Second Life ™

Mark your calendars (and check your time zones!!!! The times listed are Singapore times!) as Second Life ™ is hosting an Education Fiesta over a two day period.  Here’s the information:

All the time listed are Singapore Time (UTC / GMT +8 hrs).  

Ms. Erin Reilly will be giving the Keynote on Monday, September 6th at 8 p.m. (Singapore Time)
You may wish to use a time zone converter so you don’t miss any of the presentations!

7 September 2010

08 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs-

Ms Alicia Poo Peng Peng Economics Teacher, Innova Junior College

Use of Collaborative Tagging Through Diigo to Promote Interdependent Online Research amongst Students.

10 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs

Mr John Yap Yin Gwee,

Senior Media Producer, NUS Second Life

Learning Through Gaming: The NUS Experience

12 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs

Dr Tay Lee Yong,

Head of Department for Research & Information Communication Technology,

Beacon Primary School

Integrating the Technological Dimension into Teaching and Learning –An Activity Theoretical Perspective

8 September 2010

08 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs

Ms Yap Chern Kai,

English Literature Teacher, Innova Junior College

Virtual Disgrace: Teaching Literature in Second Life

10 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs

Dr Caroline Ho,

Assistant Professor, English Language and Literature, National Institute of Education

Demystifying the mystique of Virtual Museums

12 00hr UTC/GMT +8 hrs

Mr Daryl Koh,

Head Of Department  for Information and Communication Technology,

Ms Tan Chui Min,

Arts Teacher, Yusof Ishak Secondary School

Becoming a Virtual Curator - Using Secondlife in Teaching Art Appreciation

This past week, several members of the Second Life LC ventured into the virtual world known as Reaction Grid. We met up with Jokay Wollongong (Jo Kay in RL) who guided us around and answered questions while we got our bearings. She also took us to her own spot on the RG called jokaydia.We decided to explore Reaction Grid because there are many other virtual worlds besides Second Life, and many educators are interested in finding out what virtual worlds can offer for their students as well as for their own professional development. Since Reaction Grid is strictly a PG environment it is suitable for all ages, unlike the main SL grid which is only for ages 18 and up. Many higher education groups have been making use of the SL environment  but what about K-12 students? Reaction Grid provides a viable alternative.

Jokay also told us that the cost of a sim in Reaction Grid is far less expensive than in Second Life. She has also developed her own virtual world called JoKaydiaGrid. You can register for an account on the site. Reaction Grid, Joykadiagrid and others are part of the OpenSim project. Although OpenSim does not have the “web on a prim” capability that the SL Viewer 2 has, there are developers working on it as we speak. (Correction: Reaction Grid is working on web on a prim; Open Sim does have that functionality.Thanks to readers for pointing this out.)I experimented accessing Reaction Grid through the Second Life Viewer (1.23 not viewer 2) and also the Hippo OpenSim Viewer. (Download at http://sourceforge.net/projects/opensim-viewer/) There are others that can be used as well but the interface is basically what you are familiar with in Second Life so there is really no learning curve with the viewer. The support tab at reactiongrid.com gives detailed instructions on using these viewers.

The most difficult thing for me was having to create a new avatar and leave my familiar self behind in SL! I could take the same name and use the same password, however. You can get an account by clicking on “Register” at the bottom of the Reaction Grid home page. The objects and clothing available in Reaction Grid are free (yes, free, though somewhat limited at this time) and there is no cost to upload textures, unlike the 10L per texture we are used to in Second Life. We are planning another excursion in the near future and next time hope to investigate work being done by other educators. I took a sneak peak at (and a photo of) Scott Merrick’s “scottsperiment” on Reaction Grid, but didn’t have time to venture further. We are excited to find out more about what ideas these RG educators are cooking up and how they use the virtual environment with their students.

Info on jokaydia in Reaction Grid and SL Jokaydia blog.

Scott Merrick’s Oh! Virtual Learning blog

Virtual Environments Education Videos

Microsoft Case Study on Reaction Grid from May 2009

See you in-world (any world!)

