Second Life ™

Several educators gathered around the DEN in SL campfire to just chat and share tonight. We even roasted virtual marshmellos!  There were questions about copyright, discussions about how to handle keeping the computers clean from germs. Of course there was some venting on budget cuts, not enough time, how to help teachers take risks. We shared links, gave some tips and just supported each other as needed.  We decided we need more of these informal chats. Because “we are our greatest resource”!

Wednesday evening, August 12, an informal chat session was held at DEN in SL (2DP) for newbie questions, or DEN related questions, or anything anyone wanted to share. Six educators stopped by to discuss a variety of topics from how to create a sign in SL to technology integration practices and frustrations to revamping technology curriculum. Everyone came away with something, which supports the DEN goal of connectiong teachers to their most valuable resource - each other!

Join us next Wednesday, August 19, (5 pm  SLT, 6 pm CST,  8 pm EST) as presenter Geekybird Fanbridge (Matt Monjan, RL) helps us to  “Discover the Undiscovered” with a guided tour of the new and improved Discovery Education site. Participants will also get a bonus screening of the Discovery Student Adventures in South Africa. See you there!

I just received this e-mail from ISTE and thought I would pass it along to our members.

EVENT: Celebrating Environmental Education!
LOCATION: ISTE Island, Second Life: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ISTE%20Island/94/84/31
DATE: April 23rd (the day after Earth Day)
TIME: 5:30p.m.-7 p.m. SLT  
 
ISTE and HP are collaborating on a special celebration of Earth Week on April 23rd. We’re putting together a social event and poster gallery that highlights projects relating to environmental education, environmental science, or environmental studies in general. If you’re involved in an interesting project in this area (in or out of Second Life) and would like to share your work with the wider community, please join us in this celebration by participating in the poster session.

Submit your application online by Friday, April 3: http://tinyurl.com/HP-EarthWeek-Form

I’ve been watching the growth of numerous 365/[fill in the year] groups.  In fact, I even administer one == EdTech 365/2009 and I thought this might be a great thing to have for all of us SLers out there!

To that end, I’ve created a DENinSL 12/2009 Flickr group and you’re all welcomed to join!  Since this is a ‘by invitation only’ group, please send me an e-mail to laelia [dot] laval [at] gmail [dot] com (or, if you’re like me, I prefer the old fashioned laelia.laval@gmail.com !!! LOL) and I’ll be sure to send an invitation your way.  The e-mail you receive will be from ‘Ed Tech Diva’ (my other aka) and you just simply click on the link and log in with your Flickr id (or create a Yahoo! id) and that’s it!

Rather than attempt a ‘365′ project (phew…..that WOULD be a ‘little’ daunting), I’ve made it a ‘12′ project — that’s one shot a month (something I believe we can ALL manage).  This will also help to build your photography skills in SL.  Snap away and when you’ve got the shot you’d like to submit just add it to the group.  Please be sure to include a SLurl and of course, we’re ALWAYS interested in the story behind the shot, or some information about the location or event.

We are having a trivia contest and you get to write the questions. We want to know what you know about Halloween and scary things. Use this form to enter your questions for this Wednesdays events.

Wowie kazowie! If you weren’t able to join us last night, you missed a great presentation that included field trips to places in Second Life that I have never seen before. Spiff Whitfield introduced many of us to The Virtual Pioneers. They are a group located on sim Lighthouse Learning in the Wnyric building. They focus on sites in Second Life that have historical realism. Whether it is accuracy in a sturctural layout or plan to role playing during a historical period, they have what must be the master list. We’re talking SOCIAL STUDIES in capital letters. We only stopped at a few places on a very big list of places. I, myself can’t wait to get back in and explore more of these places plus many of them had excellent freebie period costumes. Perfect for the DEN’s upcoming Costume Party at the end of the month.

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-18.png

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-17.png

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-16.png

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-15.png

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-12.png

Virtual Pioneers Presentation for the DEN in SL-8.png

a quickr pickr post

Splash for Trash: International Cleanup Day

Get your diving gear and wet suits out because the DEN in SL is going back to DIVE WORLD. To help raise awareness of Splash for Trash on September 20th in REAL LIFE, the DEN in SL along with PADI are going to host a virtual world cleanup on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th.

THIS JUST IN! We will be giving away L$1,750 in prizes!

The folks at PADI have created an awesome scavenger hunt for the DEN members. Here’s the skinny: someone has put trash all over Dive World. DEN members will each be given a trash bag and then let loose to do their part to clean up the sim. The person with the most will win.

So here is the info from the DEN in SL blog.

Please join us on September 16th (NOTE: This is a Tuesday!!!) and our friends from Dive World. We’ll be meeting at DEN in SL HQs at 5 p.m. SLT (7 p.m. CST, 8 p.m. EST) sharp to teleport over to Dive World.

Join like minded environmentally conscious friends in Second Life and gear up for International Cleanup Day with this fun cleanup activity. Once you dive the depths of the beautiful waters of Dive World, removing marine debris as you go, stay and dance your virtual socks off on the beachside dance floor!

