Condos Available on EdTech Island
Mali Young a resident of SL announced on July 25th, that there are several condo units available to educators who are interested in actively teaching in SL. There is no charge for this space (to use as you wish); however, they are interested in hosting educator’s who can use the resources on EdTech Island to support their teaching (the sandbox, amphitheater, conference room, lodge social area, etc. If you are interested, then please email lisadawley@boisestate.edu.
Regards till my bext post,
Dembe
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Virtual World Guidelines for IBMers
IBM has posted Virtual World Guidelines for IBMers. The following are some of their guidelines:
http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/research_projects.nsf/pages/virtualworlds.IBMVirtualWorldGuidelines.html
1. Engage. IBM encourages its employees to explore responsibly – indeed, to further the development of – new spaces of relationship-building, learning and collaboration.
2. Use your good judgment. As in physical communities, good and bad will be found in virtual worlds. You will need to exercise good judgment as to how to react in these situations – including whether to opt out or proceed.
3. Protect your – and IBM’s – good name. At this point in time, assume that activities in virtual worlds and/or the 3D Internet are public – much as is participation in public chat rooms or blogs. Be mindful that your actions may be visible for a long time. If you conduct business for IBM in a virtual world or if you are or may appear to be speaking for or on behalf of IBM, make sure you are explicitly authorized to do so by your management.
4. Protect others’ privacy. It is inappropriate to disclose or use IBM’s or our clients’ confidential or proprietary information – or any personal information of any other person or company (including their real name) – within a virtual world.
5. Make the right impression. Your avatar’s appearance should be reasonable and fitting for the activities in which you engage (especially if conducting IBM business). If you are engaged in a virtual world primarily for IBM business purposes, we strongly encourage you to identify your avatar as affiliated with IBM. If you are engaged primarily for personal uses, consider using a different avatar.
6. Protect IBM’s and others’ intellectual property. IBM has a long-established policy of respecting the intellectual property of others, and of protecting its own intellectual property. Just as we take care in our physical-world activities to avoid infringement of intellectual property rights and to provide proper attribution of such rights, so we must in our activities in virtual worlds – in particular with regard to the creation of rich content.
7. IBM business should be conducted in virtual environments only with authorization. You should not make commitments or engage in activities on behalf of IBM unless you are explicitly authorized to do so and have management approval and delegations. If you are authorized, you may be asked by IBM management to conduct IBM business through a separate avatar or persona reserved for business use. You should certainly decide to use a separate avatar or persona if you think your use of an existing one might compromise your ability to represent IBM appropriately.
8. Be truthful and consistent. Building a reputation of trust within a virtual world represents a commitment to be truthful and accountable with fellow digital citizens. You may be violating such trust by dramatically altering your digital persona's behavior or abandoning your digital persona to another operator who changes its behavior. If you are the original creator or launcher of a digital persona, you have a higher level of responsibility for its behavior.
9. Dealing with inappropriate behavior. IBM strives to create a workplace that is free from discrimination or harassment, and the company takes steps to remedy any problems. However, IBM cannot control and is not responsible for the activity inside virtual worlds. If you are in a virtual environment in conjunction with your work at IBM and you encounter behavior that would not be acceptable inside IBM, you should “walk away” or even sign out of the virtual world. You should report abuse to the service provider. And as always, if you encounter an inappropriate situation in a virtual world which you believe to be work-related, you should bring this to the attention of IBM, either through your manager or through an IBM internal appeal channel.
10. Be a good 3D Netizen. IBMers should be thoughtful, collaborative and innovative in their participation in virtual world communities – including in deliberations over behavioral/social norms and rules of thumb.
11. Live our values and follow IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines. As a general rule, your private life is your own. You must, however, be sensitive to avoid activities in a virtual world that reflect negatively on IBM. Therefore, you must follow and be guided by IBM’s values and Business Conduct Guidelines in virtual worlds just as in the physical world, including by complying with the Agreement Regarding Confidentiality and Intellectual Property that you signed when you became an IBM employee. It is obviously most important to do so whenever you identify yourself as an IBMer and engage in any discussions or activities that relate to IBM or its business, or use any of IBM’s communications systems or other assets to participate in a virtual world.
These seem like proper netiquettte for any avatar netizen of SL. :-)
Dembe
http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/research_projects.nsf/pages/virtualworlds.IBMVirtualWorldGuidelines.html
1. Engage. IBM encourages its employees to explore responsibly – indeed, to further the development of – new spaces of relationship-building, learning and collaboration.
2. Use your good judgment. As in physical communities, good and bad will be found in virtual worlds. You will need to exercise good judgment as to how to react in these situations – including whether to opt out or proceed.
3. Protect your – and IBM’s – good name. At this point in time, assume that activities in virtual worlds and/or the 3D Internet are public – much as is participation in public chat rooms or blogs. Be mindful that your actions may be visible for a long time. If you conduct business for IBM in a virtual world or if you are or may appear to be speaking for or on behalf of IBM, make sure you are explicitly authorized to do so by your management.
4. Protect others’ privacy. It is inappropriate to disclose or use IBM’s or our clients’ confidential or proprietary information – or any personal information of any other person or company (including their real name) – within a virtual world.
5. Make the right impression. Your avatar’s appearance should be reasonable and fitting for the activities in which you engage (especially if conducting IBM business). If you are engaged in a virtual world primarily for IBM business purposes, we strongly encourage you to identify your avatar as affiliated with IBM. If you are engaged primarily for personal uses, consider using a different avatar.
6. Protect IBM’s and others’ intellectual property. IBM has a long-established policy of respecting the intellectual property of others, and of protecting its own intellectual property. Just as we take care in our physical-world activities to avoid infringement of intellectual property rights and to provide proper attribution of such rights, so we must in our activities in virtual worlds – in particular with regard to the creation of rich content.
7. IBM business should be conducted in virtual environments only with authorization. You should not make commitments or engage in activities on behalf of IBM unless you are explicitly authorized to do so and have management approval and delegations. If you are authorized, you may be asked by IBM management to conduct IBM business through a separate avatar or persona reserved for business use. You should certainly decide to use a separate avatar or persona if you think your use of an existing one might compromise your ability to represent IBM appropriately.
8. Be truthful and consistent. Building a reputation of trust within a virtual world represents a commitment to be truthful and accountable with fellow digital citizens. You may be violating such trust by dramatically altering your digital persona's behavior or abandoning your digital persona to another operator who changes its behavior. If you are the original creator or launcher of a digital persona, you have a higher level of responsibility for its behavior.