As you know, DEN in SL is located on one of the EduIslands.  What you might not know is that we have a fabulous and fantastic ‘landlord’, Fleet.  If you’ve attended some of our major galas you might have had the opportunity to glimpse this ‘furry’ — his avatar is a squirrel.  Anyway, we just received an e-mail sharing the following:

To encourage new educators into Second Life whilst they have some time on their hands, we are launching a summer promotion.  For the next two months, from now until mid September, we will be offering educators new to SL a limited number of luxury apartments with 250 prim allowances on a first come, first served basis.  The cost?  Free!  Zero!  Zip!  Zilch!

When September arrives, the apartment tenants will have the option of upgrading to a paid presence elsewhere on the Eduislands, with the usual affordable weekly-payment plans available to them.

We have again used the type of luxury apartments that have served the Eduislands so well in the past for this promotion.  An internal image of the apartment:

http://www.squirrelverse.com/catalog/12.jpg

We’ve placed the tower on the edge of Eduisland 3, directly behind Teacher Networking Center, so that new teachers can get the easy access to support that they need.

Here’s a SLurl to a show apartment:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduisland%203/151/221/64/

If you don’t already know about the 2010 Reform Symposium which begins tonight and runs through Sunday then please do yourself a favor and check out their website.  A detailed schedule of events can be found by clicking on ‘Schedule’ along the top menu.

I hope you’ll stop in for Kevin Jarrett’s presentation, ‘Second Life ™ in Education…An Introduction’, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST (so that would be 4:30 p.m. SLT).  For more information at his presentation, click here.  KJ (as he is fondly known) is a veteran SLifer.  My first encounter with Kevin was via his blog, Welcome to NCS-Tech, where he so generously shares new website finds.  Imagine how thrilled I was when I discovered we were both going to the Google Certified Teacher training in New York back in 2007 (could it really be that long ago?).  I had already ventured in to SL, decided that Orientation Island was waaaaaaaaaaay too scary (you should have seen it back then!) and promptly went back to RL.  It was during the GCT training that KJ convinced me to give SL another shot.  And I did….with KJ waiting for me in-world.  And I’m glad I did.  Thanks KJ!  And best of luck tonight, I know you’ll rock the virtual-sphere!

Passing this along from ISTE:

Are you a veteran of ISTE Conferences and willing to share? Are you a newbie to ISTE 2010? Do you have questions? Do you want hints and tips from the vets of ISTE Conferences? If the answer is YES to any of these questions please join us at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday June 17, from 5-6 pm SLT for an informal chat. We will be joined by special guest, Anne Truger  (RL) Jesse Marie Flanagan (SL).  

Please join even if you are not attending the conference.  We will have information on in-world events.

Time for another Second Life Tip and this time we take a general look at Viewer 2 in preparation for our upcoming orientation session on June 16 at the DEN.If you are fairly new to SL (maybe you decided to jump in after the “getting started” post) you have already installed Viewer 2. For some of you seasoned veterans who have been clinging to the old viewer, we are here to pry your fingers from the ledge! Don’t worry…you do NOT need to delete your old viewer. Both can reside on your computer and you can even go back to the old one if you need to for a while (although it is recommended that you don’t keep switching back and forth a lot, and we will get into that another time.)

Step 1: If you have not already done so, go to secondlife.com and in the lower right click “Download Second Life”. What is a viewer? According to Linden Labs: The Second Life Viewer is 3D browsing software required to enter Second Life. It is spyware free. Viewer 2 is now actually Viewer 2.0.2 - In its second revision after input from users. Remember this download will not replace Viewer 1.23.

Step 2: After the download, start the viewer. You may want to watch the Torley Linden video below before you start. It is an overview of the basic transition from the old viewer to the new and where to find some old things in new locations.

Step 3: Refer to the Quick Start Guide for Viewer 2. This is a complete reference to all menus and toolbars. Go through it page by page from the beginning or use the links below to hit topics you are most interested in.