But the fun doesn’t stop there, get involved in the real world and volunteer to help make clean waters a reality and join the biggest underwater cleanup of its kind. Project AWARE is calling all divers, snorkelers and water enthusiast to make their data count and help reverse debris trends this September. About International Cleanup Day: Project AWARE Foundation spearheads global underwater cleanups during International Cleanup Day and year round. This annual volunteer event addresses the devastating impact of marine debris on the aquatic environment. Project AWARE empowers dive centers and individuals to clean the world’s oceans, lakes, rivers and shorelines. Volunteers take part in practical cleanup solutions and collect data which is vital for change.

International Cleanup Day is held annually on the 3rd Saturday in September but cleanup and data collection activities are supported by Project AWARE, partners and volunteers on an ongoing basis. In 2007 a total of 358,617 recorded volunteers helped Project AWARE clean 34,560 miles of shoreline and remove seven million pounds of rubbish.
To find a registered event in your local community visit https://www.projectaware.org/english/take_action/international_cleanup_day_locations.aspx

This event really sounds like fun. Hope to see everyone there.

Technorati Tags: environment, projectaware, cleanup, international, sl, second life, dive world

DATE: SUNDAY September 7, 2008
WORKSHOP:Wild and Wonderful Second Life Photos
PRESENTER: Riptide Furse
DESCRIPTION: This is not a beginners workshop. Meet right on time so you can be whisked away to a place to show off your SL picture-taking skills. During this time you will learn how to easily get the best colors and even some really cool different looks for your photos. You won’t believe how easy this. Having said that it’s easy, you should keep in mind this is not a beginning photo class. You should already know how to take SL pictures. This workshop is offered 3 different times on Sunday. We leave for our photo adventure from DEN HQ right at the top of the hour so don’t be late.
SLT TIME: 10AM 11AM 12PM SLT (1PM 2PM 3PM EST or 12PM 1PM 2PM CST)
Here is a sample of what you will be able to do after this workshop.

Take a bite out of Shark Week. Don’t miss an episode! We are very excited about Shark Week and have planned several activities at the DEN in SL.

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/sharkweek/sharkweek.html

What do Whale Sharks, Hammerheads, Mako Sharks and teachers have in common? They can all be seen at the DEN in Second Life “Swim with Sharks Underwater Scuba Adventure” on Monday July 28th at 5 pm SLT (5pm PST, 7 pm CST and 8pm EST)! Everyone who pre-registers will receive a complete Scuba Diving outfit with equipment for free. (If you miss the pre-registration you can still participate however you will not get the free equipment.)

Yes, you heard it here, the DEN in Second Life will be journeying to the depths of the ocean with “http://www.padi.com/padi/default.aspx” PADI (Prof. Association of Diving Instructors) as our guides. Our underwater adventure will begin with a fun scavenger hunt on the Dive World Sim (complete with prizes of course), continue with our journey to the ocean depths with our capable and knowledgeable guides from PADI and then end with celebratory dancing at the Tiki Bar. It’s going to a be a wonderfully fun learning experience and we want you to join us!

Even if you have never set foot in Second Life we can help you! Please sign up for a dive time “http://densl-sharkdive.wikispaces.com/“. (If you need additional help getting on the island please indicate that on the wiki and we will contact you for a time.)This is a great opportunity for you to get involved with the DEN in SL and see just what kinds of things are possible in Second Life. We hope to see you all there soon!

Event: Swim with the Sharks Underwater Scuba Adventure
When: Mon July 28
Time: 5 pm SLT (5pm, PST, 7 pm CST and 8pm EST)
RSVP: Pre-register by Sat July 26th http://densl-sharkdive.wikispaces.com/

Remember Shark Week begins on the Discovery Channel at 9PM EST on July 27.

Riptide has been itching to do another Trivia Game Gathering and even though there is one planned for March, I had this feeling that Rip wanted to do something sooner.  Well, sure enough.  In less than 24 hours, Riptide managed to gather enough questions and answers relating to movies which won the Best Pictures category.  I should have suspected something when I saw some of his posts on Twitter.  I gotta tell ya, when we put our minds to something, there ain’t nuthin’ stopping us (real or virtual!).  Not only did Riptide put together 80 trivia questions and answers, load them into the Trivia Game, but he create the perfect set for the entire affair - replete with red carpet, stantions, posters, and an Oscar or two.  As soon as I popped in and saw the red carpet I hurried off to change into something a little more appropriate for the affair.  Thonalon did the same — popped in, took one look at Rip and myself — and promptly headed off to his own virtual dressing room.  As you can see from the shots below, many of us took the ‘Red Carpet Look’ to the extreme — and we looked DAMM good!  Thonalon and Thunder were by far the leaders in their knowledge of movie trivia and some others in atttendance were impressive as well.  I got only one question correct — can’t remember the question, but the answer was ‘An American in Paris’. 

Riptide and Laelia on the Red Carpet:

Lor Making Her Red Carpet Entrance:

Oscar Trivia Event: