Puritan's Guide to Second Life

Digital Pioneers: The Movie - Great Video by Kathy Schrock

2009-02-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

This is a great video by Kathy Schrock. She recently shared it on Facebook and I found it on Vimeo. It introduces the Digital Pioneer - http://www.vimeo.com/2673447

I personally love Kathy's term and would much rather be called a Digital Pioneer that a Digital Immigrant. After all, we all grew up with some kid of technology.

Dembe

Great Video of all the Virtual Worlds

2009-02-25T13:18:00.001-08:00

Qwaq - A 3d Virtual World for Business

2009-02-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Qwaq - A 3d Virtual World for Business
This is new - it is a virtual world specifically designed for business. It is very interesting to see how this technology is emerging in the business sector. It is worth a look at for both business professionals and k-24 educators using Second Life or Active Worlds. This technology seems to be emerging as a 21st Century Skill for collaboration and as a business and industry tool.

http://www.qwaq.com/landing/sep2008a.php

and

http://www.qwaq.com/

Dembe

Bloom's Taxonomy in SL

2008-12-18T08:05:00.001-08:00

Great find!

Blooms Taxonomy in SL.

http://pkab.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/model-3-dimensi-taksonomi-bloom/

Created by:

http://www.celt.iastate.edu/homepage.html

Educational Places to Visit in SL

2008-10-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

SL Educational Places to check out:

EdTech Island, EdTech (125, 137, 24)

NASA eEducation Island, NASA eEducation (213, 201, 26)

Princeton University, Princeton University (143, 148, 24)

James Madison University, James Madison University (132, 142, 36) – They have a Halloween theme

University of Idaho, University of Idaho (135, 130, 36)

Warwick University Maths, Warwick University Maths (128, 128, 35)

New York University - NYU Welcom, Outreach (136, 194, 22)

College of Second Knowledge, Atlas (162, 184, 36)

Vassar Island, Vassar (110, 112, 27)

Marist College Island, Marist College Island (87, 130, 21)

Virtual Brain Science Center, Acorn Island (63, 167, 22)

Marlboro College Graduate Center, Marlboro Grad Center (66, 196, 25)

Imperial College London, Imperial College London (149, 85, 27)

Rutgers Stadium, RUCE 3 (145, 129, 28)

Empire State College -- Main Lan, Empire State College (129, 130, 25)

SUNY Cortland - Welcome Area, SUNY Cortland (129, 130, 25)

SUNY-Oswgo, SUNY Oswego (127, 128, 28) under development

· Corner store, SUNY Oswego (125, 106, 29)

· 42-seat auditorium, SUNY Oswego (11, 243, 372)

Monroe College, Teaching (153, 224, 22)

BYU-Hawaii SL Campus, Zarahemla (71, 162, 26)

Midstate College eLearning, Midstate College eLearning (60, 53, 48)

EICCD Virtual Campus, EICCD Virtual Campus (119, 68, 24) http://www.eicc.edu/

College of Staten Island, Fishermans Cove (239, 22, 21)

Texas State University - San Mar, Bobcat Village (128, 67, 26)

American Library Association - M, ALA Island (127, 115, 28)

UCLA Library, Cybrary City (231, 109, 24)

Ohio University Second Life Camp, Ohio University (20, 38, 24)

Education UK Island, Education UK (229, 37, 21)

Penn State World Campus, PSU World Campus (211, 175, 27)

Dembe's New Home in Active Worlds

2008-07-11T10:23:00.001-07:00

Active Worlds

http://www.scicentr.org
http://wiki.activeworlds.com

Google Maps in SL

2008-06-28T22:48:00.001-07:00

Hospital of the Future

2008-06-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

A Second Life on Second Life

2008-06-28T22:45:00.001-07:00

Second Life for Education PPT

2008-04-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Came across this on http://www.slideshare.net.

| View | Upload your own

Code Name Reynard?

2008-03-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7274377.stm

The above is a news article from the BBC on Marcg 3rd, 2008.

"The US government has begun a project to develop ways to spot terrorists who are using virtual worlds." To read more about this go to the above web links. :-) It personally sounds a little far fetched to Dembe. :-)

So, I this too much? SL Music Videos?

2008-02-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

Hospital Takes Its Grand Opening To Second Life

2008-02-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206801783

Above is an article in information week that is a must read. It was published on 2/25/08.

A new state-of-the art medical center due to open in San Diego in 2011 had its virtual grand opening three years early on the Internet-based Second Life.

Looks like a great SL place to visit. :-)

Regards,
Dembe

Penn State Gaming Commons

2007-12-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

http://ets.tlt.psu.edu/gaming/taxonomy/term/5?page=5

Above is the link to the Penn State Gaming Commons. This is a very cool site and a must check out for anyone interested in virtual worlds.

Regards,
Dembe

CBS SL News Video - New Life in CyberSpace

2007-11-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3547970n

Visit the above link to watch a great video on how SL has changed disabled adults lifes.

" New Life In Cyberspace Tracy Smith visits a woman with multiple sclerosis and a group of disabled adults who have created new lives in the online virtual world called Second Life."

Regards,
Dembe

The Second Life Cable Network

2007-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Second Life Cable Network has arrived. To view SL shows got to http://slcn.tv/ for your daily listing of shows and times. :-) Hum, I wonder if there is be a SLED Cable Network? Sure knows the talent is out there for one.

Regards,
Dembe

The EduBLog - Best Use of Virtual World 2007

2007-11-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

http://edublogawards.com/2007/best-educational-use-of-a-virtual-world-2007/

Use the above link to cast your vote for this one. :-) It is not an easy decision.

Regards,

Dembe :-)

Update from Dembe

2007-11-27T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I have been working on a lot of technology projects and quiet for about a month on this blog, but am currently compiling information and resources to post regarding SL.

For research and SL site information and those of you whom can not wait for the post, please visit my delicious account: http://del.icio.us/dembe01/sl It has almost all my SL weblinks.

Many of you have been trying to contact Dembe in-world, she has been using her alt the past month to get her work done. Those of you that know her alt are welcome to contact me that way for the next month.

Regarding posting comments on this blog, this is the best way to reach her. It is a moderated blog. Nothing posts automatically. I do this because I will not post anything against another persons blog or information or research I list as a resource. I also do not delete it, but I never post it out of respect for others work. So, if you wish to reach me, then you must post in the comments and give a way for me to get back to you. I had a hotmail account set up especially for Dembe, it is maxed out with messages in a couple of months and it was deleted by hotmail months ago.

In addition, since this is a blog - definition a web log. This is my notes and log for educational benefits of SL. Other educators are free to use it as a resource or as they wish. The same goes for my Wiki and other democratic resources. If it was copyrighted, I would post it on a website that I own and copyright it, not place it on a blog or a wiki. My work is reporting of locations and information about educational uses for SL to get it out in a quick way to mass amounts of people, especially those that I work with in the k-24 population. You have my permission to reprint anything of the information I post and find on the internet regards to SL resources. There is no reason to contact me for permission. However, if it is explicit information about another site, you need to contact those site individuals. Dembe is in SL for educational possibilities for educators, professional development and learning. However, not all educators are in SL for no money benefit. Some people view it as a way to make money, which seems to contradict education. Therefore, check with them for permission if you use their materials explicitly and in detail when you can determine who is the original author. Which is not always easy.

Finally, since this is a blog and my notes, I do not cite in APA, nor am I required to since it is a web log or journal for SL of mine. I follow the guidelines and requests set by the SLED Educators Network and Second Life Rules. I will not post real names or SL names of any projects, websites, blogs or wikis on my Puritans Guide Blog (PG-SL). The only reference will be to web pages as a reference to respect other educators hard work and also to respect the wishes expresed by SLED and Linden Labs. The only exception I make is for educators in SL I personally know in RL, have worked with and can prove who they are and have their explicit permission regarding who they are and to post their names. I hope you all respect this and understand this. It is not to share who you are, but to protect identity over the vulnerable internet. If you choose to share who you are over your internet site, then they can find out who you are from your site through my link. Please be assured Dembe will always give credit by posting for information obtained, websites of great locations for educational uses, as well as highlight these websites monthly on the blog, but only through posting a weblink to the resource - no real or SL names.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe

CNN To Launch Bureau in Second Life Virtual World

2007-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003664297

AN October 29th article in Media Week announced CNN's plan to launch a bureau in SL. "In the week of Nov. 5, the news giant is set to open a news-gathering outpost in Second Life. And unlike news service Reuters, which embedded a real reporter in the online virtual world last year, CNN will rely on Second Life “residents” to do all the legwork."

For more on this story go to the above link.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe;-)

The First PHD totally Inworld????

2007-10-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

Check out Derek's September 21st posting - this means that there is now a PhD program that is offered totally in world from Victoria University!

http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/

Regards,
Dembe

Educational Uses for SL and Important Resources

2007-09-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I have been putting this together. Many people ask me in RL when they find out that I am in SL and teach some of my graduate classes in SL they want to know some of the educational benefits. I usually list one or two items and then when the conversation is over, I think wow - should have mentioned ...

Well I have been putting together a list for any educator considering SL that consists of Educational Benefits (compiled from multiple blogs/wikis - they are mentioned in the next section - many have been compiled on http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses, which is a lengthy website, but has great resources if you have the time to read it), and other reliable SL Blogs and Wikis and some educational places to visit in SL with connected links and videos to visit if you do not have an SL account - These also are posted on many websites, but compiled at http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses.

Here we go with the Reader's Digest Version of the materials out there requestion by our schools (Approximately 50 school disitrcts interested in a 5 minute or less overview that did not want to view lengthy websites and wikis:

Educational Benefits of SL

• 3D virtual worlds can provide opportunities for rich sensory immersive experiences, authentic contexts and activities for experiential learning, simulation and role-play, modeling of complex scenarios, a platform for data visualization and opportunities for collaboration and co-creation that can not be easily experienced using other platforms.
• Provides an excellent platform for flexible delivery and online education.
• An extension tool to meet student learning needs on a 24/7 basis.
• The many communities of Second Life provided students with rich opportunities for observation, research and interaction with other cultures, as well as many interview subjects for use in their writing.
• Second Life's ability to create a sense of presence, shared space and shared experience makes it ideal for presentations, panels and discussions. Presenters can show slides and videos and stream their voices into the world.
• The platform allows for the development of a range of strategies and spaces for training and skills development. Users can access a range of training options in Second Life - both useful in the virtual world and in real life!
• Residents are creating displays and exhibits on a broad range of subject areas. Using images, text and multimedia they are able to create dynamic, interactive displays and exhibits, which avatars can move in and interact with.
• Immersive Exhibits in Second Life allow residents to engage in, experience and respond to information in context, allowing for a deeper understanding of places, situations or circumstances through simulation.
• Allows students to undertake a range of role-plays and simulations, practicing real life skills in a virtual space or exploring situations that they could not undertake safely or easily in the real world.
• Advanced scripting and building tools built into the Second Life platform allow for the development of complex data visualizations and simulations.
• Teachers can create laboratories where students can take part in virtual experiments that produce and analyzable data.
• This platform currently hosts a range of Libraries, Art Galleries and Museums where residents can engage in events, discussions, and displays on a wide range of topics that they might never be able to do in the real world.
• The platform allows for the creation of amazing, immersive environments based on historical places and events. These environments can be used for a range of learning activities including role-plays, action learning and research and historical study.
• The built in scripting tools allow users of Second Life to explore a range of Artificial Intelligence concepts.
• Second Life is one big arts project, as all of the content is user-generated. However, there are plenty of examples of original artworks, both in galleries and in the "open", from scans of paintings and drawings from the real world to 3D dynamic and interactive sculptures and installations that make use of the unique 3D qualities and building tools of the Second Life platform.
• Second Life offers the ability to create a range of performances and theatrical events. Easy to customise avatars, and the ability to make elaborate sets and props quickly and cheaply makes it an appealing platform to some performance artists.
• Built in camera tools allow users to shoot virtual photographs in Second Life, which can be save and used in a range of ways including photo stories and photoscenarios. This strategy can be used to engage students in digital storytelling, and recording and reflecting their work in Second Life. It can also be used to create engaging multimedia resources, which can be used in teaching and learning.
• As well as being used by language teachers - including ESL/TESOL - to run language classes, Second Life also provides opportunities to interact with native speakers of target languages.
• Second Life has also been used to help abused children redevelop socializing skills; adults with cerebral palsy to allow them to share personal interactions without prejudice.
• Because Second Life has a real population it provides an opportunity to explore various forms of governance and community-building and to engage in political action, such as protests and electioneering, without many of the risks associated with taking action in the real world.
• Second Life has a real economy and currency exchange making it possible to experiment with running businesses and engaging in economics modeling in a low-risk environment.

Reliable SL Blog/Wiki Resources

http://rampoislands.blogspot.com/
http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/educationaluses
http://eye4youalliance.youthtech.info/
http://plcmc.org/teens/secondlife.asp
http://ddmcollective.blogspot.com/
http://www.storyofmysecondlife.com/?p=153
http://www.puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com
http://bethssecondlife.blogspot.com/
http://kathyschrock.net/blog/
http://muveforward.blogspot.com/
http://ets.tlt.psu.edu/gaming/http://www.secondlife.intellagirl.com/

Articles and Papers
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article1557980.ece
http://trumpy.cs.elon.edu/metaverse/gst364Win2005/handout.html
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~mpepper/slbib

Some Must See Locations in SL ( I did not duplicate any from my last educational tour of SL - http://puritansguidetosecondlife.blogspot.com/2007/06/tour-of-educational-places-in-sl-self.html
)
• Remember Me - Alzheimer's Exhibit on InfoIsland
• Gold Rush - http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~orloski/670web/egame.htm
• Hydro Hijinks Diplomacy Game
• Play2Train - Idaho Bio-terrorism Awareness and Preparedness Program - http://www.isu.edu/departments/irh/IBAPP/index.shtml
• UC Davis Medical Center's Emergency Workers Simulation-based Training http://www.news.com/1606-2-6099774.html
• National Oceoanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Island http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/outreach/sl/
• Seifert Surface’s Mathematical Sculptures in the Future Sim
• S&P 500 Visualized in Second Life on Clear Ink Island - http://www.clearnightsky.com/node/278
• Genome - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Genome/91/78/23
• Roma - Ancient Rome http://rikomatic.blip.tv/file/153210/
• The Independent State of Caledon - http://www.secondseeker.com/?p=111
• Temple of Isis - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/sets/72157594214266172/
• Ant Harvesting Simulation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehEzRUu4_RM
• SDSU Second Life Pioneers based on http://www.lubbockisd.org/webquests/MeetImmigrants/ http://slurl.com/secondlife/Meadowbrook/222/97/24/

Regards till my next post,
Dembe

Educational Uses of Second Life

2007-09-27T14:40:00.001-07:00

Give Education a Second Life

2007-09-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Second Life and Its Educational Possibilities

2007-09-27T14:37:00.001-07:00

Education in Second Life - Explore the Possibilities

2007-09-27T14:34:00.001-07:00

Introduction to Second Life

2007-09-27T14:31:00.001-07:00

September 07 - Highlights for SL and Education (Mostly)

2007-09-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been posting a little less frequently about SL the past few weeks because of the start-up of the new school year. I went into SL yesterday for the first time in about 2 weeks and downloaded the new updates. However, I could not find any friends online to try the voice features out with. I will have to go back on Sunday night when it seems to be Educator Central in SL. :-)

Just because I have not been on SL does not mean I have not been active. Take a look at these great SL web pages and articles I have come across in the past few weeks:

Digital Space Portal - http://www.digitalspaces.net/ This is an interesting website/wiki. Digital Spaces is an open source multi-media presentation and simulation engine. It is highly flexible allowing the designer to choose what capabilities they want and how to use them. It supports a range of media types, with a focus on immersive 3 dimensional "spaces".