9. Dealing with inappropriate behavior. IBM strives to create a workplace that is free from discrimination or harassment, and the company takes steps to remedy any problems. However, IBM cannot control and is not responsible for the activity inside virtual worlds. If you are in a virtual environment in conjunction with your work at IBM and you encounter behavior that would not be acceptable inside IBM, you should “walk away” or even sign out of the virtual world. You should report abuse to the service provider. And as always, if you encounter an inappropriate situation in a virtual world which you believe to be work-related, you should bring this to the attention of IBM, either through your manager or through an IBM internal appeal channel.
10. Be a good 3D Netizen. IBMers should be thoughtful, collaborative and innovative in their participation in virtual world communities – including in deliberations over behavioral/social norms and rules of thumb.
11. Live our values and follow IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines. As a general rule, your private life is your own. You must, however, be sensitive to avoid activities in a virtual world that reflect negatively on IBM. Therefore, you must follow and be guided by IBM’s values and Business Conduct Guidelines in virtual worlds just as in the physical world, including by complying with the Agreement Regarding Confidentiality and Intellectual Property that you signed when you became an IBM employee. It is obviously most important to do so whenever you identify yourself as an IBMer and engage in any discussions or activities that relate to IBM or its business, or use any of IBM’s communications systems or other assets to participate in a virtual world.
These seem like proper netiquettte for any avatar netizen of SL. :-)
Dembe
Are they a Scam???
We have all heard of the 100.00 laptops for third world children. However, what about the inequalities in the US regarding technology from district to district, state to state?
Are these laptops a scam?
$150.00 USD laptop from http://www.medisoncelebrity.com/product.html
$175.00 USD laptop from http://laptop.org/
$200.00 USD laptop from http://www.intel.com/intel/worldahead/classmatepc/ or http://www.classmatepc.com/
Consumer beware - I have not tied any of these, but am interested in hearing from anyone who may have.
Dembe
Are these laptops a scam?
$150.00 USD laptop from http://www.medisoncelebrity.com/product.html
$175.00 USD laptop from http://laptop.org/
$200.00 USD laptop from http://www.intel.com/intel/worldahead/classmatepc/ or http://www.classmatepc.com/
Consumer beware - I have not tied any of these, but am interested in hearing from anyone who may have.
Dembe
101 Uses for SL in the College Classroom
http://facstaff.elon.edu/mconklin/pubs/glshandout.pdf
This is a great PDF for how to teach with SL. Great for any college and great for junior highs and high schools to look at to get ideas. I would love to see something written like this for teen SL.
Regards,
Dembe
This is a great PDF for how to teach with SL. Great for any college and great for junior highs and high schools to look at to get ideas. I would love to see something written like this for teen SL.
Regards,
Dembe
FREE: Second Life eBook
http://www.sldrama.com/index.php?page=2
A free book about SL - A Complete Fools Guide to SL by Foolish Frost
You must take a look at this - it is rather well done.
Dembe ;-)
A free book about SL - A Complete Fools Guide to SL by Foolish Frost
You must take a look at this - it is rather well done.
Dembe ;-)
Madison Avenue to Conversation Starter - SL Hot is Either Way
http://conversationstarter.hbsp.com/2007/07/the_demise_of_second_life.html
Harvard Business Online Published the aboce article entitled The Demise of Second Life. This article sites Wired's Madison Avenue article. It also links to Times article naming SL one of the 5 Worst Websites. And finally it points and connects to Forbes July article bashing of sex and pranks and vandalism on SL.
Harvard Business Online comes to SL's rescue saying the inworld corporate presense is just not enough! They also sing the praises of virtual worlds stating, "companies will end up creating (and governing) their own online 3D environments -- for example, standalone virtual shopping malls where users can meet with the avatars of real-world friends, try on virtual clothing, and make purchases of the real-world equivalent. It would be a grave mistake to dismiss the notion of marketing and selling in virtual worlds simply because of the shortcomings of Second Life."
This is an article to read - Business are leaving - gambling is being forbidden - Wow, if we can get rid of sex, porn and griefers, then SL would just be left to educators, Museums and educational simulations. What a great inworld that would be!
Regards,
Dembe
Harvard Business Online Published the aboce article entitled The Demise of Second Life. This article sites Wired's Madison Avenue article. It also links to Times article naming SL one of the 5 Worst Websites. And finally it points and connects to Forbes July article bashing of sex and pranks and vandalism on SL.
Harvard Business Online comes to SL's rescue saying the inworld corporate presense is just not enough! They also sing the praises of virtual worlds stating, "companies will end up creating (and governing) their own online 3D environments -- for example, standalone virtual shopping malls where users can meet with the avatars of real-world friends, try on virtual clothing, and make purchases of the real-world equivalent. It would be a grave mistake to dismiss the notion of marketing and selling in virtual worlds simply because of the shortcomings of Second Life."
This is an article to read - Business are leaving - gambling is being forbidden - Wow, if we can get rid of sex, porn and griefers, then SL would just be left to educators, Museums and educational simulations. What a great inworld that would be!
Regards,
Dembe
Wii: Definately on My Holiday Wish List
Wii + SL = WOW!!
or as WIRED calls it from its July 27th article a New Training Simulator!!
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/07/wiimote
Great article from Wired on Wii and its potemtial use for simulation training in places like SL. A wow article that is a definate educator must read.
Regards,
Dembe
or as WIRED calls it from its July 27th article a New Training Simulator!!
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/07/wiimote
Great article from Wired on Wii and its potemtial use for simulation training in places like SL. A wow article that is a definate educator must read.
Regards,
Dembe
YouTube Tour of SL
MUVE Forward has a great post offering an educational YouTube Tour of SL. Great Idea!! It can bee seen at:
http://trailfire.com/jexplorer/marks/114728
This is a definate must visit for SL.
Regards,
Dembe
http://trailfire.com/jexplorer/marks/114728
This is a definate must visit for SL.
Regards,
Dembe
Life Science Informatics Treds Analysis for Community College Program Builders Volume 3: Virtual Worlds
http://bellevuecollege.edu/informatics/VWTAFinal.pdf
Great research PDF article on SL. A definate read for any educator regardless if they are new or seasoned in teaching in SL. Funded bt the US Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration Grant.
Regards,
Dembe
Great research PDF article on SL. A definate read for any educator regardless if they are new or seasoned in teaching in SL. Funded bt the US Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration Grant.
