondlife/EduIsland" 9/62/91/22