Scorp's Second Life Adventures - http://members.westnet.com.au/batesjowett/ScorpSLAdventures.htm This is SL comic book style - very cool.

CBS News Article on SL - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/18/scitech/pcanswer/main3271133.shtml?source=RSSattr=SciTech_3271133 from September 18th, 2007 - Learning Architecture In A Virtual World:Larry Magid Reports On Real Life Tycoon's New Way Of Teaching. "(CBS) Terry Beaubois had a problem when he was offered a position teaching architecture at Montana State University. He wasn't ready to move to Bozeman, Montana, where the campus is located. So he figured out a way to teach the course from his home in Northern California . . . "

SciLands - http://scilands.wordpress.com/ This is a blog that is devoted to a special region of SL called the SciLands.

Knowledge Transfer Innovations - http://knowledgecast.wordpress.com/ Pretty interesting site, especially for SL medical and college level teaching.

Second Life Computer History Museum - http://slchm.wordpress.com/ The objective of this site is to develop a Museum to showcase information about the history of Computers, Computing and Computer Science. They need to include a SLURL - this is very cool, but I am not sure if it is connected to http://www.computerhistory.org/

Tenth Life http://otenth.homefries.org/archives/195
is a new blog that takes Torley's tips from videos and toned them down.

Edmonton Journal Article - http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=22340d0b-ccd8-4b58-980d-9552c3f08d39&k=98610 NAIT goes virtual with Second Life from 9/18/07

The Modern Virtual Environments - http://www.theslsa.com/mev.htm Provides PDF documents and they are a theory. It is intended to be used as an educational tool for those interested in the field of architecture from a digital perspective.

Best of Both Worlds - http://lactosetheintollerent.blogspot.com/2007/08/wanted-virtual-kate-aide.html I was attracted to this one since they recommend and read Puritans Guide. Thanks guys. :-) Content seems good and has a lot of readers. Over 20,000 for this blog. Love the catch phrase : A man in his mid second life crisis. :-)

Random Thoughts; for Boston Now Readers - http://lactosetheintollerent.blogspot.com/2007/08/wanted-virtual-kate-aide.html Not completely about SL, but occasionally posts about it and other technology.

Shambles Menu - http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/ict/slblogs/ gives a listing of some hot SL educational blogs.

Digital School House - http://digitalschoolhouse.blogspot.com/2007/08/puritans-guide-to-second-life.html Another cool blogs - they also mentions Puritan's Guide - so thanks it is much appreciated - :-) Good site and has some great blog widgets!

Ambling in Second Life - http://slambling.blogspot.com/2007/09/scientific-approach-to-orientation.html Fantastic content!!!

Avatar Languages - http://www.avatarlanguages.com/ This is a school out of South America that will teach you a language in SL - very cool concept. Never tried it, but looks like a great idea.

ABC' News - http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3525499&page=1 Second Life Gets Real at a conference.

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/groups/463159@N20/ Second Life Families

Second Life - A guide to your Virtual World - http://safari.oreilly.com/9780321501660 New Book out on SL.

Sliterary of Fiction and Second Life - http://sliterary.com/ Very cool web page. A must visit. Stories from in world of SL. Great idea!!!

Second Avatar - http://secondavatar.com/ one of my all time favs!! they are currently publicizing SL Next Top Model They are looking for Mr and Ms SL World. It is free. More info at http://secondavatar.com/index.php/latest/welcome MS SL World gets 5000 lindens and the top 10 pictures get 500 lindens. Does not seem educational, but a lot of fun. Maybe Dembe should join to see if she can be the next title holder. :-)

Natalia's Second Life Diary
http://slnatalia.blogspot.com/search/label/*%20Getting%20Started%20in%20Second%20Life%20Guide*
Gives a good starters guide and also good recommendations for fashion to the SL new comer. Wish I would have read this blog when I got started. :-)

SL Newspaper Finance - http://sl-newspaper-bnc.blogspot.com/ Blog that looks at the business side of SL. I guess it is kind of the Wall Street Journal of SL ;-)

Alliance Second Life Library Project Report in PDF format - http://link.ixs1.net/s/lt?id=w273883&si=b98449448&pc=r2066&ei=i136240 This is a must read.

3 Point D http://www.3pointd.com/ Good blog on virtual worlds. Today they published that the Google 3d world is back on the rumor mill. "Arizona State University students will have the opportunity to test a new product that sounds very virtual world and that also sounds like it will require a Gmail account. Apparently to be “publicly launched later this year,” the product is developed by “a major Internet company” and, says Google Op" very interesting articles - great blog as well.

Its Not Whether You Win or Lose, But How You Play The Game in Education - an Annotated Bibliography on SL http://ella.slis.indiana.edu/~sstoerge/virtualworlds.htm

Tech Crunch - Virtual World Hang Outs -So many to choose from - a review of some of the top 3d worlds - http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/05/virtual-world-hangouts-so-many-to-choose-from/

Second Life/Second Changes? Maybe - From Arab News on SL - http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=99903&d=16&m=8&y=2007

IBM Gaming and Leadership Report - http://domino.research.ibm.com/comm/www_innovate.nsf/pages/world.gio.gaming.html

SL video Tutorials for educators getting ready to teach in SL http://facstaff.buffalostate.edu/polvinem/SL/vid_tut.htm

Educause Connect - http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/SecondLifeReachingin/44919?time=1190824240 Reading into the Virtual World for Real World Learning article.

Okay - If you would like to see all of my SL resources, please join my del.icio.us network. I am Dembe01 on http://del.icio.us/

I will be posting a monthly highlights for education or of interest in SL like this at the end of each month this academic year.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe

NASA CoLab's Second Life Mission

2007-09-23T22:07:00.001-07:00

ABC News on SL

2007-09-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

http://abcnews.go.com/icaught/story?id=3547108

Great story from ABC News/iCaught - Creating a New Self on Second Life.

On my computer the story is a little choppy, but worth the wait.

Regards,
Dembe

Learn a Language is SL

2007-09-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.avatarlanguages.com/

What a great site! It offers a way for people/students to learn a language in SL. "Real teachers and real languages in a virtual world."

This service was started by a language teacher in South America, looks like out of Bolivia. Go to http://english.avatarlanguages.com/howitworks.php for more information on how this service works.

Unfortunately, I could not obtain pricing or a SLURL for where these courses take place.

Regards till my next posting,
Dembe

Tech Tools 4 Teachers Podcast

2007-09-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

http://techtools4teachers.mypodcast.com/index.html - Podcast link

Sean and I ventured out today and decided to start a Podcast for Educational Technology. Above is the link to our podcast site. You can subscribe by RSS using iTunes, My Yahoo, Google, Podcast. We will be podcasting every Friday afternoon, please check out our podcast and joint blog - Bits n Bytes News .

Our Schudule:

Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0
Great Educational Blogs and Wikis: Must Know Teacher Sites
Second Life and Education
Social Networking
M-Learning Trends
Gaming and Learning
Distance Learning
Data Assistance and the Teacher
Who is the Millennial Child?
Internet Safety
Educational Web 2.0 Sites
SmartBoard and the Senteo in the Classroom
Year 2007 in Review

Teaching in SL - We have come a long way baby!

2007-08-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

SchoolTube

2007-08-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Another new place like Teacher Tube that just popped up in 2007 that will allow us to post educationally related SL and virtual World materials. :-)

http://schooltube.com/

Check it out - it is pretty cool.

Regards,
Dembe :-)

Second Life Library 2.0 Project Report

2007-08-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

A Report on the First Year of Operation of the Alliance Second Life Library 2.0 Project
also known as the Alliance Information Archipelago

http://alliancelibraries.info/secondlife.htm

You may obtain the pdf report from my Delicious about under the SL tag.

Regards,
Dembe
Prounounced (Dem -bay)

3D world Chart

2007-08-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.techcrunch.com/wp-content/casual_immersive_worlds.htm

The above is part of a fantastic article from TechCrunch, http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/08/05/virtual-world-hangouts-so-many-to-choose-from/ posted on August 5, 2007.

The chart looks at a variety of virtual words and identifies the 3D worlds use. Is it a role play 3d world or a hang out 3d world. Great article and wonderful reference chart.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)

Machinima: A Published History Using the ThinC Book Press

2007-08-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Second Life Video Tutorials from Buffalo State University

2007-08-16T21:33:00.001-07:00

http://facstaff.buffalostate.edu/polvinem/SL/vid_tut.htm

This site offers video tutorials for SL in MP4 and FLV formats.

Tutorials include:

The Basics

How to Organize Your Inventory

How to Change Your Appearance

The site also recommends the following:

One of the best places to go to learn how to Do It Yourself is Natalia Zelmanov's Second Life Diary for: shoes, Flexi Skirts, Flexi Hair, Fur, Satin, Shirts, Ties, etc

This is the tutorial link page

An excellent primary resource...

Second Life Clothing Tutorials

It looks like Suny Buffalo is giving its professors suits to wear and the option to make their own professional SL clothing. :-)

Regards,
Dembe

VastPark Beta

2007-08-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

VastPark is a virtual content platform featuring free tools, revolutionary distributed content syndication and enables you to deploy your own virtual world or online game within seconds royalty free.

http://www.vastpark.com/index.php

This is a Beta version and they are currently taking emails to send out invites for when the new platform is released.

Regards,
Dembe ;-)

Let's Welcome Second Life Brazil

2007-08-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.secondlifebrasil.com.br/

SecondLife Russia and Brazil - Humm - :-) must be a languages teachers dream. :-) Are you getting the ideas for education that I am regarding language immersion and gaming. Too cool.

Dembe

SaLamander: Another great SL wiki

2007-08-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

This is another great SL wiki great for educators to explore. SaLamander's goal is to develop "a Collaborative Taxonomy of and Rating Useful Sites for Teaching and Learning in Second Life."

http://www.eduisland.net/salamanderwiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

They have done a great job so far. No doubt - it has the EduIsland name attached to it :-) This site offers great ideas for teachng in SL. The site is not flashy (which is great to see for a change), and has great content for educators.

Dembe :-)

Virtually Blind

2007-08-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

http://virtuallyblind.com/

A site that deals with legal issues in the virtual world.

Good site, but takes a while to load.

Regards,
Dembe

Maps of SL

2007-08-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.mappanovus.com/

This site it just too cool. A must see for both the novice and experienced avatar in SL.

"mappa novus provides powerful and free tools for searching the second life metaverse and viewing it in context, a collection of printed and downloadable maps, and indispensable inworld shopping tools . when you are ready to kick it to the next level, our primo search and mapping services give you the most comprehensive view of second life available anywhwere."

Regards,
Dembe ;-)

New !!! SecondRussia

2007-08-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like there may be competition! They even have an exchange similar to the Linden Exchange. :-)

Wow, first China has an imitation DisneyWorld and now, Russia has an imitation SL. :-)

http://secondrussia.com/

Regards,
Dembe

Second Life: Reaching into the Virtual World for Real-World Learning

2007-08-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Educause Connect Article:

http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/SecondLifeReachingin/44919?time=1187197007

Interesting paper written by AJ Kelton (Montclair State University).

However, you need access to view the article.

Regards,
Dembe

Greenbush Island Video and Classroom 2.0 Website

2007-08-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

http://classroom20.ning.com/video/video/show?id=649749%3AVideo%3A39298

Excellent Resource to check out for educators teaching or planning on teaching in SL.

Regards,
Dembe

Virtual World Librarianship

2007-08-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/Second_Life.html

This is a course that is offered by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

The cost is $200.00 USD, not Lindens! :-) For Introduction Course and $250.00 for the Intermediate class. Not bad at all!

Looks like a great opportunity! More info from the site is listed below:

Virtual World Librarianship in Second Life

Continuing education courses (non-credit) presented by the Illinois Alliance Library System and GSLIS

UPDATE 7/17: Three NEW sections of Introduction to Virtual World Librarianship and a new Intermediate Virtual World Librarianship course.

Introduction to Virtual World Librarianship

Section One: September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2 and 9 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm SL (8:00 - 10:00 pm central)
Section Two: September 14, 21, 28, October 19, 26, and November 9 from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. SL (9:30 - 11:30 am central)
Section Three: September 14, 21, 28, October 19, 26, and November 9 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm SL (1:30 - 3:30 pm central)

Location: Info Island, Second Life
Cost: $200
Audience: Open to anyone interested in learning more about virtual worlds, particularly libraries and other information resources in Second Life.
Week One: Introduction to Libraries in Virtual Worlds
Week Two: Second Life 101
Week Three: Collections, Resources, and Exhibits in Virtual Environment
Week Four: Reference and Information Services in Virtual Worlds
Week Five: Managing and Working in a Virtual Library or Department
Week Six: Skills Needed by 21st Century Librarians in Virtual Worlds
TO REGISTER FOR INTRODUCTION COURSE

Intermediate Virtual World Librarianship

Section One: September 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, and 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm SL (8:00 - 10:00 pm central)
Section Two: November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4 and 11 from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. SL (9:30 - 11:30 am central)
Section Three: November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4 and 11 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm SL (1:30 - 3:30 pm central)

Location: Info Island, Second Life
Cost: $250
Audience: Open to those who have completed the Introduction course or who have library experience in Second Life

Week One: Overview of Virtual Worlds Including Second Life & Others-What Libraries are Doing in Them
Week Two: Library Programs and Events in Second Life
Week Three: Introduction to Building and Scripting Items in Second Life
Week Four: Virtual World Library Services for Teens and Young Adults
Week Five: Introduction to Machinima - Creating Films in Second Life
Week Six: Immersive Learning Environments and Libraries
TO REGISTER FOR INTERMEDIATE COURSE

Course Technology
The two-hour synchronous sessions will meet online in Second Life. Asynchronous discussions will be posted to Forums on Moodle, the course management system used by GSLIS.

Participants will need a reliable Internet connection via DSL or cable in addition to the following hardware and software SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. Please ensure you can meet these requirements before registering for a course.

If you have questions, contact Marianne Steadley, 217.244.2751 or steadley@uiuc.edu.

Using Power Point in SL to Present

2007-08-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.oreilly.com/pub/h/5239

"PowerPoint(R) allows you to export presentation slides as GIF, JPEG, or PNG files. To give your presentation in Second Life, you need to export all the frames as JPEG files. Next, upload the frames to your inventory -- this will cost you L$10 per image, so make sure you have enough for the whole presentation."

Great article on presenting in SL.

Regards,
Dembe

Introduction to SL Document

2007-08-11T23:18:00.001-07:00

Introduction to SL by Lighthouse Learning.

A good brief overview for educators interested in SL or thinking about entering SL.

http://nausetschools.org/lighthouselearning/2007/08/introduction-to-sl-handout.html

Regards,
Dembe

Great New SL Wiki

2007-08-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

http://sleducation.wikispaces.com/

This wiki documents the educational adventures of "Jo Kay (aka jokay Wollongong) and Sean FitzGerald (aka Sean McDunnough) document a detailed list of Educational Uses of Second Life, provide a range of useful resources for educators, and link to a range of handy Second Life online resources."

Some great resources are listed here. These educators may be reached at for their independent Blogs:

Profiles and Contact Information

JO KAY

Second Life Name: jokay Wollongong
Blog: http://jokay.com.au
Edu Blog: http://jstuffed.blogspot.com
Wiki: http://jokay.wikispaces.com
Email: joannamkay@gmail.com

SEAN FITZGERALD

Second Life Name: Sean McDunnough
Blog: http://seanfitzgerald.wordpress.com/
Wiki: http://seanfitz.wikispaces.com
Email: seanf@tig.com.au

Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)

Get A First Life

2007-08-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.getafirstlife.com/

This is a website that is a satire of SL. It is humorous and provides some good hearted poking fun at the quirks of SL.

Regards,
Dembe

Check out the Harvard of Game Schools

2007-08-08T08:33:00.001-07:00

http://fullsail.com/

Full Sail - Real world Education

This is a must check for anyone teaching Gaming and Learning or looking to go to school in this field.

They have 24 hour scheduling and an online Master's Degree. Humm, does Dembe need her 5th masters degree?

Regards,

Dembe;-)

New Simulation World for Kids

2007-08-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Honoloko - http://www.honoloko.com/Honoloko.html

Interesting interactive simulation game. Your actions affect the island and the future of the people that live on Honoloko.

This is cute and worth a look.

Dembe

TEDBlog reports Top Interactive Experience Creators

2007-08-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

TOP INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE CREATORS
2advanced.com
akqa.com
almapbbdo.com.br
artless.gr.jp
bigspaceship.com
d-o-e-s.com
domanistudios.com
eurorscg4d.com
farfar.se
firstbornmultimedia.com
group94.com
heiwa-alpha.co.jp
hi-res.net
lowetesch.com
mecano.ca
northkingdom.com
rga.com
soleilnoir.com
wefail.com

The above where pics fom the TEDBlog. Lets see if you agree. :-)

Regards,
Dembe ;-)

"Virtual Goods: the next big business model"

2007-08-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is a great article written by Susan Wu at TechCrunch: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/06/20/virtual-goods-the-next-big-business-model/

Susan points out to her readers, "People spend over $1.5 billion on virtual items every year. Pets, coins, avatars, and bling: these virtual objects are nothing more than a series of digital 1s and 0s stored on a remote database somewhere in the ether."

This is fascinating to me that people would spend money on these items, but then again I am also in SL and this makes perfect sense.

Other things she points out in her article:

"that there are many businesses out there making meaningful amounts of money in virtual goods:

Tencent is one of the largest Internet portals in China with over 250 million active user accounts. They generated $100 million+ in Q1 of 2007 and over 65% of their revenue comes from virtual goods.
Habbo Hotel has over 75 million registered avatars in 29 countries and 90% of their $60 million+ yearly revenue comes from virtual goods.
Gaia Online does over 50,000 person to person auctions and 1 million message board posts a day- making them the 3rd largest auction site and the 2nd largest message board on the Internet. Their average user consumes 1200 page views a month. They employ 3 people whose sole job it is to open snail mail envelopes full of cash that people send in for virtual goods.
There’s a commonly held misperception that virtual goods are only for online gamers. Both Dogster and HotorNot are succeeding with a hybrid ad/virtual goods business model. Currently, over 40% of HotorNot’s revenue comes from virtual goods.
Major mainstream brands are now buying advertising in the form of virtual goods in social networks. Gaians can now purchase and pimp their virtual Scion xBs. Coca Cola and Tencent partnered to allow Tencent’s users to trade codes taken from real Coke cans for virtual objects in the Tencent network. Wangyou, a Chinese based social network, has also been extremely aggressive in experimenting with branded virtual goods."

This is a great read and highly recommended.

Regards,
Dembe

Halo

2007-08-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.microsoft.com/games/halo/

This is a game worth checking out. The lastest version of the game, Halo 3 is due out September 23.

It has the allure to our kids of Harry Potter and Star Wars.

Regards,
Dembe

Watch "Science Learning Opportunities in Second Life"

2007-08-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

Science Learning Opportunities in SL

Science Learning Opportunities in Second Life

3 min 24 sec - Aug 4, 2007
Description: A brief overview of science and research education in Second Life, highlighting Science School, Genome Island, Research Park, ISTE Island and more. Produced as a collaboration of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the University of Michigan Health Sciences Libraries.

ShortText Too Cool

2007-08-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.shorttext.com/

What a great cool tool. So you wantt o share something about SL - a photo, a machninima video a SLurl, but do not want the hassel of a blog or a website, then use ShortText!

"shortText.com is a simple tool to post text online, with minimum fuss. No sign ups, no sign in, just instant web presence for your information. Don't have a website? Don't want a blog? Want to share a piece of code...perhaps a recipe? Just paste your text and click 'Create URL'! shortText.com now supports direct linking to your images and video."

The best part of all - It is FREE!!!

Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)

NEW Educational Video Site!!

2007-08-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

We have Googe Video, YouTube.
Then came TeacherTube.com
Now we have YouTubeCollege!
Check it out at http://youtube.com/school_main

Regards till my next post,
Dembe ;-)

Thanks to Milamber

2007-08-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Milamber showed me how to embed Odeo on my blog. You can also embed a podcast or music to your blog through http://www.oedo.com.

Thanks again Milamber.

Regards,
Dembe

Educators - TNC is a Must visit in SL

2007-08-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

The TNC has great instructional items, PPT's and tutirials on SL. When you stop by, do not forget to go upstairs and check out the computer table and other resources like the Survey HUD. The survey tool was my favorite item offered.

Great stuff here from Pia and Tek. Kudo's to these SL educator for the wonderful job they did on the TNC. The location is Eduisland II 39, 26, 21. http://slurl.com/secondlife/eduisland_II/39/26/21. The location is open 24/7 and is a must visit for new and seasoned educators in SL. Remember there are free educational tools on both the first and second floor, plus tutorials.

Today August 1, at 11AM SL time they had a social for American and European educators. This was a great event and I personally look forward to more of them.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe

Condos Available on EdTech Island

2007-07-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

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

Virtual World Guidelines for IBMers

2007-07-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

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

3D DropBox

2007-07-28T11:24:00.001-07:00

Are they a Scam???

2007-07-28T11:12:00.001-07:00

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

101 Uses for SL in the College Classroom

2007-07-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

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

FREE: Second Life eBook

2007-07-28T11:01:00.001-07:00

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 ;-)

Madison Avenue to Conversation Starter - SL Hot is Either Way

2007-07-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

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

Wii: Definately on My Holiday Wish List

2007-07-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

YouTube Tour of SL

2007-07-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

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

Life Science Informatics Treds Analysis for Community College Program Builders Volume 3: Virtual Worlds

2007-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

3D Graphics

2007-07-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

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

Second Life, For Real

2007-07-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Calling all Educators!!!

2007-07-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

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;-)

Kids and 3D Worlds in Recent News

2007-07-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

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.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/06/your_take_roundupvirtual_world.html “Virtual Worlds for Kids Entwined with Real World” is another great article on kids use of 3D worlds. This article is from Media Shift and takes a closer look at Club Penguin and Whyville. Both 3D worlds are aimed at the pre-teen and tween populations.

http://www.xplora.org/ww/en/pub/xplora/practice/examples/kids_and_virtual_worlds.htm This article, “Kids and Virtual Worlds”, it highlights a research/educator that is using virtual 3D worlds with 3-5 year-olds. It is sponsored by http://www.activeworlds.com/.

Regards till my next post,

Dembe:-)

Are Virtual Worlds the Future of Our Classrooms?

2007-07-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

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????

2007-07-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

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:

http://thejournal.com/articles/20899_6 - Part II of the Article by Patricia Deubel, Ph.D.

Regards till my next posting,
Dembe

Top 40 SL Blogs

2007-07-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.slideshare.net/musebrarian/a-second-life-for-your-museum-3d-multiuser-virtual-environments-and-museums

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

2007-07-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

Virtual Boston coming to SL http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/21/hub_of_the_online_universe_city_plans_a_virtual_boston/

Interesting article “Boston's technological gurus are laying plans to reconstruct parts of the city online. They hope the Second Life city will eventually include features such as the Hatch Shell, where online concerts could take place, and an online subway that would transport people to all the familiar stops. A version of the Freedom Trail could be made to look as it did during historical events such as the Boston Massacre of 1770. At the virtual City Hall, they envision, digital images of city councilors would hold office hours, and neighborhood meetings would take place in virtual conference rooms.”

This is a definite "must visit places" in SL when the island is finally created.

Regards,

Dembe :-)

The Virtual Entrpreneur - 5 Minute Movie

2007-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

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:

·	3D Project Creator
·	Facial Fitting Editor
·	Character Motion Editor
·	Auto Facial Animation
·	Special Effects Wizard
·	Scene Timeline Editor
·	Cameras, Lights, & more

Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)

Coke's Virtual Thirst Contest!

2007-07-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.virtualthirst.com/

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

2007-07-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

Regards till my next post,
Dembe :-)

PeggySheehy/Ramapo Islands at NECC 2007

2007-07-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Comparing 2D and 3D Synchronous Learning

2007-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Kansas Teaching Jobs Virtual Employment office in SL

2007-07-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

SL Helpful Questions from Experienced Teacher Presentation

2007-07-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Virtual Worlds and Second Life NECC

2007-07-24T20:45:00.001-07:00

Give Education a Second Life Video

2007-07-24T20:42:00.001-07:00

Freebies on SL

2007-07-13T10:51:00.001-07:00

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 ;-)

Canadian Police Recruit through SL

2007-07-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

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

SL Basic Facts

2007-07-09T14:02:00.001-07:00

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.10/slfacts.html

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!

2007-07-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

=====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

2007-07-09T10:07:00.001-07:00

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 ;-)

New Virtual World

2007-07-08T09:39:00.001-07:00

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 :-)

Give Education a Second Life

2007-07-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

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 ;-)

Inworld Griefing

2007-07-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

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;-)

Senator Gravel Presidential Campaign Enters SL - Corrections

2007-07-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

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 :-)

View Earth from a Satellite and My Sky

2007-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

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