Regards,
Dembe
Friday, July 27, 2007
3D Graphics
3D Graphics:
3Delight Free - http://www.3delight.com/index.htm
Anim8or - http://www.anim8or.com/
Aqsis - http://www.aqsis.com/
Blender - http://www.blender3d.org/
Houdini (Free Edition) - http://www.sidefx.com/apprentice/index.html
Computer Graphics books - http://2020ok.com/4134.htm
Now3D - http://digilander.libero.it/giulios/Eng/homepage.htm
OpenFX - http://www.openfx.org
POV-Ray - http://www.povray.org/
SOFTIMAGE|XSI EXP - http://www.softimage.com/products/exp/v3/
Terragen - http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/
Toxic - http://www.toxicengine.org/
Wings 3D - http://www.wings3d.com/
Regards,
Dembe
3Delight Free - http://www.3delight.com/index.htm
Anim8or - http://www.anim8or.com/
Aqsis - http://www.aqsis.com/
Blender - http://www.blender3d.org/
Houdini (Free Edition) - http://www.sidefx.com/apprentice/index.html
Computer Graphics books - http://2020ok.com/4134.htm
Now3D - http://digilander.libero.it/giulios/Eng/homepage.htm
OpenFX - http://www.openfx.org
POV-Ray - http://www.povray.org/
SOFTIMAGE|XSI EXP - http://www.softimage.com/products/exp/v3/
Terragen - http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/
Toxic - http://www.toxicengine.org/
Wings 3D - http://www.wings3d.com/
Regards,
Dembe
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Calling all Educators!!!
I was just on KJarrett's site aka KJ Hax in SL. He expressed in his blog, "The Teacher Networking Center is a brand-new organization designed to bring teachers together from all over the world. They are having their first meeting on Wednesday, August 1st @ 11am SLT. Please try to come and learn about this group and help spread the word!" This sounds like a great venture and networking opportunity!
"11am SLT is a great time because many of our International friends will be able to join us. Might as well take advantage of that while we can - school is out of session only for a few more weeks here in the states, depending on where you live. Here is the location: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%20II/35/25/21"
Thanks for this information KJ.
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe;-)
"11am SLT is a great time because many of our International friends will be able to join us. Might as well take advantage of that while we can - school is out of session only for a few more weeks here in the states, depending on where you live. Here is the location: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%20II/35/25/21"
Thanks for this information KJ.
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe;-)
Kids and 3D Worlds in Recent News
Three GREAT must read articles:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/05/news/dolls04.4.php - “Play sites offer safe fun — and lucrative advertising space” - Great article from the International Herald Tribune on how 3d virtual world are being used by kids. “Even as the children are having fun, the adults running the sites are engaged in a cutthroat competition to be the destination of choice for a generation that is growing up on computers from day one.”
http://www.xplora.org/ww/en/pub/xplora/practice/examples/kids_and_virtual_worlds.htm
Regards till my next post,
Dembe:-)
Are Virtual Worlds the Future of Our Classrooms?
http://news.com.com/Are+virtual+worlds+the+future+of+the+classroom/2009-1041_3-6081870.html
"Are Virtual Worlds the Future of Our Classrooms?" This is a fantastic article that highlights many virtual worlds used in classrooms around the globe.
Let me highlight a few from the article:
Harvard University's "River City" is a MUVE that involves a society in the late 1800s that's in political and environmental disrepair--kids must figure out why residents are falling ill. Harvard's School of Education is in talks with several urban school districts to introduce the software to tens of thousands of schoolchildren this fall. "Instead of teaching slash-and-slay mentality, 'River City' teaches kids to be scientists through the technology," said Edward Dieterle.
Quest Atlantis, a downloadable MUVE developed at Indiana University that focuses on an ancient culture, will be introduced to 50 new classrooms, or between 10,000 to 20,000 students, in New Jersey next fall, according to Indiana Associate Professor Sasha Barab, who specializes in learning sciences and instructional systems technology.
Privately held companies like Pasadena, Calif., Numedeon, makers of Whyville, are also finding it easier to lure new sponsors. In the next month, Toyota Financial Services will host a Whyville loan center to help kids learn about FICO scores and interest rates in order to borrow money to buy a virtual Toyota Scion to drive around the world, according to the site's co-founder and president, Jennifer Sun. (Driving a Scion became a popular activity when the cars were introduced in Whyville in April.) Children in Whyville earn "clams" through activities and games, and use that virtual money to buy face decorations for their otherwise plain avatars. Then, they typically socialize with peers via chat, bulletin boards and the city's mail system.The article only lists a few and did not mention Teen SL, but is a great resource and mentions some other 3D educational worlds emerging.
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe :-)
SL - DO You Need One????
Article from June 5th, 2007 in the Journal of Higher Ed on SL
http://thejournal.com/articles/20899_5 The article was entitled "SL – Do you need one?"
Resources used for the article:
Resources:
- Campus: Second Life
- Elluminate Live Recorded Demonstrations and Events
- ImagiLEARNING.com
- imagiLEARNING SL island
- Immersive Education
- Institutions and Organizations in SL
- Kids Connect at ZoomLab
- Linden Lab SL blog
- MUVE Forward
- Puritan's Guide to Second Life
- Second Life
- Second Life Mailing List Information
- Second Life Police Blotter
- Second Life 2007 International Conference
- SimTeach Top 20 Educational Locations in SL
- Teen Second Life
- The Story of My Second Life
- Virtual Worlds Online
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe
Top 40 SL Blogs
Top 40 SL Blogs http://www.blogtop40.com/jobs/30
This list changes daily. :-) Puritans Guide was 20 Yesterday and dropped to 29th today. :-( One the good note, it has been in the Top 40 blogs for the past 41 days. :-) Thank you all for reading and an extra special thank you to all my regular readers. :-)Great resource on other blogs in SL as well.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe
Museums and SL
This is a fantastic PowerPoint on SL and Museums. It demonstrates how SL can be a 3D tool used to promote the museum and give a virtual experience as well.
Great PPT! Must see on Slideshare.
Regards,
Dembe :-)
Virtual Boston Coming to SL
Virtual
Interesting article “
This is a definite "must visit places" in SL when the island is finally created.
Regards,
Dembe :-)
The Virtual Entrpreneur - 5 Minute Movie
http://www.idealworldmovie.com/short/
The above link is to the Ideal World website. This site hosts The Protagonist: Virtual Entrepreneur a GREAT 5 Minute Movie. A must watch for all SL users.