Interface Overview - top, bottom, and side bars

Contextual Menus - what you get when you right click on yourself, other residents, or objects

Inspectors - avatars and objects

Moving - how to walk, fly, sit

Seeing - camera controls and keyboard shortcuts for viewing

Appearance - objects and clothing in inventory

Local chat - both text and voice

One on one communication - IMs and voice calls

Voice set up - settings in Preferences for enabling voice chat

Friends - making friends and accessing your friend list

Location - using the World Map, creating and using landmarks, teleporting and SLurls

Help - how to use the help browser

Keyboard shortcuts

Some extra hints:

1.  With the new web browser interface, the backward and forward arrows take you back and forth in your teleport history, but be careful! When you use the back arrow you are immediately teleported to your previous location without being forewarned where you are headed or asked if you want to go there.  There is also a Home symbol which will immediately transport you to your designated home location. NOTE: Clicking the Places (Globe) symbol on the side bar will also make teleport history available and you have a clearer look at where you are going or where you have been.

2. The location which appears in the address bar can be customized. By right-clicking on that location you get the full parcel coordinates which you can then copy and share with someone as a SLurl. You also can turn on parcel properties which will show you things such as whether buildings, scripts, or flying are allowed. The parcel coordinates and properties, once checked in the sub-menu, will appear each time from then on if you desire that option. Clicking the ‘i’ (the Inspector) in front of the location name will open the place profile to give you further info about that location. The inspector option pops up next to objects, individuals, and just about everywhere.

3.  There are two options for viewing Nearby Chat. The new version shows a thumbnail of the avatar speaking, and by mousing over to the right you get the Inspector option which will open their information and show the options that formerly appeared in a pie menu such as IM, add friend, teleport, etc. You can also revert to the standard text only chat by choosing that option in Preferences- Chat.

Remember that on June 16 we will be providing an orientation session at the DEN in SL on becoming familiar with the features of Viewer 2. (8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 5 pm Pacific) Experiment with the top and bottom bars, customize them by right clicking and eliminating what you don’t use. See what you can discover on your own, and come for additional tips at our Viewer 2 session.

See you in world!

Hot of the press, and shared with you!

Thursday, June 10, 2010, 5 PM SLT/8PM Eastern
Tracer Mankind performs in ISTE Denver Metaverse

Celebrate summer… celebrate ISTE 2010 conference…celebrate ISTE Denver Metaverse! Come early and stay late! Explore the ISTE Denver conference build in SL, visit with friends, and listen to Tracer Mankind concert at the Red Rock Amphitheater.

Mankind Tracer, Winner of the 2009 SL Resident Choice Award for Favorite SL Live Musician will perform at the Red Rock outdoor theater. Mankind is a solo rock live musician touring around all of SL since 2006. With his acoustic guitar he plays GREAT originals and the best Rock covers from the 60’s forward.

 

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island%204/24/118/31

Virtual Helping Hands is hosting Helen Keller Day in Second Life on June19th.

“Named for a true innovator in accessibility, Helen Keller Day is a community-event that explores how and why to employ, educate, entertain, and engage everyone through virtual worlds.”

If you would like to find out more (the wheres, the hows, the whats), check it out here.

You may have noticed our location in the list of state blogs is south of Pennsylvania and north of South Carolina. In reality, we are located in “virtual” reality (second star to the right and straight on till morning) but as near as your own back yard. Some of you have visited this land already, but others of you may be just wondering if you even want to add an expedition into uncharted territory into your ever so busy lives.This post, the first in a series of SL Tips, (or SL’ips) is for you who have never ventured to the shores of Second Life. You don’t need any magic dust, or happy thoughts (Wait - We do want happy thoughts!).  Getting started is easy and we want you to be a part of the action as the DEN in SL sets out in a new direction with a variety of activities to enhance your professional life and your “second” life.

As we head toward the end of the school year, this may be a perfect time to think about pumping up your PLN over the summer using Second Life. On June 16 the DEN will hold a session to help current users (residents) of SL become acclimated to Viewer 2. But if you have not yet joined us in SL here is a little step-by-step to creating an avatar and having him/her poised and ready to join us at our Viewer 2 orientation. The process has gotten easier and easier, and it will probably take a total of ten minutes to get you “in world”. Questions? This way please.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what Second Life is!		SL is a MUVE (multi-user virtual environment). In this 3-D virtual community members create a customized avatar to represent themselves and move about in the virtual world.
So what can I actually do there?		Educators are able to join existing groups or create their own. They can attend information and sharing sessions, learn to create objects in Second Life, host or attend meetings, and socialize with other educators. The Second Life educational community merely extends professional development and camaraderie into a virtual environment. And it can be lots of fun, too!
Maybe it’s too complicated. I’m not sure I have time for this virtual world stuff.		Everything gets easier the more you use it. Think of all the technology you use now that you didn’t use five years ago! We are here to help with tips and tricks, and in world how-to sessions.You won’t know what you’re missing until you give it a try!

1. Go to secondlife.com
2. Click “Join Now.”
3. Complete the top of the page with real life info. This is not ever visible to any other users of Second Life. No one will know your real name unless you choose to share it.
4. In the next section choose a name for your avatar. Enter a first name choice and then click “Find Last Name”. There will be 4 lists of possible last names to choose from. Don’t like any of the options? Click “Change” next to the first name and Find Last Names again. You will get an entirely different list. Do this several times if necessary until you find the perfect fit.

**CAUTION: Once you commit to a name for your avatar, you can’t change it, so be careful with spelling and capitalization. If you enter “mary” but really wanted “Mary”, once you say “Create Avatar” you will forever be known as “mary” lower case. Also, the less complicated your first name is the easier it will be for others to address you in typed chat conversations. They are likely to shorten any long name anyway.**

5. Select your starting avatar. This is only a jumping off point. Once in world you will be able to change hair, clothing, body characteristics (everything but your name).
6. Complete the security information. Then “Create Avatar”.
7. Congratulations! You are now an official “resident” of Second Life.

8. If you have not already done so, download a “viewer” to enter the world of SL. Back on the secondlife.com homepage, go to the Download Viewer option in the lower right. You will be downloading Viewer 2. (actually version 2.0.1.203797 is the currently available version.)There are versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This viewer will allow you to navigate the “world”. Remember that we will be holding a session to get to know the ins and outs of Viewer 2 on June 16. Our next SL’ip will give you info on Viewer 2 to get ready for our upcoming session.

9. Once you are ready to run the application, sign in with the first and last name of your newly created avatar and your chosen password. You will find yourself on one of many Welcome Islands. There are six stations that will give you basic information on things like how to walk, fly, chat, sit and use camera zoom. (Seen above) In the final station  seen below you can choose your destination. When you select one of those options a map will appear. If you choose Teleport you will immediately be transported to the location of your choice. However, you may want to enter a different location in the “Find” space (circled in red) such as Eduisland 2 (takes you to DEN headquarters) or ISTE Island (lots of help info) or even a location such as Priceless where you can find avatar freebies.

Next week’s Sl’ip will delve into some basics on Viewer 2 and don’t forget our Viewer 2 orientation session on June 16. It will probably be a little harder for us old dogs to learn the new tricks of Viewer 2 than for new residents. But WE CAN, and WE WILL! The DEN in SL will be making lots of changes in the coming weeks, so we want you there to experience it all! Get your feet wet, and we will help you with the rest! 

Second Life  can extend the networking, communicating, and sharing that we know is so vital in education. Come be a part of the conversation. And please feel free to leave a comment or question regarding anything you may want us to focus on in our SL Tips, from the most basic to more complicated topics. Let us know what you need to make your SL experience a smooth one.

See you in world!

If you’re going to ISTE 2010 you’ll want to read the following.  It’s a wonderful offer from ISTE and I can tell you from past experience that the name badges are AWESOME!

Hi  all,

 

If you are heading to Denver and would like a Second Life name tag with your avi pic on it, come on over to ISTE Island HQ in SL and follow the directions on the sign next to the photo booth.

 

If you need any help, please IM Louise Borgnine.

 

Thanks!

 

Terra Sieberman

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education)

Membership Development

Awards & Recognition/Volunteers/ISTE Ambassadors

180 W. 8th Ave., Suite 300

Eugene, OR  97401

541.434.8906

tsieberman@iste.org

www.iste.org

Louise Borgnine in SL