technology

Social Networking at Second Life

The diversity of avatars represented as real life human beings was quite amazing in Chicago this weekend. Linden Labs did a great job organizing the conference - including regrouping when the education sessions overwhelmed their allotted space and they switched us out with one of the smaller groups.

Some are starting to question the potential here. I've heard comments like "lots of buildings and place but no avatars/people." I think it's still in early stage development and, as more is built, more will come. In the early days of the web, there was the idea that you had to be able to program to make the most use of it. While you need to have some concept of what programming can do and what it can make possible and how it works when it works correctly, the same assessment applies to Second Life. As long as you understand a bit about what building entails, you don't need to know how to build. There are plenty of in world characters and companies that will build for you so that you can spend your time in other ways.

I still mainly enjoy interacting with others that I wouldn't meet in real life but with whom I share common interests. It's also a great way to stay in touch with people you don't physically see on a regular basis. We're all so busy these days and a few minutes popping into Second Life is like a quick phone chat or IM in some ways.

Of course, Chicago is always a great location for a conference.

The bottom line is that there is so much out there in the world of technology that we all need to use what makes the most sense to use in our world - whether we are talking about our professional lives or our non-professional lives. One of the session leaders commented that kids decide what they need to do without worrying too much about the tools. We that are not kids any more still worry the most about selecting the correct tools _first_. If we want to continue to be effective teachers, we have to understand where the students are coming from and address their interests. It's also the concept that they pull the information and learning they need when they need it rather than passively accepting _only_ what we deliver. Learning is certainly changing. I keep thinking that I would have been all over this as a student - I was always looking for workbooks, etc., in the dime stores (and there's very few of those any more, either). My brain would have been glued to my computer.

Second Life marketing - Coke and Menthos and Michael Donnelly

I'm immersed in the Second Life Conference in Chicago. Because of the high attendance for the education track, they moved us across the hall. There was more room but no accessibility to my broadband connection. It's tough to hear about new ideas and not be able to explore them while multi-tasking.

At lunch, I had the opportunity to meet Michael Donnelly who joined Coke a year or so ago and turned a YouTube video that Coke didn't like into a marketing positive. He now takes these "innovators" to YouTube meet-ups around the country. This Wired article gives more info. He mentioned that he has to begin each presentation with an explanation of this initially bad publicity for how Coke responded to the online videos. He has clearly embraced them.

Last night I arrived just in time to go to an Argentinian steakhouse with a large group of educators, including KJ Hax (Kevin Jarrett) whose blog is The Story of My Second Life. He was one of my initial contacts in SL along with Existential Paine who appears to have moved onto other virtual explorations.

I heard Sarah Intelligirl Robbins earlier this afternoon. She conveyed a convincing message about how we as educators have the opportunity to shape this future (Second Life) versus having it forced on us as many educational reforms/movements are usually implemented from the top down.

Not going to the fetish ball tonight - a little too out there for me. Plus there is plenty to do in Chicago and I haven't had a chance to explore much given I've been here less than 24 hours. I did, however, experience Chicago rush hour. It was a reminder that it's a good thing when we bring our teachers to have them out by Midway airport and not have to worry about downtown transportation.

Second Life Conference in Chicago

The Second Life Conference in Chicago will provide an opportunity for social networking in real life. Plus, Chicago is always a great place to visit!

Real Life versus Second Life

Ryan's post is well worth reading.

How does this differ from friendships that develop and/or expand via email?

Scribd - Sharing docs online

One of the things I couldn't seem to find (but I'm sure finding the right terms to search in google would have found it) during our summer institute with teachers was a way to share docs that don't yet fall under the umbrella of Google Docs. Today, a Chronicle of Higher Education article pointed to the list of the Top 100 Technology Tools and I found Scribed. I'll be using this in my fall classes!

Just think of the potential visibility beyond a conference presentation with only a few people in the room.

Here's the entire list - just in time for me to have time to explore (yes, I'm really a history geek and a computer geek).

Assessing Learning in Second Life

I was nosing around the Second Life for the conference schedule (later this month) and found these links about assessing student learning in Second Life. There are also some nearby links for Institutional Review Board issues (which I will be dealing with this fall at my university).

This is yet another example of the evolution of the wiki format into a very usable space - especially for those geographically distant who are doing similar work. The traditional model of historical research in the academy is to build on in person relationships with graduate school mentor(s) and colleagues and then with colleagues where you are teaching. However, those of us at small schools cover centuries (and in the case of world historians, sometimes entire worlds) and don't have other people doing the specialized research it normally requires to be published today.

So, this type of professional social networking as pointed out today and in yesterday's post is extremely useful to the spread of knowledge among those with similar interests who may never ever cross paths in RL (real life).

Second Life Glitch?

Tried to spend some time in Second Life but couldn't go anywhere and couldn't see friends online - the major thing I look for when I jump in . . . .  hmmmmm . .  .  as if there wasn't an online life before Second Life . . . .

Boston in Second Life

KJ mentioned a Boston Globe article about this sim and the controversy (?) surrounding it. Here's the comment I left there:

As someone interested in utilizing Second Life to help students and teacher experience history in a new and intriguing way, this is exactly the type of sim I’m interested in exploring. It sounds similar to what has been done with the Shakespearan era and the more modern Capitol Hill spot. I hear that there is a Harlem Renaissance project under development also.

Just like in-class simulations do or, better yet, taking students and teachers to a Boston or a Colonial Williamsburg, many forget that a large number of people may never be able to get there.

On the other side of the coin, experiencing these sims may actually get them there.

From a pedagogical angle, having the opportunity to interact with historic characters who not only look like the historical figure - which in RL is only sometimes possible given how different people look, clothing available, etc., (not to mention funding) - but can act and interact like the historical figure - is exactly what I am hoping for the potential of Second Life.

These “two sides” of Second Life can co-exist quite easily - if you don’t like a representation of RL, just don’t go there.

We’re taking a group of history grant teachers to Boston in 2 years and this will be another pull to get them into Second Life. As can be expected, the younger ones jumped right in, the older teachers are trying to figure out what the point is (social interaction doesn’t seem to be enough at this point).

We took a different group to Boston earlier this summer and the types of things they noticed such as historical figures walking around and experiencing the places where history happened is part of the great experience SL can bring to their world in Kansas. Folks who do not travel a lot do not always know it is possible and/or are concerned about the unknown. This Boston sim will bring the rest of the world one step closer to them.

Second Life and Disabilities

The July 30 Newsweek has a series of articles on Second Life and one of the videos featured on the web explores Wheelies  - run by a man with cerebral palsy. The significance of this is that it explores the possibilities - esp. for social interaction - for those that are disabled. (the author also mentioned those in urban settings who are often, in fact, quite isolated.)

She asked him why he kept his wheelchair and he said it was part of his identity. But, I'm wondering what possibilities SL offers for disabled students to feel less "contained."

Another university in Second Life

The University of New Orleans will be offering classes this fall in Second Life. One of the newsletters I subscribe to alerted me to this and it will be interesting to follow - especially given that my pre-service teachers will be involved in Second Life this fall. I'm anxious to see if your campus computers will allow us to access Second Life. Worst case, I make it an optional requirement although most will be able to access it from home.

I'm anxious to post more of my reflective practice about what we had teachers doing over the last two weeks and what I plan to explore before the new academic year starts. Additionally, there are some sites to research for some publication opportunities - which rank high on the list in a few weeks. Still catching up on a few things.

I'm also looking forward to the new academic year bringing folks back to a regular virtual presence in SL. The last few times I've gone in, not many have been there and it's just not as interesting without people. It's almost another tool like IM but, yet, much more.