Regards,
Dembe :-)
iClone - A Great New Software
http://www.reallusion.com/go/iclone/
Above is the link to iClone – A great new software for creating avatars and machinima. “Now you can master 3D real-time film making with iClone 2.0! Advanced actor creation, real-time visual effects, and complete filmmaker 'power tools' allow you to create a complete cast of talking animated custom characters, clothing, 3D scenes and special effects for animated movies. iClone 2.0 demystifies the technology of creating full motion 3D avatars and video story-boarding.”
iClone Studio is approximately $199.95 USD
iClone Standard is approximately $79.95 USD
| iClone Studio Tools include: | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Dembe :-)
Coke's Virtual Thirst Contest!
Wow - that new executive really did have insight. Coke has started a Coke’s Virtual Thirst Contest – You could win 500,000 Lindens! That is approximately $1, 953.00 US Dollars!! That is if you can create a virtual thirst. :-) The winner must: Design – create – invent – a virtual thirst.
This is definitely a contest to either enter or watch. :-) Also, Coke has its own virtual world at http://www.mycoke.com/index.html?tunnel=cokestudios. It was reviewed in Virtual Worlds Review as a great site for teens http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/cokestudios/.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)
How Madison Avenue is Wasting Millions on a Deserted Second Life
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/magazine/15-08/ff_sheep
Dembe has not been away, but rather doing some great research on SL and providing Professional Development Training the past few weeks. The next few postings are this about SL she has found and would like to share. :-)
The above is a great article about a new Coca-Cola executive with vision. :-)
Summary of article:
“As with Donnelly and Coca-Cola, so with David Stern and the National Basketball Association. Stern, who's been NBA commissioner since 1984, was introduced to Second Life in July 2006, at the annual media and technology retreat hosted by New York investment banker Herbert Allen in Sun Valley, Idaho. Second Life's creator, Philip Rosedale, was one of the presenters, as was Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube, another company Stern had never heard of. "My initial impression was, 'Don't people have better things to do with their lives?' Then I said, 'Stupid! You're not the audience.'"
It seems that some media have been giving SL some bad press the last few weeks. So is the problem poor marketing, or is SL just a fad? Well, many bloggers, such as myself feel it is definitely not a fad and rather a new trend for the 3D web. Take a look at what these blogs have to say about the bad press SL has been getting.
Dembe :-)
Dembe has not been away, but rather doing some great research on SL and providing Professional Development Training the past few weeks. The next few postings are this about SL she has found and would like to share. :-)
The above is a great article about a new Coca-Cola executive with vision. :-)
Summary of article:
“As with Donnelly and Coca-Cola, so with David Stern and the National Basketball Association. Stern, who's been NBA commissioner since 1984, was introduced to Second Life in July 2006, at the annual media and technology retreat hosted by New York investment banker Herbert Allen in Sun Valley, Idaho. Second Life's creator, Philip Rosedale, was one of the presenters, as was Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube, another company Stern had never heard of. "My initial impression was, 'Don't people have better things to do with their lives?' Then I said, 'Stupid! You're not the audience.'"
It seems that some media have been giving SL some bad press the last few weeks. So is the problem poor marketing, or is SL just a fad? Well, many bloggers, such as myself feel it is definitely not a fad and rather a new trend for the 3D web. Take a look at what these blogs have to say about the bad press SL has been getting.
http://blog.holtz.com/index.php/weblog/banks_find_footholds_in_second_life/ - Great Blog that looks at the abandonment of some businesses in SL and why it happened.
http://www.whatsnextblog.com/archives/2007/07/httpwwwlatimescombusinesslafisecondlife14jul1413135510storyampcolllaheadlin.asp Another blog at looks at SL and the media bashing and where 3D technology may go.
Dembe :-)
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Freebies on SL
Do you need some new things in SL, but are low on Lindens? No time to sit for Lindens or work for Lindens? Surveys too long and boring? Well check out some of the following Freebie Stores in SL - They are among Dembe's favorites and not as well known as Yanis and Freebie Warehouse. Happy shopping! :-)
slurl.com/secondlife/wien/172/224/27 Vienna Friebies - Fantastic collection of free hair, clothing and skins. - My personal favorite!
slurl.com/secondlife/deva loka/4/16/64 Freebie Dungeon
slurl.com/secondlife/nine Inch Nerds/102/93/37 Sarah Nerd's Freebie Paradise
slurl.com/secondlife/dinah/120/112/42 Gamers Brand Freebies
slurl.com/secondlife/koozebane/214/99/63 Freebie Paradise
slurl.com/secondlife/china/123/176/21 - China Freebie Area
slurl.com/secondlife/sooseunhwa/27/88/59 Freebie Heaven
slurl.com/secondlife/orellian/214/53/24 Freebie Store on Union
slurl.com/secondlife/irkutsk/76/248/96 Freebie Market
slurl.com/secondlife/shishapangma/230/155/231 The Freebie House
slurl.com/secondlife/nemnem/212/104/30 Freebie Outlet
Happy shopping!
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe ;-)
slurl.com/secondlife/wien/172/224/27 Vienna Friebies - Fantastic collection of free hair, clothing and skins. - My personal favorite!
slurl.com/secondlife/deva loka/4/16/64 Freebie Dungeon
slurl.com/secondlife/nine Inch Nerds/102/93/37 Sarah Nerd's Freebie Paradise
slurl.com/secondlife/dinah/120/112/42 Gamers Brand Freebies
slurl.com/secondlife/koozebane/214/99/63 Freebie Paradise
slurl.com/secondlife/china/123/176/21 - China Freebie Area
slurl.com/secondlife/sooseunhwa/27/88/59 Freebie Heaven
slurl.com/secondlife/orellian/214/53/24 Freebie Store on Union
slurl.com/secondlife/irkutsk/76/248/96 Freebie Market
slurl.com/secondlife/shishapangma/230/155/231 The Freebie House
slurl.com/secondlife/nemnem/212/104/30 Freebie Outlet
Happy shopping!
Regards till my next posting,
Dembe ;-)
Monday, July 9, 2007
Canadian Police Recruit through SL
http://blogs.zdnet.com/social/?p=229
More can be read on this at: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0c37d98d-c54f-44d3-9e72-0c19cf828565&k=56002
Regards,
Dembe
More can be read on this at: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=0c37d98d-c54f-44d3-9e72-0c19cf828565&k=56002
Regards,
Dembe
SL Basic Facts
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.10/slfacts.html
The following has been taken from the above URL:
The following has been taken from the above URL:
THE STORY OF SECOND LIFE will be strikingly familiar to Americans.
I. Colonization Small settlements of alpha testers arrive in March 2002. Cultural rifts appear during beta, when militaristic immigrants arrive from the strategy game World War II Online.
II. Tax Revolt Linden Lab’s policy of taxing residents for objects they create meets vehement resistance. In July 2003, rebellious residents [see images at left] dress in colonial garb and cover the land with giant tea crates and defiant signs that read born free: taxed to death!
III. Declaration of Independence On the advice of Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig – the Thomas Jefferson of SL – Linden Lab abolishes the tax in November ’03 and establishes a new policy stating that residents should retain intellectual property rights over their creations.
IV. Manifest Destiny A great land rush begins in December 2003. Settlers fan out and stake claims to property on the best servers. A class of land barons who sublet real estate to other residents emerges.
V. The Gilded Age Reports in old-world journals (BBC, Fox, BusinessWeek, Wired) describe wonders and wealth beyond measure, spurring a gold rush of entrepreneurs and carpetbaggers. US corporations, including Coca-Cola, MTV, and Microsoft, establish beachheads in SL.
For more visit the rest of this article on Wired.com
Regards till my next post,
Dembe;-)
Vassar Island is Great!
Wow, I went to Vassar Island over the weekend - it was wonderful.
They even provided a great sand box for building and sample designs for building.
The above is one of the studio are classrooms on Vassar Island.
This was absolutely my favorite - The replica Sistine Chapel. It was fantastic. They even make individual that wish to enter sign an agreement that they will abide by island and chapel rules. This was a very nice touch.
Above is the sign indicating that an agreement would have to be signed in order to enter the Sistine Chapel.
I love the castle on Vassar Island. Anyone who has been to the Vassar campus in Poughkeepsie, NY will love Vassar Island Castle.
In the castle on the top floor they have a Great Room to host events!
In the castle, just like on the campus there is a small art museum with beautiful works from a variety of different artists and periods.
The castle is also home to a library and Vassar View Book that was created through THINc tools. :-) Very nice touch.
There were classrooms in the castle and outside the castle as well. It has been designed as a great area for learning and exploring. I highly recommend visiting Vassar Island at the following:
| Vassar Island | |
| Vassar/128.0/128.0 | |
| Vassar Island | |
| Vassar/194.0/146.0 | |
| Castle Vassar | |
| Vassar/192.0/204.0 | |
| Vassar Amphitheater | |
| Vassar/28.0/232.0 | |
| Media Garden #1 | |
| Vassar/196.0/136.0 | |
| Media Garden #2 | |
| Vassar/210.0/130.0 | |
| Media Gardens #4 | |
| Vassar/206.0/146.0 | |
| Outdoor Seminar Area | |
| Vassar/34.0/188.0 | |
| Course Area B | |
| Vassar/138.0/54.0 | |
| Sistine Chapel Re-Creation | |
| Vassar/200.0/90.0 | |
Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)
Global Kids Machinima Camp
=====GK'S CRC MACHINIMA CAMP, SUMMER 2007=====
Global Kids will be hosting a Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Machinima Camp within Teen Second Life in the summer of 2007. The CRC Machinima Camp will involve exciting leadership-development activities and fun workshops that will deal with important children's rights issues related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a document produced by the United Nations.
The CRC Machinima Camp will last for 5 weeks, beginning July 23 to August 23, 2007.
Participants will be expected to attend the program Monday to Friday during the 5 weeks, from 11am to 1pm Second Life Time. Each session will last for 2 hours, with an extra optional hour to stay for additional help and troubleshooting.
This program is expected to have 20 participants from all walks of life, if you are interested in making machinima videos and have a desire to learn more about children's rights, this is something you would not want to miss out on.
So what is CRC Machinima Camp?
CRC Machinima Camp is a summer program for teens in SL who want to make socially-conscious machinima videos on issues that deals with children's rights, specifically raised in the Convention on the Rights of a Child.
This is the first ever machinima camp hosted by Global kids, in collaboration with UNICEF. The final machinima videos will be showcased at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA on August 25, 2007, and later this fall by UNICEF. Participants will be learning the how-tos and fundamental techniques of making a machinima, taught by none other but Machinima Guru herself, otherwise known as Moo Money on the main grid, and be able to understand the significant role that the CRC plays in the life of a child all around the world.
A little background on what CRC is:
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, often referred to as "CRC", is an international convention setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of children. It is monitored by the United Nations' Committee on the Rights of the Child, which is composed of members from countries around the world. Governments of countries that have ratified the "CRC" are required to report to, and appear before, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child periodically to be examined on their progress with regards to the advancement of the implementation of the "CRC" and the status of child rights in their country. (www.wikipedia.com)
What will you be doing?
Through fun activities and workshops, this program will be a chance to learn about how the CRC works, and what role teens can play by making social-conscious machinima videos in TSL. Teens who take part in the CRC Machinima Camp will identify rights declared in the CRC, create a storyboard as a film maker, and collaborate with other campers to create a 1-minute machinima that will be showcased in the teen grid, and also at the Second Life Community Convention in Chicago, USA.
Who should apply to CRC Machinma Camp?
There is no age requirement, so as long as you can roam around in TSL, you are eligible to apply! CRC Machinima Camp will be a lot of fun, but it will also include a lot of serious discussion about important issues related to children's rights around the world. Participants should be motivated and enthusiastic, enjoy watching films and have a desire to make their own films in TSL. You should be interested in raising awareness and making a difference in the world by using digital media technology available in TSL.
At the CRC Machinima Camp you will be encouraged to think freely and openly about all kinds of global issues and form your own opinions about these issues. You should apply if you are interested in taking part in lively discussion with a diverse group of individuals who offer a variety of perspectives. You must be able to work well with others, showing respect for people who come from different backgrounds and people who have opinions that differ from yours.
What kind of commitment does Global Kids expect from the participants?
Participants will be expected to give their full attention to CRC Machinima Camp activities while camp is in session. Part of being a participant will include contributing your point of view and taking an active part in the camp's activities.
Participants will also be expected to support an atmosphere of respect. This includes treating each other with respect and also showing respect for other people's opinions.
Global Kids will not tolerate disruptive behavior like PVPing, excessive gesturing, or the use of unacceptable language. All participants are expected to respect the Global Kids guidelines and offer each other support through the 5 weeks session.
What can you expect from Global Kids?
In exchange for your participation, here is what you can expect to find:
o We will offer participants a safe space where individuals treat one another with respect.
o We will provide a chance to learn a lot, and have fun at the same time.
o You will have the opportunity to learn about important issues, formulate your own opinion and learn how you can make a difference in the world.
o You will get the chance to take on a leadership role in Teen Second Life, as the participants of Camp GK spearhead a project in the teen grid.
o We will provide a place where each person's voice is heard.
o A $50.00 USD stipend for all participants who complete the program.
How can you apply?
To apply to the CRC Machinima Camp, you will need to fill out the online application form at:
http://globalkids.org/?id=64
Any questions?
Please IM Tabitha Gkid in-world, or email her at Tabitha@globalkids.org for questions or more details.
Watch an example?
If you want to see an example of a teen-made machinima produced by past GK youth leaders, please go to: http://tinyurl.com/3x2l8o
The Horizon Project
Hot Technologies for Education
See http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/
Great site if you are interested in finding out the latest and hottest technologies for education.
Regards,
Dembe ;-)
See http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/
Great site if you are interested in finding out the latest and hottest technologies for education.
Regards,
Dembe ;-)
Sunday, July 8, 2007
New Virtual World
http://www.activeworlds.com/
This is a new virtual world currently hiring developers. :-)
For information about their educational programs go to http://www.activeworlds.com/edu/index.asp
Regards,
Dembe :-)
This is a new virtual world currently hiring developers. :-)
For information about their educational programs go to http://www.activeworlds.com/edu/index.asp
Regards,
Dembe :-)
Give Education a Second Life
Yes, give education a second life. What a wonderful blog! http://secondlife4education.org/ This group from NMC Campus is sponsoring and educational event. NMC campus at Teaching 2 on Sunday, July 8 at 5pm (PST) or Monday at 8pm (PST) for a discussion about how educators can make a difference in education today. The SLurl is listed below.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%202/135/124/22
They are also sponsoring a "CHOICE" contest. There is a chance to win an iPod - see details at http://secondlife4education.org/.
From their PRESS RELEASE: GIVE EDUCATION A SECOND LIFE
LOOK AROUND.
The world is changing.
Think of how you learned 10 years ago - are you still learning the same way now?
LOOK AROUND.
Humans are dynamic, ever changing, and growing - why isn't education doing the same?
Change starts with your voice. Do you want your voice to be heard?
If you could give education a second life - what would it look like?
Regards,
Dembe ;-)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Teaching%202/135/124/22
They are also sponsoring a "CHOICE" contest. There is a chance to win an iPod - see details at http://secondlife4education.org/.
From their PRESS RELEASE: GIVE EDUCATION A SECOND LIFE
LOOK AROUND.
The world is changing.
Think of how you learned 10 years ago - are you still learning the same way now?
LOOK AROUND.
Humans are dynamic, ever changing, and growing - why isn't education doing the same?
Change starts with your voice. Do you want your voice to be heard?
If you could give education a second life - what would it look like?
Regards,
Dembe ;-)
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Inworld Griefing
This is definately an article worth reading on griefing inworld.
http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=40771
Basically, should we look at griefing as a new form of cyber terrorism or does it fall under freedom of expression?
Regards,
Dembe;-)
http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=40771
Basically, should we look at griefing as a new form of cyber terrorism or does it fall under freedom of expression?
Regards,
Dembe;-)
Senator Gravel Presidential Campaign Enters SL - Corrections
Sen. Mike Gravel's Campaign headquarters is located at slurl.com/secondlife/Isles of Intrigue2/143/208/701. This is a PG sim. I personally like the fact the HQ is located on a PG sim. This campaign site was excellent, very well designed. Upon arrival, I was immediately welcomed by Legoean Ferraris, an avatar volunteer and a person that actually works at Gravel's RL campaign Headquarters. I was asked if I had any questions he could answer about Sen. Gravel's campaign. I was very impressed with the greeting.
His platform was easy to find and see - what his position is on each topic. The layout of the location was excellent. Before I left, I was approached by another volunteer, Astrophysicist McCallister, also an avatar volunteer and from the RL Colorado State Director for Gravel's campaign, and the Director of the Sl efforts, asking if I need any additional information. This campaign HQ was a class act and smoothly ran in SL - Kudos to the developers and those who set it up. I must add again that out of all the campaigns' in SL - Sen. Gravel's is the only one that is Officially sponsored by the RL Gravel Campaign HQ. This also explains the smooth operation and excellent design.
It was also shared with me, by Astrophysicist McCallister, that the Second Choices Blog and Medialoper Blog - cover SL politics. The biggest news of all is that Sen Gravel plans on making a presence in world!!!! His avatar name is Smike Graves - This can be confirmed on his official website http://www.govirtualforgravel.us.
By the way Senator Gravel's education stand point is (taken from a SL note card on the site HQ):
==Senator Mike Gravel====On Education==
* No Child Left Behind has left far too many children behind. We have a dire situation in America; 30% of our kids do not graduate from high school. Nearly a third of our children are condemned to a substandard economic existence.
* Education in America must be properly funded. However, money will not solve all the problems. Washington D.C. ranks first in dollars spent, yet ranks last in achievement. We need to approach education comprehensively. We must properly fund education while raising the overall standard of living in America and making education a vital part of a healthy, thriving community.
This is a MUST visit location in SL. I look forward to more news and excitement when "Smike" enters inworld. :-)
Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)
His platform was easy to find and see - what his position is on each topic. The layout of the location was excellent. Before I left, I was approached by another volunteer, Astrophysicist McCallister, also an avatar volunteer and from the RL Colorado State Director for Gravel's campaign, and the Director of the Sl efforts, asking if I need any additional information. This campaign HQ was a class act and smoothly ran in SL - Kudos to the developers and those who set it up. I must add again that out of all the campaigns' in SL - Sen. Gravel's is the only one that is Officially sponsored by the RL Gravel Campaign HQ. This also explains the smooth operation and excellent design.
It was also shared with me, by Astrophysicist McCallister, that the Second Choices Blog and Medialoper Blog - cover SL politics. The biggest news of all is that Sen Gravel plans on making a presence in world!!!! His avatar name is Smike Graves - This can be confirmed on his official website http://www.govirtualforgravel.us.
By the way Senator Gravel's education stand point is (taken from a SL note card on the site HQ):
==Senator Mike Gravel====On Education==
* No Child Left Behind has left far too many children behind. We have a dire situation in America; 30% of our kids do not graduate from high school. Nearly a third of our children are condemned to a substandard economic existence.
