Filed Under (Second Life) by Patti Ruffing on 24-09-2009
cross-posted from Second Life Blog
Because of the Discovery Streamathon on Sept. 23, the DEN in Second Life took a break our weekly Wednesday workshops. But don’t go far, because the next few weeks are jam packed with a variety of events:
- Sept. 30 – Get up to speed on Student Access to Discovery Education services with Smellslike Magic (RL Mike Bryant) as we dive into the Classroom Manager. The many ways you can easily assign Discovery resources to your students will be showcased. Come with questions, comments, or ideas on how you’d like to see students utilize all of our digital resources.
- Oct. 7 – Get your ‘Og’ on with Cleo Jacobus (RL Jen Dorman) with Blogs, Glogs, and Vlogs, and learn how a little widget can be a means of global collaboration.
- Oct. 21 – Feeling a little unsure in SL? Need a hand? Or even a face? Then our Newbie help session is for you with some “practical magic” for your avatar.
- And can October be complete without a Halloween party and dance? Not at DEN in SL! Watch for further info on gallivanting ghost tales and costume craziness all at 2 DP. Whooooo knows what may be in store!
See you in-world!
Jack-o’-Lantern. Jupiterimages Corporation. 2006.Discovery Education. 23 September 2009<http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>
“Summer learnin’, had me a blast.
Summer learnin’, happened so fast.”
Isn’t that how the song goes? Well, I hate to say it but for me, summer is officially over, having attended our opening teacher meeting today. It has been a great couple of weeks with Discovery though, and as reluctant as I am to let go of summer, 
I am excited to put into practice the new strategies I have acquired through the DEN summer school webinars. I was able to attend the Voice Thread and DE this week with Jen Dorman as well as the Glogster and DE with Traci Blazosky. Last week I squeezed in a session on Discovery Science with Brad Fountain. I was sorry to miss the session on Google Earth and DE today for Virtual Field trips, but tomorrow sounds cool with Learning Through the Funnies to find out how to use DE and comic tools. Earlier in the month I attended Thinking Outside the Slide and Digital Storytelling Made Easy: DE Content with Animoto and PhotoStory as well as a great discussion on Policies, Safety, and Social Networking led by Steve Dembo. In my tech presentation to our teachers I hinted at all the great things I would be sharing with them in the coming weeks, especially the wonderful new face of the DE website. You can still benefit from the webinars by visiting the summer school page where the sessions are gradually being posted.
But is that all? OH NO! Because not only were there great opportunities in webinars but a step from the real world into the virtual world of Second Life and the learning continued. From Matt Monjan’s overview of the DE website in the 2DP auditorium, to Blended Virtual Ecosystems, to a first-hand account of a Discovery Student Adventure, the DEN in SL was a happening place. Especially the Sharks After Dark adventure to coincide with Discovery’s Shark Week.
Lest you think you missed all the fun, you can catch Pack Your Curiosity and Go-Part 2 tonight at the DEN in SL at 8p.m Eastern (which is 5 p.m. SLT) where Steve Dembo will share the experience of the student adventure in South Africa. See you in-world!
Filed Under (Education, Second Life) by Patti Ruffing on 19-06-2009
I am so happy to have been invited to help out on the Second Life Leadership Council. What a great team they have been (Rip, Lor, Beth, JM, Celestia, Laelia), working so hard to make the SL experience better for all of us in the DEN. I have learned so very much in my almost 2 years as a member of the DEN in SL. What a fantastic vehicle for professional development!
It has also been rewarding being a volunteer guide on the weekends at the DEN headquarters. Although as I say, sometimes I feel like Eleanor Rigby, other times it is very rewarding to be able to make someone feel welcome, explain what we do there as educators, and even make new friends from all over. We have so many things in common as educators, and it is a good feeling to know that other teachers, whether they are in Alaska or Norway, experience the same frustrations and time crunches that we do. We are all struggling to do what is best for our students and by our conversations we grow as educators and have the resource of a support network to help us in our mission. I hope I can offer something of value to the group. I will surely do my best.