* Education in America must be properly funded. However, money will not solve all the problems. Washington D.C. ranks first in dollars spent, yet ranks last in achievement. We need to approach education comprehensively. We must properly fund education while raising the overall standard of living in America and making education a vital part of a healthy, thriving community.
This is a MUST visit location in SL. I look forward to more news and excitement when "Smike" enters inworld. :-)
Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)
Thursday, July 5, 2007
View Earth from a Satellite and My Sky
Okay - this has nothing to do with SL, but it is getting close to the weekend and I want to share two of my favorite webistes with all of you.
View Earth from a Satellite :
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/satellite.html
The above is one of my favorite links. You can pick a satellite that is in the Earth's orbit to view the earth. "The satellite database is updated regularly but may not reflect the current position of satellites, such as the U.S. Space Shuttle, which maneuver frequently after reaching orbit."
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/ is another great site. You can select s city near your home to get a map of the current night sky - the interactive planetarium of the Web. The sky map shows the entire sky as viewed from a given location at a specified time and date.
Pretty cool hugh - great for Friday, Saturday and Sunday night star gazing with the family. ;-)
Regards till my next post,
Dembe
View Earth from a Satellite :
http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/satellite.html
The above is one of my favorite links. You can pick a satellite that is in the Earth's orbit to view the earth. "The satellite database is updated regularly but may not reflect the current position of satellites, such as the U.S. Space Shuttle, which maneuver frequently after reaching orbit."
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/ is another great site. You can select s city near your home to get a map of the current night sky - the interactive planetarium of the Web. The sky map shows the entire sky as viewed from a given location at a specified time and date.
Pretty cool hugh - great for Friday, Saturday and Sunday night star gazing with the family. ;-)
Regards till my next post,
Dembe
First Officially Sponsored Presidential Campaign in SL
Yes, it is true. The first official campaign sponsored by a presidential hopeful has entered SL. It belongs to Sen. Mike Gravel (D).
Sen. Mike Gravel's Campaign headquarters is located at slurl.com/secondlife/Isles of Intrigue2/143/208/701. This is a PG sim. I personally like the fact the HQ is located on a PG sim. This campaign site was excellent, very well designed. Upon arrival, I was immediately welcomed by Legoean Ferraris, an avatar volunteer and a person that actually works at Gravel's RL campaign Headquarters. I was asked if I had any questions he could answer about Sen. Gravel's campaign. I was very impressed with the greeting.as well. His platform was easy to find and see what his position is on each topic. The layout of the location was excellent. Before I left, I was approached by another volunteer, Astrophysicist McCallister, also an avatar volunteer and from the RL headquarters, asking if I need any additional information. This campaign HQ was a class act and smoothly ran in SL - Kudos to the developers and those who set it up. I must add again that out of all the campaigns' in SL - Sen. Gravel's is the only one that is Officially sponsored by the RL Gravel Campaign HQ. This also explains the smooth operation and excellent design.
It was also shared with me, by Astrophysicist McCallister, that the Second Choices Blog and Medialoper Blog - cover SL politics. It was also shared that Sen Gravel plans on making a presence in world!!!! His avatar name is Smike Graves - This can be confirmed on his official website http://www.blogger.com/www.govirtualforgravel.us.
By the way Senator Gravel's education stand point is (taken from a note card on the site HQ):
==Senator Mike Gravel====On Education==
* No Child Left Behind has left far too many children behind. We have a dire situation in America; 30% of our kids do not graduate from high school. Nearly a third of our children are condemned to a substandard economic existence.
* Education in America must be properly funded. However, money will not solve all the problems. Washington D.C. ranks first in dollars spent, yet ranks last in achievement. We need to approach education comprehensively. We must properly fund education while raising the overall standard of living in America and making education a vital part of a healthy, thriving community.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)
EdTube.com is Here!
There is a new place on the Web for Educational Videos entitled EdTube! It was born on June 9th 2007 - so educators - show your support http://edtube.wikispaces.com/.
I learned about edtube today while visiting http://www.abcya.com/. This is another great concept.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Hillary's Campaign has been set up in SL
Yes, I visited it on July 4th. Hillary Clinton now has a SL Campaign Headquaters located at slurl.com/secondlife/platon/133/112/24. This is a mature sim. (I guess this is good in case Bill gets an avatar - LOL)
I visited this location and was very impressed - The location was very pixally. They give a good background on Hillary's past, life as First Lady, as Senator and some of her recent speeches. There is even a group in SL entitled Hillary4President that individuals can join and help with the campaign. However, I think Edwards campaign HQ site was set up more clearly regarding political position and election platform. I think this needed to be a little more clear at Hilary's campaign HQ and maybe just a little less glitz. There was a donation jar for campaign contributions and Hillary had about 5800L in the jar thus far. :-)
While at the Campaign HQ, I was able to pick up a Hillary yard sign, Hillary Shirt and Hillary Jacket. :-) I was disappointed that they did not offer sneakers like the Edwards camp!:-(
This HQ was on a wonderful beach setting and was designed like a beautiful resort beach. Hillary's HQ in SL was very active and had a lot of avatars visiting and dancing. There was even a DJ playing music for the 4th of July celebration. Many avatars danced at the HQ as a result. However, I did not see anyone reading the information on Hillary or view any of the videos about her on the other side of the HQ. Maybe they did it before they went dancing like I did. :-)
I can not wait to see some of the others HQ once they are set up in SL! SL 2008 should be great!
Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)
Match, E-Harmony, True and Second Life?
Since it is a holiday, I am sticking to the social side of SL rather than the educational side. Happy 4th of July to all of you Americans out there!!! I hope you enjoyed your BBQ's and family fun today as much as I did with my family.
Wow, these past couple of weeks you can really tell it was spring and now definately summer; Romance is in the air. I am hearing of more and more people that have met their current boyfriend, husband or significant other online and I do not mean through traditional online dating services.
I know a colleague who's daughter met her current husband on World of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml) another colleague who is dating someone they met online in SL and a third colleague who has had people interested in her in SL and she was not interested in getting involved.
As a newlywed, I have not been too interested or even open-eyed to the romantic side of SL. However, it exists and may even be the future trend of online dating services. Actually, think about it. SL has the perfect setting for meeting people and setting up a dating service. Wow, the perfect business for SL, so I secided to investigate to see if it had been created yet in SL! Especially since I am a matchmaker at heart!! You will be amazed at what I found. :-)
It does not only exist, but there is a plethory of services! First, I found 13 different groups people could join that are interested in dating (some are even by country and region). I also found locations in SL for the following in less that three minutes:
SL Dating Service, Second Life Dating Game, Dream Date Auction, Dating Cafe, Hope by the Sea Dating Service, Avie Connectors SL Dating Made Simple Service, Digiluv.com Digital Online Dating Service, and finally Skate and Date.
By this showing of dating services, I would say that romance in SL must be big. This is obviously a growing trend and just like other growing businesses and educational trends into SL, the dating scene is here too and evolving along as well.
Now, this just leaves me with a few simple questions for further exploration and discovery? It is possible to get married in SL? It must be since so many places offer services for weddings? Finally, if you are married to one person in RL and get married to another person in SL, is it bigomy? LOL - I was just thinking and curious where the lines of reality and fantasy actually meet, cross and blurr.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe;-)
Wow, these past couple of weeks you can really tell it was spring and now definately summer; Romance is in the air. I am hearing of more and more people that have met their current boyfriend, husband or significant other online and I do not mean through traditional online dating services.
I know a colleague who's daughter met her current husband on World of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml) another colleague who is dating someone they met online in SL and a third colleague who has had people interested in her in SL and she was not interested in getting involved.
As a newlywed, I have not been too interested or even open-eyed to the romantic side of SL. However, it exists and may even be the future trend of online dating services. Actually, think about it. SL has the perfect setting for meeting people and setting up a dating service. Wow, the perfect business for SL, so I secided to investigate to see if it had been created yet in SL! Especially since I am a matchmaker at heart!! You will be amazed at what I found. :-)
It does not only exist, but there is a plethory of services! First, I found 13 different groups people could join that are interested in dating (some are even by country and region). I also found locations in SL for the following in less that three minutes:
SL Dating Service, Second Life Dating Game, Dream Date Auction, Dating Cafe, Hope by the Sea Dating Service, Avie Connectors SL Dating Made Simple Service, Digiluv.com Digital Online Dating Service, and finally Skate and Date.
By this showing of dating services, I would say that romance in SL must be big. This is obviously a growing trend and just like other growing businesses and educational trends into SL, the dating scene is here too and evolving along as well.
Now, this just leaves me with a few simple questions for further exploration and discovery? It is possible to get married in SL? It must be since so many places offer services for weddings? Finally, if you are married to one person in RL and get married to another person in SL, is it bigomy? LOL - I was just thinking and curious where the lines of reality and fantasy actually meet, cross and blurr.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe;-)
Sunday, July 1, 2007
SL Trend
It seems SL is getting more and more popular for teaching. Is it an addition, a learning trend, or the evolution of educational teaching and learning? I know myself I can log into SL thinging I will only be there for a few minutes and spend the day there with out a blink of the eye.
More and more eductors, such as Kathy Schrock and Will Richardson, are getting into the swing of SL - setting up offices and creating expert SL teaching status in less than a month. :-) Then there are the frontiers - the educators that have been in her for over a year and have a vested interest in teaching in SL - Kudos to those educators.
Seriously, who can resist the clothing, new places continually poping up in SL, the interaction with real people through avatars. It is just an amazing word. My avatar can do a lot of things I can not - like fly, build quickly, and wear clothing that in reality I would never be caught dead in. LOL SL fashion is a topic all itself. Dembe is at many times on the cutting edge of SL fashion and other, well lets just say she likes her wings and has close to 100 different types. :-)
I found out at real life training last week that video game addition was going to be added to the DSM4 making it a medical diagnosis for treatment and therapy. This posses a lot of questions in my mind. Are we encouraging an addition as educators? Does SL qualify as a video game? Will Video Addiction Support Groups be a new after school activity?
With the possibility of addition there is also good. It seems that gaming may improve spatial abilities, the ability to create and apply multiple strategies, and may help develop critical analyzing techniques according to research studies. However, does SL qualify as a video game? It is very unique and an evolution of the Sims. In fact, educational tendencies and uses exist and Sunday night seems to be a big educational meeting night in SL. :-)
Some articles to take a look at and decide for yourself"
http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2006/11/01/computer-games-addiction-real-or-mythical/
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-02-08-gaming-addiction_x.htm
http://www.shapingthoughts.com/2007/02/17/discussion-about-second-life-and-world-of-warcraft-addiction-on-dutch-television
My own take as an educator, as long as Second Life does not get in the way of RL we are fine. Plus, as with all technology, we need to remember it is an instructional tool to help support the curriculum and learning of our students. We just need to remember that SL is not the learning object or an independent curriculum in the k-12 educational world.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe
More and more eductors, such as Kathy Schrock and Will Richardson, are getting into the swing of SL - setting up offices and creating expert SL teaching status in less than a month. :-) Then there are the frontiers - the educators that have been in her for over a year and have a vested interest in teaching in SL - Kudos to those educators.
Seriously, who can resist the clothing, new places continually poping up in SL, the interaction with real people through avatars. It is just an amazing word. My avatar can do a lot of things I can not - like fly, build quickly, and wear clothing that in reality I would never be caught dead in. LOL SL fashion is a topic all itself. Dembe is at many times on the cutting edge of SL fashion and other, well lets just say she likes her wings and has close to 100 different types. :-)
I found out at real life training last week that video game addition was going to be added to the DSM4 making it a medical diagnosis for treatment and therapy. This posses a lot of questions in my mind. Are we encouraging an addition as educators? Does SL qualify as a video game? Will Video Addiction Support Groups be a new after school activity?
With the possibility of addition there is also good. It seems that gaming may improve spatial abilities, the ability to create and apply multiple strategies, and may help develop critical analyzing techniques according to research studies. However, does SL qualify as a video game? It is very unique and an evolution of the Sims. In fact, educational tendencies and uses exist and Sunday night seems to be a big educational meeting night in SL. :-)
Some articles to take a look at and decide for yourself"
http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2006/11/01/computer-games-addiction-real-or-mythical/
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-02-08-gaming-addiction_x.htm
http://www.shapingthoughts.com/2007/02/17/discussion-about-second-life-and-world-of-warcraft-addiction-on-dutch-television
My own take as an educator, as long as Second Life does not get in the way of RL we are fine. Plus, as with all technology, we need to remember it is an instructional tool to help support the curriculum and learning of our students. We just need to remember that SL is not the learning object or an independent curriculum in the k-12 educational world.
Regards till my next post,
Dembe
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